My journal: my favorite story

[Guest guest]

I love stories, real or fictional. Stories with a beginning, a middle, and an end. Not all stories seem like they have an ending, but in real life, there always is – it just may take a longer time for some of them to get there. Here’s a story with a happy ending –

There was once a man, born and raised in a comfortable upper-middle-class family, his father a government official, his mother a loving housewife, all his sisters and brothers settled well in their doctoral and professional jobs. So was he – he sailed through engineering college, and IIS, and was positioned as a government engineer in the Roads and Buildings department. His plan for his future was to climb up the corporate ladder, slowly and steadily, and then retire comfortably when he was 60.

And then came a whirlwind. A word. A word from God. Sai Baba sent a message through one of his higher-ups – “Come work for me as a contractor. My 60th birthday is coming up, and I have a number of buildings I want you to build for me.†He was flabbergasted – What!? Leave my job!? Work for Sai Baba? How does he know about me? How can I leave my family and go work someplace else so far away? In that remote village of Puttaparthi? And then what’s after that? How will I get my job back? So he said “I’ll come try it for one yearâ€, and then took a long leave of absence from his job.

So the wooing began. The Big Fisherman threw out bait after bait – a house to live in, schooling for his children, enough money to take care of his family and then some, and slowly but surely, reeled him in, hook, line, and sinker.

And there followed the aftereffects of the whirlwind. Everything up in the air, the entire map of his world changed – not just the place, but the faces around him, his routine, his habits, his schedule, and eventually his beliefs, and his heart. He built building after building – round buildings, long buildings, temples, schools, hostels, marriage halls, all these before the days when bigger corporations took over. It was intense pressure, but intense pleasure too. He was never so excited in his life, nor ever so stressed out either. He was dealing with much bigger projects than ever, much bigger risks than ever, and much bigger money than ever. It led to a heart attack. He was afraid for his life. He was poor, broken, and terrified.

Then, and only then did the Lord come down to rescue His Gajendra. He put him in His hospital, treated him for free, sent him loads of vibhuti, consoled and cajoled him, calmed his pittering heart. Slowly the money came back, and so did his health, and the whirlwind dust finally settled down, each mote in its happy place.

This is the story of my father. At the end of that year, he quit his government job, and never went back. Those 10 years were the toughest and the best years of his life. The first 4 or 5 were more exciting than a new romance – the wooing, the ring, the honeymoon. In that intense rush of excitement, he didn’t know that after the honeymoon comes the plateau. And that’s when the real understanding, the real transformation, the real depth of love sets in. He’s on that plateau now – plenty of time to recall and reflect on those fleeting moments that had passed so quickly. He has so many stories to tell. But all with happy endings. He lives in Prashanti Nilayam now, in the shadow of the Lord, still building – one or two a year. It’s a gentler life now, but happy still. He misses those days of excitement, but he’s nearing retirement – time

to sit back, reminisce and dwell. Time to give thanks and give back the love that he received. Time to pray and time for peace.