Letters from India - Part 2

18. Christmas 1989

Christmas

30 December 1989

Prasanthi Nilayam

Dear All,

20 December: Well, Venkamma is watching over me like a (what to say?) mother hen. Now she not only gives coffee in the morning (when I deliver the flowers) but also idlee after that. She never fails to ask what I cooked, or what I will cook that day. She makes a little extra rice to give me leftovers in the evening. I’ve tried time and time again to stop her doing this, but she won't. I’ve even brought some food myself in the evening myself, to prove that I’ll eat. But still she gives. She also gives some of Swami’s prasad (veggie).

When flowers are more (now it’s cold and there’s less flowers, so I don’t get up so early) and if it is very cold, sometimes Venkamma will insist I sleep overnight. I join Venkamma's "guard," elderly Meenamma, on the verandah, on a straw mat on the cement floor. She has bed bugs in the room. They bite and bite and keep us awake. Then sometimes Venkamma will tell us stories in the darkness, of all the endless troubles she had when she was young, very difficult life. She’ll also turn on the light at least once every night, around midnight or 1 AM or 2 AM, and search for bed bugs. Then if she finds any, she crushes them mercilessly between her fingers! If I see any bed bugs, I of course, can't kill them, so I show them to her and she kills them! Then we show each other our bed bug bites: big bites for big, fat bed bugs. Poor Venkamma, how to get rid of these merciless blood-consumers?

When I sleep over, I have a morning bath (that means filling a bucket full of tap water and pouring it over myself with a big mug) also there. I always bathe in cold water, amidst her protests. I put water on the stove for her then take my bath. Her water is hot by the time I finish. Once, while I was taking my bath she awoke and yelled, “Didn’t you heat water for yourself?!” I replied no, but the water wasn’t so cold from the faucet, so never mind. She quickly got up, got her warm water from the stove, and barged into the shower-room where I was, and poured the warm water into the bucket! Since that day I heat water for myself also when I stay over at night, afraid of a repeat performance!!

Venkamma’s very protective of me also. She won't let anyone demand anything from me or send me on errands like a servant. She keeps my money and won't let me lend to anyone or give or buy things for anyone. Meanwhile, she complains bitterly if I don’t buy enough for myself. She gets cheap rice and buys for me also (I give her the money). She has her maid buy kerosene for me so I don’t have to stand in the lines myself. (A nightmare – only twice a week they give kerosene, big long lines at 2 PM mid-day. People, believe it or not, lay places at 9 AM!) She’s always asking, “Did you eat? Do you have rice/kerosene? Do you have enough money?”

Well! My memory can be quite bad. Yesterday I ‘forgot’ where my finger was and closed the door on it, ripping off a few layers of skin! Happily for me, though, ‘Doctor amma’ Venkamma was there to help. She carefully cut material and wrapped it as a bandage, after medicines had been put on it. Later, she took her scissors and cut off the ripped skin herself, laughing at my closed eyes! Two mothers with young children with jaundice have been coming to her doorstop for the last few days. Venkamma goes out into the cold morning air and climbs the hills, searching for a certain plant. Then she pounds the plant into a pulp and gives it to the patients to eat. It truly works!

I don’t remember if I wrote, that so many complained about the Mandir decorations of lights and moving statues, that, believe it or not, Swami had it removed! Whether He’ll put it up again for the next festival, remains to be seen. Venkamma has been complaining, “It cost Rs 200,000 and was supposed to be permanent! Now they’ve just thrown it all away!”

This year I decided not to get involved in the Xmas activities. Last year they ruined my Xmas spirit and peace of mind! Then, one long-time resident (Michele from America) asked me to make badges for the Seva-Dal, and all who got special places besides chair people. Thus, I had a chance to do Seva for the Lord, on Christmas! Venkamma even helped, showing me how to sew the ribbon on the badge. She even sat for some time and sewed a few! 180 badges were completed over two days, somehow I felt happy that I was able to do this Seva.

Xmas eve, the foreigners were all seated in a special section in Darshan. Sai gave Darshan then gave the signal for the carols program. It was a bit slow and sometimes uncoordinated but what to do, XMas carols are by nature slow and difficult to follow. Shockingly, “Jingle Bells, White Christmas” and a few other non-religious carols were included, never before allowed to be included in the compound (by the foreigner carol organizers). Plus one very nontraditional song one young foreigner gent had written (with pop tune and accompanied by guitars) which runs thus: “I keep feeling your love grow in me – over and over again, and it gets sweeter and sweeter as the days go by – oh what a love between my Sai and I,” Swami looked a bit confused at that one! The foreigners loved it and sang along with great enthusiasm.

After the carols, Swami blessed us with upraised hands, then had His boys sing normal bhajans. For the carols He sat in a red chair on the edge of the verandah, so we could all see. He simply listened to the slow ones, and tapped for the faster ones.

After it all I went to Venkamma, who reported, “Not as good as previous years!” I agreed and told her the past year’s wonderful organizer, Elisabeth, had not come. Elisabeth took care of the choir and etc., but now has returned to USA to take care of her sick mother.

XMas nagar sankirtin was nice. I followed last, right behind a few feet away came the gent’s nagar sankirtin (who sing loudly and enthusiastically), which meant that for the first time I could hear and follow all the carols nicely.

After all were in the compound, Swami appeared in white robe! First time He’s worn white for XMas, I hear! He listened to a couple of carols then motioned for arathi. We all did arathi with candles, He looked pleased and listened the whole time.

They sat us in a special section for Darshan. He gave Darshan as usual, no special program or prasad.

In the evening, Swami lengthened the program by including the meeting of old Anantapur students. There were three talks by graduated Anantapur girls, three talks by foreigner gents, Swami’s discourse (with three songs) then the Xmas drama put on by American devotees – a 3-hour + program!

Anyway, it was nice. Sai’s discourse was simple, to the point and included a lot of stories about Jesus.

Venkamma gave me a nice XMas present, a handkerchief of Swami’s! She took it from inside the Mandir interview room, once when she was getting prasad. Really, from Sai’s own inside house, not just offered in Darshan line! It’s the first handkerchief I’ve gotten. Very special. :-) Venkamma also sewed a new money-bag for me, green (for wealth maybe!) silk, with four compartments and drawstrings on either side. Small too, like I like.

On 28 December Swami said He was pleased with the foreigners and wanted to give namaskar to those who had done seva (about 100 ladies). Venkamma forced me to sit also, on the basis that I had made the badges! They let me sit. That morning Darshan we sat and Swami came, giving namaskar to all. As He approached me, He looked looong (like, “Oh! YOU did seva too?”) then came facing me for some time, taking letters from those around. I had nice long time touching His feet. Grace!

Matai has been coming once a day, every day for Darshan in a wheelchair and sitting right beside the verandah with a volunteer on one side and doctor amma on the other. Every day Sai talks to her and almost every day He gives vibhuti.

Loka Samastha Sukhino Bhavantu.

Love,

Divya