AMAZING WAYS

To all my beloved pals, who made me what I am.

CHAPTER ONE
Albert and Robert were waiting outside the air port exit lounge. The
announcement was heard, “Your attention please. Flight number 011 has arrived
from Dubai. Passengers are requested to go through the customs and clear their
luggage”. It took another ten minutes before Michael materialized through the
exit. They shook hands and embraced each other.

“I have brought your car to the air port. I left my bike at your place and got the
keys of your car from your wife. She was hesitant in giving the brand new Benz
car and told us that only you have driven the car till now.” Robert said.

“No problem; that car is part of the dowry that I received. I will drive it myself.
Would you like a little racing?” Michael pulled the hold all on to his back and they
moved to the car parked in the parking lot.

“The time is now a quarter to two. Our meeting at Good Shepherd Seminary is at
half past two. All our pals are arriving one after another and everybody will be
there, including Fr.Wilfred. We should reach there in time,” said Albert.

They got into the car and Michael raced the car along and in a few minutes they
reached his house. Sheila his wife, came to receive them. She looked funny with
her big tummy, in advance pregnancy and Robert wondered about the trouble he
had taken for having the pregnancy preserved like that, air dashing all the way to
Maldives. She said, “We have been waiting for you, ready to go. Michael, go
freshen yourselves, and then we will go”.

“Give me something to eat. I had only some snack on the flight. The airhostess
was very stingy, she gave me only very little grub just a leg of a chicken, some
cucumber salad and a little fried rice. What is there to eat?”

“There is a hamburger in the casserole on the dining table. Take some cold coffee
from the fridge. I’ve got to change myself. Bye the way Robert, we got a surprise
for you at today’s meeting. The impossible has become possible, our present for
you.” said Sheila, and Robert was full of apprehension.

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Soon they set out, Michael and Sheila in the car and Albert followed them on the
bike, Robert sitting behind him. Michael raced the car and Albert followed close
behind.

They climbed a steep hill and reached the Good Shepherd Seminary. So many
hands waved and faces brightened when they alighted. They came to the portico of
the seminary and their old pals were all waiting there. Fr.Wilfred, a German priest
was standing in their midst and they went to him first. He had grown old but the
vigor and charisma that was manifest ten years ago was still there. It was a pleasant
and homely feeling to be with him.

“You are the last to turn up. Come we will go to the chapel for a thanks giving
service. We will have a benediction”, father said.

They all went to the chapel and stood in rows with their wives and children. It was
exactly as they stood ten years ago when they were all budding seminarians.

Fr. Wilfred put on the vests for benediction and he placed the holy eucharist on the
altar and started chanting the hymns. Then he said, “This is the occasion for thanks
giving. Each one of you, say a small prayer for giving thanks to the Lord”.

Robert started the prayer, saying, “Almighty God, we thank you for bringing us
together after ten years from various walks of life, from different places and
different occupations. We thank you for helping us see the faces of our friends,
their wives and children, though we were called for a different profession to be
your priests. We also thank you for those of us who became your messengers and
servants as priests. Please bless this meeting where we have gathered to share and
unite, to be one in your immense love, to grow in brotherhood and Christian
fellowship to do your work in what capacities you have called us. We wanted to
be priests, but you did not choose us; now most of us are family men, what light
and insight we received from this our alma mater, let us spread it through our lives.
We ask this in the name of your son who lives, and reigns for ever. Amen”.

Every one said small prayers and Fr.Wilfred blessed them all. Then they sang the
hymn, ‘Oh, give thanks to the Lord for he is good’. They went to the refectory and
had some snacks, went to the Auditorium and sat in a circle and started talking
about their lives. Suddenly Robert fell into a pensive mood when of all the paths
that he had trodden, the different encounters he had with fate came to his mind as
in a movie.

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 CHAPTER TWO

Michael kicked the ball straight to the goal post. The goalkeeper, Robert headed it
away. There was no further time to resume the game as a bell announced the end
of the recreation hour.

They all rushed to the bathrooms for a quick shower and then to the chapel for the
rosary. The day was hectic as the last exam of the pre-degree course was over.
The next day would be the beginning of the holidays.

Michael, Albert and Robert were to report to the rector of the seminary, Fr.Wilfred
at seven o clock, before supper. They knew the meeting was going to be decisive,
and expected the worst, to be expelled from the seminary.

They were average students and their grades were poor compared to those of their
class mates. They were sure to get through the exam but did not expect high
marks.

They prayed hard during the rosary for some break through in their lives and future
as the superiors were indecisive as to whether they should be allowed to continue
their priestly studies. The worst that could happen was they being expelled.

They knocked at the rector’s door and waited in apprehension, outside.

“Come in”, and they opened the door with unsteady hands and went in.

“Good evening, father”, all three of them chorused.

Fr. Wilfred was reclining in his easy chair. He looked at them quite seriously. The
gravity of what he was going to say made them highly contemplative. The three of
them waited anxiously to hear the verdict.

“I had a discussion with the prefect and other fathers here, about your future and
the decision, we have taken is this. We can’t let you continue your priestly studies,
as your grades in philosophy are quite low. I don’t want to lose you guys, as there
is nothing objectionable about your character or integrity. What we doubt is your
sense of goal and maturity to face life”.

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The three young men exchanged glances and their countenance became pale with
apprehension when the rector continued “Our decision is this. You three guys go
out into the world, see how competition is out there and if you want, you come
back. What I mean is that you should go and do your degree course on your own.
After that if you want and if we want you, you can continue your priestly studies.
Tomorrow you leave this place. Now you can go”.

With heads bent and fear in their spines they came out of the room. On the way to
the refectory they discussed the after-effects of the verdict they had just heard
about their future.

“Robert, how will you continue your studies? It is OK for us because we can
afford to join a college. What will you do about it?”

“I‘ve got to find a way. Have you any idea?”

“I am quitting and there is no turning back. I will do B.Com and help my father in
his business”, said Michael and he looked at his friends.

“I don’t know how my father will take this. He is looking forward to my becoming
a priest so that he can become rich and prestigious”, said Albert.

“We will do one thing. We will apply to the same college for the degree course. I
will apply for B.Com, so that I can do M.Com or M.B.A. later.” Michael
observed.

“I will take BA and B.Ed. so that I can become a school teacher. I have only
limited ambitions”, said Albert.

“I can’t figure out what I will do or what I will become. I will leave everything
into God’s hands. Let him take care of my life”, mused Robert.

“That can’t be. You should move with a dream and purpose in life. Till now our
goal in life has been to become priests. Now that is over. Find out what you want
to be, make a plan to reach there, believe that you will make it and go an extra-mile
in what ever you do. We three will make a mastermind group and support each
other to go ahead in life”, proposed Michael.

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“Let me think it over. I will also apply for B.Com. If I don’t get that, I will try B.A
literature”, said Robert.

CHAPTER THREE

There was an ominous bad odor spread in the room. Robert lay on his bed; a zero
walt bulb was flickering red light. There was a black shadow under his eyes. He
was unable to move, too tired, lonely and left out. “O, Lord, why did you forsake
me?” he wailed.

Suddenly there was a knock at his door. He yelled out, “Come in”.

Fr.Joe came in. He came, sat down on his bed and said, “My dear Robert, what
has come of you?”

“Leave me alone. Please leave me alone”.

“No I can’t leave you alone. You are my dearest friend and it is something too bad
to stand aside and watch a friend perish”.

“There is nothing wrong with me. This is only a testing period. I feel my limbs go
weak. My mind has become heavy. Some evil forces have possessed me. Please
pray for me and drive out the satanic power from my life. It all happened after the
fasting prayer last night and the murder of my best friend Roy. One guy transferred
some evil forces into me and I yelled out releasing it all during the prayer. But
they came back with much more power and reinforcement. Everybody has
forsaken me”.

“Don’t worry. I will liberate you from this muddle. You start praising God for
sometime. Say ‘praise God’ on and on. When you lose concentration repeat, ‘the
blood of Jesus’. I am going to pray for you”.

Robert got up from the bed and knelt in front of Fr.Joe. He closed his eyes and
started repeating ‘Praise God’. Fr.Joe placed his hands on his head and started
praying.

“Almighty and ever-loving God, I place this brother into your caring hand. Let all
his shortcomings be forgiven. Make him a true child of God, someone useful in

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your hands. In the name of our Lord Jesus I pray that every evil may leave him.
Amen”.

Robert muttered the incantation “the Blood of Jesus” on and on. Suddenly there
was a convulsion in his body. He shivered as some force came out of him. The
dogs in the whole neighborhood started howling. There was a tornado like
whirlwind, which whistled through the trees and the rustling of the leaves was very
loud. The commotion was so great and the power so intense that they both ran out
of the room on hearing a great rumbling sound. They could not trust their eyes and
Fr.Joe yelled out, “oh, no”.

Half a kilometer away they witnessed an unusual tragedy. A train crossing the
railway-bridge suddenly got derailed and the compartments were falling into the
lake one after another.

“That was Legion. I don’t know how many people have lost their lives. Let me
rush to the spot of the accident. You stay back and read the Bible especially psalm
119. Get up, shave, have a shower and feel fresh. Always praise God and be
prayerful. No one could avert this tragedy. The Legion that came out of you must
have hit the train like a tornado.”

CHAPTER FOUR

That was the way, a major railway accident occurred. Though the TV news in the
evening described the derailment as due to a powerful tornado that shook the train
and the driver applied the break in confusion when the engine of the train was half
way on the bridge. More than four hundred people lost their lives and many more
got injured. Everybody in the near vicinity was at the site of the accident.

I stayed indoors and read psalm 119. I felt greatly relieved. After a shave and a
quick shower and eating some over-ripe robesto plantains and drinking hot milk
from the flask, my only food that day, I felt healthy and refreshed.

I felt love and compassion flowing into me. On the wings of thoughts I went back
into my past life, year after year, my search for truth and fulfillment.

Where has it all led me?

Have I found the truth?

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All that I learned, the experiences that I had were so varied. I went back to the
decisive day when I left the seminary to do higher studies in an outside college.

We three guys were sent on parole. We applied for degree course in the same
college. If education meant inculcation of values, I saw the lack of values and also
how low man could go.

It was the native place of my friend Michael. I stayed with a distant relative, an
auntie, as I couldn’t afford to stay in the college hostel like my friend Albert.

I went with Albert who was joining the hostel. Michael drove us there. The
moment we entered the portals of the college hostel many guys came to receive us.
They enquired about us very politely. We thought that they were all friendly guys.
But the ordeal that came after they took us to the parlour was beyond description.

Like all decent guys they offered three chairs for us. One of them said, “You will
be able to sit more comfortably without chairs”, and slid the chairs from behind us.
We had to answer their queries sitting in imaginary chairs.

Seeing the scene highly explosive, Michael pulled out a packet of Wills and
offered one each to each of them. Suddenly the attitude of our assaulters changed
and they became much friendly. The ragging became milder and they liberated us
from the torment. Michael told me later that his businessman father had briefed
him to carry in his pocket either a packet of State Express, Rothmans or Wills,
though he never encouraged his son to smoke. Smoking was a useless habit
compared to drinking which gives a kick at least.

Our assaulters liberated us after the ragging and we proceeded to the house of my
aunt where I was staying.

It was as if to fall from the frying pan into the fire. There was a feud between two
prominent families of that place, and one family was that of my relatives. The
whole territory was divided into two segments and if someone entered the enemy
territory he was sure to be beaten up into pulp. I came to that place in the middle
of a clash, and being a novice to the place I had to be doubly sure that I stayed
away from trouble.

I got into real trouble and the trouble came in the form of a girl. She was Tania,
one of my college mates. I fell in love with her at first sight, though I was not sure
whether it was reciprocated. I saw her for the first time not in the college, but near

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my aunt’s place. I was sitting at the beach enjoying the sea. Out of the blue she
stood in front of me.

She stood there looking at me, so cute with dreamy eyes. Our eyes met. There
was a shiver that started from my knees and traveled up and came out of my eyes
like a spasm. She was the first girl I ever looked that way. It was love at first sight,
for me.

She smiled at me and walked away. I felt as if I was hit by a thunderbolt, unable to
do anything. I waded into the sea; and the water tickled me all over.

I wanted to find out who she was and where she went. The suspense was broken
when I found her the next day in the language class. I looked at her and suddenly
the recognition came to her eyes. She did not speak or look at me again and I was
at a loss as to what to do, whether to go to her and introduce myself or not. Frankly
speaking I did not have the guts to do it.

When I broke the news of my newly found love to my friends they agreed to
intervene. The news that they brought was heartbreaking: she was the daughter of
the chief enemy of my family. Getting friendly with her or talking to her meant
trouble, great trouble, and I had to hide my feelings, to be on the safe side.

I wanted to talk to her and mingle with her. My pulse rate increased when she
came in my near vicinity. It was such a painful experience, hiding my feelings.

CHAPTER FIVE
Michael scored in the field of romance too. He became addicted to Neena, the
richest and most fashionable girl in our class, daughter of a film actress. He
became irregular in his studies. The two of them could be seen together, either she
on his bike or he in her car.

Michael persuaded Neena to intervene in my love affair. She spied after Tania and
found out that she belonged to a prayer group in the college. She found out the day
of the next meeting and got me invited to it by one of her acquaintances.

I dressed up smartly, in jeans and T-shirt, quite fashionably and went to the prayer
meeting. Purposely I was a bit late. I scanned the whole place and found an empty
seat near Tania. I went and sat down there without looking at her. I observed her

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through the corner of my eyes. She looked at me and a flicker of recognition was
there in her eyes, and to tap the golden opportunity I smiled at her.

The speaker was talking about accepting Jesus as our personal saviour after
confessing our sins and deciding to lead a saintly life. He implored us to win souls
for Jesus, as lots of people are perishing, rushing madly after sin and pleasures of
the world. Whenever we got related to people we should try to see whether we
could win them over to Jesus. There was an exercise of people in fellowship
pairing into two, known as ‘two-by-two’

I happened to get Tania as my fellowship partner, something which I cherished

much. I introduced myself and asked her if she had seen me before.

“I saw you at the beach. You seem to be new in our place”.

“Yes, I am staying at my aunt’s place. We are supposed to be enemies, fighting

each other. If your father had seen me talking to you, I would have been a gone
case. But see, what Jesus has taught, to love one’s enemies. That seems to be a
good proposition. I am going to follow Jesus in this matter”.

She had an understanding smile on her face when she said; “To love one’s enemy
does not mean that I should love a small fry like you. You better run for your life”.

“Why don’t you win a soul for Jesus? I am willing to be your disciple. Let us talk
business. How come that you got into this racket. I come to this prayer meeting
because the girl, I love has come here, and I am talking to her”.

She looked quizzically at me, “You sure of that? What is the catch, my money or
my beauty? What has attracted you?”

“This is love at first sight, quite genuine and sincere. I am even willing to become
a martyr at your father’s hands for the sake of love. I would like to know that you
reciprocate my feelings. Everything else is immaterial”.

“The fashion of falling in love at first sight is over. Give me two valid reasons
why I should love you”.

“Number one, Jesus said to love your enemy, and I am one. Number two, I want to
prove my love genuine and authentic. I am willing to die for you”.

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“You don’t have to die for my sake. Let me think it over. If you can live for Jesus,
I will consider your plea”.

I heaved a sigh of relief, and said, “Shall I open up my heart and show you, how
much I love you. You are everything to me, the reason for my miserable existence
and the driving force, or even the motive for me to achieve great things in life. I
want to excel in every thing and to make you feel proud of me”.

“What are you trying to achieve in life?”

“I am not sure. One purpose of my life is to marry you. The next goal is to finish
my studies and get a good job”.

“Dedicate fully to Jesus. Accept him as your personal saviour. Confess your sins
and accept the Holy Spirit to guide you and lead you in life”.

“I accept it and find it meaningful and worth doing”.

“I will introduce you to Stephen my friend. He will guide you in the christian way
of life. Contact him and he will take you to prayer meetings and worship. This is
different from the traditional religion that we have been following. This is a new
way of life, living with the Lord and always being guided by his Spirit”.

“How did you reach this stage of spirituality?”

“Do you want to hear my testimony? The feud between our two families reached
its culmination two months ago. My father would not sleep and stay awake all
night scheming to destroy you all. There was no peace at home. Stephen was our
family friend and he advised me to pray to Jesus for a solution and to get peace. I
prayed fervently and there was a big change. I went for the family worship of
Stephen’s group and am going strong in the new way of life. This is a way of life,
life of testimony and leading others to the love and peace of our Lord. I have a
feeling that you will be some one highly useful in the hands of the Lord. Since I
lead you to Jesus my reward will be great”.

“Don’t be selfish. There is enough space in heaven for all of us. Thank you for
opening up your mind. I feel that we are on the same wavelength. Don’t forget to
smile at me when you see me, even when we are in the enemy territories. I will
keep in touch with Stephen”.

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“You should read the Bible. Bye, then; I’ve to go. Start moving in this new
direction, and living will be a pleasure and more meaningful. See you!” She left
me baffled.

CHAPTER SIX

As for my purpose in life, I had an encounter with someone who inspired me. It
was not accidental; I would call it Providence. I was not sure what I wanted to be.
There was nothing definite about my future. I couldn’t expect much support from
my family either.

I visited my friend Michael at his home. Albert was also with us. When we were
in the parlour, his father came to us. He knew our predicament as well. After some
general talk he brought up the topic as to what we wanted to be in life. Michael
said that he wanted to be a multimillionaire businessman. It was possible for him,
as he was the only heir to the business empire of his father with an estate and
fishing boats.

Albert said that he was not much ambitious. All that he wanted to be in life was to
become a school teacher, imparting knowledge to the future generations. When his
father asked me what I wanted to be in life, I was vague. I wanted to be rich,
famous and some one useful to humanity. I had a flare for writing I told him. I
wanted to find a comfortable job, and along that I wanted to be a writer also.

Behind every successful writer there is an unhappy childhood, and my childhood

was miserable. As far as I could retrospect my early years of life were utterly
unhappy. I was a combination of two extreme types of personalities, one a highly
cultured but poor doctor and an uncivilized but rich country lady. This cultural
difference caused a lot of calamities in my early life. I was miserable, utterly
miserable when I was a child and later, even when I was a college student. Stories
were unwinding in my memory and I was sure I could be a successful writer.

Michael’s dad told us that we should have a definite purpose in life, and make a
plan to attain it. These two are important. He suggested that we should go an
extra-mile in what ever we do, doing more work than we intended or for which we
get paid. We should believe that we would reach where we set out to. We should
have a pleasing personality. The initiative should come from within us. We should
have the enthusiasm for living, thinking healthy, concentrating on whatever we do
and being co-operative. We should frequently evaluate our action and learn from
our mistakes. We should have creative vision, self-discipline and accurate thinking.

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We should budget time and money and be moderate in life by applying the golden
rule. This should become a habit in life, a sure way to success.

When I heard that I did not agree with him. I had dedicated my life to Jesus to live
as he guided me, to go where his Spirit directed me. I fully trusted in him to make
me where he wanted me to be. I had fully submitted to the Lord and his will was
my will. All that I would do is to pray to him to help me do the right thing and to
go in the right direction. His Spirit would lead me where I should go and to do
what I should do. I felt in my soul, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.”

CHAPTER SEVEN

One of those days Stephen came to see me. There was a saintly look on his face.
He was trim and elegantly dressed in full sleeves with crew cut hair and no
moustache. He greeted me and said, “Tania told me that you are a deeply religious
person. Why don’t you come to the prayer meetings on Monday evenings at a
friend’s place? It can stimulate you and help you grow spiritually.”

“Thank you for the invitation. Please come and call me next time you go to the
meeting.”

“It is very rare that some one is called by the Lord. You are called. So dedicate
your life to him. He has got great plans for you.”

“I am a weakling, a very common person with all the faults and blemishes of an
ordinary man or some one below that. It would be a shame for the Lord if I become
his follower.”

“Don’t say that. When the Lord was here on earth he called fishermen and tax
collectors to be his disciples. You are no worse than that. You hear my testimony.
I am an engineer by profession, but I was wallowing in filth. All the salary that I
got, I spent in bars and brothels. When money was not sufficient I used to take
bribes. I used to drink heavily and indulge in fornication and homosexuality. I was
always unhappy, drinking more and more to get over my depression. I had a
subordinate, a very just and upright person. I used to sneer at him and always
tried to give him a tough time, irritating him. To pester him I would do the
opposite of what ever he requested me. He was all patience and was never
irritated.”

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“Why did he not retaliate or speak back?”

“I will tell you later. If he had abused me or spoken anything against me, I would
have taken it fair. But he showed more patience and loved me. He was never
offended. One day when I was sober and not drunk, he came to me and asked me
whether I was happy the way I was, whether I wanted to be liberated from the
muddle I was in. I told him that I was very unhappy and quite eager to change and
become a good man. He asked me if I could spare a week away from my work and
the life I had been leading, to go for a retreat at Divine Retreat Center, and I
agreed. That was the stepping stone to a reformed life and I got transformed. I was
liberated from the clutches of the devil. I heard the word of God and that made me
a different person. I became someone new. I re-lived my life with more fervor
and never turned back to the old ways.”

“Don’t you have the temptation to drink or to have sex with a shapely woman
when you see one?”

“The Lord gave me self control and I say “no” to everything bad. With prayer and
reading the bible I fortify myself. Now I am in a group of highly spiritual people
who support me and sustain me, always praying for my up-keep. I try to lead a
saintly life and am afraid to sin. When I sin unconsciously, I pray to Jesus to
forgive me and to sanctify me.”

“It is quite impressive. But I don’t find a need to be like you. I find the ordinary
life, enough for me.”

“You are missing a lot. When you lead the life in the Lord, led by the Holy Spirit
you are at ease with yourselves and living becomes a pleasure. Whatever
provocation the devil brings, will not upset you. You learn to thank the Lord for
everything and life would be more meaningful and happy.”

“If you can assure me that, I am willing to do anything you suggest.”

“It is very easy, and salvation is with in the reach of anybody. It is a free gift. Only
thing is that you should make yourself eligible.”

“I am suffering from depression all the time. I used to feel very bad and would like
to get out of it. Is there any way?”

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“If you pray and dedicate yourself to Jesus he will give you inner peace and joy.
You will feel the tranquility and serenity the Lord gives, and his peace will come
and dwell in you.”

“What shall I do to be like that?”

“Confess your sins and decide to accept Jesus as your personal saviour and
dedicate yourselves to him. Then his Holy Spirit will lead and guide you. Right
now you can do it. Think of your life, the sins you committed and feel sorry for
that. Confess them to Jesus. Please pray with me.”

I said the prayer repeating it after him. Immediately I felt great relief. After
dedicating my life to Jesus I felt great calm and happiness. The nagging depression
was gone. Stephen concluded, praying, “Dear loving Lord Jesus, I commit this son
to your protecting hands. Look after him, Lord, and be with him all his life, lest he
should slip back into his old evil ways. Let him remain a child of God all his life.
We pray in the holy name of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.”

CHAPTER EIGHT

Stephen took me to the prayer meeting. He introduced me to the master of the

house and leader of the prayer group, Mr.Johnson and his wife. Soon a lot of
people arrived. They all sat down and started praising. Gradually, it grew loud and
had a rhythm to it. I did not feel like joining them so I kept aloof.

Then they started singing, clapping their hands aloud. It reached a climax,
becoming unintelligible. People were in ecstasy. I tried to praise God and started
clapping. My hands went out of control gaining unusual strength. I felt great
happiness.

There was a great silence when the singing was over. One after another everyone
said a short prayer, thanking the Lord for the great deeds he performed in their
lives.

Mr.Johnson stood up with his Bible in hand and started delivering a message from
the scripture. The gist of what he said was to love and respect the parents,
especially the father. It reminded me of my parents. There was a big problem at
home as my parents often quarreled with each other and were on very bad terms.
My mother used to nag and accuse my father for all the bad deeds he had done a

14
long time ago, ignoring my mother. That drove him crazy, sent him running to the
liquor shop close by to drink excessively, and waste all the money required to run
the house hold. That increased the nagging of my mother, and they lived in a
vicious circle.

I prayed silently and very earnestly to God to transform my parents, to make them
love each other, to be forgiving and understanding. He said that whatever it be, I
should obey my father. He did everything he could do to bring me up, a selfless
service, without receiving anything in return, and for that matter, I should respect
him and obey him. I realized my great sin in hating my father, listening to the
accusations of my mother. I wanted to do something for my parents to solve their
problem and prayed earnestly for that matter. I felt great relief after the prayer.

After the meeting I shared my predicament with Mr.Johnson. He agreed to pray

for me and assured me that the trials and tribulations that came in our lives were to
make us walk the right path and to pray for strength when we can’t bear it. I left
them after his praying for me and my family.

I decided to go home the very next day. I rang up Michael and requested him to
lend me five hundred rupees. I was running out of cash and he promised to give
me the money. On my way to fetch the money I came across Tania. She remarked
that there was a special pleasantness on my face. I said that I was going home
immediately. I wanted to tell her what was wrong but that might give her a wrong
impression about me. So I just requested her to pray for my people at home. She
probed it but I kept silent.

CHAPTER NINE
I reached home and found the people and place different from what they used to
be. My mother was at her nerve’s end and father, a drunkard. She was nagging
him for the atrocities that he had done and blamed him for all the misfortune that
our family faced. That drove him crazy and he became violent and started beating
up my mother. That increased her fury and the wrath with which she blamed him.
In the end father snatched away as much money as he could and got drunk. It was
a vicious circle. I prayed hard to God to give me the strength to solve the problem,
and started the work, first with my mother, as she was comparatively more sober.

I told my mother that criticizing and blaming people did not help them change or
improve and requested her to simply stop that. She couldn’t digest it and started

15
fighting with me in the bargain. I knew that I did the same thing that I had warned
her against, criticizing and judging her. But I couldn’t help it.

I knew the damage that it caused and wanted her to stop the nagging at the very
instant. I told her that father had become a patient who needed treatment and more
sympathy from her to change into a better man. She cursed him and said that there
was no chance for her to show love and affection to him after all the ill treatment
meted out to her.

I left her as she was and tried to tackle my father. I went to him and asked him
how he felt. He told me that he felt quite miserable and thought of even ending his
life. He found no meaning in his drinking and day after day things were getting
worse. He was wasting a lot of money and that made his situation more pathetic. I
told him that he should stop drinking as it was assuming dangerous dimensions,
and he should submit himself for treatment to come out of it. He had no self-
control, and needed professional help.

I found my father more understanding and easy to deal with during his sober
moments. If he changed, it would be easier to change my mother. I spoke to him of
the infinite love of God for him and how much we all loved him. I persuaded him
to go to a de-addiction center near our home, the very next day. He agreed and I
asked my mother also to come with us.

We set out very early in the morning. My father did not get a chance to drink and
so he was sober. Mother was arrogant and unsympathetic. We reached the de-
addiction center and met a social worker. I told him of our plight and asked for
professional help. He registered our case and led us to a psychologist. I explained
to him the problem that we faced and he turned to my father and asked him how he
felt. He was clever and did not allow my mother to open her Pandora’s box full of
complaints. Instead, he was very sympathetic to my mother and told her that my
father was a patient and that with treatment he would become all right. He took
notes and referred my father to a psychiatrist.

The psychiatrist asked mother and me to go out and had a session with my father.
After his examination he called us and told us that father had to be hospitalized for
a week and they would take care of him and we could take him home after a week.

We went home and with a prayer I tried interacting with my mother. I told her that
to err is human but to forgive is divine. I told her how Jesus forgave the people
who assaulted him and prayed for them. The same way we should forgive the

16
people who hurt us and pray for them; then only God would listen to our prayers. I
told her to think of father as he was during the early years of their lives and see
how loving and caring he was.

In spite of every thing, it was difficult for her to forgive him and I realized that
only professional counseling could make her all right. I prayed for her fervently
and realized the limitation that I faced as a son, and decided to take mother the
very next day to the counseling center.

We arrived there and the social worker was able to make us out. I told him that
mother needed professional help in the form of counselling. He took us to the
psychologist and I explained to him the condition of mother, how resentful she felt
towards father and that she could not forgive all the atrocities that he had done to
her. She was feeling so miserable that even if my father changed, her attitude was
enough to make him a drunkard again.

He asked me to go out and started to talk to my mother alone and made her talk. It
was after two hours that I was called in and mother seemed calmer. He asked me to
bring mother the next day for another session with him. We thanked him and left
him.

The next day mother had another session with the psychologist. All the fury and
unforgiving nature left her and she felt calmer and more reasonable in her
relationship with others. I thanked God for the welcome change that came in my
mother and waited for my father to come back.

When my father was about to be discharged, I went to take him home. My mother
volunteered to come with me to receive father. We reached the de-addiction center
and soon father came out. He looked withdrawn and tired. When he saw mother
his countenance became grim. But mother rose to the occasion, smiled at my
father and asked his forgiveness for unnecessarily accusing him and nagging him.
That cleared the bad feelings off my father and he started weeping. He told her
that it was he who had to ask forgiveness to her for being nasty, inconsiderate and
cruel.

I told them that the past was all gone, and we should lead a new life with love and
dedication. My father suggested that the two of them might go to Divine Retreat
Center for a week. I found the suggestion highly positive and agreed immediately.
The next day was a Saturday and I sent them there. I left home and came to the
place I was studying.

17
 CHAPTER TEN

I visited my friend Michael at home. He was in a much heavier fix than I was. He
had a conflict with his father. His parents were highly educated and cultured but
when it came to looking after their only son, they were a miserable failure. They
had been in one of the Persian Gulf countries, lolling on money. They gave the
very best education to their children. Both his sisters reached high echelons in life,
one being an engineer and the other a doctor. They pampered their only son, gave
him everything he asked for and treated him like a prince and yielded to all his
whims and fancies. When he told them that he wanted to be a priest, they did not
think twice but sent their only son to the seminary. When he was sent out of the
seminary they accepted him and put him in a college near their house and wanted
to teach him and train him to take charge of his father’s big business empire.

He disappointed them by falling in love with the daughter of a film actress, who
was from a very bad background, no family tradition or aristocracy compared to
his family. Nina was his class mate, highly fashionable, came driving her own
sports car to the college and was a challenge to Michael, an insurmountable peak,
because she sneered at him, the very moment he made a pass at her. He tried to
impress her by bringing the Benz car of his father to the college and later doing up
a bike like a racing model and rode it past Nina’s mansion. At last he managed to
win her friendship and she came to be known as Michael’s girl.

Either Nina could be seen behind Michael’s bike or Michael in Nina’s car. She
paid his fees and he took her to movies or ice cream parlours. They could be
always seen together and that infuriated his father. There was a confrontation
between the father and son, and an ultimatum was served on Michael, either to stop
having anything to do with that girl or lose the family inheritance. His father
warned him that he would write his will giving everything to his daughters and to
charitable institutions. That made Michael a little worried and asked me to interfere
and talk to his father. He was willing to forgo the newly acquired girl-friend rather
than lose the millions he could inherit. I waited for his father to turn up and to
while away the time watched a video film, 'Mind Your Language.' It was funny
and thoroughly enjoyable; the blunders the students made and got their teacher into
all kinds of delicate situations. I knew where exactly I had to laugh because that
too was recorded, the sound track of the laughter of the audience. I saw the Benz
car approaching the portico of his house and came down to meet his father.

18
“Morning Uncle”, I greeted him. He looked at me through his thick spectacles. My
transparent smile removed the sneer on his face and there was a grin on his face. I
knew it would be tough tackling him. But it was the future of my friend and I had
to do something to save his skin.

“How are your studies? My son has only time to roam around with a good for
nothing girl. He is the curse of my old age. Why don’t you friends talk some sense
into his stupid nut”.

“He is more sensible than you assess him. It is only an infatuation, his affair with
Nina. She acted a bit too smart and sneered at him in the beginning and that was a
challenge thrown to him. In fact he wanted to teach her a lesson and show her
what he really was”.

“He is squandering on that bitch the hard earned money that I saved and now want
to marry that filthy hag”.

“No uncle. She is spending her money and that too lavishly since there is someone
to take her out and treat her. He has no plan of marrying her. Even yesterday he
remarked that his marriage would be only to the girl his parents found for him,
suiting to the aristocracy of your family. He is sure that you will select him the
right girl”.

That made his father happy and seemed to have all his doubts and suspicion
against his son cleared. I knew that I succeeded in my mission. To win a bit more
sympathy on his behalf I said, “Michael is a lucky guy to have parents like you.
Take my case. I am back from home after giving my father a de-addiction
treatment and counseling for my quarrelling mother. I don’t know how far I have
succeeded”.

“I am sorry to hear that. You should be having a tough time uniting your broken
family. It takes away all the confidence in oneself if the family relationship is not
sound. It is the family that gives us the strength and courage to struggle in this
mad, mad world”.

“I have that deficiency. I really envy Michael. We will take care of him and see
that he keeps safe distance from that girl. Thank you uncle. See you. I’ve got to do
some combined study with Michael”.

19
“Tell him that I will burn his bike and stop sending him to college. I told him
many times not to ride the bike. It is so dangerous and if he falls down and gets a
head injury that is the end of it. He doesn’t bring the bike home, but I know he has
got one. However much he might disguise himself in a crash helmet and jacket I
can make him out. Tell him that his father was not born yesterday. I have seen a
lot of this world and he can’t take me easily for a ride”.

CHAPTER ELEVEN
While I was able to save the face of Michael, I could not do anything for Albert my
other friend. He was not welcomed home, when he came out of the seminary.
Though his father had money he would not finance his studies. Poor guy, he went
for tapping the rubber trees of his neighbour early in the morning and made money
that way. His father was so disappointed about his coming out of the seminary.
He thought that if his son became a priest, his status in society would rise and their
financial condition would also improve.

Albert was a gem of a person, very straightforward and highly principled. He was
not aggressively ambitious like Michael, and all that he wanted to be was a
schoolteacher. He thought that being an exemplary school teacher he could shape
the character of the coming generations. He was in love with a girl, Teena, a drop-
out from a convent. But she was not sure whether to go back to the convent or to
continue her studies. Albert wanted her to become a schoolteacher like himself so
that they could lead an exemplary life in the same field and have a simple but
fulfilling life. He was at his wit's end, earning money for his studies by hard work
and not sure whether his ambition in life would be fulfilled. That took away all his
courage and he was often desperate. We tried to motivate him further, but no
positive response from the girl he loved made him more and more desperate.
Michael assured Albert that he would make Teena love him and we discussed the
different possibilities that we could think of and worked out a plan.

Michael had an aunt in the women’s college where Teena was studying and that
made things easy. He gave us a letter of introduction to the aunt, a nun. Albert and
I went to Teena’s college where no boys were allowed during college hours. We
told the watchman at the gate that we wanted to meet Sr. Martha, a lecturer there
and showed him the letter addressed to her. He sent us in.

In the staff room we found Sr. Martha and delivered the letter. She looked at us
through her thick glasses and scrutinized us. She asked, “Whose sister is getting
married?”

20
We didn’t expect such a question from her and acting on the reflex action I said,
“His”.

“You wait here; I will go and call her. Don’t take much time. We are not
supposed to call the students from the class during class time. Since I am the Vice
Principal and you want to invite her for your sister’s wedding I will call her”. She
left and we looked at each other. Albert was not sure what to say to her when
Teena came, in front of the nun.

We heard footsteps approaching and got out of the staff room. We met them on the
veranda of the staff room and Albert smiled at her and said. “Teena, I have come to
invite you to the wedding of my sister.” I winked at her and by then the sister had
gone into the staff room. Albert was shivering with tension and apprehension. I
took control of the situation and said, “We did not come to invite you or anything.
It is another important thing that we want to tell you. My friend Albert is madly in
love with a girl. He is so fond of her but hasn’t got the guts to tell her. The girl
doesn’t realize how genuine he is and how precious his love for her. That is why I
came with my friend here and you are the girl. Don’t spoil your life going back
into the convent and leading a lonely life of a nun. Life is much more precious
than that and my friend is worth loving.”

For the first time Teena opened her mouth, smiled at us and said, “Your excuse is a
good one. I know that Albert has no sister. About loving him, I can’t give any
promises and I am not for the kind of love affairs we see in movies.”

“We are not asking you to run away or go out with us. Only we want an assurance
that you will not go back into the convent and when you are ready to be married,
you will take the case of Albert seriously. He is trying to become a schoolteacher
and heard that you too want to be one. Together you could make a wonderful life
and have enough kids of your own to run a school.”

“No joking, I am dead serious and your word is life and death for me. Would you
wait for me till I am in a position to marry you? I only want an assurance from
you.” Albert said.

“I can’t assure you anything or give my word. Let me think about it. I’ll give it a
serious consideration. Now leave this place and clear off. I am not romantic and
don’t want to get involved in love affairs. Don’t go around telling others that I am
your girlfriend like all those boys, and now clear off. Good bye.”

21
“You did not say ‘yes’ or ‘no’. We don’t want a ‘no` and until you say ‘yes’ we
will keep standing here.” I challenged her.

With a twinkle in her eyes she looked at Albert and nodded her head in the
affirmative. Albert leaping with joy said ‘bye’ to her and looking back to her he
left the place. I was glad and to scare him I told him, “She nodded her head and it
could mean no also. She is gone and how will we make sure.” Sr. Martha looking
through the window intimidated us and we ran for our lives from the women’s
college campus.

CHAPTER TWELVE
I waited to see what would happen in my love affair as I helped my friends to
surmount the obstacles on the way of their love affairs. I had so many
apprehensions about the attainment of my love for Tania. The reasons were many
and the impediments on the way were insurmountable that I was losing all my
confidence and faith in reaching my purpose. Her father was standing on a
pinnacle to which I couldn’t even look up. He would sneer at me and would never
consider the proposal of marrying his daughter to some one, who hadn’t made any
head-ways in life. My family was not that high and it was a broken one. How
would Tania adjust to an always-nagging mother-in-law like my mother who was
illiterate and uncultured? Besides, there was feud between our families. There was
no chance of reconciliation between the warring families and that would never
cease unless some miracle happened.

As for my prayer life, there was a slackening. But a sudden new fervour was
brought in by the intervention of Stephen’s visit. We sat down in prayer and
prayed fervently for the solution of my problems. Stephen got some insight when
we prayed that he spoke in tongues and prophesied that I was in a big predicament
and unless I lived every moment carefully I would end up in trouble. He warned
me that the devil was after me, watching my every movement. He waited to trap
me and to take away my faith and confidence. He warned me that the closer we
moved to God, the more would be our temptations. He pointed out that the devil
was moving around like a roaring lion waiting to see whom to destroy. The
believer should pray, and use the word of God to take victory over the temptations
of the devil.

22
Stephen said a short prayer to conclude and I thanked him for the moral support
that he gave me. I did not tell him how much I loved Tania or the predicament that
I was in. That added to my tension and I wanted to open up and talk to someone
and clear my mind. I waited for a chance to talk to Tania but I could not summon
up courage. I was afraid that when she heard my problems the little friendship that
she had might be gone. I was waiting for an opportunity to see her and it did come.
I wanted to discuss with her, my future.

I remembered what Michael had told me. It was from the natural naïve way of his
father’s thinking. He told me that he was a little bit pragmatic about life. He would
move with a well-defined purpose and dream about life, make a plan to reach there
and go an extra mile in what ever he did. He would form a mastermind alliance
with his close friends discussing the pros and cons of all that he did and take
decisions in consultation with them. He had taken me also into his mastermind
group. He had an abiding faith in God that He would take him to where he is
heading and had faith in him and his ability to go ahead. Every day he would
analyse his actions and learn a lesson from defeat. He developed a pleasing
personality in his human relations easy to deal with and always cheerful, full of
enthusiasm and personal initiative. He thought healthy and lived healthy. He used
creative vision and co-operated with others and obtained co-operation from them.
He used to think accurately. He disciplined his mind and had control over his
thoughts and deeds. He tried to use concentration of endeavour and budgeted his
time and money. He applied the golden rule in his life. He tried to make a habit of
living this way and was happy and contented in his pursuit of riches.

He was not only after material prosperity but also after metaphysical riches such as
a positive mind, sound health, harmony in relationships, ability to understand other
people, willingness to share, have an open mind, freedom from fear, hope of
achievement, capacity for faith, labor of love and self-discipline.

I too had been after those ideals before I became spiritual. Then I realized that it
was not I who decided my destiny, but that my life was controlled and directed by
God. Two factors, God and the Devil controlled me and if I chose to be with God I
would do only what was good and keep away from sin and evil. I was not sure
what the next moment would bring and can only pray to God to lead me on to
where he wanted me to be. I knew that Tania too thought on those lines and I
wanted to find out her attitude to life and adjust to it. I liked her very much and
prayed to God to get her as my partner in life.

23
She had her own problems and I knew that she was not perfectly happy and was
concerned about the way her father was faring in life. He resigned a very attractive
job on account of his pride, and now was free-lance actor working in far away
places. That made me competitive and adventurous to try unknown fields of
excellence like becoming a writer and a famous one, to compete with her father
and win her, the girl of my dreams and the goal of my miserable existence.

Like her father, I wanted to act in a movie and the chance came when the father of
one of my classmates produced a film. I had to sit in an auditorium with some of
my classmates for a function, which had to be filmed. I arranged with them so that
the camera would focus on me while I was talking to my neighbor. Unfortunately
my neighbor was a dark, fat and ugly girl in my class. The shooting went on too
long and to while away the time I cracked a joke to my neighbour girl.

The camera was focusing on us. The girl was enjoying the joke and was leaning
on my shoulder. After some time her brother, a police officer in his uniform
arrived to take her away and then only I realized the danger I was in. If her
brother, the policeman saw the movie where she was reclining on my shoulder that
would cause trouble, as he would surely bash me up. I told my friend to request
the director to slice away my face from the movie. That was the end of my
ambition to act in a movie and to excel the father of Tania.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

I was much concerned about the developments at home. My younger brother was
so unhappy at the situation at home that he decided to join an Ashram, in the
Indian tradition, but Christian. I knew he did that not because he liked it, but as an
escape from the sad state of affairs at home. I wanted to rehabilitate my family and
the chance came in a God-given opportunity. My father was offered a job in a
hospital run by one of his friends. There was a quarter for the family to stay and so
I took my mother and sisters to stay there. His friend Dr.Ansel was exploiting him
and he did not pay much salary to my father either. He was the one behind the
dissension between my parents and I wanted the snake that bit to take away the
venom. The situation at my old home was so pathetic that I wanted a change and
to improve the state of affairs. If we had stayed there I would not have got a proper
marriage alliance, and for my sisters either.

24
The neighborhood was such a bad one full of broken families, with people who
never gave importance to family relations and good reputation. The girl next door
became pregnant with out getting married and her people were not concerned. The
boys there were all hooligans, without any principles or values in lives. It was with
them that we had to mingle and associate. Two of my friends were good at
climbing trees and using catapult to catch the birds. They did not care to go to
school, but loitered in the neighboring forest looking into birds’ nest for eggs and
young birds. They knew lots of stories and were resourceful about procreation and
connected subjects. I heard about sex from them and that too in the worst possible
connotation. I did not want my younger ones to mingle with them and so when a
chance came to take them away from that locality I saw it as a God-given chance
and acted immediately.

We shifted our things to the family quarters of the hospital and transferred my
sisters to the nearby school, which was run by nuns. Things were going on
smoothly for some time and my studies were progressing. My friends were also
faring well with their life and romance. I was suffering from inferiority complex
during those days. I was the poorest guy in our class. When people came in the
latest styles in dressing I had just two old fashioned shirts and trousers. Tania also
seemed beyond my reach, an insurmountable peak. I had nothing to show off, no
merit of my own to excel others and I felt gloomy and unhappy. Spiritually I was
back- sliding. I doubted of the path I had chosen was the right one or not.

I did not have the courage to face Tania and speak to her when I saw her next. I
wanted very badly to interact with her but could not summon up the courage to do
so. I tried to impress her, to ‘shine’ in front of her and to win her attention by
excelling others. The opportunity came in the form of a competition. It was an
inter-collegiate competition and I joined in instrumental music. The whole college
had thronged there, and I climbed on to the stage with an accordion strapped on my
shoulder. I looked at the audience in search of Tania. I saw the outline of her
countenance and summoning up all courage, I played a familiar tune. I went stanza
by stanza, adding the chords and playing the bits.

I finished playing and went back stage. The organizer of the competition was
someone in my class. I promised to treat him with a drink in the evening if he
managed to get me a prize. I was not surprised when the results were announced.
I had the second place. I climbed on to the stage and collected the prize from a film
actor, the chief guest of the function. When he gave me the trophy I caught on his
bearded chin and shook it. He was aghast, as the beard was a fake one put on by
the make-up man for the next shooting of the movie he was acting.

25
When I came down the podium I met my friends who congratulated me and Tania
was among them. I placed the trophy in her hand and felt on top of the world. She
smiled at me and felicitated me.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN

I continued to go for prayer meetings and my spiritual life was progressing. At a

prayer meeting I heard about training in meditation by a great preacher. It was a
day I had classes in the college. I bunked the classes and went for the training in
Bhagavat Geeta and meditation. The preacher, a world famous monk from a
monastery up in the hills spoke extensively, quoting the Geeta and translating the
slokas. The afternoon was set apart for meditation.

I tried meditation sitting erect on the chair at ninety degrees. I closed my eyes and
started breathing slowly in, and exhaling while moving my stomach muscles
inward. I listened to the sounds around me especially the crooning of the birds. I
started feeling my body, starting at the stomach and going down on to the legs and
slowly coming up spreading to the hands, head and returning to the stomach. I felt
great repose and calmness. He sounded a metallic vessel, slowly banging on it. The
noise reverberated for a minute bringing in immense stillness in the room. I felt a
great serenity and calmness of mind. Then we were given a break for ten minutes
before the next session of meditation began.

This time it was a bit more advanced, and we were advised to use a namam and
manthram to control the mind so as to go deep in meditation. I chose `sthothram’
meaning ‘Praise God’ as the namam and Jesus prayer, `Lord Jesus son of God,
have mercy on me a poor sinner’ as the manthram. I went on and on repeating it
and suddenly I felt an ecstasy and serenity I had never experienced before.

I decided to do the meditation everyday in my life. As part of the morning prayer, I

found the meditation highly useful and meaningful to start the day. Whenever I
was free and my mind not attached to any special thoughts, I would repeat
‘sthothram’ on and on always praising God. That would take away idleness and
stray unwanted thoughts from my mind.

When I shared these thoughts with Michael, he advised me to do a special

meditation before going to sleep. It was to keep the mind positive and
enterprising. Before I went to sleep I had to lie down on the bed straight, my body
going slack and relaxed in Savasana, lying flat and thank God for his guardian

26
angels around me, for looking after and taking care of every movement that I
made.

I repeated in my mind ideas such as the day was good and useful and I made some
headway in my life. Pleasant and happy was the day and I had all my wants
fulfilled and thanked God for the great things that happened that day in my life.

I thanked the angel of material prosperity for filling my mind with the thoughts of
opulence and plenty and for fulfilling all my financial needs.

I thanked the angel of sound health for filling me with good health and health
consciousness and keeping me free from sickness and ailments.

Likewise the angel of peace of mind for taking away all the worries and fears from
mind about future; then the angel of hope for fulfilling all my desires that day and
for the promise to take care of my life in the future.

I thanked the angel of faith for making me do, only the things useful for my life
and turning me away from doing those things that were detrimental.

So did I thank the angel of love for filling my mind with the love for my beloved
ones especially the girl I loved and my family.

I thanked the angel of romance for making me romantic, elegant, trim and smart to
do the daily duties of the day.

I thanked the angel of over all wisdom for giving wise insights in every step that I
went on with out faltering, failing or falling.

Michael warned me against falling asleep in Savasana. It could be dangerous. By

the time I finished meditating my mind would be positive and opulent. I tried it
that day itself and went to sleep turning on to my side and had a good sleep and
great dreams.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

There were problems unanticipated at home. My father’s friend and benefactor

Dr.Ansel ditched him in a way by asking him to move away from the hospital he
was working and to find his own establishment. My father was working for him

27
for years and trusted him completely. He made my father a drunkard. He made up
stories about my people at home and that was the reason behind the quarrel
between my father and mother. He wanted to manipulate my father and use him for
his selfish needs.

The way Dr.Ansel functioned was typical. He would go to a new place where
there was no hospital facility and start a clinic. He would establish friendship with
all the rich and affluent people of that place. He would treat those people in his
clinic serving them with drinks and offering them the nurses and even his wife.
After pleasing them he would borrow money from them in a big way. He would
collect a lot of money in such a fashion and start a new clinic far away from there.
Before shifting to the new place he would post my father there and leave him there
to pay off the money he had borrowed.

My dad had a hell of a hard time repaying the money Dr.Ansel swindled out of the
naïve people of that place. By that time, Dr.Ansel would have tried the same
technique in the new place and place my father there transferring him from the old
hospital. The same drama was repeated and that had been going on for some time.
It was then that I placed my mother and sisters with father in the hospital there.

My studies were nearly over and the exams would begin in a month’s time. I was
having my study leave. I rushed home and negotiated with Dr.Ansel for some
more time, at least till my exams would be over for us to shift from there. My
sisters were also having their exams. He agreed to it and suggested a new place
where we could start a new clinic. He agreed to rent a building for us as well as
arrange a teaching job for me in a parallel college there. I thanked him for the help
and came back to the college. We had combined study and prepared hard for the
exam.

I was under a lot of stress when I wrote the exam. In spite of it all I wrote the
exams well. I realised that it was the end of my formal education and came home
to take up the reins of my family. There was a pain always in the corner of my
heart as to what I would make of my life and where I would be heading.

I went and stayed at home with my parents in the hospital after my exams. It was a
good change to be with my folks after such a long time, being away from home
and loved ones. I got immense love from my mother and sisters. But soon
everything turned topsy- turvy; our lives were at risk and we were miserable.
When we ate food from the common kitchen of the hospital we became sick and
had a burning sensation in the stomach, whenever we ate it.

28
I felt quite tired and felt dejected. I didn’t know from where it came but it was so
real, the burning sensation in the stomach. All of us were feeling it and I traced it
to some poison administered in the food. Dr.Ansel was doing it purposefully
trying to get rid of us. I felt sick in the stomach, dejected and moody. It was the
case with everyone in our family. I wanted to get out of the place as early as
possible and stop all association with Dr.Ansel.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

We shifted to the new place, started the clinic and stayed in a portion of the
building.

I joined a parallel college, where they conducted university courses privately

without affiliation. It was countryside and the students were more elderly than I
was and without much culture.

I had to struggle hard to drive home the lessons into their heads, preparing hard
and teaching all five hours of class. I became so tired by the evening and lost my
voice too.

I was teaching English mostly, as most of the teachers were poor in English. They
could not grasp the lessons nor explain it. English was my strong point and I took
to teaching it even more than my subjects. I taught them poetry, ancient, medieval
and modern. Shakespeare was anathema to me, as I could not comprehend most of
the phrases in his works. I tried to be as convincing as I could be when I bluffed
about certain concepts of which I was not sure. Any way it was fun and my tongue
would become mellifluous when I lectured. In between dictating notes I noticed
two eyes of a girl student observing me intently. When I responded our eyes
hooked and there was something there more than just fascination. I tried to fathom
the depth and suddenly the face of Tania popped up on the monitor of my mind
and I looked away.

The frequency of the thoughts about her and the intensity of my feelings towards
her were fading away. Being out of purpose I felt my orientation in life
slackening. The intensity of my sense of goal was waning. I thought of side
tracking and giving up my ambition to marry Tania. It seemed an insurmountable
peak and I was about to give in to the temptation of those inviting eyes.

29
Things took a twist when a new politics lecturer, Johnny joined our college. He
was a loveable figure, just stepping out of the college with a master’s degree in
political science. He was a wrestling champion also. He was smart and
enterprising. When he did not get the salary after a month of teaching, he
quarreled with the Principal and asked my opinion as to what to do. I too felt
embarrassed at not getting the salary. Johnny suggested that we shift from the staff
quarters and stop eating from the hotel. He had a cardamom estate close by and an
estate bungalow in it, where we could stay and cook our own food.

We shifted to the bungalow in the middle of a forest-like cardamom groove. It was

a panoramic view, a forest with the undergrowth removed to plant cardamom.
There was a trench dug round the bungalow to keep the wild animals like elephants
and wild pigs away.

In the evenings the youngsters in the neighboring estates came to our place and we
made a bonfire and practised wrestling. At first we did work out, aerobics with
thunderous music. Then Johnny gave coaching in wrestling. I was not interested in
wrestling but doing the exercises was fun and kept my body elegant and trim. After
the feat, we all went to the mountain-brook and had a good bath. Then we had
supper, mostly tapioca or boiled yam. We did the preparation for the next day’s
class and went to sleep covering ourselves head to foot in woolen blanket. It was
severe cold there in the estate at night. Early morning we came down to the low
lands and did the teaching.

I was out of touch with my friends Michael and Albert. The scholastic year was
about to be over and I did not make any headway career-wise. Financially the
teaching did not fetch me much money. Those twinkling eyes diverted my
attention and I was about to succumb to it when a letter came from Michael
inviting me to the post of accountant in their estate. There was big problem in their
estate and accounts for five years were pending. They needed someone reliable to
look after it and Michael’s father thought about me. It was Providence and I
accepted his offer.

It was a much better offer than the teaching where I got my salary more in kind
than in cash. It was a Herculean task extracting the salary every month from the
Principal who was doing a tight rope walk collecting the fees and distributing it as
salary among the staff. There were other overheads too like the rent of the
premises of the college, electricity charges and water charges. He could not be
strict about the fees from our students, as there was another college in the

30
neighbourhood waiting to bait our students. All this affected the teachers and the
financial condition was always bad.

I bade farewell to my entire fellow teachers and students. Parting from Johnny was
painful, as we had become very much attached to each other. They wanted to give
me a send-off party but I turned down the proposal. But the students organized a
meeting to thank me and they spoke nice words about me. The girl with the
twinkling eyes sang a song. It was about a lover, bidding farewell to his love and I
felt sad. I controlled myself and did not reciprocate her feelings. There was only
one face in front of my eyes and that was that of Tania. I resisted all temptations
and thanked them all for being nice students and wished them all the best in their
future studies. Tears gushed out of my eyes, my voice broke and I felt unable to
speak. Head bowed and highly emotional, I walked out of that meeting.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

I met Michael’s father and he asked me to take up the job as the accountant of their
estate. It was a three hundred acre rubber estate with another hundred acres of
uncultivated land on the outskirts. The local people encroached upon the
uncultivated land and all efforts to evict them became futile and this antagonized
the people there. The present status was that neither Michael nor his father could
go to the estate, and their lives would be in danger if they went there. They needed
someone reliable to go there and look after the estate as well as settle the accounts
pending for the past five years.

There was mismanagement in the estate as the superintendent Mr.Charles an

Anglo-Indian who was working there from the time of the British was corrupt and
immoral. The problems there, made it difficult to dismiss him and tolerating him
was more difficult. Michael was in a dilemma and his father even thought of
making me the superintendent if I would stick on. I took up the challenge,
accepted the offer and joined the service immediately.

They gave me a big amount of money to be taken to the estate for disbursing the
salary to the staff. I set out immediately to Calicut from where I had to deviate and
travel to the mountainside where the estate was located. I got down at
Thottilpalam and traveled by jeep that went by the estate. I got inside and they
asked me where I was going. I told them to drop me near the estate and my fellow
passengers were looking at me fiercely. The jeep stopped and I got down and
found my way to the estate office. I met Mr.Charles and introduced myself.

31
Mr.Charles was a bald plump man with a protruding potbelly. The instant I saw
him I began to hate him but I handed over the cash to him.

He took me to the jeep and drove me to the estate bungalow and dropped me there.
He delegated Madhavi, a plumb and sexy looking woman in her mid-thirties to
cook me food and to make my stay comfortable. I smelt a rat and saw through his
scheme, as she was trying to seduce me by exposing her breasts, bending in front
of me to sweep the floor.

I went and had a quick bath in the bathtub, changed clothes and felt fresh after the
long trip. The food was ready and she served me the delicious food and while
serving she looked at me through the corner of her eyes in a seducing way.

I was hungry, and ate the food, wolfing down, especially the double bulls eye.
After the food I wanted to take a nap and she came and spread a colorful sheet on
the family cot and looked at me invitingly, exposing her assets quite lavishly. I
thanked her and asked her to go back to the office to work and told her that I would
call her if I needed anything. She was hesitant to go and I showed my resentment
and affirmed that I was not interested in her.

I went to sleep and saw a funny dream, Tania cooking my meals and spreading the
bed sheet inviting me to sleep with her and I obliging her. When it came to the
climax I heard a knocking at the door and got up to see who it was. Mr.Charles
was standing there grinning from ear to ear. He knew that I would not fall for his
device and he was up to some new tricks.

I took him to the portico of the bungalow and we sat down. He told me that he was
inviting me to his quarters for dinner that evening and to wear something sporty for
a game of table tennis for which he did not have any good partner in the estate
except his wife. I thanked him for the offer and agreed to go to his place. I told
him that I would find my way to his place. Soon he left and I stayed on there
looking at the panoramic scene in front of me, the egg shaped hills covered by
thick green rubber trees and they all seemed the same shape and size. I went on
brooding over as to what I should do here in that place to build up a career for
myself.

32
 CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
I took a proper bath in the tub lolling on soap bubbles as the Britisher who built it
hundred years ago did. I dried up myself, put on Bermudas and T-shirt, wearing
sneakers, walked downhill and reached the house of Mr.Charles. He greeted me
and introduced me to his wife, Bea an Anglo-Indian lady from top to toe, wearing a
short negligee exposing all her assets. We sat down on the wicker chairs and she
brought a bottle of Scotch whisky, two empty glasses, ice and soda and a plate full
of roasted cashew nuts.

“Thank you, I don’t drink”, I affirmed.

“Just for company sake”, Mr.Charles persuaded.

“When Michael comes here Charles always treats him with a peg and thought that
his friend also would be like him”, Bea looked at me temptingly.

“I stopped drinking even beer that I used to take, after joining a prayer group.
Now I don’t drink at all. Thanks a lot for the offer”.

“Charles was also the member of a prayer group and once he was so fervently
praying to get a child but did not get any response for his prayer and he resumed all
the drinking and other fun that he practises now”. Bea said sadly.

“I don’t believe in God and I hate all the so-called spiritual things. Let us not spoil
the evening. Bea, take off this booze. I will take a peg before I go to sleep. Let us
come to business. I find it extremely difficult running the show here. The native
people are such ruffians and they have encroached upon almost hundred acres of
land from the outskirts of the estate. Michael and his dad could do nothing to evict
them because of the political pressure. In fact it is dangerous for them to come
here, as the people are against them for going to court. They might even kill them.
There is another fix, and it is something that concerns you. The accounts of the
estate for the past five years are pending and I had sent the notice that I received
from the agriculture income tax authorities to Michael to submit the accounts. I
hope that is why you came.”

33
“Partly, yes. I just wanted to see the estate, but I don’t want to stay here and work.
I will be taking all the records back home to operate from there. Michael can also
help me making the accounts as we studied together. I will be taking all the bills,
vouchers and accounts, what-ever that is available here and if I need anything
further I will sent for that or come and collect. Tomorrow is Sunday. Monday
morning I will visit your office. Michael had instructed me to make an inspection
of all the accounts and I will collect whatever records I need. I will go back that
day in the afternoon”.

“The account books do not show the real figure. There are some contingencies that
could not be accounted for in the book like the money that we spent for police
protection etc. Five policemen are posted in the estate to protect us. All that they
do is eat, drink and screw the women on the estate. They have become such a
thorn in the flesh.”

“Whatever accounts that you have, you show me. Well, you invited me for a game
of table tennis. Why don’t we play a game? It is a long time since I played it.”

“Bea, bring the bats and the ball. It is a long time since I played with anyone other
than my better half. We have other better games to play like cot tennis and if you
enjoy that game there is plenty of opportunity, even right here”.

“No thanks, I am a vegetarian, and I am going steady with a girl friend. I will have
it only when we get married.”

“That is stupidity. Make hay while the sun shines. That is my principle”.

“They are all matter of ideals we practise and let us not talk about it. I have
become a highly religious person and I don’t want to sin. I will try to avoid all
opportunities of temptation and keep away from such company that might lead me
to do wrong.” I looked at Mr.Charles in a matter of fact of way as if I did not enjoy
his company. He pretended to have a headache to avoid the game he promised. I
was also not very keen about the game and I wanted to get away from the place.

“I will come another day. Thank you for the hospitality you showed,
Mrs.Charles.” I got out of the place and it was getting dark.

As I walked in the direction of the bungalow I heard the sound of singing and
praising from a labor quarter and I stopped near it. I saw the face of an office
clerk, Roy, through the window of the house. He was a smart young man, polite

34
and pleasing in his behavior. He and his mother were praying. I knocked at their
door and Roy opened it. He was surprised to seeing me and invited me to the
house. I told them to resume the prayer and I too wanted to join them. I sat down
with them and sang the hymns and said the prayers. Roy invited me for the
Sunday prayer service at their house the next day at ten o’ clock in the morning. I
promised them that I would come. I left them for the bungalow.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

On Sunday morning I went to Roy’s house. They greeted me with a smile and
there were other people too, who had come for the worship. Mats were spread on
the floor and I too sat down on it.

Hymns were sung with clapping of hands and then Roy got up with a Bible in hand
and started leading the worship. He requested the congregation to read Psalm 23
verse after verse in two groups. Love, compassion and reassurance filled my mind
as I repeated the familiar verses of the psalm.

Then it was time for witnessing and one after another people got up and narrated
the wonderful ways in which Providence took care of their lives.

I got up and narrated how good the Lord had been in my life by helping me
complete my studies in such a miraculous way, and getting me the job of
accountant of that estate. I requested them to pray for me too in their prayer group.
I entreated them to do good, all possible good and avoid evil.

Roy read a gospel portion and explained the Christian values that we had to
practise. He beseeched us to follow the example of Jesus and make him our model
for fashioning our lives. The intercessional prayer followed it. I too prayed aloud,
thanking the Lord for the countless blessings that he did in our lives, entreating
him to look after us in the future also.

After the prayer meeting I stayed on there mingling with the congregation and
making friends to them. They were mostly estate laborers and poor people around
the place. They requested me to use my influence with the owner of the estate to
pull out the policemen that were posted there in the estate. They assured me that it
was something unwanted, as there were no problems as such at that moment there.
I promised them to talk to Michael about it.

35
As I came out of the place, Mr.Charles came that way with his wife in a jeep and
stopped at my side.

“It is not nice to go to that place for prayer. It doesn’t suit your status. That fellow
Roy is against the management. Mingling with him is undesirable to the interest of
the estate. I am waiting for a chance to sack him from the office.”

“I am sorry, I don’t agree with you. It is I who decide who to mingle with and who
to avoid. I don’t take the advice of other people when selecting my friends.”

“I only gave my opinion. He is my enemy and if you team up with him I will have
to consider you as one too.”

“We shouldn’t be prejudiced against people because of their religious beliefs. We

should take people for what they are worth, character and caliber. Let us call it a
day and part as friends.”

He started the jeep and sped away on top gear.

CHAPTER TWENTY

My office was on the second floor of a tourist home. My accommodation was also
arranged there. When I went through the documents that I brought from the estate I
found them inadequate and not much useful. I planned with Michael to print a set
of vouchers and use whatever cash-bills, available. The aquittance roll had to be
prepared with the names of all the employees and details of salary. The amount of
salary was entered and signature was put after pasting a revenue stamp. We used
different pens and different handwritings for putting the signatures. The work was
tough and I did not have much idea as to how to proceed with it. Michael was a
great motivating factor and he helped whenever he could in spite of his busy
schedules looking after his other businesses.

Thoughts about Tania were a great relief and helped me pull on when going on was
hard. I wanted to meet her and talk to her but did not have the courage. I walked
past her house highly emotional but did not see her nor dare to go to her house. I
was scared of her father and of what other people might think. To get a glimpse of
her I went to the church where she came for Mass. I saw her from a distance and
went to receive communion simultaneously when she came forward.

36
I used to dream about her, think about her but meeting her or mingling with her
was impossible. I was losing all the confidence that I had, getting dejected and
moody. I tried to hide my feelings from Michael. But he noticed my
transformation and suggested a change of venue. He asked me to go to the estate
for taking some cash and monitoring the running of the estate. He wanted me to
get the policemen out from there, by a mass appeal of the people, requesting the
government to pull them off. I had to collect the signature of people in a
memorandum and submit it to the higher authorities of the police and get an order.
Michael and family could not get involved, as it was at their request that the
minister issued special order to put a gang of policemen on the estate to give
protection to the people there. But the policemen became a big head ache; feeding
them and protecting the womenfolk from their attack at night too became a
problem.

I packed up my luggage in a knapsack. Putting the cash inside my shirt and

wearing a jacket over it, I set out for the estate. I took the night bus so that by
morning I could reach there. The trip was good but I did not sleep, afraid that
someone sitting next to me might steal the money inside my shirt. It was hundred,
thousand rupee notes in a pack, a big amount to be careless with. After getting
down from the bus I got into a jeep that went through the estate. People were
looking at me in a sinister way and I smelt a rat. They had made me out as some
one from the head office of the estate bringing money to the estate. I prayed
secretly for nothing untoward to take place till I reached the estate safely.

The jeep started and people were clinging on to its side. It was so over-crowded
inside. I did not look at anybody sitting next to me nor opened conversation with
anyone near me. They were looking at me and whispering about me. When I saw
the estate approaching and the office building I shouted at them to stop the jeep.
With a creaking sound of the breaks the jeep stopped and I got out. I went straight
to the office and handed over the cash to Mr.Charles. He offered to drive me to the
bungalow but I turned down the offer.

I explained to Mr.Charles the reason for my sojourn there, and requested the
services of Roy for that. He was reluctant and hesitant in sending Roy with me,
afraid that Roy might reveal the stories about his corruption. I was adamant and
finally he agreed.

I called Roy and set out in the direction of the estate bungalow. On the way I had
briefed him about my mission of getting rid of the policemen from the estate. I also
hinted to Roy of my secret plan of dethroning Mr. Charles and bringing an end to

37
his corrupt regime on the estate. I requested the co-operation of Roy in the
operation. I was planning to do a system analysis about the different ways in which
money was squandered and misappropriated and to find solutions and remedies to
prevent it. Roy agreed to team up with me and offered me all assistance.

We reached the bungalow, and I had a quick shower and dressed into fresh clothes.
We sat down in the portico facing the panoramic view of mountains and valleys
carpeted by rich greenery of rubber trees. I asked Roy to say a short prayer before
we started serious work. When Roy finished his prayer, I started briefing him on
the modus operandi of the plan.

Suddenly Lazar a fat laborer with protruding belly and drooping mustache came
there and said that Mr. Charles had sent him there to do the cooking and to make
my stay comfortable. I sent him to the kitchen to prepare a good lunch and was
relieved that no women were sent for the assignment as in the past.

When he moved to the kitchen Roy told me that the cook would be a great
nuisance as he was the right hand of Mr. Charles and as ugly in character. Lazar
was also the member of the prayer group of Roy but could not contain the worldly
temptation to drink and fornicate. He was a shame to the other believers and Roy
had told him not to come for prayers anymore. He was an Epicurean by nature and
taste, and easily became a fan of Mr. Charles and became his pimp.

I dictated a memorandum to Roy, addressed to the inspector of police by the

people of the estate requesting him to withdraw the policemen stationed on the
estate. It was on the ground that there were no untoward incidents warranting their
presence there and they were a threat to the normal life in the estate. Many women
were molested after their husbands were beaten up, and since it was the all-
powerful policemen they suffered it without complaining. It was their humble
request and if it was not heeded, they would resort to drastic steps and would be
interfering politically, bringing the issue to the legislative assembly of the
government.

Below that Roy had to get the name and signature of as many people as possible
from the estate. By that time Lazar had prepared a good lunch and we had it. When
Roy had gone Lazar approached me and asked me if I needed the military rum that
he got in the ex-servicemen quota and offered it at a concessional rate. I told him
that I was not interested in two things, women and liquor and not to approach me
for that. He was disappointed and left me without a word.

38
 CHAPTER TWENTY ONE

Roy was quite fast in obtaining the signatures of the people. I went to Mr. Charles
and asked him to accompany me to the police station to submit the memorandum
to the Inspector. He was hesitant and gave all kinds of lame excuses for coming.
What I made out was that the police protection was a golden goose for him and an
opportunity to misappropriate cash. I told him that as the superintendent of the
estate he should come or otherwise I would mobilise the people of the estate, and
we would all make a march to the police station and submit the memorandum.
Finally, he gave in and we set out to the police station in his jeep.

We met the police Inspector and Mr. Charles submitted the papers. He was quite
arrogant and told us that it was not proper to request police protection once and
asking to withdraw it all of a sudden. I spoke to the inspector.

“It was the management that requested police protection. The memorandum is
from the common folks of the estate. If you read it you will know that it is the
people, who need protection from the policemen, rather. If you don’t give heed to
our petition, we will conduct picketing of the police station and that would be from
the side of the people and not the management.”

“I can’t take the decision myself, and I will have to consult my superiors. It was a
ministry level instruction and to revoke it the order has to come from the top. I will
let you know and you can go now.”

“Thank you, sir. If you don’t act now the ministry will interfere later and you will
have to give your explanation to the government.”

We left him and on the way back Mr. Charles told me that to antagonise the officer
was a bad policy and would have bad repercussions in the future. He suggested that
we paid some money as bribe to the inspector. I knew what he meant and from the
amount of bribe half of it would go to his pocket. I told him that it was a bad
policy.

We reached the estate and I had a phone call from Michael telling me to go and
fetch an Ameen, a court official to serve a warrant to the leader of the encroachers
in the estate property, the next day.

39
I set out with Mr.Charles in the jeep to the court in town and collected the official.
When we reached the estate the Ameen told us that he would go and serve the
warrant himself, as the culprit might skulk away if there are familiar people in the
group.

Mr. Charles described the route to his house and the Ameen set out. When he
reached half way through a man came down hill and the Ameen enquired the way
to the house. He looked at the Ameen and enquired where he had come from.
Hearing that it was a court official, the stranger told the Ameen that the house of
that person was on top of the hill and to go straight ahead, left in a hurry? When
the Ameen reached the house there was nobody there and the house was locked. As
a last resort the Ameen pasted the warrant on the door of the house and came off.
The man he met on the way was the real culprit.

My stay was comfortable in the bungalow, and food was good. Roy came to meet
me in the evening and we discussed the situation in the estate. He told me that the
superintendent had a role in the encroaching of the estate property and he had
instigated the neighbouring people to do it. His intention was to buy it from them
when he was chucked out from the office, which he expected sooner or later.

When I was about to open up my mind to Roy about impeaching Mr. Charles, I
saw a movement behind the curtain. I sprang up, pulled off the curtain and Lazar
was hiding behind there eavesdropping. I was about to hit him but Roy pleaded me
to leave him alone and not to make it an issue of it. We chased him away. Roy told
me that Madhavi extracted a huge sum of cash, from the superintendent, black-
mailing him that he had impregnated her. She had played the same trick on the old
cashier who funnelled a big sum to her from the estate account. Michael’s father
found it out and he lost his job. We decided to play for time and to strike when the
deal was made. The next day was Sunday and Roy invited me for the prayer
meeting and to deliver a message to the congregation. When he left and I scanned
through the Bible for a topic and prayed to the Holy Spirit to guide me.

CHAPTER TWENTY TWO

I got up to speak and found the audience spell–bound. They were expecting a
spiritual talk and, not to disappoint them, I started.

40
“My dear brothers and sisters, the ultimate aim of our lives is to reach heaven and
to be with God in eternal happiness. But when we are living here in this world, we
should lead an optimum life, with maximum output and cent per cent efficiency. I
am going to give you a few hints for that, which you won’t hear very often.

“We should have a definite purpose, a goal and dream to live in this world and
make a plan to reach there and live every day attaining it. What should we try to
attain in this world? It is to lead an enriched life with positive mind, sound health
harmony in human relationship, freedom from fear, hope of achievement, capacity
for faith, willingness to share, labour of love, open mind, self discipline, ability to
understand the motives of others and material prosperity.

“We should go an extra-mile in doing more work than we are paid for. Then only
we become eligible for better things in life.

“We should have a master-mind alliance with a group of people who are mutually
supportive and helpful for see us to reach our goal.

“We should have faith in God that he will lead us to our purpose and have faith in
our ability.

“We should have a pleasing personality, love others, show interest and concern for
them. Smile, listen attentively to what others say and admire their good qualities.

“We should learn from defeat, always evaluating and analysing the causes of
failure.

“We should use our creative vision, imaginative, positive and constructive.

“Use personal initiative, thinking about and striving to reach our purpose in life.

“Thinking accurately, seeing reality as it is, always asking why, how, when and
what is the priority.

“We should be self-disciplined, controle our mind, use will power, and reason and
conscience to sensor every thought. We should cultivate positive emotions,
impressing useful thoughts into our memory and must convince the sub conscious-
mind with our purpose and plans.

“Concentrate on our endeavour, sticking to our goal in life, never going astray.

41
“Getting and giving co-operation, being friendly, helpful and charitable to
everyone.

“Be enthusiastic about life as it is God’s greatest gift and think about the riches we
are striving to achieve and the reward of earthly life, eternal heaven.

“We should have a habit of thinking and practising healthy life.

“Budget our time and money never squander and waste them.

“Applying the golden rule of loving others and doing to them as we would like
them to do to us.

“Make a habit of living this way and you are sure to succeed in worldly life and
attain heavenly bliss. This is all I have to tell you. If I had enough time I would
have given you my personal testimony. I reserve the right to do it for another
occasion. Please pray for me too so that I attain my purpose in life and have an
enriched life. May God bless you, all.”

CHAPTER TWENTY THREE

We met again after some time. We discussed the modus operandi of dethroning
Mr.Charles from the hem of affairs of the estate and to sack up from the place.
But he sensed it before us and sent Lazar spying after us and decoded our plans
even as we had mused about that.

Mr.Charles tried to persecute Roy in the office. He gave him tough assignments,
no sufficient time to do it and charged him with not doing things properly. Since he
could not do anything against me directly, he used his goons in the estate to slander
my name as well as intimidate me against staying on in the estate. He wanted to
drive me away from there as he felt that I was a threat to his existence there. He
sensed my secret plan to dethrone him.

My food became unpalatable and at times I felt giddy after eating it. I suspected
Lazar putting poisonous concoctions in my food to harm me. Roy warned me that
Mr.Charles was an expert in black magic, some one who would strike below the
belt, if confronted, as he was a man without any principles. His tall frame and
vulture like eyes together with his abominable ways made him a dreadful enemy to

42
reckon with. His corrupt and pleasure-loving nature made him completely
unprincipled. He was a formidable enemy and someone indefatigable.

I escaped from the scene for the time being when I received a phone call from
Michael’s Dad asking me to come back to the base immediately. He briefed me
that Michael’s wedding had been arranged; I had to do all the other arrangements.
I wondered why, there was such a hurry but dared not ask the old man. I packed up
my things and took the next bus.

When I reached the place all the people were running around as if their beards had
caught fire.

The wedding was to be in the Cathedral Church blessed by the bishop and the
reception was to be in the parish hall. I was at the helm of the arrangements. I came
to know that the girl’s brother was migrating to the United States and wanted to
have his sister’s wedding to be conducted, before his departure. They were equally
aristocratic and quite rich too. The dowry she was bringing was fabulous.

The wedding day approached and I stayed with Michael. On the eve of the
wedding was the bachelor’s party where many bottles of Scotch whisky were
emptied and food was gulped down in heaps by the guests who were mostly our
class mates and friends. The party stretched into the midnight. I did not take liquor
but consumed a lot of food.

Albert was also there and I asked his whereabouts. He had got a school master’s
job and was going steady with his love and intended to get married in the near
future. Both of them did not have much money to conduct a massive wedding
function and wanted to have it as a small affair. He requested my help in carrying it
out. I assured him my support.

On the wedding day I got up early and pulled Michael from his sleep. I made him
take a good shower and we tried to dress him up. A videographer was taking the
picture of all the activities and we had Michael dressed in the wedding suit. We
had a Benz car decorated and after a prayer and blessings from the parents Michael
set out. Twenty cars followed his car and we reached the church. The bride’s party
was already there at the church and Sheila’s brother received Michael by
garlanding him. The bride and bride groom marched to the front of the church and
the function started.

43
I was surprised to find two persons at the wedding. One was Fr.Wilfred who was
with the seven other priests ready to bless the wedding. The other person was
Tania who was standing besides Sheila as her bride’s maid adjusting the bride’s
gown and giving instructions. I did not hesitate, but went and stood near her for the
function. Once in a while I whispered to Michael pretending to give instructions.
So many cameras focussed on us. I prayed fervently to God to unite us also, if it
was His will.

There was loud singing and thunderous music by the church choir. The bishop
blessed the wedding and made Michael and Sheila man and wife. There was a high
mass following it. After the mass there was a big party in the parish hall. I stayed
with Michael and Sheila. Tania was also there and when I got a chance I smiled at
her and tried to speak to her. My heart was throbbing like the beating of drums. A
bottle of Champagne was opened and the newly weds toasted. Michael made
Sheila drink from the goblet and she sipped. We clapped and cheered. They cut a
huge ornamented cake and shared a piece of cake and I took a piece of cake and
gave to Tania. She smiled at me and thanked me.

The dinner was buffet. Food was laid out on two sides of the hall and counters
were opened and people stood in queues and had the food. The party was great and
I had to go with Michael and Sheila and had no chance to talk to Tania. When I
came back she was gone.

CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR

Michael and Sheila were visiting their relatives and could go on their honeymoon
only after a month. It was a trip to Maldives, the holiday country. They had a
reservation in Rannali resort and they flew there. After a week a phone message
reached their home that Sheila was terribly sick and in real bad shape. She was
showing initial signs of pregnancy and vomiting her guts out. Michael’s father
consulted a gynecologist, their family doctor who would be with Sheila during the
delivery and he suggested that she should not be disturbed for the time being as
travelling by sea would upset her pregnancy. He suggested that someone take
sufficient medicine there and administer to her. The lot fell on me and I was air
borne in no time. I landed in Male’ and hired a speedboat and set out to Rannali
resort. After a four hour trip in the turbulent sea, I reached the resort. I rushed to
the front office and asked for Michael. The manager deputed Wahid, the room-boy
to take me to their cottage. I rang the bell and Michael opened the door. Sheila was
lying on the cot and she looked so tired. Michael felt relieved when he saw me.

44
I said, “I have brought some medicine. The doctor wants you to take it for some
time to stop vomiting. Relax and get healthy enough to travel. Then we will go
back. I am also supposed to stay on here till you finish your holiday”.

“Thanks a lot for coming. Sheila is in real bad shape. We will give her the
medicine and see its effect. I will book you a cottage close by. Please stay with us
and enjoy the holiday at the same time. I would like to have some company for
swimming and snorkeling,” said Michael.

We went to the front office and had a place arranged for me to stay.

Soon it was time for supper and food was served in Michael’s cottage. Sheila just
took some soup and ate bread with jam thickly spread on it. The medicine was
taking effect and she did not vomit. They asked me to go to the refectory for
dinner.

I found an empty seat. It was actually reserved for Sylvia a Swedish lady. She
found me sitting there and took the seat next to me. I thanked her and said, “I am
Robert from India. I just came today. May I know your name and also from which
part of the world you are?”

“I am Sylvia from Sweden. I am on a short holiday here. I am famished. Let us eat

dinner as well, while talking. I swam a lot today. I love the sea here. It is calm and
beautiful.”

She started eating the food and though I did not like the European dishes very
much, I consumed a good quantity, as I was terribly hungry. She ordered a whisky
on the rocks and persuaded me to have a beer at least. I yielded and had a can of
Tiger beer.

I bade her good night and went to Michael’s place. They were comfortable and
relaxed. Michael suggested that we go snorkeling the next day. I agreed and left
them, as I did not want to be speck in the eye for the honeymooning couple. I went
to my cottage and slept off, dreaming of my honeymoon, not sure where and when.
CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE

The next day we set out for snorkeling and Sheila accompanied us to the beach.
She sat there watching the lolling waves rushing to the shore and she looked tired,

45
but transparent. We put on the snorkels and swam to the deep sea. The flora and
fauna underwater were beautiful to behold and the fish friendly, swimming close to
our face and very picturesque. The coral reefs were fantastic to watch and after
swimming we were tried. We returned to the shore and sprawled on the sand
exhausted. Sheila came in our direction and the couple looked as if they were made
for each other and I felt proud of my friend, getting such a good wife.

I opened the conversation and that was about a topic very personal and intimate. I
asked her; “On your wedding day I found someone very important for me at your
side. Her name is Tania. How do you know her?”

“She was my schoolmate and very intimate friend.”

“Robert is crazy after her and wants to have her as his wife. But everything is
against him as he belongs to the enemy camp of her family. He cannot assert
himself in front of her father and feels terribly upset. If you want to see a
remorseful lover, look at him,” said Michael.

“Would you intervene in our case and speak to her? When you meet her next time
please ask her what she thinks about me and get a feedback about her feelings
towards me.”

“I will surely do it. But you should become eligible enough to claim her. Otherwise
her cunning father won’t give her away to you.”

“What shall I do? I don’t have a good job or the financial infrastructure to claim
her. Besides, mine is a broken family. I don’t have many antecedents to claim or
aristocracy to offer. I am trying to make some headway in life. At present I am
trying to dethrone Mr. Charles, your estate superintendent and take over the reins
of its administration. Though it is not a big job it could be a stepping stone. I am
looking for better jobs and want to write the civil service exam, the bank officer’s
test etc. Besides I want to make my mark as a writer. I got so many fascinating
stories in my head. I promise you that I will make Tania live a queen. Only I want
the support from Michael, Albert and now you. We will move in a master-mind
group and support mutually.”

“I am glad to join your gang, but better not take my advice as women’s advice can
be deceiving. I will speak to Tania and see how she will react. It would be nice to
have her as the wife of my husband’s best friend.”

46
“It’s time for lunch. We three will go to the restaurant. Let’s see weather Sheila
will get sick. The medicines are taking effect.” We marched to the restaurant, had
lunch and retreated to our cottages for an afternoon nap.

CHAPTER TWENTY SIX

In the evening there was thunderous music emanating from the bar and on inquiry I
found out that there was going to be a disco that night. I ushered Michael and
Sheila and wearing very casual dress we marched to the bar. Many people were
dancing on the dance floor in the middle of the bar. We sat down watching others
dance and ordered a peg of rum-cola for each of us and a peg of gin and tonic for
Sheila. It was quite colorful there and the gyrations that they were making made
me feel ashamed to dance. Sylvia was there elegantly dressed and on seeing me
sitting there she invited me to dance.

The Baccardi rum was taking its effect and I went with her and started jumping and
thudding the feet according the ups and downs of the music. Seeing me do it,
Michael ushered in Sheila and started dancing. I sensed the danger; the gin might
upset her stomach, dancing could be dangerous. I went to them, and led them out
of the place. Out of the exit Sheila vomited and I felt guilty, as it was I who had
instigated them to do the dancing.

We rushed her to their cottage and she took the medicine that the doctor had given
and she did not vomit any more. The color returned to her face and she said, “That
kind of dance is not meant for us. There is no rule in the game and anybody could
do anything by way of dance. I feel ashamed that I joined you. Who was that lady
that you were dancing with? She was so elegant and beautiful.”

“That was Sylvia a UN official. No woman will ever fascinate me, except Tania,
and I will be faithful to her. I had so many chances on the estate to trespass as
Mr.Charles was after me sending shapely women to seduce me and even his wife
tried to allure me. I could say no to all that just because I love Tania”.

“That’s great. We will try our level best to get her for you. But you’ve got to prove
yourself worthy of her. Why don’t you write one of those immortal books that you
are planning to write?” Sheila said.

“If I write all that happened in my life after I came out of the seminary there will
be enough matter for a fascinating novel. Only the climax is yet to come and I

47
leave it into your hands, Sheila. My success is in your hands, depending on how
you manage to convince Tania and win her over for me. There is another desperate
lover in our gang and you must have met him. He is our best friend Albert. He is in
love with Tessy, a drop-out from a convent. She has not made up her mind whether
to go back to the convent or to become the wife of Albert. We persuaded her to
take B.Ed., so that she could become a school teacher like him. She is about to
finish her studies. You should direct the Cupid’s arrows at her also. It is your duty
as the only woman member in our mastermind group and as one who knows the
psychology of women.”

“I will gladly do it for you,” said Sheila.

“Let us go to sleep. Tomorrow I want to discuss with you, Robert the affairs in the
estate and what we can do to solve the problems. We will sit on the beach full day
tomorrow and discuss it. Sheila, no more drinks for you or swimming or dancing. I
will call the doctor and brief him about you and ask him when we can return. There
are very serious things at home to be dealt with and I want to send you back to the
estate at the earliest. Dad will find it hard to run the diesel pump, as it is the fishing
season. Besides I am getting fed up with the sand and sea of Maldives. It is funny
why people spend such exorbitant amounts to come here for holidays.”

“Yes, they are really taken for a ride. That is what Sylvia told me the last time I
met her. She came alone for honeymoon because they could not afford the money
for two and besides her husband is busy preparing his doctoral thesis to be
submitted to the university before the deadline. They sold the holiday package in
Sweden and she paid for it there. Anyway she goes scuba diving and gets the
moneys worth. I got a free chance at the expense of your father for a holiday here. I
find it amusing enough, as I don’t have to spend anything. Good night.”

I left them and went to my cottage and jotted down the points for the discussion the
next day.

CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN

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The next day I got up and sat praying for sometime. I prayed to God to open up
some new ideas and inspiration in our discussion so that I could make some
headway in my career. I prayed that the intimacy that I had with Michael
always be there and helpful to my future endeavor. I wanted the relation
with that family always in my life and the help Sheila could do to rectify
my affair with Tania would be substantial.
After some time I went to their cottage and they were up already. Sheila too
wanted to take part in the discussions, as she too was an heir to the business
empire of that family. They were in swimming dress and I took off my
jeans and T-shirt and wore just the shorts. We went to the beach and the
sun was up already and the beach was clean and beautiful.

We sprawled on the sand and I opened up the discussion, “It is a very fine estate
that you have got but it might slip off from your hand if you let the things
go on as it is. The wicked hands behind the happenings there are that of the
superintendent, Mr. Charles. He is corrupt and ruthless and is the force
instigating the neighbors to encroach upon your land. He has offered to buy
back the property from them in his name when you have given up the land.
Police protection is another cover-up by which he misappropriates money
and uses the policemen for his selfish ends.”

“Have you any concrete suggestions as to how we should solve the problems? I am
willing to sack Mr. Charles. If you can replace him and run the show as
well as he does,” said Michael.

Sheila interrupted, “I would suggest that you appoint Robert as the assistant
superintendent and he stays there, learns the tricks to run the show and find
out some concrete evidences to dethrone Mr. Charles.”

“Exactly that is what I had in mind. What do you think about it Robert? How much
time do you need to take over? It must be as short a time as possible. You must set
out to the estate immediately after we reach India and I will ask Dad to issue an
appointment order for you as the assistant superintendent. We will give you some
solid cash to operate. You win the ground support of the people to remove the
policemen from the estate and with that Mr. Charles also should be dethroned. You
should make it impossible for him to stay on and make him resign the job
voluntarily. I hope you get what I mean.”

49
“I have already interacted with the cream of the population of the estate through a
prayer group and I found a very good advisor in Roy, the clerk in the estate office.
He is someone reliable and dependable. Besides he is the leader of the prayer
group. I have established rapport with him and his group. They are all dead against
Mr. Charles and on that line I will operate.”

“Besides, there is another point. If you become the superintendent of that estate
you can easily claim Tania from her father and he may not resist. I will talk to her
to find out her attitude. Michael and I should persuade her and her father. Only
thing is that you should prove yourselves worthy.” Sheila winked at me.

“This is a matter of life and death for me and my adversary is so formidable.

Besides it is a spiritual warfare also. Mr. Charles has got supernatural powers with
black magic. I have to fortify myself spiritually before the real attack. I will pray,
fast and read the Bible while we are here to gain the moral strength for all that.
Please leave me alone for the time being.”

“Why don’t we have a little swim? The sea is so inviting. Sheila, you stick to the
shore and don’t exert too much. We will be back soon. Tomorrow I have arranged
for water skiing. You should come with me. Sheila cannot do it,” said Michael and
he jumped into the sea. I followed him close behind and we swam for quite a
while.

CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT

The speedboat was ready for the skiing and we got in and dashed off the shore.
Michael got down into the water on the skis and I raced the speedboat. He came
trailing after me. To add variety, I took a deep curve and Michael lost his balance
and fell into the water.

He was swimming desperately and I went to his side and got him on board the
boat. He had enough and asked me to do the skiing. I put on the skis and lowered
myself into the water. Michael raced the boat and I was in motion, flying over the
waves being thrown up every now and then. As the speed increased it was an
exhilarating experience and I thoroughly enjoyed the exercise. We took turn in
skiing and after some time we got bored of the whole exercise and stopped it. We
came to the jetty and Sheila was waiting for us there.

Bidding them farewell, I went to my cottage took a shower and started reading the
bible. I got new insights about my life and what I had to do. I decided to fast that

50
day and to spend the time in prayer. The face of Tania kept popping up on the
monitor of my mind, and that was an inspiration for me to move ahead and
accomplish all those feats like marrying Tania and becoming the superintendent of
that estate.

When I got out of my cottage for a break, Michael saw me and came to my cottage.

“It is time to say the ‘Angelus’. Why don’t we go to your cottage, say it together
and sing a few hymns? We will also sit with you praying till we fall asleep,” said
Michael.

We sat praying, singing and praising till half past twelve. Then they left me and I
started reading the Bible and prayed fervently. I had a short nap in the sitting
posture and had a vision of some abyss. Suddenly a knock on the door woke me
from the stupor. It was broad daylight and Michael stood before me. He had a
phone call from home asking to return if everything was all right. He went to settle
the bill and I freshened myself and got ready for the trip. We went to the restaurant
and had some sandwiches and coffee.

The boat was waiting for us and it was a slow speed Dhoni, as it was called there
and the trip was peaceful and calm. We reached the Huluhulu Airport, went
through the customs and emigration and soon boarded the plane. It was a huge
aircraft and we got adjoining seats. Soon we were at a high altitude, and whenever
we hit some air pocket our plane shook.

We landed at Trivandrum, walked out through the green channel and Michael’s
father was waiting for us with Sheila’s parents. Her mother came and embraced
her. Michael’s dad shook his son’s hands to congratulate him and we sped home.

CHAPTER TWENTY NINE

A letter from home was awaiting me. Things were not progressing and my father
had started drinking again. The reason behind it was the nagging of my mother.
She used to blame him on and on for all the past follies. I wrote them to forgive
each other and never to accuse one another. No one was perfect I wrote them;
blaming and criticizing will only have a negative effect, and instead of correcting
the party, it would only destroy their peace of mind. They would still justify
themselves and never see the fault. I asked my mother to be more loving and
forgiving. I wrote them further that I was also in a real critical and challenging

51
situation, and if I have to worry about home, it would affect my efficiency and
hinder me from functioning more creatively and taking up new challenges.
Problems at home take away all your confidence and courage to do well in life.

Michael’s dad gave me some solid cash to keep with me in case of need or
emergency in the estate and gave me full authority to act as I wished. He issued an
order appointing me the deputy Superintendent of the estate and to take up the
administration of all the personnel there.

An estate functioned on the efficiency of the staff there, and I had a vital role to
play in controlling and motivating the staff. If I could win over their confidence
and team them up I could sack Mr. Charles, and take up the reins of the estate. I
wanted to use Roy as my assistant and confidential secretary as I could trust him.
Besides he was pious and decent. God fearing people never did anything bad
purposefully and Roy could be trusted completely. Mr. Charles hated him and
wanted to chuck him out from the estate. He did not like the confidence that I
placed on Roy.

In the meantime Albert and Teena decided to get married and requested our
support in organizing the event. We decided to conduct the function before I went
to the estate and arranged it with the parish priest to be an uneventful, simple
function, with out any pomposity or grand celebration, as they did not have the
cash to squander. We invited all our classmates who studied with us and requested
Fr. Joe, our classmate to bless the wedding.

There were only a few people from the side of the bride and the bridegroom, and
the wedding was a simple function. The wedding was followed by a concelebrated
mass. There was no singing by a big choir but the celebration was touching and
cordial.

Teena did not bring a big dowry and Albert did not have any money to throw a big
party. It was a small tea party in the parish hall. Sheila and Michael led the couple
to the party and all our friends thronged there. I was busy arranging the serving of
the dishes. It was a buffet, a few sweets, plantain and a piece of cake with a bottle
of coke.

They cut the cake and as was the custom, and fed each other. We offered the
couple a tender coconut with straws in it. Playfully we tied the end of the straws
together and when Albert and Teena sipped the coconut water, nothing came. We
teased them and put another straw in the coconut.

52
We ate the snacks and chatted with each other, as it was an occasion to see each
other and to renew acquaintance. After the party they set out to Teena’s house
where they had the honeymoon. Though the function was simple it was quiet
homely. There was no pomp or squandering of money as was usual, wedding and
we all felt happy and relieved that it was over in such a nice manner.

I set out the next day to the estate. I reached there and gave the appointment order
to Mr. Charles. He was not pleased but did not show his feelings. He told me that
he would arrange an office for me and I requested him to appoint Roy as my
assistant. There was a quarter empty near Roy’s place and I decided to stay there
and cook my own food. I wanted to make maximum savings by cutting short all
unnecessary expenses.

I had the quarters cleaned, and luckily, there was a gas stove there. I bought the
utensils for cooking and all the paraphernalia needed in the kitchen. When I started
the new establishment Roy’s mother ignited the stove and boiled some milk, in
place of my mother. We said a small prayer, drank the milk and I started living
there. I planned with Roy the modus operandi for future functioning, and took
charge as Assistant Superintendent of the estate the next day.

CHAPTER THIRTY

The next day I started my work. My first assignment was a secret one, to assess the
extent of corruption that Mr. Charles had done and to get some concrete evidence
to nail him. I had to settle the pending accounts, and that required asking questions
and to be inquisitive. Roy was of great help, and Mr. Charles smelt a rat, tried to
persecute Roy, got angry with him and give him some impossible assignments. He
tolerated me, as he could do nothing to touch me.

There was another surprise waiting for me there. Dr. Ansel had set up a clinic
there and had befriended Mr. Charles. Birds of a feather flocked together and they
became a team in doing wicked things. I met him on my way and he knew that I
worked on the estate. He asked me to consult him if I was not well. I never knew it
would be that bad, when I really encountered him.

We tried to mobilize the people of the estate in an agitation against the police out-
post. Roy was working underground and the plan was to picket the police outpost

53
as well as the office of the superintendent. It was a secret, the day fixed for the
operation. Mr. Charles got some smell of it and suspended Roy from his job.

I was in a fix and did not know what to do to help him out from the predicament.
His reaction was different. He did not feel any resentment against Mr. Charles. His
chance of subsistence and sole source of income was that job and losing it put him
in a pathetic condition. He decided to conduct a fasting prayer in his house till the
issue was solved and I proposed to support him.

Roy was sitting in his prayer room, praying, reading the Bible and singing. The
only food he took was an occasional tea that his mother made. I too decided to fast
and planned the strike at the police picket and the superintendent’s office. I had a
selfish motive too. I fasted and prayed for two things, one to dethrone Mr. Charles,
become the superintendent of that estate and to get Tania as my better half. I had
given instructions to the people regarding the style of operation and they had
divided into two groups.

We could hear the yelling of the slogans and crying of the people as the policemen
charged at the picketing people with sticks and bayonets.

Mr. Charles knew who were behind it all. He did not waste time and came to Roy’s
quarters. I was also there. He came and shook my hands. He held my hands for
some time and I felt a sinister evil force transferring in to my inner self and I felt
great weight on my mind and whole being. I felt dejected and moody. He asked
Roy to call back the people from picketing and the agitation must be stopped at
once.

Roy was adamant and did not yield to his request. He told him that suspending him
from the job would not save the superintendent from future repercussions, as we
had concrete evidence to prove his malpractices and misappropriations.

Mr. Charles got infuriated and pulled out a dagger from his hip and stabbed Roy in
the chest. I tried to block the stabbing but it went piercing his heart. Roy fell in to
my hands that supported him and had a convulsion and stopped all movements.
Mr. Charles ran out from there with fresh blood spilling from the dagger. I looked
at the dead body of Roy and fainted.

When I came to myself, the place was full of people. The dead body of Roy was
kept in a coffin and his face was tranquil. I looked at him and tears gushed out of
my eyes. I was fasting all day and some strange power gripped me and shook me

54
violently. I wanted to take revenge for my brother who was in the coffin. People
took the dead body to the grave, and I followed them.

After the funeral we came and sat down in Roy’s house. His mother was beyond
consoling. We sat down and started praying loudly, reading the psalms and
singing. I felt as if I would go abnormal with some strange power taking
possession of my mind. Overwhelmed with remorse, I packed up my things and
got out of that place. I saw Dr.Ansel’s clinic and to get some medicine for my
agony, I got in there. He saw me and I told him that I felt very bad, my stomach
upset and felt dejected. He asked me about Roy’s murder and what my role was. I
evaded the issue and said that I did not know much about it. I told him that we had
been conducting a fasting prayer and Mr. Charles came and stabbed Roy. He
looked at me quizzically, went inside and came with a small glass full of some
syrup. He asked me to drink it, and I did just that. I felt as if my body had gone
limp, throat dry and some fierce power emanated from my eyes. Staggering I came
out from there and came, to my abode, the tourist home near Michael’s place. It
was there that I had the encounter with Fr. Joe who drove out the evil powers that
had taken possession of me.
CHAPTER THIRTY ONE

I woke up from my stupor and got acclimatized to the situation. I was at a party
and everyone was looking at me. Michael was standing up and saying something.
“Thank God, we got him back. Seeing his predicament and finding him possessed
of some evil power, I called Fr.Joe, our exorcist in the group. When Fr.Joe met him
he was dejected and withdrawn. Now he is back into our lot and I am proud to
announce that I appoint him as the superintendent of my estate and my wife Sheila
has a surprise for him. Sheila, bring her in!”

Sheila went out and came into the conference room followed by Tania and
everyone clapped their hands. She said, “this is our gift to Robert for being a nice
friend to all of us and saving our four hundred acre estate being shattered into
fragments and our losing it. Tania was his fascination but did not have the courage
to acknowledge it. Being their mutual friend I have brought her here fully
consenting to be his wife. I request Fr. Wilfred to bless their wedding engagement
and to unite them.”

I was flabbergasted with jubilation and could not believe what was happening.

Tania smiled at me and said, “Robert, I am proud of you.”

55
Fr. Wilfred came to the middle of the gathering with a stole round his neck and
motioned us to come closer. He said, “I am deeply moved by the spirit of
friendship that you showed to each other and as a gesture of your goodwill, here
we have Robert and Tania to be united to each other in holy wedlock. When I read
the following engagement oath to you, you have to say, ‘I promise”.

He administered the oath to us. Both of us said, “I promise”, one after the other.

Fr. Wilfred blessed us and sprinkled holy water on the engagement rings that
Michael had placed before him. He took them and asked me to slip one on Tania’s
finger and vice versa. We did that and feeling jubilant, I looked into her eyes and I
could read an ocean of unfathomable love there.

With tears gushing from my eyes, I looked at everyone gathered there, my beloved
friends and their families, and said, “Thank you each and every one of you and I
am greatly obliged to you all. Let us all move in a mastermind alliance and support
each other. This is the greatest day in my life, and I owe it to Michael and Sheila.
Thanks, both of you and a big thank you to Fr. Wilfred, for declaring us engaged. I
thank the Almighty God for fulfilling my purpose in life and to make my dream
come true. Thank you one and all.”

There was a good buffet dinner and we parted, agreeing to meet each other in
another get-together next year, singing the hymn, “Amazing Grace” and wondering
at the amazing ways of the Lord.

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