CHICKENS AND MESSAGES

 
After Satara I came with Baba to live at Meherazad with Mehera, Mani and Meheru. Rano and Kitty also came at times. In those days Baba used to sleep in a small room in a field nearby. He did not give me any medical job — He had a poultry farm made with different varieties of hens and ducks, and told me 'Now you have to take care of these!' And I was so frightened — I had never held a hen in my life and was afraid they would peck me. But I did it because Baba told me. I had to see to their feed, that the pen was kept clean, and that they would lay eggs; but Baba never let us eat that poultry.

In those days Baba saw to "every" detail — anything that came to Meherazad, any bazaar for whatever we needed, and the food we had. So when the chicken feed was finished I had to go and tell Baba. I went over to the mandali side. Baba was sitting in Kaka's room on the bed, and He was talking to Moorti from Calcutta about the sixth and seventh planes. I just entered the doorway, and without thinking, or listening to what Baba was telling Moorti, I immediately said 'Baba, the chicken feed is finished.'

And Baba looked up at me so surprised, so seriously at first, then started laughing, and said 'Here I was talking to this man about the sixth and the seventh plane and was so engrossed in it, and suddenly you come and tell me about the chicken feed!' And Baba laughed so much. Even to this day Moorti remembers this and often reminds me. For years afterwards Baba would also often remind me.

There were no men on the women's side of the ashram. I was a sort of messenger, a go-between for the men and women mandali. All day long the bell would be ringing. Kaka would go to the gate and ring the bell — I had to come and take away bags of vegetables; or I had to convey any message that was to be given to Baba if He was on the women's side.

If Baba was on the men's side and had to call me, the bell would ring, then I would have to convey the message to Mehera if He wanted a glass of water or something, and then I would bring it to Him from Mehera. So all day long that was my job, plus looking after the chickens.