It’s Working!!! Thank You…

Sunday night – after a wonderful day.

My first post, in English,  calling for help, was on Thursday night, July 5th.
By the next morning, Friday, something was already better in the atmosphere, and the waves were less aggressive; I also got my copy of our weekly little internal newsletter, the short note and call I had sent was published there indeed, and I could feel it was reaching people also that way, from that very morning on.
With the combined result of both my post on this blog (plus immediate short text in French) and my call in those ‘News & Notes” for Aurovilians and friends of Auroville everywhere, by Friday night the waves were definitely quieter and the water had started retreating, some sand was again visible between the first buildings of Repos and the ocean. Relief!…
Yesterday (Saturday) was quite nice, the terrible pressure from the waves was gone, the water was far and low, the whole day was so peaceful one could hardly believe it.
At night we were blessed with at last a good rain.
And today, Sunday, was simply a great day: One of those days thoroughly enjoyable at a beach – for there was again a beach indeed!!! And plenty of people on it, Indian people mostly, families and families and nice youths, boys and girls, and everybody was swimming or at least playing in the ocean, it was fantastic. Even the girls and ladies were ‘swimming’ gleefully in their sarees, a most wonderful sight. Quite a few boys were trying themselves on boogie boards or even big surfboards (yes, there was just that little surf ideal for beginners…!) under the watching eye of our master surfers: our two young Tamil nightwatchmen, making probably great business as well, good for them.
I was inside Repos, sitting here or there, up on my terrace or down under a hut or another, simply looking at it all with a big smile within; the best place was in the Cafe open area, comfortably seated in the one plastic armchair (broken…) that is still remaining; on the table were my small bottle of mint syrup with water, and the book I am currently studying, and I used them sometimes, but always I was fully aware of the whole joyful scene in front of me in the distance, and thoroughly enjoying myself too just looking at it. Playfulness, I thought at some point, playfulness! I forgot that so important element in my blurb describing my vision of the new ‘Repos’ to come, and now they are showing it to me… all those people, the adults just like the young ones, were like kids in the water, giggling, jumping, holding hands, splashing around, catching each other… Having fun!
During the hot hours after lunch time, I was alone there, sitting, the sky was so blue, the shimmering ocean was so blue and turquoise, you know, almost like in the South Seas, and my whole being was drinking in silently the amazing simple beauty of it all, so grateful to be there and feeling with tranquil exhilaration “This is exactly why I love it so much here. This is pure happiness.” And I realized at the very same moment that this was what Sri Aurobindo had described, the ‘haven of splendid soft-repose’ where one ‘could recover the lost habit of happiness’. I was right in it. Back again in it more consciously than ever before. And I thanked you all from the depths of my heart, to have helped, and to be ready to help again if it ever becomes necessary again.
I tried to post this immediately before going to bed, but no internet connection. Sorry to keep you waiting for this feedback…

Monday afternoon – 4.30, after the departure of the few regular daily workers, whom I supervise.

Busy day!… In spite of the very nice dip in the ocean that I was able again to go for early in the morning, I didn’t get too much delayed in my usual morning schedule and I managed at last to go to Pondy, a very much needed expedition in autorickshaw that I really couldn’t postpone any longer. First on the way was a stop in Muthialpet to give an avalanche of bedsheets to the ‘High Tech Laundry’ there, a pure blessing for me since our old washing-machine finally quit two months back. Several hours later and having done already at least the most urgent half of all what I had on my list, when I was back in Repos my first, slightly anxious look was for the ocean: was it still quiet, and respectfully away from our place?… It was!!!
When for nearly one full month it has been a practically constant pounding of waves coming closer and closer, making it difficult even to sleep at night, one hardly dares to believe it can be again a nice weather without that edge of a threat in it…