Page 144 - FATE & DESTINY

FATE & DESTINY

He waved to me. “Hello, sir, what happened?”
“Rinchen… Rinchen has diarrhea, doctor. He is dehydrated.”
He felt Rinchen’s tummy. “Don’t worry. It’s soft. His paper?” He scribbled on it. “Feed him enough
ORS.”
“Can we bring him back if diarrhea doesn’t subside?”
“Sure. You can phone me. Any time.”
Diarrhea subsided, but Rinchen would eat nothing. We tried to give him the best care but fate had its
plan.
A month later, Dr. John admitted him for dehydration. “Oops! What could be wrong with the baby?
Take him for an X-ray. I will return in the evening.”
In the evening, he looked at the X-ray report and shuffled away to the duty-room. I peeped through the
glass as he conversed with the on-duty nurse.
The nurse walked into our cabin and said, “Dr. John said it’s intestinal obstruction.”
“A what?” I ejaculated.
“He said the baby must be operated on.”
“No way!” I curled up on the floor beside the bed. “I don’t believe this.” My entire body trembled as I
tried to figure out the dreamlike news. “Did she say the baby must be operated on?”
Choki fell to her knees beside me and sniffled. “What’re we supposed to do, Apa?”
I draped my arm around her shoulder. “Please don’t cry. God’s there to take care of everything.”
She sniffled harder.
I held the baby up in my arms and nudged his tiny nose, feeling sorry for his unremitting sufferings. As
he panted harder, tears ran down my cheeks. I walked around the room, caressing his skeletal fingers.
“Wish I could share your pain, but I am so sorry, son.” I pecked on his forehead. Unable to bear the angst,
I put him in his bed, sneaked out into the park, leaned my head against a tree, and sobbed my heart out.
Not in my wildest dreams did I imagine he would have to undergo another surgery!
“What’re you doing here?” said Choki from behind. “Come inside.”
I sat beside the baby through the darkest hours of the long night. “Operation? No, I believe this!”
Dr. John arrived at a quarter past eight in the morning, and he felt the baby’s distended abdomen.
“Bring him to the operating theatre.”
“How is his condition, doctor?” I asked.
“He must be operated on now.”
I carried Rinchen to the ambulance waiting outside, but there was no one in the operating theater.
“Where’s Dr. John?” I said, looking around. “Hello! Anybody inside?”
A nurse shuffled out to the door. “Dr. John is with a hernia patient.”
“Oh, no!” I slapped my forehead. “How long will it take?”
“I have no idea, but it takes time. You can go to the waiting room.”
Our poor baby cried. I rocked him around the waiting room. Time seemed to pass sluggishly. “Dear
me! When will Dr. John come out?”
Two hours later, a nurse in a green gown stood at the door. “Rinchen Zangpo!”
I carried the baby to her. “Bye, Rinchen.”
He cried, stretching out his frail arms. As the nurse carried him into the theatre, I raised my head and
said, “God, save my baby, please. Only you can save him.” Listening to his cries that gradually trailed off, I
leaned against the wall and sobbed. It would be the last time I saw him if he didn’t make it. I again looked
up and muttered.
“Come, Apa,” said Choki, wiping her tears. “Let’s wait in the waiting room.”

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