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June 18, 2009 hree weeks have passed since the 29t1 of May when Baba’s darling Katie re turned to His embrace. Now as st, we approach Sunday, the 21 the day on which her ashes will be interred near the Samadhi according to Baba’s wish, and we will say our final good-bye, we find ourselves missing her more and more. We miss her in the mornings when the bazaar is being ordered as we bumble around trying to do the job she performed flawlessly in Baba’s kitchen for so many years. And her absence is especially poignant at mealtimes for it was so like Katie to keep on attending her daily kitchen duties—cooking for the entire household—despite her pain and failing health, th until the 11 ofApril when she could no longer manage. Baba has talked about why His Mandali suffer. Certainly it is for His work and the greater good of humanity, and Katie’s final days reminded us of that. Feeling humbled and helpless in the face ofher suffering, one ofher caregivers said to Katie how sorry we were that she was in such pain and Katie responded by gently saying, “Why? Why should you be sorry? Don’t be, it’s Baba Who wants me to suffer, this is from Him. Don’t be sorry.” So for seven weeks we watched in stunned silence as He took from her every sense, every function, everything that had comprised the Katie-ness we knew and loved so much. By the end Katie couldn’t move and could barely speak, and when she did attempt a word our understanding was hampered by the Parkinsons that had robbed her of her beautiful voice, so ex pressing her needs was trying at best. She had great difficulty swallowing, so eating and drinking—something in which she had always taken great pleasure—became a torture. Katie’s body was so riddled with pain because of arthritis and prolonged bed rest that even slowly cranking the bed into sitting position, or carefully turning her from side to side sometimes took two
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despite her weakness and pain. Katie did this for love, in her unfailing duty to Beloved Baba. And despite her condi tion she continued to think of others. She worried about her caregivers, constantly saying to us, “I’m giving you all so much trouble.” Although the loss of independence distressed her, she was often more concerned 4 about how this affected those around her. She worried about our backs when we moved her and about how much work she was giving to others. And her quick mind remained sharp to the end. She noticed everything and everyone. Weeks into Katie’s illness someone teasingly asked Katie to cook a very special mango dish that requires a great deal of preparation. We all took no hours of constant adjustment to find a notice but Katie remembered and just position of comfort for her. At one point three days before she passed away she she turned to us and said, “I’m all locked called Saguna—the kitchen servant who up, I’m trapped.” But through all of this had workedwith Katie for many years—to her bedside and with great effort asked her her great heart and love for God prevailed. Katie thought only of Baba and often to make this delicious dish am rus and saw Him, Mehera and the other Mandali buttermilk puns for the household. And before her. One morning when she awoke this was not only the last meal she ordered Katie had a joyful expression on her face in Baba’s kitchen, it was the last meal she as she happily informed me that Goher ate in Baba’s Home. The last weeks of Katie’s life were had come back to see her. Another time she told me Eruch was lovingly stroking ones of continual change. Daily she was her head as she sat in the wheelchair, and declining and we found ourselves scramoften Mehera, Naja, Mani, Rano and bling to keep up with her deterioration. even Pendu, Aloba and Bal were gathered Disbelief haunted us, we just couldn’t around her. It was a great comfort knowing fathom how rapidly she was moving tothat her old companions hadjoined in her wards her destination. March 21st is the Irani New Year called Jamshed-e-Nav care giving. Although Katie could no longer attend Roz, a daywhich is celebrated with family, arti in Baba’s room, she always participated friends and of course lots of good food. from her bed, and afterwards, when Baba’s At Meherazad Alan Wagner and his staff foot cushion was presented to her for cooked a wonderful meal that we ate on darshan, her penetrating focus on Him the veranda of the old clinic. There were silenced all activity around her, reflecting about 25 attendees and Katie, in her full the depth of her inner experience. When splendour, presided. As she approached, Katie’s family or old friends would visit, decked out in her beautiful turquoise we watched in awe and astonishment as dress, her earrings to match and her pearls, she surfaced from the depths of her suf Meherwan commented that Katie always fering to be frilly present to ask for her added glamour to any table. And it was earrings and lipstick and pearl necklace, so true. But just three weeks later Katie to sit up in bed and graciously hold court was wheelchair bound, unable to walk or —
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