by Carol Holden
Taz smiles at him and she sees something familiar about his smile and the length of his eyelashes.
“Have you been here before?” she asks. “Do you like to mountaineer, here in the Himalayas?”
“Yes I love this area but I have not been here before.”
Taz continues to chat to Simon whilst keeping her eye on Ben who is keeping awake and contributing a little to the conversation.
“Are you feeling alright,” asks Taz as she looks at Ben through her mirror.
“Fine, I’m just listening to your conversation and trying to keep awake.” Replies Ben.
“Just let yourself sleep if you wish because it is a long drive to Katmandu and I have given you a relaxing drug so you will probably sleep soon.” Taz tells him.
Simon shifts round to see if Ben is comfortable and gives him a reassuring smile
and a pat on his hip as Ben squirms on his stretcher to find a better position.
As Simon turns round to look forward in his seat, he takes a better look at Taz and finds her to be a beautiful young woman of about thirty years old, who does this amazing job working here in Simon’s favourite place on earth.
“You are so lucky to be doing this great job in this spectacular area of the world.”
Says Simon dreamily. “I am going to University when I get home and I’m going to study medicine. I was brought up in Pokhara where my father was a G.P. and my brother was also a doctor in Katmandu until he was killed in an aircraft accident on his way home for a holiday.”
Simon has a feeling of sorrow as Taz looks at him and smiles her lovely smile.
“Oh so you come from a family of doctors.” “My mother is a teacher and my father is a lecturer so I suppose that I come from a family of teachers.” Simon replies.
“Where do you come from Simon?”
“Lancashire in the North of England.” Simon says.
“My mother teaches in Bolton and my dad lectures at Manchester University and I have a sister who is still at school.”
“It is a long grind to become a doctor but if that is your wish I will not discourage you. It is the best job in the world if that is your vocation.” Taz says.
“Just what does your job entail?” Simon asks.
“It is so versatile. Every day I do something different, I am sometimes working in the hospital in Katmandu, then I do my rounds in three small places like the one I picked you up from, I also run a female clinic for birth control in Katmandu.
The life expectancy of the population of Nepal is quite low towards what we know about the West. The people here have to work in hard conditions because of the mountain territory and the altitude. I know that you think it must be great to live here, and it is for me, who has a middleclass life style, where things are not as hard as those of the mountain people, who work their terraces and have to carry their goods by walking everywhere.” Taz explains simply.
Simon looks thoughtful and then says, “How do the people of the mountain villages live, how do they make a living?”
“Things are better than they used to be, my older sister is a teacher in one of the mountain schools and she would not like to teach anywhere else. A lot of her students have become guides for the many people, like you, who love to come and spend their summers here. Due to the quantity of the trekkers, money has been found from many sponsors for the lodges to be established. There is employment there for many of the villagers. Because of this tourist trade, water has been piped to many of the villages and this has made the lives of the people so much better. Their health has improved and the quality of their lives is better. The number of children has become less because of the birth-control clinics opened in this area. Nurses from the hospital have been trained, to see to the day to day, health of the villagers and birth control clinics are available for women who wish to control their family size.”
“So we from the West have contributed to the increase in the living standards of the people, and the love we have for the mountains is a positive thing, do you not think?” Simon asks with a twinkle in his eye.
“Of course it has. There are many Western people contributed to the help we get at the hospitals, as well as, the villages. You tell me that your relative is at present working here in Nepal. What is the work he is doing?”
“He is building a bridge over a tributary in the east of Katmandu.” Simon replies.
“See that will be a great help for our country, the villagers in that area have a harder life because of the lack of roads and the width of the river.” Taz almost hugs Simon because she feels warmth towards him that she doesn’t understand but she feels that this boy is such a special person as she answers.
Ben screams as the car swerves on the twisting road to avoid a small animal that crosses its path.
“I’m so sorry Ben, are you alright?” Taz asks gently.
“I need to have a drink.” Answers Ben trying not to make a fuss but feeling in agony with his leg and now his head is hurting. He thinks if they stop for a while the activity will take his mind off his tremendous pain.
Taz looks at the time and says that there is a roadside comfort stop about ten minutes down the road. She hopes that Ben can wait until they reach the café.
The people in the car go very quiet and Taz is trying to be a steady driver so that Ben won’t feel any more pain than is necessary.
They arrive at the café that is situated by the roadside, overlooking a wide fast -flowing river.
Taz jumps down from the motor and Simon follows her. They go to the back and help Ben who is doing his best to find his one good foot to stand on. Taz and Simon help him to stand and then Simon takes his weight as he helps him to the toilet and then gets him in a seat on the outside of the café so that he can get a look at the surroundings, as well as, feel the warm air on his face.
They buy bottled water and Simon unscrews the one for Ben who takes it in his good hand and drinks thirstily.
“Oh that feels better.” Ben smiles as he feels relief.
Taz and Simon drink their water with relish as they watch the river rolling on its way.
“When will we be in Katmandu?” Ben asks.
“About three hours” Taz replies. “I reckon we are about halfway there and we should be there before the darkness falls.”
Chapter 27
The light is just about fading when we reach the outskirts of the city. The sunset is casting an orange mist into the bowl in which Katmandu is situated. The people are surrounded in this spectrum of brilliant coloured fog. The ones on bikes seem to be followed by this yellow slip- stream. The atmosphere is vibrant, with the people in their colourful clothes, the animals, the sacred cows slowly chewing their cud, and the monkeys jumping up and down on the temple steps.
Taz makes her way to the hospital where she takes them to the Emergency Department. Ben is taken on another stretcher belonging to the hospital and Taz takes me to the Inpatient desk to give information on Ben’s accident. I fill in a form as best I can and then I go to Ben to reassure him that I am about and that I shall wait for him.
Taz comes along from within the Emergency Department and takes me to a room to wait for Ben to be examined and have his bones set.
“I’m afraid he won’t be able to leave hospital tonight Simon.” Taz says, “because he will need an anesthetic but you should be able to take him away tomorrow.”
“Don’t worry we’ll see that he has a good night’s sleep and you can stay in the visitor’s room for the night.”
“May I see him when he comes out of the operating theatre? He needs to know that I’m about.”
“Of course. I’ll ask my father to come and have a word with you when he has seen to Ben.” Taz replies.
“Oh your father is the consultant here, that must be great for you both to work so closely together.”
“It is because this being a remote area we doctors have to be versatile and my father has studied many aspects of medicine. He was a G.P. for many years.”
“I think that I would like to be a G.P. when I have finished my training.” Simon tells Taz.
“Good.” She replies. I’ll bet you will make a very good one, I have seen how you have taken care of Ben and I’m sure you will take that caring attitude into your chosen profession.” Taz replies.
Taz takes Simon to the staff canteen and although he is not really hungry she persuades him to have a sandwich and a hot drink.
“Tell me about your life in England.” Taz says. ”I have only been to London once, when I was a young girl, and I loved the city. The many parks and all the theatres, the embankment of the river and the bridges, especially Tower Bridge.”
“I love London too, but I come from the north, where the scenery is different. We have hills, quite high ones in the Lake District and bigger ones in Scotland. That is the reason why I find Nepal so magnificent. I have been a climber, as well as my parents, since I was about four years old, when my father used to carry me on his back, up the slopes of the Lake District. Then when I was at secondary school my friends and I used to go climbing each weekend, sometimes with the school but as we became older, we were able to take a tent and camp there in the summer. Before we could drive, our parents used to take turns to take us to the Yorkshire Dales or the Lake District on a Friday, and bring us back on a Sunday. Ben is like a brother to me as are the other two friends we had to leave up on the mountain. We are to meet in Katmandu before the twentieth so that we will be able to catch our plane home.”
“Well it is only the 12th today so you have plenty of time to get Ben fit and used to crutches.” Taz says.
“Eight days for him to rest up and get his strength back. Luke and Pete will be here on the 18th and Mark will try to see us before we leave. That gives us six days when we will have to find accommodation. Do you have any addresses where we can arrange for us to stay, a youth hostel or something?”
Taz thinks hard and then tells Ben that there is a summer festival starting on the 14th and accommodation will be scarce but she will think of something.
“Get some sleep now Simon.” She tells him as she brings a pillow and blankets so that he can make a bed on two chairs.
“We will let you know when Ben has come round from his anesthetic.” Taz says as she leaves him to sleep.
Taz goes to the operating theatre to see how Ben is doing and asks her father if he needs any help.
“No thanks, I am all finished here, he will sleep well and be refreshed in he morning.” Dr Menon tells her. “We’ll get him on to the ward and leave him.”
“Will you have a word with Simon, his friend. He is in the day- room, I said he could stay there until you have a word with him, and that he can stay there until the morning.” Taz says.
“Sure, I’ll go now whilst you arrange Ben’s bed on the ward, then meet me and we will go home together.” Dr Menon replies.
In the day room Simon is not asleep. He is worrying about Ben and hoping that they will be able to find accommodation in Katmandu until the 20th September when their other friends will arrive there.
Dr Menon appears in the doorway and looks aghast as he looks at Simon.
“Oh!” He cries out. “Who are you?”
“My name is Simon and I am waiting for my friend, Ben, who is here in the hospital. I am waiting for the doctor who has been attending to him to tell me how he is.”
Dr Menon, who felt a great shock as he looked at Simon, now tries to quiet his heart that is racing rapidly, as he sits opposite to Simon.
“Ben is going to be fine.” The doctor tells him. “And you may stay here until the morning when he will be, hopefully, ready to leave the hospital.”
“Oh thanks so much for all you have done for Ben, and thanks for letting me stay here to sleep until morning. I can’t thank you enough for yours and Taz’s kindness to both Ben and myself.” Simon replies full of gratitude for the help he has received to get Ben on the road to recovery. The doctor leaves him with a thoughtful look on his face and a worry in his eyes.
“I can’t believe what I have just seen when I look at the boy Simon. He is just the image of Taj when he was eighteen. How can this be?” He says to Taz in the car on the way home.
“You know dad I thought I saw something in Simon, when we were in the car on our way here, but it is almost nineteen years since Taj was lost to us and I was only a teenager myself. I don’t really remember Taj at eighteen.” Taz replies with a thoughtful look on her face.
Dr Menon has a restless night and his wife wakes feeling that she has not had a good night’s sleep herself.
“Darling, are you worried about something.” She asks her husband.
“No, I’m fine.” He answers.
When he showers and dresses he is thinking about his son, he remembers the way he looked when he left to go to university, and the resemblance of the boy he saw last night at the hospital. He wonders how that can be, then he has a faint recollection of the English girl, who was a friend of Sahida and taught with her in Pokhara, and the closeness of her to Taj. Is it possible he thinks, but he doesn’t want to get his hopes up? He wants his wife to be kept in the dark until he has spoken to Taz and to the boy, who sleeping at the hospital.
Chapter 28
He reassures his wife that he is fine as Taz and he get into the car to drive off to work.
Taz seems preoccupied as they make their way from the outskirts of Katmandu to the hospital.
“Is anything the matter?" Her dad asks her.
“Well I have promised to see if there is anywhere Ben and Simon can stay until the festival is over. They need accommodation until the 20th when they will be going home with their other friends. I have tried all the hostels around but they are all full because of the Festival of Krishna. I wondered if we could put them up for a few days. Do you think mother would mind?”
“I don’t think so. And if my theory is right, she will be thrilled to have her grandson staying with us. I have remembered the English girl that Taj was in love with and who was quickly taken home by her parents after the funeral. She was so devastated by the loss of Taj. Do you think it is possible?” Dr Menon asks hopefully.
“Oh goodness, is that what you have been thinking since last night dad?”
Taz asks.
“Yes, but we will have to careful with the boy. It is obvious that he knows nothing about us; his mother must not have told him about his father. We will play it by ear. I hope that I am right but that your mother does not get upset. Sahida will be home for the festival and she may be able to tell us more about the relationship of the two of them. She was very close to Taj, and also she was a close friend of the teacher from England, she worked with at her mountain school.”
Taz says to her father.” It may be just a coincidence that you think Simon is so like Taj, so don’t get you hopes up so high.”
“I will talk to him when I get in to work and see if I can get the answers I’m looking for. I’ll ask him where he comes from. What is his mother’s name? What is his family background? I won’t frighten him and he and his friend, will be able to stay with us for a few days, whoever they are. You know your mother loves to have young people around.”
Simon wakes up to see the sun shining through the window, whilst Ben wakes up to a bad head and a feeling of sickness and nausea.
Simon remembers where he is. He hasn’t felt this comfortable for ages, and then he is out of his chair and on his way to find Ben.
Ben looks a sad sight and Simon is worried about him.
“I’ve no need to ask how you feel because I can see you feel rotten. I’ll get the nurse.” He says as he rushes out of the ward to find Dr Menon coming up the corridor.
“Please see Ben, he looks really sick this morning and I’m worried about his concussion.” Simon cries, as he feels dreadful for Ben.
“I’ll be with Ben in a minute.” Dr Menon says as he goes to his locker to get out his whites and his stethoscope. A nurse is already in the ward and she has sat
Ben up and made him comfortable with pillows.
Dr Menon tests his pulse and looks at his various bandages including those around his head.
“You’ll live.” He smiles as he loosens the head bandage to make it fit and to ease any pain.
“Is that better?”
“Yes, I feel so much better than when I first awoke. When can I get out of here?”
“Wait a bit. You need to have your medication and then a breakfast before we can think about that.” The doctor says. “I need to speak to Simon to arrange accommodation for the two of you. You will not be fit to stay in some rough hostel.”
Taz takes Simon to the canteen again and offers him some breakfast. He is glad to have breakfast because he is now famished and his mind is more at rest, as Ben seems so much better.
“I have not been able to find accommodation in a decent hostel, and father feels that Ben needs to rest, so you both will be very welcome to stay with us, over the festival period and until it is time for you to return home.” Taz tells Simon.
“But we can’t put your family out like that and I’m sure that the Festival will be a family time.” Simon answers with a shy smile.
“It will be fine; look dad is here, so we will ask him if he thinks mother will object.”
Dr Menon sits at the table with his coffee and smiles as Simon eats hungrily.
“I’ve just asked Simon if they both will stay with us until they have to return home on the 20th. Do you and mother object to that?”
“Of course not, Ben needs some time to convalesce, and I am sure your mother will be glad of the company of these two smart boys.”
Simon thanks them both profusely, for he cannot believe his luck, at the offer of their home as a refuge for the two of them. He wants to go to tell Ben of their good fortune. He finishes his breakfast and tells them he must go to Ben to tell him of their arrangements. Ben is sat up in bed eating his breakfast when Simon appears, at a run, with his good news. He tells Ben he can’t believe in their good luck and Ben is just too relieved to know, he will be in good hands and have the time to get himself more fit, for his long journey home. The two of them use the time to get Ben up and using his crutches, they wander around the grounds of the hospital until Ben is tired, they then sit in the sun and rest until lunchtime.