Page 43 - FATE & DESTINY

FATE & DESTINY

I couldn’t believe he said that to me, so I scoffed. “How could you?”
He rolled up the blanket over his head. I curled up beside him.
The host woke us for breakfast, but Purna couldn’t take it. He often twitched his face and pressed his
stomach.
“What’s the matter, Purna?” I said.
“I am sick,” he said. “My stomach aches and rumbles.”
“Maybe diarrhea?” said Baggio.
“I don’t know, but I’ll manage,” he said.
We hit the road after thanking the host, but the truck ground to a halt after a few miles.
“Boys, push it,” said the driver. “We must take it to the workshop.”
“Oh, no!” said Purna.
The workshop was down the road. We pushed it and ran after it, but our truck couldn’t be mended.
Frustrated, I strolled away to the riverside, leaving Purna and Baggio back. In the afternoon, I returned to
the workshop.
“Boys, it might take longer,” said the driver. “Why don’t you stroll around?”
Purna cringed his face and said, “I can’t go anywhere.”
“You can rest there, under the tree,” said Jigme.
“We will stay with him,” I said.
Purna showed no improvement. He shivered more.
“Sorry, they couldn’t mend the truck today,” said the driver. “Hope they would mend it tomorrow,
before noon.”
We shook his heads in dismay.
“Boys, back to the Ranger’s place now,” said the driver. “We’ll come tomorrow.”
The next day, they mended our truck in the evening. Soon the dusk crawled in and we drove through
the creepy dense woods. The truck rumbled up and down the mountains and made many abrupt turns.
“God, take us home,” I said. “We take refuge in you.”
Hours later, the truck stopped. I rolled up the canvas cover and looked around.
“Boys,” said the driver, “you are home.”
“Oh, really?” I said, glancing around at the dazzling lights. “That’s the time.”
The driver looked at his watch. “2:00 am.”
“Goodness me.” I sprawled and yawned. “Get up, Purna.” I nudged him but didn’t wake. “Captain,
Purna!”
“What?” He shook him, but Purna didn’t move. “Driver, straight to the hospital, hurry!”

43