Singing and dancing

The evening of the 30th was a feast of music and dance. We had a wonderful chorus from Debbie Nordeen and the Meherabad Choir, which included most of the audience! This was followed by a session of Karnatic fusion music which did variations on the Dhuun sung just before the silence today, 'Meher Baba, Meher Baba, Meher Babaa Meher Ba-Baa'. Flute, acoustic veena and acoustic violin, along with the mridangam, several tabla sets and a keyboard made this a truly inspiring item. There was then much dancing from Dharmavaram and another southern town, lamp dancers from Surat. Meherwan and Sam were getting tired and so we left after the dances ended. The dancers were in full classic Bharatnatyam regalia, and the effect was great..like multicoloured birds flitting in and out in synchronised order, gracefully making place for one as the other exited. The dancing master of the second group was a treat in himself - he policed the musicians, directed his dancers with a glance or a small movement of finger or hand, and finally danced himself!!! To loud applause!

For me, the highlight was listening to Alka Thade sing (badly, due to a sore throat) and then hobble off stage. For those who have read my earlier post about jealousy, she is the little girl, my age, who danced for Baba and used to infuriate me to the point where Baba would have me sit by Him and put His hand on my head to let me know He knew I was there! I know this is very petty, but hey, I've aged a lot better than she has!!

Her father especially sought me out one day at Meherazad to let me know that in 1959 there were two children whose births Baba was eagerly awaiting, one was Alka and the other was me. Meherwan commented last night when I was telling him this, that Baba had given me so much. Every day for the first three months He would come to Bindra House to feed me sherbet with His own hands, dipping His finger repeatedly into His glass and then giving it to me to suck. Baba even told them, 'I don't come to see you all, I only come for Mehera.' (I mustn't have had the 'Baby' appended to my name at that time. I did later and it stayed until I was 30, when our darling Mehera dropped her body.) Francis Brabazon was constantly exclaiming, 'Lucky baibee', and, Meherwan says, telling Rano that she should die so she could also be reborn as a 'lucky baibee'. Rano (whose relationship with Francis seems to be similar to mine with Alka) would snap that Francis could die himself, so he could be the 'lucky baibee'.

It is true, Baba has given me so much, more than I ever deserved (in my opinion, anyway) and continues to do so. My being here in Meherabad at Amartithi time is just another in a long string of special gifts from Him. Thank You, Baba.