For each goodbye, there is a new meeting

It rained the whole night yesterday. Heavily. I’m about to write about a goodbye I said this morning and just when I thought I have dealt with it, I get an sms from this person. Uh, nice, should I say? And now, I’m biting my lips, chewing my nails and hitting myself on my head. But ok is all I can say. What is gone is gone. I can only embrace what comes.

I knew this person for just two days and for strange reasons I don’t want to know, I felt like I knew this person for a long time. For a lifetime will be a little exaggeration. I felt warm being in his company. It is like, for once, after a long time, I could converse with a wise man.

Like I was saying, it rained heavily the whole night yesterday and it continued till this evening. I don’t know if it was the weather, or this goodbye that was waiting. I felt so unhappy. I felt heavy. When some enumerators asked me to declare today a holiday, I really was tempted to. But of course, responsibility is responsibility! How I hate having to be like this sometimes. This man says, ‘I feel like a real parting…’ I must understand what he means and I can only nod. But goodbye was said. I walked to this village Lengthang where I was supposed to do my survey today, alone in my thoughts. I walked this two hours journey completely in my own thoughts. I even tried the walking meditation. It helped, but oftentimes I found myself getting carried away.

But

Yes, there always is a new meeting. There always are some beautiful surprises waiting for you.

This respondent today, has two beautiful daughters and an elder sister, who I thought in a way shared my character. Not only did my work get done, I had fun. The two girls called me Ani (aunt) and begged me to stay with them tonight. They danced, took funny pictures and we narrated stories. They said, they seemed to have seen me somewhere. They meant, I looked familiar. Maybe I did. And their mother’s sister said, maybe I was their aunt in our previous life. I seemed to agree.

After having a good lunch and brought with my friend and me a kilogram of plums, we headed back to our camp. I was completely drained but I kept thinking of this meeting, this extraordinary humble, but exciting people. Yes, when you are down, you aren’t there forever. There is always something incredible waiting for you. You only need to open your eyes and be ready to be part of it.

 Pema Wangmo. She is the chechey of the family. She studies in clas PP.She dances, shrieks and talks a lot.  She is proud that she pasted the calendar you see on the door. 









Tashi Wangmo, elder sister. She studies in class 4. I was surprised at how cultured, disciplined and matured she is. She talks so politely with respect. I was like, 'what big difference. You bet, a child her age in town won't even know how to greet a guest at his/her house.'
When she came home from school, she asked me, 'Di Aunty sho kay kay?'; 'Se semo katsat yod la?'; 'Diring ode zim zhu de.' God, I was really impressed, a young girl her age knows so much to talk to a stranger.