Rude Awakenings - Forest Sangha Publications

^0 T H E L AW 06a small house near the stupa. They indicated some stone slabs for us torecline on outside the front door. In the morning they appeared in thecompany of glasses of hot tea.It was Mr. Chaudry who retrieved my cantankerous sleeping mat.Having proved its unswerving hostility by deflating again in the night,the thing decided to make a break for it during our circumambulationfollowing the morning puja. We returned to the terrace to find it gone.It was a relief to have one less performance to go through every day. ButDhamma rarely lets you off the hook so easily. Mr. Chaudry lined up hisgang of blank-faced workers and made gentle enquiries. After a pause,somebody’s arm came from behind his back with the wretched mat inhis hand. Much smiling and head-waggling ensued, with Nick showingthem the photos of England that we had brought (and handing over aphoto of ourselves to our host). We noted Mr. Chaudry’s name andaddress—it would be good to send him a letter when we returned to England.The mat promised to present further repetitions of the cycle ofendeavour, expectation of comfort, and disappointment. But before ithad the opportunity, we hitched a ride on a truck back to Bettiah in orderto continue our walk south. There we met another officer of the law.Mr. Mishra was the manager of the State Bank of India in Bettiah. Assuch, he arrived in an unhurried manner at the bank an hour or so afterit opened. It was unusual to have two Englishmen in the bank, especiallyone with red hair and a beard and the other shaven-headed and wearinga brown robe. The bearded one, Dr. Scott, wanted to change a traveller’scheque—which was impossible as the branch was not authorized. It hadbeen authorized once, but now it would be necessary to take a bus toMuzzaffapur, or to Patna. Dr. Scott however only had two rupees.Mr. Mishra told one of the clerks to bring tea and listened to us talkabout our pilgrimage, nodding slightly. Yes, it would not be possible toget to Muzzaffapur, let alone Patna, by means of two rupees. Occasionallythrowing queries in Hindi to various clerks—who responded bybustling around with sheets of paper, which he stirred on his desk—he1 2 9