SHE WAS THE ONE WHO NEVER ANNOYED BABA

 
Living with Mehera on the hill, Irene grew closer to her and gradually came to appreciate her special position: "In France, I didn't realize that Mehera was the chosen one. Even on the Blue Bus Tours, I didn't know her role. At Meherabad, I used to help her keep Baba's clothes clean. She let me help in Baba's work, in washing his silk and woolen coats, occasionally his sadra [Walu usually did the sadras], things like that.

"She talked to me about Baba, when she was a young girl, of her family, et cetera. I was always sewing something, and when I wanted to tidy up quickly, I used to put the sewing things behind a cushion. Once, Mehera sat on my needle. I felt so bad when it poked her. She screamed. But she wasn't upset. After that, I never hid the sewing things and broke that habit.

"Mehera and I had many things in common, a lot of mutual interests, so I always felt a very strong personal connection with her. I don't think she could have said anything to me which I would have felt offended or hurt by, which from others you might. Mehera never did anything with a bad intention. She was well brought up, and I appreciated it very much. She was very refined. And I also liked her nature.

"In the ashram, I felt more closeness to the Easterners than to the Westerners. But I had a special fondness for Mehera. She was the one who never annoyed Baba. Her motives, whenever Baba asked her opinion about something, were never selfish. She didn't play the Queen of the Ashram, which she was. She had great dignity, even when she was young.

"Mehera was very sweet to Baba. It was really a perfect love. Mehera might comb Baba's hair in her room while we were with Baba in the afternoon — he sitting on her bed, cross-legged, or anyhow. She sometimes pressed his feet. There was no 'grabbing'. It was just flowing. She did all Baba's things, but never overdoing it in a showy way."