HELP HER FIRST

 
After staying some days at the Center we set off with Baba to drive across America to Meher Mount in California. Many years before this, Baba had told the mandali that His blood would be spilled on American soil. We had forgotten this, but when it happened on this car journey we remembered Baba's words.

We had been travelling, I believe, a couple of days, and were in Oklahoma in the middle of the United States. Elizabeth was driving our car. Baba was seated in front with her, and Mani, Meheru and myself were in the back. In a station wagon following us were Sarosh, who was driving, and Goher, Rano, Kitty and Delia.

Baba, all of a sudden, told Elizabeth to drive fast, so Elizabeth drove faster. Then, after three or four minutes Baba again told Elizabeth, "Go faster, still faster," and Elizabeth went faster. Yet again after five minutes Baba gestured, "Faster!"

"Baba," Elizabeth said, "I'm hitting 90 miles an hour," but she obeyed Baba and drove even faster. Baba knew what He wanted.

Now I can say that the accident happened, but Baba's grace was such that I did not see how it happened. I must have been unconscious, and I have been told that I was thrown out of the car onto the road. Baba was also thrown out. But I remember one thing. What I experienced at the moment that we were hit is this: He turned around and asked me, "Are you hurt, Mehera? Are you hurt much?"

"No, Baba," I said. "I am not hurt. It's not serious at all. It's nothing to worry about." And I put my hand over my forehead to hide the spot where I was injured so that Baba should not worry. That is what I saw, yet somehow Baba and I were both thrown out onto the road and I was unconscious.

I did not regain consciousness for some time — I do not know how many days — and I did not know that Baba was seriously hurt. I have been told that when the second car with Goher and the others arrived, Baba was lying on the road very seriously injured and in great pain. His leg was completely fractured, and His arm, where it joins the shoulder, was fractured, too. Baba's nose was broken, the inside of His mouth was hurt, and His face was all covered with blood. Baba was in great pain and in great need of help, and He was looking up at the sky and not uttering a single sound to let people know how much pain He was in or how badly He was hurt. He was in such pain, yet he did not even groan.

When an ambulance arrived with a stretcher, Baba would not let them help Him. He pointed towards me and gestured, "Help her first." So they first took me, and when the second stretcher came Baba was helped. Even though Baba was in very great pain and in need of help Himself, He thought of another at that time. How beautiful He was with His love to think of another person at such a time when He himself needed help.'

We were taken to Prague Hospital where a very fine doctor, Dr. Burleson, took care of us. Again Baba had them see to me first. I feel very bad about that, but I could not do anything about it, because I was unconscious.

I was attended to and Baba's leg was set in a cast. Baba was in one ward, and Elizabeth and I were in another. Elizabeth had been behind the steering wheel, and both her arms, as well as many ribs, had been broken. And when, after maybe two days I was conscious, Baba sent word with Goher to say that I should not worry, and that everything would be all right. He said that if I could walk, He wanted me to come to His ward to see Him; so I went there.

Baba's legs were under the covers, so I did not see that He was seriously hurt. I could not open my eyes properly, because my forehead was injured, and the nerves for smell, eyes, and teeth were damaged. My front teeth were numb, and my eyes were just tiny slits, and I had to tilt my head back to see Baba and to see where I was going. Baba told me to go and rest, and later He sent me a lovely note which Goher read to me. Even then I could not hear properly, and later I read it again.

Our doctor, Dr. Burleson, was astounded by Baba. When Baba was brought in, he could see that Baba was in great pain, with His leg completely broken and many cuts and bruises and a broken nose. "Who is this person?" he asked. "He's not groaning or complaining or making a sound, but He must be in great pain. How is it that He can bear the pain like that without saying a word?" Dr. Burleson was told about Baba, and he later became a Baba-lover and had great faith in Him. His wife, too, was a very fine person.