Page 108 - FATE & DESTINY

FATE & DESTINY

As she sobbed in my cuddle, my entire body trembled. Back in the lobby, I paced the waiting room, muttering
prayers.
“It doesn’t take that long,” I said, glancing at the operating theatre door. “Why is it taking so long today?”
Choki sighed, glancing at the door. “I don’t know.”
Doctor John came out after two hours and said, “It’s a hundred percent successful.”
“Oh, thank you, doctor,” I said and stood at the door for the baby.
A nurse brought out the baby in a gurney. He groaned. I wrapped him in a blanket and shuffled to the
ambulance. “I am sorry, dear, for all the pain you must endure.” I pecked him on the flaccid cheeks. “Wish I could
share your pain. Wish you were never born to suffer that way.”
A few days later, the baby cried, pointing at the mango juice bottle on the steel rack. “Papa...papa.”
“No papa, dear,” I said. “No water until your surgeon says so.”
Choki caressed the baby’s cheeks. “Why don’t you ask the doctor?”
“I would.”
When Dr. Jacob came for his evening round, I talked to him about the baby’s food.
“You can feed him a few drops,” he said.
Corner of my mouth rose. “Thank you, doctor.”
Rinchen sipped the drops. When he cried, I spoon-fed him a few more drops.
“It’s enough,” said Choki. “Doctor said a few drops.”
On the third day, Dr. John told us to feed the baby with soft food. “Bring him to me if the problem persists,” he
said.
“Sure, doctor,” I replied. “You are a savior.”
We showed Rinchen to Dr. John each time he had diarrhea, and that happened often.
Months later, Dr. John said, “You can take the baby to India for colostomy closure. He looks healthy now.”
“India?” I asked. “Why not here?”
“We don’t have surgical equipment here.”
“Oh, really? What’s Colostomy?”
“It’s a surgery to close the stoma. Get ready for that.”
“When are you sending us?”
“Soon. Where’d you want to take him, Vellore or Kolkata?”
Choki and I traded glances. Traveling to India was like an extraterrestrial journey for us.
“Ama, what’s your decision?” I asked.
“I don’t know. You can decide.”
I turned to Dr. John. “Um, which is farther, doctor?”
“Vellore. It takes three days by train.”
“And Kolkata?”
“One hour by flight from Paro, two days from Phuentsholing by bus.”
I scratched my head. “You can decide for us, doctor.”
“You can take him to Vellore. There’s a big hospital. Bhutanese patients got there for treatment. You can come
here after three weeks with the discharge summary.”
But we couldn’t wait for the three weeks as the baby had diarrhea.
Dr. John prescribed medicine and said, “Give me the documents. I will forward them to the referral committee.
Come next Friday.”
On Friday afternoon, I went to his chamber. “What is the resolution, doctor?”
“It’s endorsed. Get ready for the journey.”
“I don’t know how we should repay you. Thank you, doctor.”
“Don’t thank me now. We’ve got a long way to go.”
I nodded and exited. Outside, I phoned Choki. “Ama, It’s endorsed.”
“Really?” she said. “I’ll ask Aunt Choden to buy air tickets.”
The next morning, Aunt Choden said, “You must pay half for Rinchen. It’s 27,500 ngultrums, including the
return journey.”
“Fine,” I said. “We’ll return to you when we come there in the evening.”
The next day, I phoned the Liaison Officer at Kolkata. “Mr. Ngawang?”
“Yes. Who is it?”
“I am Dorji Wangdi, calling from Paro. I am bringing my baby to Kolkata tomorrow.”
“I will be busy tomorrow. You should have phoned me yesterday.”
“Oh, I am sorry for that. Can you pick us from the airport?”
He paused for a moment. “What time are you arriving?”

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