ICE CREAM, POPCORN AND PEANUTS

 
Visitors from Poona, Ahmednagar, and Bombay flocked to Guruprasad to avail of the Beloved's darshan. Baba also called the Kalchuris for a few days, from Meherabad. On 17 May, he allowed Mansari and Kaikobad's family to visit for a few hours. Baidul escorted them to Poona by bus, and they saw Baba at 8:30 A.M. He told them to wash, change their clothes, and have tea.

"By the time we went to the hall," Mansari remembered, "it was completely packed. We had to sit right at the back." Soon, Mansari heard Eruch's voice calling, "WHERE IS MANSARI? WHERE IS MANSARI?" she waved her hand over the heads and shoulders of those in front of her.

Baba joked, "Mansari, you are already so small, and still you are hiding!"

After the program, Mansari joined Baba and the other women for lunch. ("Who cares about a music program; I was eager to see Baba!")

Ice cream was served that day by Baba himself. Mansari came before him with her bowl. Baba gave her a scoopful and told her to come again at 12:30 to the men's side where he would be distributing more. Baba was holding a spoon when she went there. He instructed Mansari to stand directly in front of him and not to pay attention to the 25 or 30 men present.

"Don't laugh," he cautioned. "Open your mouth. I'm going to flip ice cream in your mouth."

The idea made Mansari giggle. "What if it slides down my chin?" she thought. She burst out laughing.

Baba said, looking serious, "No. I said not to laugh. Stand up straight."

He took a little ice cream in the spoon and, with expert aim, flipped it into her mouth. Not a drop fell out. Again, he told her to open her mouth. Three times, he did this. Then he clapped and said for her to go.

It was the one and only time Mansari was ever called to Guruprasad.

"Baba liked ice cream," Mehera observed. "A few people sent it to Guruprasad in honor of their child's birthday. We had it once in a while. Any flavor would do. Mango ice cream we all loved. Baba also liked chocolate ice cream. Whenever it came, I used to peek in the crack of the door from our quarters to the hall and watch Baba eat ice cream. He looked so sweet. I watched him playing cards also."

Occasionally, Baba lovers brought popcorn to Guruprasad, as well. Baba always sent some inside for the women. "Baba liked the salt taste on popcorn, but discarded (spat out) most of it. He liked salted popcorn that came readymade in a bag."

One day, Mehera was eating roasted peanuts. Baba saw her and asked whether they were good. She said yes and asked if he wanted some. Baba said all right. "I went to the kitchen and quickly shelled some for him. Very slowly, Baba sucked them. He enjoyed their flavor."

Once when Baba was eating popcorn in the hall at Guruprasad, he looked so natural that Mani brought her movie camera. Baba gave her an exasperated look. "Not again?" he grimaced.

"No, Baba," she assured him, "there's no film in the camera, I'm just practicing." She spoke the truth, but then quickly turned and stuck in a cartidge. Mani took some shots, thinking she had tricked Baba, as he did not say anything.

She was taken aback when Baba held up his hand and gestured, "Enough! How much film are you going to take?" He knew all her tricks.