PRASAD FROM BABA'S TABLE

 
Tuesday 22nd September 1987 turned out to be a very special day for me at Meherazad. In the morning when Mehera came out she said that from inside the house she saw someone walking in the garden towards the porch, which reminded her that she had so often seen Baba walking there, and how He must have known that so many pilgrims would be coming to Meherazad in the future.

There were no special stories that morning but being in Mehera's company was as enjoyable as always. Just before going to lunch I told her that this was a kind of birthday for me — the 26th anniversary of meeting Bill Le Page in his Sydney office for a job interview, and seeing there for the first time a photo of Baba which had caught my attention although I knew nothing at all about Him at that point. Mehera wished me a happy anniversary, and so it turned out to be.

After lunch I sat for an hour or so in the garden on the seat outside the women's cottage writing up some notes. About 2:45 Kacy Cook came and said Mehera wanted me and that she was calling two others as well. I went over to the porch and soon Janet Luck and Raine Mormon arrived. Heather Nadel was already in the house, and Mehera called us all into the dining room 'for prasad from Baba's table.' Various covered dishes were there, and she first indicated some small golden-coloured lightly spiced pieces, rather dry in texture but very nice. Then Mehera wanted us to try a kind of curry sauce which she poured into small cups. The other three exclaimed over it saying how good it was, but one tiny sip was fire in the throat for me! I had to tell Mehera that I just couldn't take it, but she didn't mind at all, saying 'No, don't have it, just leave it there.'

By now we were all standing near the foot of the table. Mehera asked me to sit down but the others still stood, and she brought a plate with three portions of rava on it for them and another plate for me — it was delicious. Then Mehera went up to her end of the table, uncovered a dish with two long white rolls which she cut in half and gave each of us a piece. These had been made by Rhoda Dubash's cook — a kind of white philo pastry, very thin, and a sweet mixture in the middle with some currants or similar small dark fruits, again very good. In fact we all kept eating and saying 'delicious' while thanking Mehera. Finally there were four pieces of peeled apple 'to clean your mouth' she said.

Mehera seemed so happy, and to be enjoying giving us these things. Aloba's tea-bell had rung when we first went in and now Mehera said to go over and have 'nice hot tea'. She went to wash her hands at the sink in the corner using her Sunlight soap from a low shelf, then said to me to wash too and pointed to a green soap on the top shelf. Hanging right outside the back doorway there was a big towel which Mehera used and told me to use it too. The others also washed, and by then Mehera was standing at the other side of the dining room near the door.

I went across and took her hands. 'Thank you very much Mehera, for the prasad, it was delicious.' She replied 'It's nice that you appreciate it, prasad from Baba's table', and mentioned the message which Ted Judson had given at one time for what she had sent him — he said that even a crumb from Baba's table was so special. I felt it was too, saying that it was as though Baba had given it for my anniversary that day, and she answered 'Yes. He remembered you with love.'

We all stood in the main area beside the sitting room for a few minutes and Mehera again told us to get our hot tea on the other side. She came with us to the door, then smiled and said she would go now for her rest. As I left the porch she waved and I did also while walking away through the garden, looking back now and then.