by Carol Holden
both remembering the tragedy of Taj’s death. Sahida is the first to let Sarah go
and says. “I think you should introduce me to your husband.”
“This is David and this is Sahida, Simon’s aunt and Taj’s sister.” Sarah says.
David smiles and takes Sahida’s hand and says. “I think we have a lot to thank
you for. Mark says Simon has made a wonderful doctor and a good husband.”
Sahida smiles graciously and says.
“Simon has made our family whole, my parents and Taz all adore him and he fits in well here at the hospital where he has been a doctor for almost two years. You must be mystified how all this came about, but he stayed with us when he came trekking with his friends including Ben, the one who fell off the mountain, and Taz brought them both to Kathmandu to the hospital there. My father recognized Simon as Taj, he is so like him and he and my mother put two and two together and came to the conclusion you must have gone home pregnant. My parents and Taz were living in Kathmandu and when I came home for the festival in September I was blown away by the way he looks so like Taj. We had a party for his friends and some photographs were taken. Taz took one of Simon and my father and put our phone number on the back. He had it on him, when he was thrown out of the vehicle and found by the roadside in France, where he was picked up by an ambulance and taken to hospital. He had a bad head injury and had lost his memory. The French authorities thought he was part of the family that came off the road on a bad bend and thought all his family was dead. They found the photograph with my father and presumed he was his grandfather so they contacted him and eventually my father brought him here to Kathmandu. He did not recognize any of us, but we were told that his other family was dead. I hope you can bring his memory back for him but he has settled here and although he could not get a medical degree until two years ago my father and sister had him working with them at the hospital and they taught him as well as any lecturer at the university could have done.
Sarah smiles through her tears and hugs Sahida again.
“Let’s go and find our son David, lead the way Sahida and thanks again for all you and your family have done for Simon. I remember how charming all your family was and how they tried to help me at the time of Taj’s death. I meant to let you know about Simon, but I met David, an old friend, and Simon fell in love with a daddy who really loved him and I didn’t want to confuse him when he was little.”
Mark says. “That is true because she asked me to be with her when she told him about his birth father, but I was always away on my civil engineering projects and David was making a wonderful job of being a father to their little girl, who was born a couple of years after Sarah and David were married, and Simon his well-loved son.”
They put the luggage in the boot of Sahida’s four- wheel vehicle and they proceeded towards Simon and Mula’s home.
“Oh I remember this part of Pakhara!” Sarah exclaimed as they passed by the lake. “You used to live near to here Sahida, didn’t you?”
“Yes my father was a G.P. here when you were teaching with me at the school.”
Sahida replies. “I have an apartment along the shore and I thought we could go there to freshen up and have a cup of tea before I take you to meet Simon and Mula. Simon won’t be home from work for another hour and as Mula only learnt his story a little while ago, I thought we would wait until Simon gets home, what do you think?”
Although Sarah and David are anxious to see their son they feel Sahida’s suggestion is a good one, as they don’t want to upset their daughter -in –law and they are feeling grubby after their long journey.
“That will be great.” David says, so they proceed to Sahida’s home and they are impressed by how modern her apartment is.
Sarah looks at the amount of new buildings around the lake and says.
“Where is the hospital where Simon works?”
“Over there, on the other side of the lake nearest to the town.” Sahida points out the large new modern building. “It is part of the University of Kathmandu medical college, as well as, a general hospital. My father and Taz have had a great lot of input into the idea of a teaching hospital, but it was the idea of Taj’s because he cared about the people in the mountain villages and his hopes, that they would get proper medical care, was his dream.”
Mark helps Sahida to make a few sandwiches and brews the tea whilst Sarah and David freshen up in the bathroom.
“Come out on the patio where there is a view of the lake and the fishtail peak.”
Says Mark. “When you are ready.”
Sahida makes her visitors comfortable and feeds them a light meal.
“I would like you to stay with me, I have a spare room with an ensuite and you will be near to Simon’s house. If you would rather find a hotel, but it may be difficult at this time.”
“We would love to stay with you, Sahida; it is very thoughtful of you.” Sarah replies after looking at David for his approval. Mark goes to the car and gets out their luggage and puts it in the room for them.
Chapter 46
Mula looks out of the kitchen window when she sees Simon pacing up and down the garden path, with a look of sadness and confusion on his face. She gulps back a sob as tears run down her lovely face. Simon sees her and he runs in to the house to her.
“What is it darling?” He says as he pulls her to him and tenderly holds her there until her sobs subside.
“You look so unhappy Simon and I hate to see you like this. Are you worried about meeting your mother and father?” Mula asks.
“I keep hearing David in my memory because his accent is different and I wonder if I will recognize my mother and him. Mark told us that he has been a great dad and that my mother only began to live again when she realized she was pregnant with Taj’s child and after I was born she adored me. How could I have forgotten them?” He rages with himself and grips Mula to feel her hugging him as if she will never let him go.
She wipes her eyes and says. “Let’s freshen up and have a cup of tea, before they arrive, it will give us a chance to get our heads around it and see the positive side. You have this family that has missed you and I know that you have not been complete since you lost your memory, sometimes I feel you are sad and confused.”
Simon goes upstairs to the bathroom whilst Mula makes a cup of tea.
“They’re here.” Shouts Mula as she sees Sahida parking her car and then the four of them stroll up the garden path.
Simon runs down the stairs to be with Mula when they arrive at the door.
They all arrive together and as Simon opens the door Sahida goes in first to stand with Simon and Mula, in a protective manner. Mark enfolds Sarah and David with his arms around their shoulders and brings them to Simon and gives them all a group hug including Mula and Sahida and breaks the ice as tears run down Sarah’s face and David feels a great lump in his throat as he sees what a handsome man his son has turned into. Sarah sobs when she sees Simon who now looks so like Taj that she understands how the Menons must have felt when they found him with his friend, when he was eighteen and trekking in Nepal.
Mark has a twinkle in his eyes as he introduces Sarah and David by saying “Simon meet your mum and dad. You don’t know how overjoyed they are to find that you are alive and well and that you have managed to become a doctor.”
Sarah holds on to Simon because her legs have almost gone from under her, as she smells Simon’s familiar skin. David hugs Simon and shakes him by his hand
“We are so proud of you and so grateful to the Menon family for finding you, I don’t know what would have happened to you if the connection with your other family had not been made.”
Simon looks at his mother and David and likes what he sees. He has felt some anger that he had not been told by his English parents about the history of his birth. After Mark had told Mula and himself the full story and Sahida had confirmed it, he had worried and raged in his head and tried to remember but even now, although he felt so
me connection to them, he still does not remember the time before his accident. But he thinks he didn’t remember, and he still doesn’t remember, the Menon family from when he was with them when he was eighteen but they have been a stable and reassuring influence in his life. Without their love and care for him, he would not have achieved the life he has now. But what about his life up to the time of his accident, this other family must have had a great influence on his character. He had a divided life and the only one he remembers is the one he is living now, here in Pokhara with Mula and his daily work. This is the life he wants because he loves his work and the people he treats. The people here in the Himalayas are gentle and hardworking. They need him here and he is determined to stay. He shook the confusing thoughts out of his head and took his mother’s hand and led her along, with the whole party in to the sitting room.
Mula asks “Would you like a drink, I was about to make us a cup of tea when you arrived?”
Sahida says enquiringly, “Shall I help you Mula and leave Simon with his parents for a little while?” “Come on Mark you can help.”
The three of them go into the kitchen and Sarah and David look at Simon in wonder.
“Shall we go to sit on the terrace, it is still warm and the mountains are lovely with sun on them. Do you remember from when you worked here with Sahida?” Simon asked his mother.
“Yes, I do, I still think this is the most beautiful place on earth and David was very impressed when we flew over them as we came on the plane.”
David tells him, “I have been all over the world when I worked as a civil engineer but I have never felt this wonder at the sights. I am so pleased that you have found your vocation here, amongst your birth father’s people. I know you are not my birth son but I want you to know that I have loved you, and still love you, as if you are. We have not come to claim you and bring you home, but those were the first feelings we had when we realized that you were alive. But we can see that you are settled here and evidently love your work. If we can keep in touch and when your family is older, you can come back to us for holidays or perhaps to continue your studies as a specialized doctor.”
Sarah kisses David’s cheek as she holds on to Simon’s hand and says
“Simon you have no idea how happy we are to have found you in such a good situation, a lovely wife, work that you have always wanted to do and living in this ideal area of the world, as well as, finding your other family. I hope you will forgive me for not telling you of your father but David was such a good substitute that I did not want you to feel different about him. You and your sister Anne had a close relationship and she is so happy that we have found you.”
Simon feels a sense of comfort, as he understands that they have no more expectations of him than he wants to give. He will still live here and work here and as she says he and his family may visit them when the baby is older and able to travel on a long haul flight.
There is a rattle of teacups as the other three come out on to the terrace and tea is served. Sarah and Sahida start to reminisce about the time they worked together on the mountain and about the children they taught. Sahida gives Sarah an account of the children Sarah knew and the conversation opens out as Mark tells his stories of the time he and his friends came to visit Sarah and the villager who guided them on their trek. Mula has a relative that was taught at that school about the time Sarah taught there so she feels part of the happy conversation.
The night comes to the terrace suddenly and they go inside where they have to take leave of each other, as Sahida and Simon have to work the following day,
Mula kisses Sarah and David as they make their farewells, they promise to meet up the following evening, when the workers have finished for the day.
Sarah feels jubilant, but deflated, she has found her son but he does not recognize any of them, Mark, David or herself. She needs to get inside his forgotten memory of them, before she can feel happy, before she can let the family at home know the circumstances of his survival. She will try to have some time with him alone soon before she rings Anne and Charlie as well as Joe and Mary.
David feels confused, this looks like his son but Simon has changed from a carefree boy who was full of enthusiasm for sport, fun and laughter into this serious man who is soon to become a father, who is already an accomplished and busy doctor. Simon has no idea who the three of them are and David, for the first time in his life, does not know how to handle the situation. How can he take some of the strain off Sarah’s shoulders? He has always tried to be the one who makes things right, to be the mainstay for his family, and now he feels helpless. He could feel a brief connection when he shook Simon’s hand, then Simon seemed to withdraw and the moment had passed.
Mark was pleased that Sarah and David are staying with Sahida because he knows that she will calm their fears and try to reassure them. He knows that Simon needs some treatment for his amnesia, but he is not in a good place to get it. He feels that Simon is happy here with his life in Pokhara and even with the advent of his new family, he will be unwilling to leave this place.
Chapter 47
Mula was born years after her two brothers, the eighteen -year gap being of great inconvenience to her parents. They run a first class hotel in Kathmandu and her two brothers are part of the work force and are involved in running the business.
Her father is an accountant and he oversees the financial part whilst her mother attends to the reservations, of the mostly, Western visitors. One son runs the bars and the other one runs the kitchen. There is no time for Mula and she feels neglected by her parents and rejected by her brothers who tell to go away as they are busy. Then Mula remembers Ali, her eldest brother, telling her that he did have a soft spot for the lovely baby girl. He loved the feel of her soft cheek and the grip of her tiny hand encircling his thumb as he held her to him. His mother ordered him away, telling him to get back to the kitchen. The nurse will see to the baby.
When Mula starts to walk, she escapes from her nurse and finds her way into the hotel kitchen where she hangs on to Ali’s leg with her little arms. Ali brings her highchair in to the kitchen and lifts Mula into it, giving her some dough to play with. She loves the warmth, the smell and the feel of the soft dough as her small hands try to roll it out. Then she eats a little of it. She cries as the sticky mess is on her face and fingers and Ali has to clean and comfort her. Her father finds them, his face set in a deep frown as he tells Ali to get Mula out of the kitchen. Ali does as he is told. Mula is not allowed to go there again.
Another time when she is about three years old, she finds her way to the large lounge bar area and follows Jamul, her other brother, around. She finds a crate of bottles that she moves about, from crate to floor and back again. She loves the noise, the clunk as the bottle hits the wooden floor and the clank of the bottle as it hits the metal crate. Jamul lifts her gently and takes her back to her nurse. He feels he is betraying his little sister, but his parents insist she be kept out of sight of the hotel guests. Jamul wonders why they have to live like this, lacking in warmth when Mula has lots to give. But she is hidden away.
She becomes sad as her apparent worthless existence begins to eat into her inner thoughts, why am I pushed away by everybody?
Her parents find her a teacher when she is five years old and she finds some resourcefulness from the care Nona pours upon her and she enters a new world of friendship and, even, love. Nona teaches her in the morning and takes her out and about in the late afternoons, showing her the sights of her hometown and taking her to see the temples, and the holy cows that stroll around the place that are given great respect from all the other road users. She learns to skip as she holds Nona’s hand and to laugh at the antics of the monkeys. Her life has improved so intensely that her parents are pleased to see the difference in their little girl.
When Mula is nine years old her mother takes her to see her grandfather who lives way in the hills above Kathmandu. He used to guide trekkers on their walks and he has a good command o
f the English language. Mula finds her grandfather so much more caring than her parents and asks if she can visit him more often. Her mother shrugs her shoulders and says. “Perhaps, when you go to boarding school you may spend your summer holidays here with him.”
“When I go to boarding school; why do I have to go to boarding school when I have Nona to teach me?” Mula cries.
“You will go when you are eleven, Mula. We want you to have a decent education and then you will have a choice of careers,” her mother replies.
Mula withdraws into her head and feels again frustrated and angry, thinking I know Nona cares for me and she is the only one who gives me any time.
Mula dreads her eleventh birthday because she knows Nona will have to leave her when she goes to boarding school.
The school is in Delhi and she feels as though it is a million miles from her home. Nona had given her more than the necessary education and the lessons are easy for her. Nona had also given her a sense of her own worth, as well as, an enthusiasm for reading. She had fed her curiosity with the classics and music. Her parents had encouraged her to play the piano and she found solace in the beautiful sounds of the music she played.
When she arrived at the boarding school, she felt uneasy and when she met the other girls, who were mostly Western, she had strange feelings and she knew that she would not fit in there. The parents of the other girls came to the East to start up high tech businesses or as government civil servants working in the consulates around India.
Mula felt isolated amongst these European girls, as they are more sophisticated than her and they look smarter at weekends when they can wear their own clothes. The school uniforms gives them a semblance of unity, but Mula feels the odd one out, especially on weekends when Mula wears her jeans and tops and the other girls have their designer clothes.
Because she is different she becomes the butt of their jokes and although the banter may be light, she feels bullied and very unhappy. However she is interested in the lessons and does extremely well in her exams because she is not distracted by, what she thinks of, “the other girls’ pathetic self interest in their looks and clothes. Oh my God, I’m getting as spiteful as them.” She grins to herself.