HER GHOST

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Old man Omi had only one thing to tell Lei- that she had been the cause behind the farm fire.

'Ghosts never help for free,' Old man Omi said, 'there's always a cost.'

'But I never asked for help!' Lei retaliated.

'Are you sure you didn't?' Old man Omi asked.

Lei wasn't. In her hour long one sided conversations, Lei had often talked to the Bo tree the way one might talk with a trusted officer, and the only reason she never asked for help was that she took it for granted that the tree would help her anyway.

'Ghosts know what you truly want to ask for girl,' Old man Omi continued, ' And there is no way to fool a strong specter like the one who marked you.'

So had Lei wanted the farm to burn? Had she wanted Uncle Somi, Cousin Neel, Cousin Aniket and Cousin Needhi to die? Had she wanted the sunny farmhouse to turn to ashes? Had she wished the orange trees to flames?

Lei knew she hadn't, and hence she also knew that whatever had caused the uncontrollable farm fire- it wasn't the ghost.

When she had reached the farm and beheld the charred fields, her first instinct had been to turn to the main village market. There, she had been surprised to see the strange glances that all the country folk directed at her. People scurried away in fear, avoiding her and her questions.

'The witch! The witch!' she could hear.

A young boy pointed at her and screamed, 'Want to burn us all?'

She tried to stop them, tried to speak- but couldn't. She was numb with the trauma of the disaster she had witnessed and now all the villagers thought that she was some kind of a jinx.

In seconds the crowded market junction was deserted and silent. Lei stood there, stupefied, for a while and then saw at some distance to her right- men with lighted flambeaus walking timidly towards her.

So she lifted her baggage and walked away as quickly as she could. There, nearby the river that flowed through the countryside, Old man Omi stopped and brought Lei to his cottage.

'They think you are a witch,' he told her as he sat playing with the holy beads in his hands, 'But I can see you carry the mark,' he continued.

'But don't they,' Lei asked, fazed and dumbfounded, 'don't they know that I carry...uh...the mark?'

'They think you brought the curse upon yourself and your family,' he said, sprinkling holy water all around her, 'But I know the ghost chose you by will. They think you worship the devil.'

'What will they do now?' Lei asked.

'Either burn you, or the Bo tree- They have called me tonight to the village, they want my help in burning the Bo tree,' Old man Omi said, settling down and playing with his beads again, 'The question is what will you do now?'

Lei didn't know the answer. It was late evening, the sun had set long back and night stars were already twinkling in the sky. She had no home, no family, no caretakers whatsoever. She was absolutely alone.

No caretaker? A part of her questioned herself, None?

That wasn't quite true, Lei knew it herself; she had always had only one caretaker throughout her life- The Bo Tree.

'Will you help burn it down?' She asked Old man Omi.

'Me?' Old man Omi echoed, 'Oh yes, yes. I will, I will.'

'But you cannot!' Lei shrieked and stood up, 'Why? The tree didn't harm anyone!'

Old man Omi raised his eyes and smiled sympathetically, 'Ah!' he said, 'So that is why he marked you. Now I see it- love.'

'Gosh!' Lei cried in exasperation, 'This is ridiculous. I do not know what you mean- but surely that tree could not have harmed anyone! Take the ghost! Tie him and burn him! What has the tree done?'

'Who are you fooling?' Old man Omi continued, his eyes shut and his face calm and unperturbed, 'You know that the tree and the ghost are one and the same. The tree is His manifestation- the ghost will burn when the tree does.'

'But, but,' Lei was struggling to find a reason, 'I know the ghost! He cares, he is kind and generous. He has a good heart!'

'What!' Old man Omi's eyes shot open and he looked at Lei in great anger, 'Are you a fool! This is not a tale of fairies and angels. Look at me girl!' He said and yanked Lei towards him, tightly holding her shoulders as she sat fearfully kneeling at his feet.

'Your ghost cannot love!' he looked into her eyes and forced his words upon her, 'Your ghost has no heart, he shall never have one because that is what makes him a ghost and not a man!'

'Then why would he mark me?' Lei demanded, 'I know he cares for me!'

'You are a fool,' Old man Omi said, 'That is why! Such ghosts look for an opening. A way for them to connect to the human world, for they cannot connect to the heavens. Fools like you, living in their world of fantasy, give them this opening.'

Lei was stunned.

'You gave him the opening,' Old man Omi continued, 'He fooled you, tricked you into trusting him- you were even glad he marked you! If you had had any sense you would have come to me and got the mark burned!'

Lei was quiet and listening to a strange buzzing noise that had been increasing gradually outside.

'A ghost like him doesn't know goodness,' Old man Omi said, 'they are all so vengeful and tormented, they know nothing but how to cause more pain; especially to fools like you who recklessly get themselves latched.'

'What happens if we do not burn the tree?' Lei asked.

'Everywhere you go,' Old man Omi said, 'the ghost's sorrow follows you. Anyone you come to love, will suffer. Everything you come to treasure- will be taken away from you; your world will be nothing but suffering and pain. All the pain that the ghost experienced, he will make you feel also. Do you understand?'

'Yes,' Lei murmured, now facing reality.

'Good,' Old man Omi said, 'I trusted you to come about. Now come with me,' he continued, 'the murmur you heard outside is that of the villagers. You shall burn the tree yourself- there is no one else who may do it.'

'Alright,' Lei said and stood up, 'But one last thing.'

'Yes?' Old man Omi asked, rising up himself.

'How do we stop this ghost from harming the village, if we do not burn the tree?' Lei asked.

'We burn you,' Old man Omi replied.


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