It was the 26th of January. The boys had come from school after the Republic day function. It was a red-letter day for India and for me too.
The next day we had our examination. I was however, not in a mood to study. I went through the back door of the hostel, attracted by some boys working on the parallel bars. I too felt like exercising on the parallel bars. I stood in between the bars and started swinging. As I started swinging, I realised that I had put some oily cream on my hands to prevent dry skin. Before I could think what would happen, I came crashing down to the ground. I tried to sit up, but could not do so due to the terrible pain. The boys who were standing nearby wanted to carry me, but I preferred to walk to the sick ward with their support.
There I lay with many ice cubes on my swollen back. Our warden, suspecting a serious injury, got the car ready to take me to the hospital. As we reached the hospital, the doctor there took an X-ray, but he couldn’t immediately give his diagnosis. We knew an expert orthopedist, whose son was a student in our school. He was contacted and informed of my condition. The doctor, understanding the situation, came to Puttaparthi within two days. Those two days were really painful to me, for I had to lie on a bare iron cot on my injured back and I was not supposed to turn on my bed.
When the doctor arrived, he conducted a few tests and said that Swami had really saved me. I did not understand why he said so, because all the other doctors had earlier said that it was a fracture on the eleventh rib and so was not serious. But later the orthopedist told that it was the eleventh vertebra and not the rib that had got damaged. Due to the fall, the vertebra had got compressed. But nothing had happened to the spinal cord that runs through the vertebra. The eleventh vertebra is said to be the most vulnerable part on the backbone and is very weak. It is said that the vertebra gets dislocated very easily and is called the sponge vertebra. If it was not for Swami’s grace, I would have been completely paralyzed for the rest of my life.
This happened when Swami was away for a few days from Prasanthi Nilayam. The Warden had sent a message to Swami informing Him of my fall. When Swami came to Puttaparthi, He saw my brother sitting for Darshan with a gloomy face. Swami came up to him and asked, “What do you want?” “Swami, my brother is in the hospital”, replied my brother. Swami said, “Yes, I know. Due to Swami’s Grace nothing has happened to his spinal cord.”
The doctor, after checking me thoroughly, permitted me to turn in the bed only with the help of others. I was much relieved to stay in the bed but my world was confined to the edges of the cot. The boy who came to take care of me did all the odd jobs without any hesitation. He fed me and gave all the things that I needed. All the hostel boys prayed to Swami and their prayers had saved one of their brothers. Some of the boys visited me during my stay, with books and magazines. They were accompanied by teachers and senior students. The warden also came to see me many a time and everyone wished me a speedy recovery.
The most surprising fact was that, I could bear the pain of lying down all the time and not getting up even once during those two months. It is very difficult to do for a boy of my age, who is always restless. It was only with Swami’s Grace and blessings that I could bear all the suffering with ease.
In the hospital, I was feeling sad for I thought that I could not take the annual examinations. The boys said that without writing the examination it would be difficult for me to be promoted, since I had not written two internal unit tests. Then one day our class teacher came and said that I could take the examination with someone writing for me while I dictated to him. Hearing this I became frightened since I had not attended classes for two months and was not in touch with the subjects. But with Swami’s Grace, I passed the examinations successfully.
In the first week of April, my parents came to Puttaparthi from Assam and by then I had just started walking. I told my father to ask the doctor whether I could be permitted to go for Darshan, as the next day was my birthday. My father agreed to do so, but was not very optimistic. Just then the door opened. The doctor was standing at the door. He told my father that I would be discharged from the hospital. I was filled with joy as I would celebrate my birthday in Swami’s presence. I realised that it was only Swami’s Will. He did not want me to be sad. I could then understand His love for His children.
- Mintoo Bordoloi
Alumnus, Sri Sathya Sai Higher Secondary School
Prasanthi Nilayam
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