Restringing
After picking out the color and quantity, each string of
glass beads was re-strung. This fellow (along with
about 3 others) were experts! They used both hands and
both feet to restring the beads almost as fast as they
could be picked up and put down. It was amazing.
It was here, while I watched the re-stringing, that Kathy
went off to do some more shopping, and I was
approached by a rather remarkable woman.
She must have weighed 350 lbs., was dressed in nothing
but cardboard draped loosely over her midsection,
covering her breasts, stomach, and hips. She picked me
out of the crowd and began pleading with me in a
language that I didn't understand. As she approached
me, I knew I was in trouble because people around me
began to stare at me, as if to await my reaction.
I had been in Nepal long enough to know that people rarely paid direct attention
to other people's business. But this lady was catching their attention.
I called out for Kathy, but she was too far away to hear.
As I backed away from the lady, she dropped a knife on
the ground and kicked it towards me. Although I didn't
understand a word she was saying, I had the distinct
impression that she was asking me to end her sufferring
by killing her with the knife! I backed away more
quickly, turned, and jogged down the street to find
Kathy.
"Did you see that large woman wearing nothing but
cardboard?"
"No, I didn't see anything."
"She seemed to be asking me to kill her with her knife."
"Hmmm... Do you think Maya will like these beads?"
