by Carol Holden
The following day is the day before the festival and Dr Menon and Taz have to go to the hospital, but they will be home for the four days of the festival and they will be able to get to know Simon better. It has worked out well for the boys and the family.
Simon is worried about his other two friends who are still trekking, but he realizes that the Festival will be ended by the time Luke and Pete get to Katmandu so they should be able to get accommodation in the hostel where they stayed when they arrived. Simon feels he can’t expect the Menons to put them up. He does not want to expect more of their hospitality and he would rather not tell his other friends until he is home and has seen his mother and dad. Simon loves his dad and hopes this revelation does not hurt him. He wonders if David knows the story of Sarah and Taj. He feels sure that his mother will have told him because there has never been any tension within the family only the usual one of the children growing up and stating their own opinions. He remembers David’s patience with Anne and himself and also the respect he gave them and demanded the same for him and their mother. David has been a great dad and what has happened here he does not want to deflect from that. “But.” he thinks. ”What about this other dad that he resembles so much. He was a doctor like his father and now his younger sister and he is about to be studying for a medical degree. He knows that he will have genes from Taj as well as from Sarah, and he feels a gratitude to a father he knew nothing about, until yesterday.
If his mother loved Taj so much and was devastated when he died, David had filled in a vast void for her and she must love him, because of what he is like.
He wants to get to know about his biological father and seeks Sahida out. She is sitting in the garden and he makes his way to the chair next to her.
“Hi Simon.” She says. “How is Ben this morning?”
“He’s resting, trying to build up his strength for the long flight home.” Simon replies.
“I’d like you to tell me a bit about your brother and it seems, my father.” Simon goes on to say.
“Well Taj was twelve years older than me and only about two years older than your mother. Sarah came out here, after doing her teaching degree, and began working for the V.S.O. I’m sure she told you a little about her time here. We were friends Sarah and I. I was just out of university and it was my first teaching job. I loved it and so did Sarah. The villagers with whom she lived among were, and still are, very gentle and friendly and she soon fitted in. The V.S.O. organization found her the small dwelling house within the village, but it was a little cramped and as we lived in Pokhara at the time, my father was a G.P. for the villages around that district, and Taj was a doctor at the hospital, where my father and sister work now. I invited Sarah to stay with us for a weekend and that is how she met my brother. They hit it off at once, and although we didn’t know about their love for one another, when she had a party for her nephew it became obvious to me that they were having a love affair. Taj had come that day to meet Sarah’s relative and they were so very close you would have had to be blind not to see it. Taj was a beautiful man, very like you are, with long eyelashes and a sweet smile for everyone. It was devastating to everyone when the plane crashed on its way in to Pokhara airport. Your mother was there to meet him.
The time after Taj’s death became unbelievably sad; the whole family was struck down with grief. Your mother had to be taken home from the funeral when Taj’s ashes were scattered on the river by the Pashupatinath Temple and I didn’t get to see her properly after that. Her mother and father came to take her back to England; they will be Mark’s and your grandparents. I didn’t get to meet them because it was very quickly done. Her parents came one day and were gone the next. I think Mark had sent for them because he came to Sarah after his trek.
Taj was a Hindu like the rest of us but we are not prejudiced about other religions. He was a very friendly and kind person and I can see some of his qualities in you. The way you look after your friend and the way you have taken this very strange revelation. I can see my brother in your looks and your disposition.”
“But my dad at home is all that you have said about Taj. He is kind and loving and he has never given any indication that I am not his son; it looks like my mother has been lucky to find men like both my dads.” Simon ruminates.
Sahida puts her arms around Simon and gives him a big hug. Simon hugs her back. They smile at each other and just then Ben arrives on his crutches and Simon finds him a seat.
“I’m getting better on my crutches, don’t you think?” Ben sings out. “And I will be so much better by the 20th with the garden to practice in. Then I will be able to go home in a better state, so it will be easier for all the lads, if they do not have to give me so much attention.”
“Come on Ben you know you like all this attention.” Teases Simon as he gives his friend a light punch on the arm.
Ben gives his rare smile and says,”I don’t often get any attention at all at home.”
The other two go quiet and there is an awkward silence until Sahida smiles and says. “Hey, come on Ben let’s have a walk around the garden and leave lazy bones here to sun himself.”
Ben has improved no end on how he uses his crutches. He swings his legs to get a longer step and Sahida has a job to keep up with him.
Dr Menon and Taz are now leaving their work and looking forward for the few days of the festival, then the weekend to get to know the stranger who has landed on their doorstep. They can talk of nothing else as they drive on their way home. Kathmandu is filling up with people who have come along to the Festival.
The colours of the monk’s robes and the many tourists in their bright clothes make a picture on the streets, there is vibrancy in the air as the people smile and anticipate the Festival holiday. The temples are festooned with prayer flags and the monkeys run up and down the temple steps. The holy cows slowly plod along the streets and the other traffic gives way to them because they are favoured. The Hindus love their festivals and the streets are full to the brim with humanity at its best, their happy smiling faces and the singing begins to fill the night air with music and laughter.
“We need to get Simon and Ben to see this. I want Simon to feel what it’s like to be at a Hindu Festival and to see his reactions to all this.” Dr Menon tells Taz.
Chapter 31
Simon is left to ruminate on his own by the door to the house and he begins to think about his position here, within the family, and how he will feel when he gets home. He is thankful for the attention that all the Menons are giving Ben and himself, and he feels a connection to all the members. Taz was so kind on their journey from the mountains, Dr Menon is treating him like a grandson, Mrs. Menon keeps looking at him with so much adoration in her eyes that he feels a bit embarrassed, but he likes this kind hearted lady and he realizes that she is his grandmother.
What must it have been like for his father to have worked here as a doctor in Nepal?
He would like to work here also when he graduates as a doctor, to be here in these wonderful mountains and to follow in the footsteps of his unknown father. He begins to think that this is possible and a feeling of contentment surrounds him. He goes into the house to look for his grandmother and finds her in the room where the Hindu god takes pride of place. He sees her sat in front of it in a position of meditation. He feels awed at the stillness of her and the look of pure peace on her face. She stirs and looks at Simon and with a gesture that invites him to join her in her meditation. She explains the method and the stillness and he sits quietly with her and tries to follow her instructions. She tells him of the benefits she gets from it and they sit with crossed legs, and he uses the techniques she has explained to him. A feeling of utter peace overwhelms him as they sit in harmony, he and the grandmother he has just found. They stay there together for another twenty minutes that pass so quickly Simon is surprised when she asked if he is ready to leave the room and go to find Sahida and the rest of the family.
“Ben was with Sahida in the gar
den.” Simon tells her. ”She was getting Ben to use his crutches more so that he will be ready for the long journey home.”
Taz and Dr Menon arrive from work and begin to tell the others how the centre of Katmandu is filling up with people for the Festival.
“I want you two boys to see how our people enjoy the festivities, and after our meal we will take to the streets of Katmandu, if Ben feels fit enough to walk about on his crutches.” Dr Menon says full of enthusiasm.
Ben has been practicing on his crutches with Sahida and feels a lot more confident on them.
“Sure, I’ll be fine and I would love to see the festival at first hand.” Ben tells them.
“Good.” Says Sahida. “I’ll keep by you and we’ll have a great time.”
Dr Menon thinks it will be better if they get as near as possible to the main temple so that they can find a wall space for Ben to sit upon. He knows that the boy will not be able to walk far in the crowded area around the streets of Katmandu.
“Come along.” He tells them as they get in two cars and proceed to the festival.
The boys are fascinated to see the crowds of people milling around the temple and they feel the thrilling atmosphere and hear the screeching of the monkeys jumping up and down the steps of the temple. It feels strange to them but they enjoy the music and the sight of the people carrying their god through the streets. They are singing and smiling and everyone is in a party mood.
The temples are spectacular in design; some are like pagodas with many
roofs, starting large at the bottom and reducing in size at each level for around five stories. Others are circular with a spire on top. They are different from anything the boys have seen in the West and they like what they see.
There are cows languishing about the square in front of the temple and the people are carefully walking around them, as they respect their sacred animals.
The boys soak up the festival atmosphere and find they are smiling at each other in a kind of wonderment.
“I would have hated to have missed this.” Says Ben who is managing wonderfully to enjoy the evening having forgotten his injuries.
“Me too,” replies Simon who hoots with laughter at the antics of the monkeys.
“Don’t go near them,” warns Dr Menon. “Some of them may bite.”
“Yes they do.” Taz says. “We get people in the emergency ward who have been bitten by them and it is possible for them to infect you with rabies.”
The boys keep their distance from the monkeys and turn their attention to a large bull laid down and chewing passively. Ben would have run a mile at home had he seen a bull but this one looks so gentle and is probably old.
Everything is strange but wonderful and the boys enjoy a miraculous evening on the streets of Katmandu. But all things have to end and it is time for the party to return home. At this stage of the evening it feels like home for the boys, as well as, the family.
Dr Menon looks at his wife with a happy smile that she returns it threefold as she looks at her daughters and the boys.
Chapter 32
The Menons
“I shall never forget this time.” She tells her husband quietly as they return to the house and have retired to bed. “It is almost as if Taj is here with us for a while.”
“Now we have found Simon I’m sure we will not lose him. From what I remember of Sarah she was a reasonable person and I know she loved our son from what Sahida has told us, and hopefully, Simon will want to come to visit us.” Dr Menon tells his wife as he takes her in his arms and they hug and feel the wonder of it all. The grief has never left them since the loss of their son but now they feel a warm comfort at the finding of their grandson.
“Taj would be so proud of the boy, he is such a caring person; see how he has looked after Ben and he wants to be a doctor like his biological father.” Says Mrs. Menon. “I’m so excited at what has happened, it is unbelievable that an accident on the mountains can bring our grandson to our door.”
“We must enjoy the time we have him here and when he goes to meet his cousin he must bring him here to meet the family and, perhaps, Mark will have an explanation for us and help us to understand why we have not had our grandson in our lives,” answered her husband.
Meanwhile Taz and Sahida are in Taz ‘s room and they are still excited at finding Simon and the aftermath of the festival and want to talk, too wound up to sleep.
“Tell me about the time Sarah was here and working with you at the school.” Taz asks her sister. “I remember my father taking us to the Fishtail Lodge Hotel for a meal as a treat when you invited Sarah, your friend, to stay with us for the weekend. I was only young at the time and was more interested in the meal than Sarah. You were quite a lot younger than Taj but you felt sorry for Sarah because she was a long way from home.”
“I really liked Sarah.” Sahida replies. “She was older than me but she was just starting a teaching career, after being a lawyer for a few years. She would be a couple of years younger than Taj and when they met that night, I’m sure that was the beginning of the attraction for both of them. Taj used to visit her up the mountain in her little cottage in the village. She threw a party for her nephew, Mark, and his friends. Sarah and I prepared the food for the party and she was really excited for him to be able to visit her before he and his friends began their trek. I think that she had arranged for Taj to come to the party so that he could meet Mark. They were quite open about their affair and I think that the villagers were used to seeing Taj about the place, when he was able to get away from the hospital.
Sarah was great with the children and they loved her. She was learning their language whilst teaching them her own. I’m sure she would have stayed here if Taj had not died so terribly. She left soon after the tragedy when her parents came and took her home. She must have found herself to be pregnant when she got home and decided to bring him up on her own. He is so like Taj I’m sure Sarah must see it more and more as he gets older.”
Taz gives a yawn and Sahida gives her hug wishing a good night’s sleep and returns to her room where she gets ready for bed.
Simon and Ben are staying up talking. Ben’s room is on the ground floor so Simon is there with Ben.
Simon helps Ben into bed and sits on it making sure that Ben is comfortable and has taken the medication that Taz has left for him.
“How do you feel about finding out about your father?” asks Ben.
“I don’t know.” Simon answers. “This family has been really wonderful to both of us. I don’t know how we would have managed without them but I’m waiting for Mark to come to meet us and he may be able to shed some light on it. Sahida has met Mark before when he was here trekking in 1974 and my mother was teaching at the school. Not one person has ever told me that my mother was here.
“Why has she not told me?” queries Simon. “I don’t understand why Mark has not mentioned it when we were coming here.”
“Perhaps she moved on with David and she has seen that you have had a settled life. I envy you your lovely family at home with your sister and all the support you receive from them.” Says Ben wondering how he would have coped if he was in the same situation. He almost wishes he were, for his family is broken with his father drinking and coming home in a different mood every day. His mother who he protects the best he can is weighted down with worry and debt. There are rows all the time and when his mother has got the money for bills together his father finds it and often gambles it away. His maternal grandfather gave him the money for this trip and insisted that he use it for that purpose.
Ben has had a Saturday job since he was old enough, from paper- boy to working in a supermarket, filling shelves. He is very secretive about his home life but he has become much closer to Simon, since their adventure on the mountain, and he has opened up a little about his life at home.
“You are so lucky to have found this other family as well as the family at home.” Says Ben. “I wish my family was as supportive as yours. My grand
dad Will and my mother are the only two people I can rely on and they do their best to support me with my schooling and they are trying to ensure that I have a better chance in life. I love them and I want to make them proud of my efforts at university. My father was fine until he hit the bottle when he lost his job and until he decides that he will try to curb his drinking and find another job, we are stuck with this uncertain life.”
Simon gives Ben a pat on the shoulder and with a sympathetic smile Simon leaves, wishing for him to sleep well.
Simon makes his way upstairs to his bedroom and after cleaning his teeth he falls into a comfortable bed and is asleep.
Chapter 33
The festival is at its most exciting on the following three days and the Menons take the boys to see more celebrations of the victory over evil, and uplifting of spiritual darkness. They are fascinated by the strangeness of it all. They ask questions about the things they see and are sometimes confused by the answers.
Dr Menon asks Simon if he would like to see the temple where his father’s funeral was held and the river where the ashes were thrown. He does not invite anyone else because it is only men who go inside the temple and he remembers how Simon’s mother reacted at the funeral and had to be taken home.
There is a day left before his friends will be in Katmandu after their trek so Simon agrees to go with his grandfather to the Pashupatinath Temple. The river where the temple is situated is a tributary of the great river Ganges where the ashes of the Hindus are cast. Simon feels a spirituality on the banks of the river where men are bathing in its waters and a man is playing some sort of flute where the clear light notes fill the afternoon air. He closes his eyes and sends some sort of prayer up to the sky above. There are candles to buy by the riverside; his grandfather buys two and lights them and they float them down the water on some kind of leaf. This signifies the love that is felt for the loved one. Simon’s heart is touched as the lights float down the ripples of the water and he thinks this ritual is like putting flowers on a Christian grave. He sits quietly by his grandfather and looks across the river at the temple.
