Children of Heaven

These two brothers work in the restaurant that we patronised while we were at Whitefield. The older brother, Mohan, took orders and served food while the younger one, Kishowe, helped around by clearing plates from the table and selling postcards to tourists. One evening Kishowe was trying to sell our group some postcards for 50 rupees. He was so patient in explaining what the postcards were about - the Miracles of Sai Ba Ba, the sights of Puttaparthi. For a kid his age (11 years approximately) he was a very good sales person - patient and eloquent. He worked so hard just to sell those postcards that I was moved to buy a pack of postards from him.

In the back of my mind, I saw my son who was about his age and twice his build, sitting at his PC, playing with his model cars and his playstation or X-Box with all the material comforts and given so much love and care by his family that I wish that Kishowe and children like him could also enjoy the same luxury of family comfort and love. Sai Ba Ba's teachings and deeds are centred around love and charity. This is my first step in wishing to give love to others - to be aware of the world outside the realm of my reality of daily existence that has gone on in much the same way for years. I think I am standing on the threshold of something that will take me away from the pettiness and grouses around me so that I can concentrate my energy on nurturing my children and give them the best that they deserve in their lives. In this way I will be able to harness positive energy that can be used to affect the lives of those around me and others who might need me to help them in one way or another.

After I bought the postcards from Kishowe, he was like in seventh heaven. He came over and shook my hand with a big smile on his face and that whas when I wished that he was just a kid just jumping about happily in a playground without a care in the world. Unfortunately, the reality was that he had to work for a living even though he was a school kid. In the dim lighting of the restaurant I did not notice that he was rather small for his age compared with kids that I know of. Looking at the pictures that he willingly posed for, I discovered that in every picture his eyes were sad and seem to speak of tiredness and resignation. Yet he faced life without any choice or anguish. Or perhaps I am presumptious that we, with our creature comforts lead a better life than those with so little to show in terms of possessions. What is a better life? I am beginning to get to the answers bit by bit as I write this journal.