The Israeli Doctor
30/3/08 Rishikesh
At my first morning in Rishikesh I got up to a loud cry of a child.
It was very painful screaming voice to hear and to wake up to, but the main thing was that most probably it was a very painful reason for that child to cry up so loud, I thought.
As I did not like the room I stayed in, at that family Guest House, I packed my stuff to move to a better room in a near by Guest House. I had my morning shower on ease, I got my stuff ready to move, but all that time the cry of the child continued. It was a loud painful cry.
I went down to settle the account. A group of women were sitting on a scruffy sofa in the entrance of the house. Some young woman and one older woman that was probably the grand mother. (Also the mother-in-law, as in the Indian tradition the women join the husband’s family… but that’s another story.) There was one young woman in charged on the lettings of the rooms, but she was chasing a very young child, at the age of two, that was screaming Loudly.
Way’s the child is crying? I asked.
He got burned with a boiling tea. She replayed.
Can I see? I asked.
She showed me a naked bum that was marked badly with hot tea.
Do you have anything to put on it? I asked.
Nothing. She replayed. All the women were looking at me with great interest.
I have something! I said and opened my big bag.
I took out my Kupat Cholim ‘department’ and gave the woman the Desitin past.
She covered gently te cream on the burned area.
Than I suggested that she will put clean SOFT pants on the young boy.
The medicine calmed the boy, but maybe also the attention that was given the child eased his pain and he stopped his crying. He was looking all ever with his big eyes.
Are you going to see a Doctor? I asked.
I never see a Doctor! She replayed with confidence.
Put the kid to sleep. I suggested and left.
As I felt for that young painful child, I came after some hours again. The women were sitting at the entrance.
The Israeli Doctor came! Called the mother of the child, and the boy was brought from another inside room. The women were smiling at me. The child looked sleepy.
I came on the next day as well. Each time I came I was greeted with loud voice: The Israeli Doctor came!
Today, before leaving that side of the river, moving to Luxman Jhula, I went to see the kid.
I do have the Cream! the woman said to me in a nonchalant voice.
I went to see the Doctor! She said proudly, and moved on to her busy Sunday morning duties.