Jaws misses you

A woman comes out and said, "Ah, yes. Muktinath teacher?" She sends me upstairs with a girl and a key. I feel discombobulated. I ask the girl if that was Lama’s wife, Chime. She says yes. I follow her downstairs. Chime seems surprised to see me again. "Oh, Lama back one hour. You wait."

I unpack and find the rest of Nick’s hidden love notes in my baggage:

Somebody in America loves you.

Stay Safe.

Jaws misses you. (Our Siamese fighting fish. Nick has sketched him with huge teeth and almost as big as the bowl.)


* * *

Later:

"Lama calls you."

I go downstairs. I had pictured Lama as a jolly round cartoon Buddha for some reason, but he’s not, of course. Long gray-black hair tied back in a ponytail. Smooth oval face, serious and friendly at the same time.

According to the Tibetan tradition, he places a white scarf over my neck, which could have a nice moment except for my awkwardness as I try to remember what my role is. Am I supposed to give the scarf back at the end of our interview? Or do I just keep it forever now?

(In a dream last night which I've just remembered, I cut off the ends of the scarf, where the threads hold it, and did a weird little dance. I'm sure that’s not right though!)

Lama has it all worked out. He says in his pleasant, rather nasal speaking voice, "Today you rest. Tomorrow we go to Kopan, see nuns’ house. They do meditation now, forbidden to go top floor. Then, you rest four days. Then take plane to Pokhara, go to Muktinath. Stay Muktinath. After one month, with nuns walking walking walking. Then all together stay Kopan, nuns finish with meditation, okay to talk."

Still feeling a bit disoriented...