Has there ever been a time in your life, something has happened and no matter how you try, you can never bring yourself to to forgive? Indra Prem shares an intimate story of her parents, her arrival into the world and how she witness throughout the years, her father not being able to forgive.
“What are we going to do?!” she whimpered.
“One step at a time.” He leaned over, gave his wife a peck on the cheek, and reassured her everything would be fine.
He checked his pockets for change. The few coins he found and the clothes they wore were all they owned – everything else had been stolen. There were no savings!
All their money had been sent to his wife’s brother to purchase a tourist boat. They’d anticipated they would make a fortune. He had phoned his brother-in-law to tell him of their dilemma and ask for help. The response was not what he’d expected; the brother-in-law refused to give them a dime. The boat had been purchased but he was claiming it as his!
A long stretch of road lay before them, the first step was taken, and their journey had begun.
Their destination was the town of St Lucia. Months earlier he had been admitted to St Lucia hospital, and befriended a nurse. Since the couple had just settled in Queensland she was the only person they knew, and their only hope.
He stuck out his thumb – surely someone would give them a ride, especially since his wife was 8 months pregnant. I lay safe in my mother’s womb.
My parents did get a lift.
Since my father didn’t know where the nurse lived, they were dropped off in an unknown street. It was dusk and beginning to rain. My mother panicked; there was no money for a hotel, not even a camp site. My father surveyed the scene; they were in front of an abandoned house. The dilapidated building was their haven.
They huddled on cold dirty floorboards, their only warmth – dad’s jacket.
When the sun rose, so did my father, he was on a mission to find the nurse. He was unsuccessful.
Again that night, they huddled on cold boards.
Embarrassed, my mother woke my father from a deep sleep to let him know she’d wet herself. He grunted incoherently then rolled over. He had no idea my mother’s waters had broken and it was time for me to enter the world.
Maybe it was intuition, but something told him to get up and out into the cold winter’s night. He found a telephone booth, rang emergency and spoke to a doctor who told him to get to the hospital – “NOW!”
Dad tried to explain, he had no car and there was no money for a taxi.
It was a wild ride to the hospital; red lights were ignored and the cab driver tooted his horn like a musical instrument. On arrival dad pretended he had left his wallet at home. He told the driver to pick up the money the next day (he never did).
After admitting mum into the maternity ward, dad walked two hours to get back to his makeshift home.
The family heard the story repeatedly and each occasion we witnessed the disdain my father held for my uncle. Although the story had a happy ending, dad died having never forgiven my uncle – how sad.
Have you ever experienced a situation or a relationship, that has stayed with you? Have you not yet been able to get to a place of forgiveness?
Is it time to let go? To give yourself the freedom that comes with understanding and forgiveness?
Indra Prem is a Kundalini Yoga teacher, she also gives raw food classes where students prepare meals that are not only highly nutritional but taste delicious. She has just started Community Assisting Communities in Need. It is about community working together – each person merging their skills and ideas – to help those less fortunate.
Her first venture is a retreat on Tara Farm where numerous healers of different modalities will be gathered to assist the people of the Central Coast. She sees Tara Farm as a place where people can stretch, dance, sing, chant, learn, and heal. All profits will go to the community whose home is on the street.
You can contact Indra via 0404 568 326 or email: indraprem01@gmail.com
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