The day comes for me to leave this madness.The movement to over throw the King is growing bigger..Government workers,90% are on strike,in support of the King's fall...
Judges will only hear cases of illegal detentions..Doctors only work in the E.R..Nurses too...All shops still close at noon in support.(and fear)...Police and Army are the only ones on the job.And they are busy.The movement has grown.It is huge now.
The morning of my pending departure,I awake to learn from CNN,that the King has declared a 24 HOUR,SHOOT TO KILL CURFEW!..Shit. This is getting serious.I call down to confirm my free ride to the airport..Nope..Not today..Impossible they say.
After 3rd call,...they will find someone crazy enough to take me.
I shower and pack my bags..I am ready to go..And I sit down to think..Three times I pick up and put down the phone to call for taxi....I hesitate....This is getting wild,crazy..This is history in the making...The climax is near..1)The King will fall quietly.(Doubt that) or 2)There is going to be a blood bath....
How often do I get a chance to see history up close and personal?..Be right there...A witness to the fall of a tyrant king..Not sit at home on the safety of my couch,clutching a beer in one hand and my American flag in the other....No!...Be right there...Boots on the ground..Shout"I am alive"."I am a witness to history"..The King shall fall..What do I do?.Run to safety at the first sign of trouble?...No!..I will stand and watch history in the making.Yes I knew the dangers...But to be a witness,I have to go take a look..........
I throw my plane tickets in the trash can....A wieght seems to lift off of my shoulders as the tickets leave my hand..I have an spring in my step.I know what I must do.....I must try to walk the streets of Kathmandu right now...Never felt more alive than at that moment..Don't think for one second,I didn't realize the danger I was about to put myself into..I was going to bet my life,they would not shoot a white westerner..
I was thinking clearly........I Was Going To Bet My Life.....
Walking into the hotel lobby,I could see the worried looks,I quickly inform them I am not going to the airport.Shouts of joy,handshakes,I recieved hugs,general happiness..Since I was staying,would I like lunch,beer?.Free!..On the house...No I reply "I'm going out for lunch."When they saw I was serious they tried to restrain me out of concern for my safety....It was quite touching,really.
As I stepped from the hotel courtyard,the silence was deafening.I could hear no city sounds.No children are playing...I am alarmed...I am concerned..This is not good..Not sure what I was expecting.The small,2 table,hole in the wall restro was closed,never before..I had 2nd thoughts.But I was curious.And damn it.I was going to take a look.
At 30 yards,I can see the checkpoint, soldiers too,lots more..Damn!.....There is a black,iron gate blocking access to my lane..By the time I figure out how to open and close the gate,I have four soldiers charging at me,two with Rifles.
I step on to the street.I look up at the sky,....It is a pretty baby blue..."This is a good day to die."..I think to myself..I plant my feet,I square my shoulders and I wait for the soldiers to reach me.
They arrive..Two have Rifles inches from my chest..And two are screaming at me,not nicely.I catch words like hotel,go home,bastard,..Not sure how long they yelled at me......Time stands still or speeds up when you have guns pointed at your chest....I am not sure....
Finally they shut up.And I say.."No!....No Thank You!I am going for lunch and a cold beer."..And with authority,I point towards the Thamel tourist area.......
You should have seen the looks on their faces..It never occured to them I would refuse to retreat..Shit...They look at each other,at their rifles and back at me...Maybe I didn't see the rifles.This went on for a comical minute.
About now,I'm wondering how much pain I will feel if they blow my heart out....I figure,not much......I Am Betting My Life.....!
They start yelling at me again,but this time,they are poking me in the chest with their rifles...When they stop..I decide I have nothing new to say,so I just point,with conviction towards the tourist area.....We stare at each other,again my mind wanders to pain levels of a gun shot....Someone across the street calls out,the soldiers stand down,and I am allowed to pass.
Just as I feel I have won something,I look down the street for the first time....I Nearly Fucking Die!....There are 300-350 soldiers on the ground..My Knees Nearly Buckle..It took all I had not to fall on the sidewalk...It took even more not to run to my hotel...Not that my legs would work..My instinct screamed at me to drop and hug the sidewalk...My knees trembled......It took all I had to stand upright.
Rifles bouncing off of my chest?....I could handle that...Walking through 350 Rifles,not sure I can do that...This shit aint easy..I try to pull myself together.......With Very Little Sucess....
My knees nearly buckle again....It takes time to steady myself....I want to run but my knees want to buckle..Fuck Me!.I want to retreat to my hotel...I am shakened. ...Hard...Not sure I can take it....It is all I can do to simply stand upright......I have over 350 soldiers staring at me...
"You made your move,Bitch!.Go for it."
I take small steps.I try to forget the danger, It Is "Shoot To Kill",.I keep my eyes open.I head for Thamel....So many times it has been just me and the Rifles....At times,it has been hard to walk this path.I have learned I am not scared or afraid....But I am concerned....Sometimes,very concerned...Sounds easy,step up and walk through the Rifles.
I zig zag and side step my way to Thamel.Unsmiling soldiers,grim looks,lots and lots of Rifles.Some hard glares too.
Not alot of people out in Thamel's few restros still open...But My Friends were!!.They live in the Thamel area.No checkpoints.I made sure to headback well before dark.Surprisingly,I had no difficulties at all.Just checkpoints,and they did not challange me at all.I just walked through...350 rifles were all gone.
A few days later,with 1 million to march in the AM,the King stepped down the night before, in the P.M,,before that happened...Kathmandu could breathe..The King had fallen...
Enjoy oneself.I had a great time and grew to love this city above all others..Since then,I have gone to Nepal 5 times in four years.Now that has to be Love.....ha.............
I am not in Kansas anymore,Dorithy And I think I got my money's worth................
