Rude Awakenings - Forest Sangha Publications

^0 L E T T I N G G O 06cool—I started chanting softly. Then Nick ambled along with a smile butwithout his pack or assailants. “I’ve hidden the money; Bhante, are youall right?”His return signalled further frenzy. As his assailants returned, the mencharged at him with their sticks and began swinging blows; Nick caughtmost of them on his arms: “All right, all right! I’ll show you where.” Andthe mob had streamed off into the forest by the time that I got to myfeet, leaving me with one lad, who sullenly resisted my attempts to strikeup a conversation. But he was mellow compared to the older men whenthey returned—without Nick or the bags. They jumped on me andpulled off the bag that I had around my neck containing the relics andBuddha image; they ripped off the waistband that was threaded throughmy pouch; they clawed under my sabong and dragged the passport outof another pouch that was hanging around my waist.Then they were off with the loot tied up in bundles on their heads.The leader turned round and said “Your bags are over there,” pointinginto the forest. “Fine, OK.” I said, in a vaguely warm way. The forestwent back to silence as usual ... a sunny day, with the forested slopes oneither side.I took off my shoulder sash and made a belt out of it for my sabong.Then I wandered into the scrub from which they had just emerged.“Nick?” Which direction? I just went deeper: “Nick?” and louder: “Niick!Ni-ick!” Maybe they’d killed him! Or at least left him unconscioussomewhere in a pool of blood. “NI-CK!! NI-ICK!!” As I probed deeper,the land sloped upward and came to a crest from where I could look overthe edge of a ravine to a scrub-filled valley. I scanned back and forth forsome sign. Nothing.N I C KAfter the robbers had started to pull at Ajahn Sucitto’s belongings, threeof them turned on me. They came down the track toward me, each with2 3 9