Preface: No one on either side of our families were Sai devotees. My brother-in-law was the managing director of Tungabhadra steel products at that time. One of the board of directors was visiting and he was a Sai devotee. So, Swami who was inaugurating a company or a factory in a nearby village was requested to visit and bless this company also.
About 2000 workers of all levels were standing in a circle for Swami's darsan. I stood in the crowd holding my son whose was about 21 months old then. I took a receiving blanket along. I had my two questions ready to ask Baba. About my sister and my uncle (see my previous post). To my right was standing my sister-in-law and next to her a mother and son, our friends. That young man was deaf and dumb by birth. We were trying to push him and keep him in the front for Swami to bless him, cure him. Swami came out along with the senior level people of the company. Swami was diagonally opposite to where we were standing. Appeared to be far away. I felt that He looked at us. Suddenly, I saw the baby in my arms fold his palms (like we do namaste). In a split second, I saw Baba standing in front of us. Gopal had his palms still folded, I think. Swami materialized vibhuti and offered (to who?). I stretched my palm and Baba did not give it to me. He was holding it tight between the fingers of His right hand. I took Gopal's hand and opened his palm. Baba put the Holy ash in Gopal's hand while I supported Gopal's with my open palm. Then Swami rubbed Gopal's forehead and chest area with the ashes still sticking to His fingers and said "Good boy. You are a good boy" in English.
At that moment nothing existed for me. I could see nothing but that delicate palm of Swami. I had no awareness of not only my surroundings, but even myself. Suddenly I woke up. Swami walked past the young man who was being pushed by people to make Baba see him. Then, He stopped in front of a labor worker sitting on the ground with his daughter lying on his lap. Swami bent a little bit and asked him in Kannada (the local language) " moorcha rogava?" (is she epileptic?). He said "yes Swami" and Swami materialized fist full of vibhuti, sprinkled all over her body and said "it is gone. She will be healthy" and walked away.
In the meantime, I carefully poured the Vibhuti from Gopal's palm into mine and then into the corner of the receiving blanket and wanted to tie a knot. But the aggressive crowd grabbed my hand and the receiving blanket and emptied the Vibhuti and threw the small blanket at me and left. Anyway, Swami did not put it directly in my palm because, He meant it for Gopal, not for me.
Later on, in the evening, we went to the other village (Vyasanagiri???) to listen to Swami's lecture.
Note 1: For a very long time, we would ask Gopal "what did Baba say to you?" and would get a kick when he said "goobboy, goobboy". I am sure Swami's touch is still helping Gopal with his life's purpose. Thank you Swami.
After reaching home, I realized that I never remembered to ask my two challenge questions.
Note 2: Rao was in Madison, Wisconsin at that time, working towards his Ph. D. No phone calls in those days. I wrote him a letter describing the incident with Swami. Around the time my letter reached him, I received a letter from him in which he described that he attended a Sai bhajan at the residence of one Diane Doughman and how devoted they were etc. This is how Swami took us into His embrace simultaneously. Later on, I met Diane, a wonderful person. Now Diane is not with Sai group anymore - just a change of mind.
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