Mistake I made in my life

It was the time I started riding my scooter and I did not knew much of the street rules. It was the time, I didn’t even know I had flat tire and somebody else has to tell me about it. You can call me ’empty head.’ But, that was what I was in the beginning years of my scooter ride.

I am talking about an incident of the year 2004. I think, I was on the Lainchour area, when a micro-bus driver made a gesture with his five finger open and close twice and fast.

Okay, I have to admit it now, I misunderstood that gesture. Before I could even give him a damn look, he was off on the road. But, I didn’t want to let him go without teaching him a good lesson. So, I followed him as the it was going in the direction of my office.

At around Jamal area, near the Nabil Bank, the same micro-bus was stopped to let passenger get on it. When, I was close the the vehicle, the micro-bus driver made the same gesture, again. He opened and closed his five finger twice and fast !

When, I was close to the window of that the driver, I spit my mouth-full of saliva on his face and then ran as fast as I could. I was very happy for the revenge I got from the misbehaving micro bus driver.

But, the happiness didn’t last more than 5 minutes. When I was making turns to get in to my office, another guy, about to leave the parking area, made the same gesture. Now, something strike in my mind that the gesture means something other than teasing a lady on wheel. It was only when I looked in front of my scooter, I found the answer.

My headlight was on !

Now I realize, that was what the driver had been trying to tell me more than once. I felt terrible after knowing about my mistake. I deserve a punishment from that micro-bus driver!

I don’t know how to find that driver. I wouldn’t even know him if he appears in front me as, I never saw his face clearly. But, whoever he is, I would like to offer my sorry to him for the stupidest mistake I have ever made in my life.

I am really sorry !

Ed's Note : This article has already been published on February 10, 2011 in Xnepali.com 

The Illusionist

When Sai Baba was frisking gold rings and chains from the air and was giving it to his devotees, a Japanese interrupted him to ask a question. When he got the permission to ask, the Japanese asked Sai Baba, “Can you convert the mountain behind you into gold, just like the way you can do this gold rings and chains ?”

After a brief pause, he said to that Japanese guy, “Come tomorrow.”  And, that “tomorrow” never came.

I was in my second year of college when my English lecturer told me about the incident to our class.

A couple of years ago, India TV ran a program disclosing some of his tricks Sai Baba does in front of his devotees, with the help of spy cameras. The program host had also had invited scientists to explain the reason behind those tricks. But, these revelations hardly mattered to his believers as they believe the television was running scam campaign to taint the image of Sai Baba.

At around 1997, my ex-boss had the hardest and most personal experience of Sai Baba’s art of magic or illusion. It was her uncle, who was suffering from cancer, causing him a lot of pain. Her uncle and aunt went to Bangalore for check-ups. The visit required them to go through Chemotherapy to stop the growing tissue in his stomach. The couple, being believers of  Sai Baba, went to visit him during their Bangalore visit. Sai Baba saw the sick believer and did a magic.

In their next visit to the hospital, the oncologist was puzzled after seeing their fresh sheet of x-ray report prior to the chemotherapy. There was nothing in that  x-ray report, not a trace of cancerous tissue. The delighted couple canceled their chemotherapy treatment and returned back back to Nepal.

But they didn’t realize the sad truth: cancer was never treated. Within a month of his return back to Nepal, he had to go back to the hospital in Bangalore due to unbearable pains in his stomach. New tests showed that, within that one month period, the cancer had spread all over his stomach. The chemotherapy would have stopped it, if Sai Baba hadn’t done his ‘magic’.

My ex-boss’s uncle died within two months of his visit to Sai Baba. A death, which could have been postponed for some time if not for forever; came too early to him just because he believed more to an illusionist than doctors and their combined conscience.

They say, at the time of desperation, we believe what we want to believe not what is said to be believed.

Moral of the story – an illusionist can not cure diseases. He may conceal it for a short time but, it resurfaces itself.

Ed's Note : This article has already been published in Xnepali.com on February 4, 2011