Baba appeared exceptionally happy during this time and kept repeating to the group, "Love me and don't worry."
He drew his lovers closer to him in innumerable ways, becoming their playmate, friend, child and father. At the same time, he managed to make each of them feel as if he or she were somehow "special" to him. "I think this was his way of arousing our sibling rivalry," Minta related, "which he did quite a good bit."
Minta was always dashing upstairs to have a few minutes alone with Baba before the others came in. She was the youngest of the gopis and began to act a bit more demanding on this trip. For example, she kept nagging Baba to let her stay near him at night in his room with the watchman, Kaka. Baba finally agreed. He sat and communicated with Kaka, as Minta tried to stay awake but kept dozing off on Baba's bed. After a few hours, Baba sent her to her room. She left feeling extra-privileged, which was what she had really desired.
Audrey Williams was a talented eighteen-year-old dance pupil of Margaret's, whom Baba had specifically cabled to come and be with him in Italy. Margaret had mentioned Audrey to Baba during the train journey from London to Southampton the previous May (as he was leaving for America).
At that time, Baba told Margaret about Audrey, "Yes, she is the one you ought to have brought to me! She is the one I must see."
Another reason for her presence was that Baba wished the total number of those with him at Santa Margherita to equal twelve.
Although new, Audrey was soon swept into the Divine Beloved's orbit of love. "My first impression of Meher Baba was of great kindness, and a willingness to please and make people happy," she remembered. "Later, there was a hypnotic effect in that, although Baba never commanded , you felt bound to do his wishes. (He told me to go to bed at ten o'clock every night, which I would do automatically!)"
One of the reasons for Baba's trip was that he wished to remain in seclusion for 24 hours somewhere in Italy and chose Assisi for this purpose because of its association with Saint Francis.1 Baba sent Herbert there on 1 August 1932 in search of a cave for the seclusion. In the meantime, Baba visited Rapallo, Portofino and other places near Santa Margherita.
Footnotes
- 1.Francis of Assisi (1182–1226) was the son of a wealthy merchant who underwent a spiritual conversion at 22 after fighting in the Italian wars. Overcome by the love of God, he became remarkably devout and ascetic. Baba later revealed that Francis became a Perfect Master.