HERE AM I

 
He [Baba] wanted to know when He was going to make house visits and KDRM explained that they hadn't scheduled any house visits because there were so many Baba lovers in Eluru and there was so little time in which to visit them.

Baba, however, expressed His wish to visit the homes of His lovers. KDRM replied that in that case they would need some time, not only to make up a list of whom Baba should visit, but also to notify those on the list so they could prepare to receive Baba. But Baba didn't want to wait for such arrangements to be made. Often it has been noticed that once Baba decided to do something, He wanted to do it immediately without any sort of delay.

KDRM were hesitating about the precipitous change in the program so Baba mollified them by saying, "Let the visits be surprise visits; everyone will get more pleasure from them that way." Baba added the KDRM should do their best to quickly notify as many people as possible of the impending visits in the short time available to them, but that they shouldn't worry about it if they couldn't contact everyone.

Hurriedly, KDRM sketched out a program for Baba. While they were doing this, a police department clerk named Veerachari, who was present, approached them and asked them to include his home in the list of those whom Baba would visit. Although his house was on the same street as several of the prominent Baba lovers in town, KDRM decided not to include it as it was very small and the roof was so low that Baba would have to bend down to enter.

It seemed to Veerachari, however, that the organizers were favoring the wealthy Baba lovers. On top of his disappointment that Baba would not be visiting his home, was the bitterness at the unfairness of life which had deprived him of the rare good fortune of having the Avatar bless his house.

KDRM sent out people to notify those whose homes had been selected for visits, but after only a few minutes, well before they could have informed very many people, Baba insisted on starting out. As His car pulled out of the garden, Veerachari watched it go with a mingled sadness and frustration. He was so upset that he didn't join the party following Baba's car, but stayed behind in the garden and wept.

As soon as Baba's car reached the main road, Dharma Rao began to turn left, as it had been decided that Baba would first visit the home of K. N. Chaudhary, the editor of "Avatar Meher," a Telugu periodical. Baba, however, reached over and put His hand on the steering wheel and indicated that he should turn right. With a puzzled look on his face, Dharma Rao said, "No, Baba, it's to the left."

But again Baba gestured that he should turn right and one of the mandali explained, "Just go wherever Baba directs you." And, surprisingly, Baba directed Dharma Rao straight to Veerachari's small home.

Baba got out and, bending low, entered the room where Veerachari's mother, wife and little baby were living. One of the organizers quickly introduced the startled family to Baba. Baba sat down on a roughly woven charpoi and told the family that He had come especially to bless them, and then added that they could perform His arti if they so wished.

In Andhra, it is customary to burn camphor while performing arti but the family that day had none in the house so they simply folded their hands and, expressing their heartfelt praise of Baba, reverentially prostrated at His feet.

Baba gestured, "I have heard your prayers and I have come to bless you and the child." Baba picked up the baby and held it in His arms, blessing it with His caress. Baba then embraced the women and conveyed, "Tell Veerachari that I have come. Tell him not to worry, that I have blessed you all. I am for all."

At that very moment, Veerachari was sitting in Subba Rao's garden, weeping because Baba was not going to visit his home. Instantaneous is Baba's response to the deep inner yearning of His lovers! Rumi, the Persian poet and Perfect Master, once wrote:

Your cry of "Allah!" is in itself God's "Here am I."
Under your every "O Allah!" whispers many a "Here am I."