Choosing lesser devil

When I was growing up child in Bal Mandir, my digestive system very poor. Needless to mention, I was very prone to diarrhea more and then dysentery also occasionally. Summer was the time, that kept me more prone to this sickness, than during the winter season.  Now, I know it was also due to the smell that surrounded us during the hot season and the flies hovering all over on that smelly open running water drains. Then again, seeing me as very cleanliness and hygienic freak today, which of course due to my weak digestive system I got as a child, that could not hold anything. If they did not pay more attention, to keep foods clean while they were cooking it; like they do, in five star hotels or top rated restaurants, it sure is going to make me sick. But the point was; I just did not know all this, while growing up.

One summer day, my diarrhea got really bad; I mean, bad to the extent, I was not eating any more food to keep me going. Sure enough, that was making me more weaker by the hour; to make all this even more worse, I was also avoiding its medicine. Just because, I hated the taste of that powder mix of salt and sugar, where salt dominated the whole taste. My condition have become so bad that I was the topic of worry, to the didis and housemother, that was in charge of my room.  I really can’t remember, in which room I was, so that I could guess, how old I could have been then but a didi, whose name was Shanti didi suggested me to see a Jhakri [witch-doctor] to cure my disease. It is believed that, the ‘Jhakri’ will not only cure my diarrhea but he will also cure my lost appetite, which seemed I have lost it. That was the main reason, which was making me dangerously weak, and I was not even going to school.

So one evening Shanti Didi, convinced housemother [Kedar Shrestha], to whom we used to call ‘old sister’, not because of her age but because of her work experience in Bal Mandir. She asked her permission to take me to the witch-doctor [Jhakri]. Shanti didi called me in front of housemother. As a child, we used to get very intimidated by her presence. To tell you the truth here, there were a separate medicine room in the Bal Mandir, with remained open on all office days and part time including holidays.

When the idea came to me, I kind of froze, even though my physical condition was worse, I denied to go with her. I was reluctant to go with her for two reasons first I was not a superstitious person, second, because to add my hesitation, she sounded unbelievably mean to me, in fact she snapped at me, when she said follow her. I don’t understand even today, why she hated me that much ? But, we know now, as a grown ups; that there are people in our life, we love for no reason and we hate them for no good reason. My personal belief is that, it’s because, our subconscious mind  approve almost everything about that person if we love and disapproves almost everything in that person, if we hate.

So, it was she; who hated to me to the extent,I purely reciprocated her behaviour. Not surprisingly, I refused to go with her to see the Jhakri.

As I mentioned before,I was not much superstitious person. Lets say this in other language, that I used my common sense, instead of blind faith. I used my brain, since I was very young.

Then the point came, I have to choose between two devils, I dreaded to choose. I mean either I have to choose a medicine, that watery syrup, which tasted so bad or I have to go to the witch-doctor which I simply did not believe. I had to make my decision then and there in front of two grown ups. After much thought, I went for that awful tasting medicine over the Jhakri [witch-doctor].  In fact, I went for the thing I did not like; instead of what I did not believe.

Even though, I did not like the taste, it did wonder on me and helped me heal fast from my simple yet serious disease called diarrhea and lost appetite.

Today, whenever I have this same problem, all I take is hot rice with mixed bean and everythings is gone by the next day. I am fully recharged. But I don’t have that kind of weak digestive system today as I used to have then. Besides, my immune system is envy to everyone around me. The other medicine is, one and half spoonful of sugar and pinch of salt with half lemon in a cup full water also works wonder. take it as much as you want and anytime you want.