We have made it to the end of the beginning. An unexpected phone call from Umrao, the lawyers advocate, on the night of Thursday 23rd. "Sidhu?" "Yes, this is Mr Sidhu." "Sidhu?" "yes it is." GOOD NEWS!" " Who is this?" "GOOD NEWS SIDHU!" - "UMRAO!" "YES!" "OH YOU ARE KIDDING ME!" "NO NO IT IS DONE" and I asked him again if it was true and he said yes. And I asked him again and he said yes. And yet again and he laughed and then I thanked him for calling me. Several times I remember. And he told me he was at the orphanage with Sister Anthea and she told Ankita and she got very excited and it was enough for Umrao to call me to tell me that Ankita was very excited to hear her parents could finally come.
We didn't talk about the judge. I know it was her. I will find out the details when we travel. We leave around the 10th or 14th and return as the troublesome foursome on the 22nd of November. Life is moving again. We are flying at light speed toward our dream. Misery is bowing to heckles and jeers and joy is dancing to unbridled accolades.
I was driving home from Canberra on Wednesday the 22nd, late in the afternoon, somewhere along the federal highway - an empty lake George and the distant hills beyond it to my right. I was alone. And in the middle distance of that dry lake bed their appeared the most precise and colourful rainbow I think I have ever seen. It took my breath away. Just over there - Shooting down out of dark, rolling clouds it looked to pierce the earth like a saber. I could see the glow on the ground where it seemed to penetrate.
I thought about prisms and refracted light and I contemplated the water in the atmosphere and the angle of the sun; and then I turned my mind to the gods. I said a silent prayer and thanked the universe for such a beautiful image and then I felt a kind of elation that I have not felt since I met Ankita. It charged through me as I marveled at the bright, bright orange and the glowing yellow and the vibrant - almost solid purple. And of course as any good pagan would, I took it as a sign. I took it as a sign but was unsure of how to read it. Be grateful to witness the glory of the universe? Was that enough? Or could I read a little further?
My daughter, Ankita was forged of all that colour. She was let go with all of that emotion. She was charged with the crystal clear of earth and sky. And a day later we were blessed with the news of her certain company and the joy of sharing her journey. So to India we go again to bring home even more colour into our already blessed family. Neelu is a bundle of anticipation and Shayne wanted get on the plane days ago.
To those people who have written to me and are waiting the same news for their own chance to take their children - our hearts go out to you. I hope you have the same fortune as us very, very soon. Your wishes have comforted us and now our thoughts and prayers are with you all. God's speed.
