I somehow got up. In that infinite second — from seeing Baba or being in his presence, or a culmination of both — I knew exactly that I had come home. I knew exactly who he was. There was absolutely no question in my mind whatsoever.
That day, Baba again washed the feet of 27 lepers, and after touching their feet with his forehead, gave each prasad of five rupees. Don Stevens and Jalbhai filmed Baba as he did his work with the lepers. Also present for the occasion was Maharani Shantadevi. Alain was given the umbrella to hold over Baba during one part of Baba's work with the lepers. He was nervous, and the experience left him emotionally drained. ("I felt like a piece of furniture being stripped," he recalled.)
Don and Alain were driven to Meherabad, where they stayed. They were driven to Meherazad every morning by Noshir Siganporia, and returned to Meherabad in the evening. Each day Baba asked Alain about his health and if there was anything special he wanted to eat, remarking that he should gain weight. In the mornings, Baba would discuss with Don publication plans for a new edition of God Speaks , at which times Alain would go out to chat with Mani and play with her dog, Peter.
One morning Baba was sitting in the hall, wearing black horn-rimmed spectacles and shuffling through a sheaf of papers on his lap.1 He explained to Don that they were different drafts of his Last Will and Testament and the Avatar Meher Baba Trust Deed. Appearing irritated, he described how hard it had been to convey ideas to Ramjoo to incorporate into the deed in exactly the right words.
In the afternoons, there would be card games (with their attendant nose-rubbings on the floor!) and games of seven tiles. Francis would be called upon to recite his poetry. Baba had been promising this visit to Don Stevens for a few years, and during their twelve-day stay in India, Don was given many opportunities of being in Baba's close company.
One day Baba asked Alain what he wanted to do in life. Don had warned Alain this question would come up. Alain said he was interested in studying languages, so perhaps he would become an interpreter, or maybe an interior designer.
When he said he was fascinated by people, Baba, through Eruch, said, "Psychology! You would make a good psychologist. It will be very hard, but you will be a part of the new psychology. The present-day psychology does not work."
(Baba did not explain what he meant.)
Footnotes
- 1.Editor: There is no record of Baba being prescribed reading glasses, but perhaps a pair was kept on hand in case Baba asked for them.