Page 87 - FATE & DESTINY

FATE & DESTINY

11 BETWEEN THE DEVIL AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA

Choki and I were expecting our second baby soon. But there was no medic at the outreach at Kerong. So, I took
Choki and Tsheulthrim to her elder sister, Tshering Zangmo at Nganglam.
I saw Choki with a baby on her lap in an alien place. She was sitting in the middle of knee-high grasses. The baby
burped and giggled as Choki tickled its nose. I shuffled up to them.
“Here comes your father,” Choki said. “Take him, Apa.”
I cradled him in my arms. “You’re adorable, dear.” I walked further down to the edge of a cliff.
“Stop!” shouted Choki.
I sat up and glanced at the wall clock. It was 3:00 am. Except for informal borders’ loud snores in the living
room, nothing stirred. I heaved a deep sigh of relief. “What’s this dream supposed to mean? A bad omen? Oh, dear!
Hope Choki is fine.” I lay back and stared at the ceiling, my mind racing a mile a minute. “I think I should go to
Nganglam. Something is not okay with Choki.”
“Cock-a-doodle-doo!”
After students left for his makeshifts, I slogged to the water tap and washed my face. At dawn, I carried my
backpack and went to see the caretaker. “Mr. Pema, I am going to Nganglam. I will return tomorrow.”
He sat on the porch, chiseling a mask out of wood. “What’s the matter, sir?”
“My wife—”
“Delivered a baby?”
“Not yet, but something is not okay with her. I had a weird dream last night.”
“Should I go with you?”
“I think I can travel by myself.”
“It’s risky to travel alone in the morning, sir.”
“Please don’t worry.”
I said and scurried away to NFE’s quarter. Mr. Somgyel was in the kitchen.
“Mr. Somgyel, please look after the school. Make sure overgrown grasses around the academic building and
office are mown.”
“Is everything ok, sir?” he asked.
“I am visiting my wife.”
“What happened to her?”
“I dreamed about her last night. I don’t think it’s a good omen.”
“She would be fine, sir.”
“Thanks. I’ll try to come back tomorrow.”
“Take your own time. I will manage the school.”
“Thanks.”
I entered the dense forest. Mornings were riskier as travelers crossed paths with elephants and bears. It was
spooky but the chirping of birds solaced me. “Om Ah Huh Baza Guru Pema Siddhi Huh.” After striding down the
mountain for one and a half hours, I arrived at Dezama. “Chabsue chhe!” After one hour, I arrived at Nganglam.
Tshering Zam’s neighbor, Aunt Zam was at the water tap with an empty pail.
“Oop, another bad omen,” I muttered. “How’s Choki doing, Aunty?”
“They took her to BHU last night. She went into labor.”
“Oh, really? Can I keep my bag with you, please?”
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