35053668-Empire-of-the-Soul-Paul-William-Roberts

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EMPIRE OF THE SOUL
asked Brahma if he could now return to his peaceful spot by the
once-more-churning waters of the Ganges.
‘So,’ the dom raja concluded, ‘a man he bathe in this place – it is
same as performing big sacrifice itself. Why else would so many people
come here?’
‘But it’s still Siva’s city,’ I complained.
‘Kashi?’ The old man had been distracted by some nuisance
involving the pyres.
‘Yes. Today is even a very holy day for Siva here.’
‘Is it?’ He looked surprised.
‘That’s what I was told.’
‘Every day sacred for Siva here. He is our god. He is always being
with us here.’
‘What about the story?’
‘Agh!’ He spat an oyster of phlegm over his shoulder. ‘These are
old stories, isn’t it? We are never knowing what is the truth.’
I told him I imagined he’d seen more truth than most men,
running the burning ghats as he did.
‘In Kashi there is only the truth,’ he replied. ‘What use is this
truth if not being true?’
‘Yeah.’ I told him to explain that I was very sorry for being rude
when he next saw Amar. I’d been very tired, that was all.
‘Amar?’
I explained that I meant his son, the one who had brought me to
him the night before.
He laughed without warning, his lungs even joining in, until he
sounded like an entire audience all by himself.
‘That boy, he is not son! Very bad boy, this Amar, too much taking
the ofium, isn’t it? Always he ask for money, is it not so?’
I nodded.
‘Last night I tell him not to be coming my house. Because always
too much of troubles he is bringing, this Amar.’
‘So who is he?’
‘Hmm?’ He looked up, then fixed me with his old stare, his old
and weary stare. ‘He is one boy like there are so many boys in our
city. They are not having the job, yes? They are living like the wild
beast. They eat the tourist people, I think – isn’t it?’