only Hindus are allowed to enter temple grounds.”
“It’s terrible. That poor elephant can’t move. He needs to get free,” Ben said.
“Ben, come with us,” Gran called.
Reluctantly, Ben followed the adults as they made their way to the Kwality Restaurant next to the guest house.
“Hope you two are taking your malaria pills,” Martha said. “A friend of ours got a bad case of malaria down here. Forgot to take his pills. He was one sick man.”
Geoffrey added, “Guess you heard the one about Indian hospitals not being so bad?”
“No, don’t think we have,” Gran said.
“It’s a good one,” Martha said, leaning toward her husband.
Geoffrey puffed himself up. “Well, it seems a man got sick in India and went to the door of an Indian hospital. He took one look inside and turned away. Cured.”
Ben frowned and looked at his grandmother.
“Funny, eh.” Geoffrey said. “Get it?”
“I don’t,” Ben said, turning toward Gran.
Gran explained. “It means the sick man took one look inside the hospital, and things were so terrible, he said he was cured so he wouldn’t have to go inside.”
Ben wasn’t certain he understood, but he decided to let it go.
“Remember you heard it here,” Geoffrey said, laughing with Martha.
“We’ll be sure to remember,” Gran said.
Ben bent his head to his breakfast while Gran told the Bonders how the search for Shanti had taken them from Delhi to Agra and now Varanasi. “As soon as we finish eating we’re meeting the new owner to see if he knows anything about Shanti’s parents.”
They found Mr. Gupta at the reception desk. It turned out that he’d purchased the lodge from a young couple who’d moved to Calcutta. Mr. Gupta thought for a minute. “You know, there is another guest house called the Old Vishnu on the other side of town. I suggest you try there.”
Ben wrote down the address. “We should go there now, Gran.”
Gran answered. “Ben, I’m beat. After that sleepless night on the train I have to lie down awhile before we go anywhere.”
Ben followed her, noticing how slowly she climbed the stairs. He went into the bathroom and washed his face in cold water. Gran was lying down when he came out.
What a morning. A bloated cow with its legs sticking up in the air. The smell of the body burning on the pyre. The little corpse being carried so close to him in the alley. But it was the elephant tied up beside the temple that kept returning to Ben’s thoughts. “I’m not tired, Gran,” he said. “I’d like to go back and find out about the elephant we saw.”
“Forget that,” Gran said, lifting her head from the bed. “There’s no way I’m letting a boy your age wander around alone.” Her head slipped back and she closed her eyes.
Ben went to the window and looked down at the labyrinth of narrow streets. It was not yet noon. He checked his grandmother. Her steady snores told him she had fallen asleep. How could anyone sleep with so many amazing things just a step away? He could see the dome of the temple and could almost hear the pitiful bellow of the chained elephant.
Ben opened the door and stepped out.
Still Day Six
IT WASN’T FAR TO the temple. Ben hurried through the gate and over to the enclosure that roped off the small elephant. The elephant grunted, short frustrated grunts, as it strained to be free of the chain around his foot. Ben stepped close. “Easy, easy.”
The elephant’s wrinkled skin was mottled with dirt from its struggles. It had no tusks and his grey ears were freckled right out to the ragged edges. Ben reached over to run his hand along the elephant’s trunk. The trunk was warm and leathery, only about as thick as a mountain bike tire.
The elephant stopped pulling and turned its sad eyes to watch Ben. It was those eyes, Ben thought … There was something so ancient and knowing about them that made you feel an elephant really saw you. You were communicating with an animal who really knew who you
“It’s terrible. That poor elephant can’t move. He needs to get free,” Ben said.
“Ben, come with us,” Gran called.
Reluctantly, Ben followed the adults as they made their way to the Kwality Restaurant next to the guest house.
“Hope you two are taking your malaria pills,” Martha said. “A friend of ours got a bad case of malaria down here. Forgot to take his pills. He was one sick man.”
Geoffrey added, “Guess you heard the one about Indian hospitals not being so bad?”
“No, don’t think we have,” Gran said.
“It’s a good one,” Martha said, leaning toward her husband.
Geoffrey puffed himself up. “Well, it seems a man got sick in India and went to the door of an Indian hospital. He took one look inside and turned away. Cured.”
Ben frowned and looked at his grandmother.
“Funny, eh.” Geoffrey said. “Get it?”
“I don’t,” Ben said, turning toward Gran.
Gran explained. “It means the sick man took one look inside the hospital, and things were so terrible, he said he was cured so he wouldn’t have to go inside.”
Ben wasn’t certain he understood, but he decided to let it go.
“Remember you heard it here,” Geoffrey said, laughing with Martha.
“We’ll be sure to remember,” Gran said.
Ben bent his head to his breakfast while Gran told the Bonders how the search for Shanti had taken them from Delhi to Agra and now Varanasi. “As soon as we finish eating we’re meeting the new owner to see if he knows anything about Shanti’s parents.”
They found Mr. Gupta at the reception desk. It turned out that he’d purchased the lodge from a young couple who’d moved to Calcutta. Mr. Gupta thought for a minute. “You know, there is another guest house called the Old Vishnu on the other side of town. I suggest you try there.”
Ben wrote down the address. “We should go there now, Gran.”
Gran answered. “Ben, I’m beat. After that sleepless night on the train I have to lie down awhile before we go anywhere.”
Ben followed her, noticing how slowly she climbed the stairs. He went into the bathroom and washed his face in cold water. Gran was lying down when he came out.
What a morning. A bloated cow with its legs sticking up in the air. The smell of the body burning on the pyre. The little corpse being carried so close to him in the alley. But it was the elephant tied up beside the temple that kept returning to Ben’s thoughts. “I’m not tired, Gran,” he said. “I’d like to go back and find out about the elephant we saw.”
“Forget that,” Gran said, lifting her head from the bed. “There’s no way I’m letting a boy your age wander around alone.” Her head slipped back and she closed her eyes.
Ben went to the window and looked down at the labyrinth of narrow streets. It was not yet noon. He checked his grandmother. Her steady snores told him she had fallen asleep. How could anyone sleep with so many amazing things just a step away? He could see the dome of the temple and could almost hear the pitiful bellow of the chained elephant.
Ben opened the door and stepped out.
Still Day Six
IT WASN’T FAR TO the temple. Ben hurried through the gate and over to the enclosure that roped off the small elephant. The elephant grunted, short frustrated grunts, as it strained to be free of the chain around his foot. Ben stepped close. “Easy, easy.”
The elephant’s wrinkled skin was mottled with dirt from its struggles. It had no tusks and his grey ears were freckled right out to the ragged edges. Ben reached over to run his hand along the elephant’s trunk. The trunk was warm and leathery, only about as thick as a mountain bike tire.
The elephant stopped pulling and turned its sad eyes to watch Ben. It was those eyes, Ben thought … There was something so ancient and knowing about them that made you feel an elephant really saw you. You were communicating with an animal who really knew who you
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