Splintered Lives (35 page)
Mula blushes and touches his arm as he starts the car.
Simon takes a moment to look at her again and pride fills his heart.
His grandmother has set out the garden furniture and they are in the garden when Simon and Mula arrive on the drive.
Dr Menon is the first to reach them and welcomes Mula by kissing her on both cheeks as he takes her hand.
“Come and meet the family, this is Simon’s grandmother,” as she is introduced to a lovely kind looking lady to whom she gives her hand.
“And I am Taz, Simon’s aunt.” Taz introduces herself.
Mula sees a modern young woman, who she takes to at sight.
Simon is pleased to see how his family has taken to Mula and he is full of pride with his family, as well as, with Mula, who is showing them how friendly, although rather shy, she is.
They moved to the table and Mrs. Menon disappeared only to reappear with the tea and they all chattered amiably as they tucked into the tasty food she had prepared.
The Menons are a friendly lot and they make Mula feel very welcome.
Mula is fascinated by Taz, who she sees as a role model, and is interested in the work she does in the hospital, as well as, the visits to clinics and small hospitals in the hills around the city.
Taz tells Mula how she found Simon, because of an accident to his friend, Ben, when they were trekking in the Himalayas.
She explains the work she does in the villages and how there is a shortage of doctors for this work.
She wants the people of the villages to have better health care and she is excited with the start of the medical college.
Mula leaves with Simon when it is time to return to her halls of residence.
She has a new perspective of what she wants to do.
She is enthusiastic about Taz’s achievement and hopes that she may do similar work when she is fully qualified.
Simon kisses her gently as he leaves her outside her college flat and drives home in a trance.
He has found the girl of his dreams and his family, the Menons, have also fallen in love with her.
He sings to the radio and is grinning widely as he enters the drive.
They can’t wait to tell him how impressed they are with Mula and he goes to bed to dream of her.
The following Saturday Simon drives Mula up the mountain to her grandfather’s cottage.
He is waiting in his doorway to greet them, and is very impressed when he sees how Simon treats his granddaughter.
How he shows how he cares for her by holding her gently by the hand as they walk towards him from the car.
Mula introduces them, Simon and her grandfather, the two most important people in her life.
She is thrilled to see how they smile and shake hands and she knows the two men, the old and the young, show their approval and respect for one another.
Her grandfather has worked hard to find them a celebration meal. He has killed one of his chickens and cooked it beautifully and served it with herbs and vegetables from his terrace garden along with his homemade cider from his two apple trees.
Simon is impressed by the old man and understands the love Mula has for him.
She would have been without the confidence she has if he had not been, always there for her.
“Thanks for a lovely day and a wonderful meal, Simon says as Mula and he take leave of him.
I hope we see you again soon, in fact I would like to pay back the compliment and next Saturday Mula and I will take you out for a meal in Kathmandu.
Will you come?”
“Of course I’d love to, where should we meet?” He grandfather replies
“We’ll pick you up at the temple in the centre of the city at three o’clock, will that be alright?”
“Yes.” He replies as he waves them off from his doorway.
“What a great man your grandfather is, I understand now why you love him so much.”
Simon tells Mula as they drive carefully down the mountain.
“Oh Simon, I can’t tell you how pleased I am that you have included him into our lives.
He has been so lonely since grandmother died and I know he missed me when I had to go back to boarding school, after our lovely summers together.” Mula says as she caresses Simon’s arm.
Their college life continues as they work hard, now and then, having practical medical experience at the hospital, where Dr Menon and Taz take the students under their wings.
The other different disciplines have doctors who also teach and there is good selection of the many medical practices offered to the students.
Mula wants to become a G.P. so she needs to have experience in all the different practices.
Simon hopes to become a surgeon like his grandfather and as he had experience in the hospital before the opening of the medical college, he follows the surgical doctors and helps in the operation theatres.
Their lives pass quickly and the congregation for their degrees is announced and tickets arranged.
Mula is thrilled to see how proud her grandfather is when she invites him to attend along with the Menons, Taz has been given Mula’s second ticket and Simon’s grandmother and grandfather have been given his.
The party set off to the main hall of
Kathmandu
University
and are ushered to their seats; Mula and Simon are to sit in another area, where they will be able to walk on to the stage when their names are called.
There is a feeling of excitement in the large hall as the parents of all the students, taking many different disciplines, are assembled waiting for the ceremony to begin.
Mrs. Menon cannot understand why Mula’s parents have not been invited to this parade.
The other parents are so proud of their children’s’ successes and she and the whole family are so proud of Simon and Mula.
How can Mula’s parents miss this big day of their only daughter?
She mentions her thoughts to Taz who relates the story Simon has told her, whereby Mrs. Menon is horrified.
She remembers all the congregations of all her children and how proud she and their father were.
She is glad that Taz has been given the opportunity to attend and presses Taz’s hand to show her tenderness, as well as, the sadness she feels for Mula.
The ceremony begins and there is long applause for all the students as they walk on to the stage to receive their degree certificates.
The Menons and Mula’s grandfather wait for the young doctors to find them in the crush.
Dr Menon has arranged for their party to have a meal in a nearby restaurant to celebrate their young peoples’ success.
Mula and Simon come to find them, breathless with the excitement of it all, and they all walk to the nearby restaurant chatting all the way.
The meal is gourmet and enjoyed by all, it is the end of a wonderful day for all of them.
Chapter 49
The following Saturday Simon asked Mula’s grandfather if he could marry Mula.
She is of the age of consent but Simon wanted to do it right and he thought that, as Mula does not see her parents, her grandfather is her guardian, and has been since Mula was nine years old.
The old man called for Mula to come in from the terrace outside his cottage, where she had gone so that Simon could be private when he asked her grandfather for her hand in marriage.
Mula came in, with a questioning look on her lovely face, as she looked at her grandfather for confirmation of his approval.
“Of course I approve, I have never seen you so happy,” he said as he gave both of them a smile.
They spent a lovely day together, as always, and when it was time to leave, Simon told them he was eager to see his family to tell them the news.
Mula wanted a quiet wedding; she was confused about what she should do about her parents and her brothers.
Simon told her that he would be happy to go to see them with her and that he would ring them before hand to make an appointment.
This he did and they asked them both to come to their hotel at eleven o’clock on the following Sunday morning, as that was the only time they could see them.
Simon was surprised at their attitude but he was determined that he would support
Mula
and they arrived at the allotted time. It was a beautiful sunny morning when they entered the hotel foyer where everything was spick and span, the woodwork shinning along with the glass.
There was nobody there but the receptionist so they gave her their names and told her of their
appointment.
She showed them to a quiet sitting room and said she would call the owners.
Mula felt nervous and she held her hands tightly together.
Simon saw this and gave her his hand to hold.
“Mula, what is this about?”
Her father said on entering the room.
“We have no word from you for years and we were not invited to your congregation, although we heard about it from friends.
Simon stood up and moved forward to shake the father’s hand.
“I am Simon, your daughter’s fiancée, and we intend to get married very soon.
Mula and I are doctors
And we have been offered posts at the new hospital in Pokhara, and we intend to marry soon, before we move there.
Mula has been confused as how to include you, her family, in the celebration so we have come here today to ask you if you would like to come to our wedding?”
By this time her mother and brothers have arrived in the sitting room and her mother looked with approval at Simon. Her brothers were arrogant and unsmiling and Mula held on tight to Simon’s hand.
Simon put his arm around her waist to support her as he felt her trembling by his side.
“Are you one of the Menons, the doctors at the hospital?” Asked her mother with a smile.
“They were wonderful when your father had a heart problem,” she says looking at Mula.
The brothers left as they had their duties in the hotel.
Her father softened a little and now offered his hand to Simon, after ignoring it the first time.
Her mother asked if they would like some tea but Mula refused, as she felt very uncomfortable and wished they had not come.
“I know you are very busy people but I thought of my marriage as being a big step for me, and I wondered if you could, perhaps, find the time to attend the ceremony?” Mula says.
“If it is within the next few weeks we will be too busy, it is a popular time for tourists and every room is full,” her father said in his usual assertive way.
Her mother was less so, but she had to follow her husband’s decision and smiled sadly at the couple.
Simon was angry at their reception and he took Mula’s arm and gently walked her out of the hotel.
“Come on love; let’s go home to my house where we will both be welcomed.” Simon said as he hugged Mula to him, there in front of her parents.
There was a moment when her mother stepped forward and stroked Mula’s cheek and tears began to run down her mother’s face.
Mula was more confused than before and was glad to be on their way to Simon’s home. They were received with laughter and chatter and Mula and Simon did not mention where they had been, or the reception they had received.
A few days afterwards Dr Menon received a letter from Mula’s mother.
She was afraid her family was too busy to attend the wedding but she hoped the couple would be very happy. She thanked him for his care for her husband when he had his heart trouble and for the care the family were giving to Mula, at this important time in her life.
Dr Menon showed the letter to Simon and Simon asked his grandfather not to mention it to Mula, as she was devastated enough by their recent visit to her parents.
The wedding was to be on the second Saturday of August as the young doctors were to start their registrar positions on the first of September.
They also had to find a place to live in Pokhara.
Sahida offered to have them to stay with her until they could find a suitable place to live.
The wedding was joyous, friends from the college came and the Menons gave the couple the best send-off ever.
As they were driven off in the taxi to
Kathmandu
airport the family and friends showered them with rose petals and they fell into each other’s arms as they were driven away.
They had kept their destination a secret but they were off to Pokhara to the Fishtail Lodge hotel, where they had become engaged.
The little plane bumped along the flight pathway and the happy couple took a taxi to the lakeside, where a boat was tied up to the shore.
The couple dragged in their luggage and rowed themselves across the lake.
