Dr. Grant replied, "Since you are eating hardly anything, you should have food with a lot of protein in it."
"Do you eat meat and fish?" Baba asked.
Grant replied that he ate only one meal a day, and that yes, he had a non-vegetarian diet. After examining Baba, Dr. Grant concluded, "I do not understand anything and I can do nothing until further tests are done, so that a definite diagnosis can be determined. And this can only be done if you come to Poona. We will take different tests to find out the reasons for the spasms."
Baba replied, "My time has come."
Because Baba looked extremely pale, it was decided that Baba's blood would be checked again on 1 February and, if required, Grant would return at 7:30 A.M. on the 2nd and give Baba another blood transfusion. (Since Ginde would be coming on the 1st, he too was asked to be present during the transfusion, if it had to be done.)
Dr. Grant and Meherjee left. In the car on their way back to Poona, Grant told Meherjee, "Baba's condition is critical. Baba himself knows this, and said so."1
After Grant left, the shocks again attacked the Beloved's body. Eruch, Pendu, Francis and Bhau were in Baba's room and they held firmly onto his arms and legs. Goher was beside herself, totally at a loss as to what treatment to administer.
Baba remarked, "This is my crucifixion! Christ was crucified once, but I am being crucified every moment!"
He repeated this several times, and when Don came to his room to check on him, he repeated it again solely for him, "This is my crucifixion! Christ was crucified once, but I am being crucified every moment!"
He also conveyed to Don, " All this, all that I have been through all along, has been a preparation for the Word — for just the One Word!"
And with a quizzical smile, he added, "Just imagine!"
Every movement of Baba's fingers would precipitate a spasm, making it difficult to read his gestures. The spasms subsided after an hour.
A picture of Jesus walking on the sea and the apostle Peter beholding him hung in a corner of Baba's room. The caption read: "Lord, save me, or I shall perish!"
Pointing to it, Baba gestured to Eruch, "You are my Peter ..."
Baba sent for a picture of Jesus at the Last Supper with the twelve apostles.
Pointing to the apostle John (leaning against Jesus' chest), Baba gestured to Eruch, "Bhau is my John ..."
Footnotes
- 1.Meherjee would later relate (in a letter to Elcha Mistry, dated 22 February 1969): "For two months of December and January [1969], I witnessed Baba's sufferings. Even on 30th January, I was with him for a few hours. The sight was just terrible. He has suffered for us as no Prophet or Master has ever suffered, but till the last he gave [us] courage and fortified the mandali with his love. Now we have to hold fast to his daaman."