It has begun...

No matter how you say it...14 days...2 weeks....half a month....a fortnight (that's my fav by the way) the fact remains is that our incredible journey is rapidly coming to an end. We only have 2 weeks (out of 26) left.

The sadness that we knew was inevitable has started to show already...and it couldn't have happened with a worse person. Let me tell you about P. Suganya. The first time I came to India in 2008, P. Suganya was in 2nd grade. I think that in the two weeks I was here that time, P.Suganya became an actual extension of my body. Wherever I was, she was...whatever I did, she did. We must have played a million pat-a-cake-type games together those two weeks. SHE WAS MY BUDDY!

When I came back in 2010, P. Suganya was in 4th grade. The culture being what it is, it was more difficult for her to be so close to me all the time. She stayed back at a distance for the first few days...It wasn't until WAY later that P. Suganya resumed her role as my shadow. Once she did, it was just like the old days :)

Fast forward to 2011...when we first got here. I couldn't wait to see Suganya and when I did, I saw that she had grown into a beautiful young woman...studying in 6th grade. Although our relationship has been different this time around, we are still extremely close and just LOVE each other's company.

Last week, Suganya and I were reminiscing a little bit about the first time I came to India. I asked if she remembered and she responded that she did. I said "We must have played a million games of 'Zip Zap Zoom' (a hand game)". Suganya got a HUGE smile on her face and said "No Uncle, six million". We laughed about it and then talked some more about 2008 and 2010.

Fast forward to 2 days ago...a typical night at the hostel. I was hanging out with some kids, including Suganya when all of a sudden, I got the longest sustained hug I have ever gotten from a kid in India. It became fairly obvious that there was the slightest bit of crying going on and so I looked at Suganya and I asked her why she was sad. She responded with "I have such sadness, you are leaving very soon..."

UGH...

Kick...to....the....gut.

I could not deny the fact that I was leaving soon...I could simply hold her and say "Yes. I am leaving very soon but we still have two weeks left." The words didn't do much to heal either of our hearts...the damage had been done. Being here six months has brought with it the blessing of beautiful, deep and meaningful relationships. It has brought the curse of having to say goodbye at least for a little while.

The one thing that I can say for certain is that I am going to miss P. Suganya....
I am going to miss her times a million.................
No Uncle, six million.