The Ganges River in Varanasi with many ghats (stairways to the river) in the distance.

Carry out a random act of kindness, with no expectation of reward,
safe in the knowledge that one day someone might do the same for you.
~ Princess Diana
.

Following my year in Somalia, one gift I gave myself was to go on vacation to India. I had dreamed of visiting India for years. And it was a dream come true. But that doesn’t mean it was easy.

I arrived in June. June in India is hot. Hot! Especially hot in Varanasi and Delhi. The temp was over 100ºF every day and at night 85ºF was the low. Yet, those were the two places I most wanted to visit. So, while I had wonderful experiences with learnings for a lifetime, after a few weeks, I headed by train to Hyderabad and other points south where it would be somewhat cooler. 

Somewhere along the way, however, I began to notice how exhausted and lonely I felt. Thus, after a week or so I returned to Delhi. After settling into a familiar and cordial hotel I had stayed at earlier, I went to the Delhi office of the airline that had issued my ticket to see if I could get it changed. Enough. I was done. I just wanted to fly straight home.

The agent told me there were absolutely no seats available for days, if not weeks, to come.. “You see,” he said, “Everyone who is able to leave is leaving now in order to be away during the hot season.” And then, in a less than encouraging but at the same time still a friendly and welcoming voice, he said, “Why don’t you come back tomorrow and we’ll see if anything changes.”

My el-cheapo ticket was very restricted so I could only make certain kinds of changes. Nonetheless, ticket in hand, I returned the next day. And the next. And the next. By now the hospitable agent and I were becoming familiar ‘friends,’ sharing chai and stories.

And then one day he said, “I understand how this heat must be really getting to you. How about if you come to the airport tonight where a flight to Frankfurt is scheduled to leave at about midnight and I’ll see what I can do.”

So that’s what I did. I packed up everything and went to the airport at about 10 pm. He was there at the ticket counter. But he acted a bit distant. He wouldn’t even check my bags. He gave me a sign that I interpreted as, ‘We don’t know each other. Go sit down and be as invisible as you can. Sit tight. I’ll let you know.”

Everyone else boarded the plane. He went out onto the tarmac. I was still quietly sitting tight in the now empty waiting room. Then he came back inside. He quickly grabbed my bags and said, “Let’s go!”

As my bags were being loaded, he handed me a new ticket and said, “You know, my family left last week to spend two months in Europe. And I can imagine how lonely you are feeling because I’m feeling very lonely myself. Thank you for our wonderful chats. They helped. You have been very patient – and kind.. I wish you well!”

As I boarded the plane I learned that I was flying First Class all the way to New York. As if going home wasn’t enough, going First Class was beyond my wildest dreams. And to punctuate this experience, imagine my delight when, shortly after takeoff, I was offered a platter of fresh fruit, cheeses, breads, along with a glass of wine – and air conditioning! Heaven. After that, I reclined and slept soundly all the way to New York.

Early morning bathing in the Ganges, Varanasi, India

Photos by Barbara
Varanasi, India
Scans of 35mm slides