Day 58, Oct. 7

Another moving day! It’s as if I worked in the NBA moving all the time. This time I’m on my way back to Chennai. I’m to stay at Loyola University for a day and a half.
For so short a time in Dindigul it was a sad occasion to leave. I had developed a rapport with the nuns and staff at the Bishop’s House. Mass was said completely in English in my honor. The nuns sang English songs. They looked sad as well. The bishop had high expectations that I would be back bearing gifts. I let hoping and praying I could deliver something. The driver and the Superintendent of Schools stayed with me until the train arrived. I got on sad.
I was supposed to get a window seat. My car didn’t have such accommodations. It was a second class sleeper (six beds to a compartment). We stated out with seven in the compartment. He two who were sitting there with the wrong tickets wee allowed to stay the by the conductor. They soon left. It was still early morning (about 8:30). So the five others (a couple and a family with a teen and a two year old) started assembling the beds and offered me a lower berth. I took it and relaxed in it. I couldn’t do the typing my ETC columns I had planned to do. However, relaxing and cat-napping for a couple of hours was pleasant. At one time the train had an unexpected stop between stations. I took it that we were sided to wait for an oncoming train to use the one main track. I might have been right. However, I decided to us the time to go to the latrine. Just outside it a man laid on the floor as if he were asleep. I walked over him. He looked like he was enjoying his sleep. But, he was too still. Later, I took another walk and found official looking people talking over him. He was dead. At the next station they took his body and spent time on reports. I prayed for him privately.
We arrived only a couple of minutes late despite all the delays. I found out Indian trains can go fast if they had to. I got off the train with my two hay bags with the intent to catch a taxi to Loyola U. where I was to stay. Quite by surprise, I met Fr. Vijayan’s young doctor friend at whose parents’ house I stayed when I as last in Chennai. I had to find his phone number and when he called me the night before, my cell phone lost its charge an was recharging. Then I forgot to put the phone back on. Still, he persisted and found me at the station. H drove me to Loyola and looked up some professors he knew and introduced them to me. In the meantime some of the Jesuits who knew I as coming set up a meeting. They explained their interests in helping this society improve. They were pros. Their field is education and sociology. They can be very helpful with their powerful contacts to make our work easier and more effective.
After the meeting, the doctor and his wife joined me and we went out to dinner. I owed them. Then they took me to the beach after dark to watch the full moon illuminate the breakers coming in. After kidding them about going to a beach in the dark f night, I had to admit it was a nice experience. It seems to be an Indian custom to walk the beach at night. I’ll not that and apologize to the priest in Poolampatty.