THE GOD-MAN The Life, Journeys and Work of Meher Baba with an ...

88 THE GOD-MANradiator was filled with water. It ran smoothly for a few minutes, then the water began to oozeagain.He was utterly broken, and in this moment of despair the recollection of 'something' he had uptill now failed to realize came to him. He rushed to the room where Baba was sitting. He metKaikhushru Afsari (of Baba 's mandali), and cried to him, 'Brother, I realize now why and how itall happened. It is all so clear. I broke my promise to your Master, and this is the result of myignorance and folly! How can I ask for his mercy and pardon now? I feel so miserable andashamed to show my face to him. Won't you plead for me, please? Afsari understood; and as herealized his mistake and had suffered so much the driver was taken to Baba, who not only forgavehim, but advised him: 'Never disregard the word of a buzoorg. And never break a promise, and betrue to your word, to whomsoever given.' He was instructed to return to Bam in the same bus,driving slowly and carefully, and to bring another immediately. It seemed impossible to drivewith its leaking radiator over such rough and rugged roads across the desert; but Baba told himnot to worry, that he would see that he reached Bam safely, provided he followed his instructionsand drove slowly. It looked hopeless, but he agreed to venture on the four hours' journey back,now that he knew who Baba was. He reached Bam without mishap and sent another bus withanother driver, not venturing to come back himself.All this meant a delay of three days in an isolated desert place, though Baba kept himself andthe others busy one way or the other. What they thought was this: that the driver had suffered,and in suffering had learned a lesson and an unforgettable experience; but how much Baba hadsuffered to teach such a lesson, he alone knew!Immediately on the arrival of the new bus the party started again. There were eighteen, ofwhom two were ill and had to lie down, and they had over a hundred packages of luggage of allsizes. They had great difficulty in keeping intact the khujas (earthenware pots) which had beenfilled with water to use in the desert, where no water could be had for days. It was not long beforetrouble began once more. They were held up at several places, the wheels of the bus sticking inthe sand. They were tired, and there was hardly sufficient sitting-space; they had to remain in thesame uncomfortable position for hours without changing until compelled by sheer helplessness todo so.The driver expected to finish the journey in six days at the earliest under the heavy load he hadto carry. He got tired and nervous. After a few hours on the first day he said he could not drivecomplaining