A Tale of two Packages...

October 30, 2009
Once upon a time there were two packages en route to Nepal from the United States. They contained clothes and snacks and all sorts of fun and exciting things. One day, Sister received notice that they had arrived! With excitement and exuberance, Sister set off to retrieve her packages with a handful of children. To her dismay, though, the packages were not at the nearby post office, but were rather at the one down in Kathmandu, over an hour away by MicroBus.

After waiting several days, Shiva and Laxman figured out where to go, and agreed to take Sister with them. They set off around 4:30 in the afternoon, ignoring the bold typed office hours which ended at 3 (what post office closes at 3?!). They caught a MicroBus, and rode for an hour, crossing dirty rivers, passing the King’s Palace, and soon the MicroBus was filled with over 40 people. Suddenly, Shiva said that it was time to get out.

Without having an inkling of an idea as to where she was, Sister was totally at the disposal of two teenage boys in a city brimming with people, over an hour from home! Thankfully, true to their word, Shiva and Laxman did know where the General Post office was, and they quickly made their way over there. To their extreme disappointment, the office was closed, and darkness was brimming on this Hindu city. With forlorn faces, they began to trek home.

They walked, and they walked, and they walked. Suddenly sister realized that they really weren’t going to take a bus to get home, and really were going to walk the whole way! We’re talking an hour and 45 minutes, up and down hills and stairs, around trash piles, dodging in and out of traffic. Amazing, I know! About halfway home, they stopped and bought snacks to tide them over. They arrived at home exhausted and dejected. Sister’s spirits brightened when she realized that the next week Uncle would be home and would take her to receive her package!

The day after Uncle arrived, he took Sister to claim her packages! With great excitement and anticipation, she danced through the mazes at customs to claim this hidden treasure, which had only increased in value over time! 50 rupees here, 200 rupees there, $5 in taxes is nothing compared to a good American jar of peanut butter!

Arriving at home later that afternoon, Sister found the children awaiting her return, with grins on their faces. They knew that they would receive surprises from those foreign boxes that came from faraway places known only in their minds! With an easy smile, Sister told them to wait, and after dinner she would allow them to have the surprises. True to her word, after dinner they broke out the games of Go Fish, Old Maid, and so many more!

After awhile, Sister went up to her bedroom to read and then sleep. However, half an hour later, she heard shouting and rambunctious laughter wafting in the air! Concerned that the sleeping children might be wakened, she flew downstairs to check and see what was going on. To her surprise, Laxman, Shiva, Sunita and Rami were playing Bible trivia with one of the decks of cards, asking each other the questions, and laughing at the assortment of answers! With laughter, she joined in and began to play with them. For about 15 minutes they sent the questions around, racing to be the first to answer. Listening to the answers might have been the most humorous thing Sister had done in a long time! Adam and Eve and Peter and Paul and fish and bread danced around in her head as she darted back up the stairs to go to sleep. With contented relief, Sister smiled knowing that the packages were finally with their rightful owners, and the kids were thoroughly enjoying them!