Splintered Lives (21 page)

“I don’t understand how this has come about.
 
Why hasn’t my mother told me who my father was, and that I have this other Hindu family living here in Katmandu?”

“She must have had her reasons and you are the most caring family I have ever met.
 
I wish many times that I was the one living in your shoes, Simon; you have no idea what it is like living in mine.
 
My father has a drink problem, I think he is an alcoholic, but it doesn’t make it right how he treats my mother when he is drunk.

I have never been able to have friends in my house because of this and I am always welcome in yours.
 
Your dad is such a wonderful friend.
 
He has encouraged me to work at school, and I would not have got so far, and be able to go to university, if he had not allowed me to work on my studies at your house.

I know you think that we were just doing homework at your house because you have a better computer and it is quieter than at mine, but the fact is, it is bedlam at our house sometimes.
 
My mother gets angry at my dad and then he begins to throw things and she has to lock herself in the bathroom.”

Simon is shocked at what Ben is saying.
 
In all the time they have been friends Ben has never opened his heart to him, and he is a bit ashamed of not being there for Ben.

Ben gives Simon one of his rare smiles and says. “Come on then let’s get that shower and then we can join the others, I’m starving.”

Chapter 30

The boys walk into the dining room where the rest of the family is waiting for them

“Are you ready for a meal now?”

“Come on up to the table, I’m sure you are very hungry, after your adventure and then the shock of finding another family, in this far off place.”
 
Dr Menon says in a joking sort of way.

Simon helps Ben to sit in a chair and moves his crutches out of his way

“We are very grateful for your taking care of us, and I am confused but happy to have found a missing part of my life.”
 
Simon replies.

They all sit down and far from feeling strange there is a comfortable feeling spreading around the people at the table.
 
Ben feels it too and he is thankful that he is not such a burden to just Simon and he knows he is very welcome here as well as Simon.

They all enjoy the delicious food made by Mrs. Menon and her daughters and the conversation is easy, as they talk about the festival, the meeting of their two other friends, as well as, Mark in the days to come.

After the meal the boys are really tired and go happily to bed sure to have a good night’s sleep.
 
To be in a proper bed with clean cool sheets is a luxury they had not expected and they are soon asleep.

Meanwhile, downstairs the Menons are talking about this revelation that they have another member of the family.

“I saw the likeness immediately I set my eyes on Simon.” Dr Menon says.

“I felt something on the journey from the mountain hospital but I was very young when Taj was eighteen.” Taz tells the family.

“Oh the moment I saw Simon I felt something very strange, a connection to the boy.”
 
Sahida shares her feeling with the others.

“What do we do now?”
 
Mrs. Menon asks “We can’t lose him now we have found him.
 
He is part of Taj, and I feel like I have got part of my lovely son back.”

“Lets enjoy his company and Ben’s whilst we have them here and when Mark comes to
Katmandu
, we will invite him to come and meet the family.”
 
Sahida says.

“I will go with Simon to meet Mark as it will be difficult for Ben to travel too far on his crutches.
 
We can come back here and I’m sure Mark will be able to confirm what we are thinking.”
 
“It was a lovely time when Mark came to our mountain with his friends and what I remember of him, he was a pleasant easy going boy who seemed to get on well with Taj, what little time they had together.”

“I’m sure he will be able to enlighten us about Simon’s family at home.
 
If I remember rightly his mother is Sarah’s sister.” Sahida goes on.

 
They too are tired, it’s been a wonderful day for all of them but they are ready for bed, full of euphoria and relaxed ready for sleep.

The following day is the day before the festival and Dr Menon and Taz have to go to the hospital, but they will be home for the four days of the festival and they will be able to get to know Simon better.
 
It has worked out well for the boys and the family.

Simon is worried about his other two friends who are still trekking, but he realizes that the Festival will be ended by the time Luke and Pete get to Katmandu so they should be able to get accommodation in the hostel where they stayed when they arrived.
 
Simon feels he can’t expect the Menons to put them up.
 
He does not want to expect more of their hospitality and he would rather not tell his other friends until he is home and has seen his mother and dad.
 
Simon loves his dad and hopes this revelation does not hurt him. He wonders if David knows the story of Sarah and Taj.
 
He feels sure that his mother will have told him because there has never been any tension within the family only the usual one of the children growing up and stating their own opinions.
 
He remembers David’s patience with Anne and himself and also the respect he gave them and demanded the same for him and their mother.
 
David has been a great dad and what has happened here he does not want to deflect from that.
 
“But.” he thinks. ”What about this other dad that he resembles so much. He was a doctor like his father and now his younger sister and he is about to be studying for a medical degree.
 
He knows that he will have genes from Taj as well as from Sarah, and he feels a gratitude to a father he knew nothing about, until yesterday.

If his mother loved Taj so much and was devastated when he died, David had filled in a vast void for her and she must love him, because of what he is like.

He wants to get to know about his biological father and seeks Sahida out.
 
She is sitting in the garden and he makes his way to the chair next to her.

“Hi Simon.” She says.
 
“How is Ben this morning?”

“He’s resting, trying to build up his strength for the long flight home.” Simon replies.

“I’d like you to tell me a bit about your brother and it seems, my father.”
 
Simon goes on to say.

“Well Taj was twelve years older than me and only about two years older than your mother.
 
Sarah came out here, after doing her teaching degree, and began working for the V.S.O.
 
I’m sure she told you a little about her time here.
 
We were friends Sarah and I.
 
I was just out of university and it was my first teaching job.
 
I loved it and so did Sarah.
 
The villagers with whom she lived among were, and still are, very gentle and friendly and she soon fitted in.
 
The V.S.O. organization found her the small dwelling house within the village, but it was a little cramped and as we lived in Pokhara at the time, my father was a G.P. for the villages around that district, and Taj was a doctor at the hospital, where my father and sister work now.
 
I invited Sarah to stay with us for a weekend and that is how she met my brother.
 
They hit it off at once, and although we didn’t know about their love for one another, when she had a party for her nephew it became obvious to me that they were having a love affair.
 
Taj had come that day to meet Sarah’s relative and they were so very close you would have had to be blind not to see it.
 
Taj was a beautiful man, very like you are, with long eyelashes and a sweet smile for everyone.
 
It was devastating to everyone when the plane crashed on its way in to Pokhara airport.
  
Your mother was there to meet him.
 

The time after Taj’s death became unbelievably sad; the whole family was struck down with grief.
 
Your mother had to be taken home from the funeral when Taj’s ashes were scattered on the river by the Pashupatinath Temple and I didn’t get to see her properly after that.
 
Her mother and father came to take her back to England; they will be Mark’s and your grandparents.
 
I didn’t get to meet them because it was very quickly done. Her parents came one day and were gone the next.
 
I think Mark had sent for them because he came to Sarah after his trek.

Taj was a Hindu like the rest of us but we are not
prejudiced about other religions. He was a very friendly and kind person and I can see some of his qualities in you.
 
The way you look after your friend and the way you have taken this very strange revelation.
 
I can see my brother in your looks and your disposition.”

“But my dad at home is all that you have said about Taj.
 
He is kind and loving and he has never given any indication that I am not his son; it looks like my mother has been lucky to find men like both my dads.”
 
Simon ruminates.

Sahida puts her arms around Simon and gives him a big hug.
 
Simon hugs her back.
 
They smile at each other and just then Ben arrives on his crutches and Simon finds him a seat.

“I’m getting better on my crutches, don’t you think?” Ben sings out.
 
“And I will be so much better by the 20
^th
with the garden to practice in.
 
Then I will be able to go home in a better state, so it will be easier for all the lads, if they do not have to give me so much attention.”

“Come on Ben you know you like all this attention.”
 
Teases Simon as he gives his friend a light punch on the arm.

Ben gives his rare smile and says,”I don’t often get any attention at all at home.”

The other two go quiet and there is an awkward silence until Sahida smiles and says.
 
“Hey, come on Ben let’s have a walk around the garden and leave lazy bones here to sun himself.”

 
Ben has improved no end on how he uses his crutches. He swings his legs to get a longer step and Sahida has a job to keep up with him.

Dr Menon and Taz are now leaving their work and looking forward for the few days of the festival, then the weekend to get to know the stranger who has landed on their doorstep.
 
They can talk of nothing else as they drive on their way home.
 
Kathmandu is filling up with people who have come along to the Festival.

The colours of the monk’s robes and the many tourists in their bright clothes make a picture on the streets, there is vibrancy in the air as the people smile and anticipate the Festival holiday.
 
The temples are festooned with prayer flags and the monkeys run up and down the temple steps.
 
The holy cows slowly plod along the streets and the other traffic gives way to them because they are favoured.
 
The Hindus love their festivals and the streets are full to the brim with humanity at its best, their happy smiling faces and the singing begins to fill the night air with music and laughter.

“We need to get Simon and Ben to see this.
 
I want Simon to feel what it’s like to be at a Hindu Festival and to see his reactions to all this.” Dr Menon tells Taz.

Chapter 31

Simon is left to ruminate on his own by the door to the house and he begins to think about his position here, within the family, and how he will feel when he gets home. He is thankful for the attention that all the Menons are giving Ben and himself, and he feels a connection to all the members.
 
Taz was so kind on their journey from the mountains, Dr Menon is treating him like a grandson, Mrs. Menon keeps looking at him with so much adoration in her eyes that he feels a bit embarrassed, but he likes this kind hearted lady and he realizes that she is his grandmother.

What must it have been like for his father to have worked here as a doctor in Nepal?

He would like to work here also when he graduates as a doctor, to be here in these wonderful mountains and to follow in the footsteps of his unknown father.
 
He begins to think that this is possible and a feeling of contentment surrounds him.
 
He goes into the house to look for his grandmother and finds her in the room where the Hindu god takes pride of place.
 
He sees her sat in front of it in a position of meditation.
 
He feels awed at the stillness of her and the look of pure peace on her face.
 
She stirs and looks at Simon and with a gesture that invites him to join her in her meditation.
 
She explains the method and the stillness and he sits quietly with her and tries to follow her instructions.
 
She tells him of the benefits she gets from it and they sit with crossed legs, and he uses the techniques she has explained to him.
 
A feeling of utter peace overwhelms him as they sit in harmony, he and the grandmother he has just found. They stay there together for another twenty minutes that pass so quickly Simon is surprised when she asked if he is ready to leave the room and go to find Sahida and the rest of the family.