WITH JOY, FREEDOM, RHYTHM

 
On another occasion, Delia and Margaret were sitting in the walled garden at the back of [Villa] Fiorenza, [near Santa Margherita on the Italian Riviera]. It was after lunch and all the others had gone to the town on passport business.

Delia and Margaret were not expecting to see Baba, who suddenly appeared with Chanji. Baba smiled like a child and jumped on Margaret's back in a gay and playful mood. She carried him a little way and Baba then indicated that they would play a game. He would pretend to be a little boy coming to Margaret for his first dance lesson.

As directed, Chanji took Baba by the hand and led him into class, introducing him as Thomas, his son who was to have dance lessons. "Come along, Thomas," Margaret said, taking him by the hand.

She recalled: "Stepping forward, I showed him a simple one-two-three hop, one-two-three hop step. No obstacles. He took to it at once, and then hand-in-hand, we flew around the garden. And I really mean flew!

"He could move as no one else has ever moved — with joy, freedom, rhythm. The steps were not difficult, but Baba had such rhythm. It was wonderful, quite extraordinary . . . a truly lovely afternoon. And I knew without intellectualizing that dancing was, is, and always will be a part of God."