Bits of life

f-27 Words-750

I said, sounding a bit ceremonious to my own ear. Ashley was blushing in a delicious manner. I took her hand into mine and kissed it.
“Oh, that is wonderful news Jim. Hearty Congratulations on your engagement,” burst forth uncle John. He looked as if something he wanted had come true.

“Let me order Champagne,” he continued. Crystal goblets were brought forth and uncle John filled them. He stood up and made a toast to the newly engaged couple. We drank the wine and once again conversation flew around us was spontaneous with the special attention given to my wedding with Ashley. I was sure my mother must be mentally making a list of wedding guests.
Before we realized, it was already time to leave. We brought down our bags from the rooms and I loaded them in the trunk of the station wagon I borrowed from uncle John. Then we collected Jonathan from the field. Once again we had a beautiful drive returning home. As I drove home with Ashley by my side, I was wondering about how dynamic life was with changes sliding in and sliding out without much ado, like seasons in nature.

Ashley arrived on the next morning at the appointed hour for Jonathan’s physiotherapy. Jonathan started taking real interest in the exercises he was being taught. At the end of the session, Ashley covered him with a thin sheet and let him relax for some time.
We walked out to the backyard and sat on the wrought iron chairs under the willow tree.
“Now, my love you can tell me as to how you came to understand and learn this art of healing therapy.”
Needless to mention that my interest in her field of knowledge led me to probe further into the way she acquired it.
Ashley smiled at my perseverance.

“OK, Jim, I will tell you. As I already told you Deepa our Indian classmate in high school, was responsible, at least indirectly in my learning of this therapy. During summer vacation a few years before, I went to her home on her invitation. We remained in close contact with each other even after we graduated from school. You know my sister and I were orphaned when our parents lost their lives in the ghastly terrorist attack that took place in New York. Deepa’s family was not in town at that time. Deepa’s dad was a colleague of my father. So our families knew one another very closely.
On that particular summer vacation when I my sister went to Deepa’s home, we found that her uncle and aunt were visiting them. They came all the way from India and wanted to vacation in the States.
After dinner that night we sat on stoop and were talking getting acquainted. Deepa’s uncle Mr. Sharma was a practicing physiotherapist. But his learning was based on the ancient methods. They analyzed the human body according to the standards laid down by the Vedas, the holy Indian scriptures. I also wanted to know as to what made him learn oil therapy which was unheard of in modern physiotherapy. This was what he told me.
It was truly a challenging life of an oil therapist. He said,

“I am not sure of the time when I had decided to be an oil therapist. If hereditary features are to be believed, I must have got it from my grandfather. He was an ayurvedic doctor in the main, and secondly, he took interest in preparing the types of oil which have the healing effect on damaged limbs, and a debilitated nervous system. As a six-year-old, I remember my grandfather collecting the prescribed roots by various means. Sometimes he went up the hills that surrounded our coastal town and come home at nightfall with a bundle of herbs. At times I used to see him talking to farmers and forest dwellers and engaging them for fetching plants of herbal value. Once he got the roots and plants of his requirement together, he spread them all on a clean mat and dried them till they were crisp to touch and brittle enough to break into small pieces. Then he used to get them pounded to a powdery consistency and then mix with a few other ingredients of which I had no idea at that point of time. The whole mixture used to be well aligned with the prescribed amount of sesame oil. Then he boiled the thick mixture for a couple of hours for