Page 95 - FATE & DESTINY

FATE & DESTINY

She could barely get out a few words. “Oh, really?”
“Yeah, get ready. I’ll get a taxi.”
“But fare?”
“Don’t worry. Ata Phuntsho returned our money.”
“Will that suffice?”
“We got five thousand,” I said. “We’ll borrow from Aunt Choden.”
“Okay, hurry.”
“I will go with you,” said Taupo.
“Please come,” I said, hurrying out.
Halfway, Taupo said, “I’ll get the taxi. You pack your things.”
“That’d be better. Thank you.”
Fifteen minutes later, Taupo returned. “That’s eight thousand ngultrums,” he said.
“Eight thousand? No cheaper than that?”
“It’s the cheapest taxi. Others charge ten thousand and above.”
“How much are we short of?” asked Choki.
“Three thousand.”
“Don’t worry. We’ll ask Cousin Chedra to arrange it.”
“Let’s go.” I turned to Taupo. “Help my wife, please.”
A young medic said, “Hurry, the ambulance is waiting for us at Lingmethang.”
“Are you going to escort us till Thimphu?” I said, shuffling along the veranda.
“I will escort you till Lingmethang. The ambulance medic will escort your baby.”
As the cabbie switched the ignition on, I said, “Thank you, Taupo and Naku. We will never forget your kind
deeds.”
“Our pleasure,” said Taupo. “Safe journey. See you next time.”
At Lingmethang, a young medic got out of the ambulance and walked towards us. “So, this is the baby?” he
asked.
Our medic nodded. “The baby needs intensive care.”
The ambulance medic felt the baby’s belly and said, “I’ll travel with the baby.”
The ambulance led us. Choki leaned on my shoulder and said, “How far is Bumthang?”
“It’s far. We would arrive there around midnight.”
“Oops, it’s horrendous,” she said and went to sleep.
Swallows swarmed in the rays of the twilight, and soon the darkness crept in. The baby went to sleep, but the
journey took ages in the dark and unfamiliar wilderness. The baby groaned whenever the taxi stopped. The medic
did his fine job. We arrived at the Chamkhar town at 10:00 pm.
I nudged at Choki’s shoulder. “Get up, Ama.”
“Where are we?” she asked, peeping through the glass.
“Chamkhar town,” I replied. “Bumthang.”
“And where is the hospital?”
“Up there,” said the medic, pointing into the darkness. “Let’s have dinner first.”
The ambulance stopped beside a restaurant, and people flowed into it. The medic conversed with the hotelier
and scurried back to us. “What can I get for you?” he asked.
“What do you want to have, Choki?”
“I am not hungry,” she said.
“Two bowls of noodles, please?”
“Anything else?” said the medic.
“No, thanks,” I said, rocking the baby in my arms.
The escort returned with the noodles.
“Noodles, Ama,” I said.
She nibbled. “How’s the baby?”
“Not so good,” I said.
The medic wouldn’t come after even fifteen minutes. My mind raced as the baby groaned harder. “Oops, why is
Medic not coming?”
The medic came, but the cabbie didn’t.
“Where’s the cabbie?” I said, peeping through the glass. “Go call the cabbie, please.”
The medic returned with the cabbie. It took about fifteen minutes to arrive at Wangdicholing Hospital. I groped
after the medic with the baby in my arms through the dim entrance, and up the wooden stairs.
“Watch your steps, please,” said the medic.

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