Splintered Lives (19 page)

“I love London too, but I come from the north, where the scenery is different.
 
We have hills, quite high ones in the Lake District and bigger ones in Scotland.
 
That is the reason why I find Nepal so magnificent.
 
I have been a climber, as well as my parents, since I was about four years old, when my father used to carry me on his back, up the slopes of the Lake District.
 
Then when I was at secondary school my friends and I used to go climbing each weekend, sometimes with the school but as we became older, we were able to take a tent and camp there in the summer.
  
Before we could drive, our parents used to take turns to take us to the Yorkshire Dales or the Lake District on a Friday, and bring us back on a Sunday.
 
Ben is like a brother to me as are the other two friends we had to leave up on the mountain.
  
We are to meet in Katmandu before the twentieth so that we will be able to catch our plane home.”

“Well it is only the 12
^th
today so you have plenty of time to get Ben fit and used to crutches.” Taz says.

“Eight days for him to rest up and get his strength back.
 
Luke and Pete will be here on the 18
^th
and Mark will try to see us before we leave.
 
That gives us six days when we will have to find accommodation.
 
Do you have any addresses where we can arrange for us to stay, a youth hostel or something?”

Taz thinks hard and then tells Ben that there is a summer festival starting on the 14
^th
and accommodation will be scarce but she will think of something.

“Get some sleep now Simon.” She tells him as she brings a pillow and blankets so that he can make a bed on two chairs.

“We will let you know when Ben has come round from his anesthetic.” Taz says as she leaves him to sleep.

Taz goes to the operating theatre to see how Ben is doing and asks her father if he needs any help.

“No thanks, I am all finished here, he will sleep well and be refreshed in he morning.” Dr Menon tells her.
 
“We’ll get him on to the ward and leave him.”

“Will you have a word with Simon, his friend.
 
He is in the day- room, I said he could stay there until you have a word with him, and that he can stay there until the morning.” Taz says.

“Sure, I’ll go now whilst you arrange Ben’s bed on the ward, then meet me and we will go home together.”
 
Dr Menon replies.

In the day room Simon is not asleep. He is worrying about Ben and hoping that they will be able to find accommodation in Katmandu until the 20
^th
September when their other friends will arrive there.

Dr Menon appears in the doorway and looks aghast as he looks at Simon.

“Oh!” He cries out. “Who are you?”

“My name is Simon and I am waiting for my friend, Ben, who is here in the hospital.
 
I am waiting for the doctor who has been attending to him to tell me how he is.”

Dr Menon, who felt a great shock as he looked at Simon, now tries to quiet his heart that is racing rapidly, as he sits opposite to Simon.
 

“Ben is going to be fine.”
 
The doctor tells him.
 
“And you may stay here until the morning when he will be, hopefully, ready to leave the hospital.”

“Oh thanks so much for all you have done for Ben, and thanks for letting me stay here to sleep until morning. I can’t thank you enough for yours and Taz’s kindness to both Ben and myself.” Simon replies full of gratitude for the help he has received to get Ben on the road to recovery.
 
The doctor leaves him with a thoughtful look on his face and a worry in his eyes.

“I can’t believe what I have just seen when I look at the boy Simon.
 
He is just the image of Taj when he was eighteen.
 
How can this be?” He says to Taz in the car on the way home.

“You know dad I thought I saw something in Simon, when we were in the car on our way here, but it is almost nineteen years since Taj was lost to us and I was only a teenager myself.
 
I don’t really remember Taj at eighteen.” Taz replies with a thoughtful look on her face.

Dr Menon has a restless night and his wife wakes feeling that she has not had a good night’s sleep herself.

“Darling, are you worried about something.” She asks her husband.

“No, I’m fine.” He answers.

When he showers and dresses he is thinking about his son, he remembers the way he looked when he left to go to university, and the resemblance of the boy he saw last night at the hospital.
 
He wonders how that can be, then he has a faint recollection of the English girl, who was a friend of Sahida and taught with her in Pokhara, and the closeness of her to Taj.
 
Is it possible he thinks, but he doesn’t want to get his hopes up?
 
He wants his wife to be kept in the dark until he has spoken to Taz and to the boy, who sleeping at the hospital.

Chapter 28

He reassures his wife that he is fine as Taz and he get into the car to drive off to work.

Taz seems preoccupied as they make their way from the outskirts of Katmandu to the hospital.

“Is anything the matter?"
 
Her dad asks her.

“Well I have promised to see if there is anywhere Ben and Simon can stay until the festival is over.
 
They need accommodation until the 20
^th
when they will be going home with their other friends.
 
I have tried all the hostels around but they are all full because of the Festival of Krishna.
 
I wondered if we could put them up for a few days. Do you think mother would mind?”

“I don’t think so. And if my theory is right, she will be thrilled to have her grandson staying with us.
 
I have remembered the English girl that Taj was in love with and who was quickly taken home by her parents after the funeral. She was so devastated by the loss of Taj.
 
Do you think it is possible?” Dr Menon asks hopefully.

“Oh goodness, is that what you have been thinking since last night dad?”

Taz asks.
 

“Yes, but we will have to careful with the boy.
 
It is obvious that he knows nothing about us; his mother must not have told him about his father.
 
We will play it by ear.
 
I hope that I am right but that your mother does not get upset.
 
Sahida will be home for the festival and she may be able to tell us more about the relationship of the two of them. She was very close to Taj, and also she was a close friend of the teacher from England, she worked with at her mountain school.”

Taz says to her father.” It may be just a coincidence that you think Simon is so like Taj, so don’t get you hopes up so high.”

“I will talk to him when I get in to work and see if I can get the answers I’m looking for.
 
I’ll ask him where he comes from. What is his mother’s name? What is his family background?
  
I won’t frighten him and he and his friend, will be able to stay with us for a few days, whoever they are.
 
You know your mother loves to have young people around.”

Simon wakes up to see the sun shining through the window, whilst Ben wakes up to a bad head and a feeling of sickness and nausea.
 

Simon remembers where he is.
 
He hasn’t felt this comfortable for ages, and then he is out of his chair and on his way to find Ben.

Ben looks a sad sight and Simon is worried about him.

“I’ve no need to ask how you feel because I can see you feel rotten.
 
I’ll get the nurse.”
 
He says as he rushes out of the ward to find Dr Menon coming up the corridor.

“Please see Ben, he looks really sick this morning and I’m worried about his concussion.” Simon cries, as he feels dreadful for Ben.

“I’ll be with Ben in a minute.” Dr Menon says as he goes to his locker to get out his whites and his stethoscope.
 
A nurse is already in the ward and she has sat Ben up and made him comfortable with pillows.

Dr Menon tests his pulse and looks at his various bandages including those around his head.

“You’ll live.” He smiles as he loosens the head bandage to make it fit and to ease any pain.

“Is that better?”

“Yes, I feel so much better than when I first awoke. When can I get out of here?”

“Wait a bit.
 
You need to have your medication and then a breakfast before we can think about that.” The doctor says.
 
“I need to speak to Simon to arrange accommodation for the two of you. You will not be fit to stay in some rough hostel.”

Taz takes Simon to the canteen again and offers him some breakfast.
 
He is glad to have breakfast because he is now famished and his mind is more at rest, as Ben seems so much better.

“I have not been able to find accommodation in a decent hostel, and father feels that Ben needs to rest, so you both will be very welcome to stay with us, over the festival period and until it is time for you to return home.” Taz tells Simon.

“But we can’t put your family out like that and I’m sure that the Festival will be a family time.” Simon answers with a shy smile.

“It will be fine; look dad is here, so we will ask him if he thinks mother will object.”

Dr Menon sits at the table with his coffee and smiles as Simon eats hungrily.

“I’ve just asked Simon if they both will stay with us until they have to return home on the 20
^th
.
 
Do you and mother object to that?”

“Of course not, Ben needs some time to convalesce, and I am sure your mother will be glad of the company of these two smart boys.”

Simon thanks them both profusely, for he cannot believe his luck, at the offer of their home as a refuge for the two of them.
 
He wants to go to tell Ben of their good fortune.
 
He finishes his breakfast and tells them he must go to Ben to tell him of their arrangements.
 
Ben is sat up in bed eating his breakfast when Simon appears, at a run, with his good news.
 
He tells Ben he can’t believe in their good luck and Ben is just too relieved to know, he will be in good hands and have the time to get himself more fit, for his long journey home.
 
The two of them use the time to get Ben up and using his crutches, they wander around the grounds of the hospital until Ben is tired, they then sit in the sun and rest until lunchtime.

Dr Menon and Taz meet them, as they have called Mrs. Menon and made arrangements for the boys to be taken home at lunchtime, so that they will be able to settle in and have the comfort of a proper home, after their weeks of trekking and hardship.

The Menons live on the outskirts of Katmandu in a large house in its own grounds.
 
There are trees and shrubs surrounding the large pleasant garden, the front door opens and a middle-aged lady appears on the doorstep. Taz, who has driven them to the house, introduces her as her mother.

She helps Ben up the front step to the house and the she turns her attention to Simon.
 
Her astonishment shows on her lovely face as she asks his name.

“My name is Simon Thomas.”
 
Simon replies with a look of bewilderment at the expression on Mrs. Menon’s face.
 
Is something the matter?”

“No of course not, you just remind me of someone.”

Taz explains to her mother the predicament of Ben’s broken bones, and the boys not being able to find accommodation because of the Festival.
 
She gives her mother a knowing look and a signal to keep quiet.
 
She doesn’t want the boys to feel uncomfortable and she is hoping that Sahida may be able to throw light on the situation, when she arrives shortly.

Tea is brought and the boys are made to feel welcome, as they all sit in the garden and chat about the trekking and the festival.

The slight breeze disturbs the flowers and the trees, giving off a lovely perfume, and the boys relax and enjoy the peace of the garden.
 
Mrs. Menon leaves them to arrange their bedrooms whilst Taz goes into the house to begin the preparation of a meal for when the doctor gets home. Her sister is on her way from the school where she teaches, to be with her family for the festival

Ben is feeling tired and his medication for the pain is wearing off.
 
Simon goes into the house, hoping to find Taz, to get help for Ben’s pain.
 
He can’t just find her but as he goes through the hall he sees a portrait of someone who looks likes himself.
 
He is shocked when he looks at it, but shrugs the feeling off as he calls to Taz.
 
She comes downstairs quickly and sees to Ben, who is flagging with the pain.