An extract

Sorting out things and packing to move to the new destination was not an easy job yet one cannot escape from it when time came. I was doing the same  (in the month of February 2012) when I came across a cartoon full of books that belonged to my late brother-in-law.  At first I thought I would just pack it and send it home but my younger sister who was helping me pack thought better of it and we started sorting out his books.

We started taking his books one by one and came across a notebook. I didn’t pay much attention to it by my sister kept on reading the note and passed it to me and asked me to read through it. The following lines are some of the extract from my late brother-in-law’s note.

12/6/2010

Our mid-term started but all the students were worried about the H1N1 Infection and a large number of students were admitted at hospital including myself. I could write only papers out of eight and I was referred to Trashigang hospital from Trashitse while most of my friends were writing their exams. Upon reaching there I was suspected typhoid and the doctors started their medication instantly.  When the doctor visited me on my second day in the hospital, he advised me to go to Mongar referral hospital since I was told that I had t undergo some more medical examination.

While all this was happening to me I was also worried about my beloved daddy who had been suffering from illness for more than a year. My whole family was worried and my mother performed all sorts of puja but to no avail and he was shifted to Thimphu for treatment.

27/6/2010

I was admitted to monger hospital where my Ata khenpo accompanied me. Poor ata, he suffered a lot because he had to look for blood donors and he even gave his own blood when the blood from the donors could not match. I was also lucky to have my sister-in-law there to help me. After blood transfusion, the doctor came to me and said, “If you could be admitted to a foreign hospital, you could get well soon but nothing to worry too much about. Your disease is curable”. I wondered what that was supposed to mean. My brother and the doctors were not informing me about the disease I was suffering from.

28/6/2010

I started my journey from Mongar to Bumthang with my brothers by ambulance. I felt nauseous and vomited all the way till we reached Bumthang late in the evening. Some of my relatives who were working in Bumthang came to see me in the bumthang hospital where I was sheltered for the night.

29/6/2010

I resumed my journey to Thimphu. One the way we had our breakfast at Trongsa where my uncle had come all the way from Korphu to escort me to Thimphu. I was rushed into the emergency room as soon as I got to the National Referral Hospital and discharged after a thorough checkup. I was asked to report to the hospital the following day for further examination. I was taken my sister’s place where my ailing father was staying. I saw tears in his eyes when he saw me and I too felt like crying aloud but I put a brave face and controlled my emotions for I did not want my father to suffer more than what he was already going through.

30/6/2010-5/7/2010

I was admitted in the hospital and the one room cabin became my home for the next few days where my brothers took turn to nurse me back to health. I was isolated from the rest of the patients and was advised against conversing with others because I was informed that my health was very poor that I could get infection from the others. My father came to see me for a couple of time before my family decided to send me away to Kolkata for treatment upon the advice of the doctors. My brothers managed to get the flight tickets and I was moved again to another destination.

6/7/2010

I boarded the ambulance at 5.00 am from Thimphu and was taken to Paro airport. I once again vomited all the way. I did not meet my father while leaving because he was too weak to come and see me. My father was not informed about my departure because my brothers did not want him to worry over me. But later I came to know that my father forced my brothers to take him to me before my leaving for Kolkata but my brothers ignored his plea thinking that it was best that he didn’t see me.

The thought of going away from ones homeland itself felt like a burden. I was leaving my sick father, my family, and my friends. Before boarding the flight, I talked to my father on phone. His last words were “Kuenchogsum na melam tab lai.” With heavy heart and tears in my eyes I boarded the plane.


Note : He fought his disease bravely but he couldn't win the loosing battle. It is one year  today since he left us. May his soul rest in peace.