got out of the car, and His foot touched the ground, a tremendous bolt of lightening went into the Long Lake, and the rains descended. Mehera said later she had never seen such a bolt of lightening. It was as if He had held off the storm until He was through His work, then "pressed the button" to let the rains descend. It was just a tiny glimpse of His awesome power over Nature. Mostly, during that week, Baba was like a father, a playmate, a lover, a friend to us all: He didn't let us glimpse any of His great power and knowledge. He gave us only tiny hints – like knowing our most secret thought or wish.

Kitty said Baba was like He was in the old days – like Krishna to His gopis – and she had not seen Him like that for many years. It was hard to realize that the harsh days of the New Life were just behind Him. And of course, we had forgotten His warning of "the great personal disaster" facing Him.

A goodbye embrace from Baba, Sunday, May 18. I didn't start to cry until I was standing in the bus station in Myrtle Beach, then it hit me. The first separation from Baba is as painful as the first meeting is joyous! You feel like Adam and Eve leaving Paradise. But just then, the jukebox began to play "Begin the Beguine," Baba's favorite song.

Back in New York, on the job, was like going back into a prison. Everything seemed to have a hard, cutting edge. It was a downer, as the kids say today. Every day I followed Baba's trip West on the big sales map in my office. On Friday, I looked at Oklahoma and saw a small town, Prague, near Oklahoma City, and thought, "They must be near there now."

Then came the shocking news of the accident. The news was sketchy at first – and worst of all was not knowing how badly Baba and His party were injured. A few garbled lines appeared in The Daily News – every name spelled wrong. The Avatar wanted no publicity, obviously. But His "family" suffered with Him. Monday morning, I looked at the big map again. Prague was nowhere to be found! I called in the secretary to look for Prague. It was not on that map! Baba was being cared for in the Prague clinic, recently opened by Dr. Ned Burleson. He later sent me a very beautiful letter. But when one man in our group heard Baba ate meat in the hospital, and accepted the drug shot to set His broken arm and leg, he turned against Baba. He said no real Master eats meat or takes drugs – or presumably – has an accident. But the Avatar is different. He even gets Himself crucified. This man was the very one who had such a beautiful experience on meeting Baba that he had stayed a long time on our porch. I asked him what about that experience? He said, "It was the devil's fire." So much for idées fixes about Masters!

Kitty Davy has written extensively of this critical period in The Awakener Vol. 6, No. 4. so I will not repeat it here. All of the injured did make a good recovery and towards the end of July, we received the news that Baba would stop in New York on His way back to India. Even in His condition, He said He would give darshan for three days in New York. But a house had to be found for Him and about 18 in His party. This house had to be half an hour from New York, it had to have a garden overlooked by no one, and so on. Everyone at once started looking for it. The phone wires burned between New York and Myrtle Beach, but no house satisfied Baba.

Then I suddenly recalled an acquaintance in Scarsdale – Kate Ferris. She had heard of Baba and I had gone to see her just once. Her house was large and charming. Boldly, I called her, "Would you like to loan your house to Meher Baba for two weeks?"