Miss Marple in India - February 27

I have always loved reading Agatha Christie murder mysteries. Agatha wrote what are now called British Cozies – no violence beyond a body found somewhere interesting – the library (who has libraries these days?), the garden, or in the parsonage. My grandmother loved them and the first ones I read were at her house in Mendocino. As she used to say, “There is nothing like a good clean murder!”

Miss Marple, one of her continuing characters (along with Hercule Poirot, and less interesting to me, Tommy and Tuppence), was an elderly woman who lived in a small village, St. Mary Mead, in a rural area of England that certainly experienced an incredible number of murders for such a small population. Her MO was to figure out the motive (and, therefore the murderer) based on similarities of characters between persons connected with the crime and people from her past. So, if Suspect A reminds her of Acquaintance B, and Acquaintance B acted in a certain way, then she assumes Person A will act in a similar manner.

Ever since coming to India, I keep meeting people who remind me of others I know. Sometimes it is a single physical feature, or a personality characteristic, or maybe just their voice. And, like Miss Marple, I assume that, because they remind me of a friend, they will act like my friend – and often they do.

Susan Lewis, from the MSQLP board, is with me every day in the person of Patty Cullen’s friend, Nirmala. They look somewhat similar – although Nirmala is Persian and I doubt that Susan is! It took me a while to figure out who it was she reminded me of - but now I enjoy seeing their common features when I am with Nirmala.

Carrieanna Hess, a young MSQLP client and a friend, is with me directly in that one of her closest friends is here at the Ashram. Rosemary and Carrieanna have been good friends since grammar school. I learned that my first day here at the Ashram and felt immediately close to Rosemary. After all, a friend of Carrieanna’s is automatically a fine person in my book.

Mimi Wessling, an MSQLP Advisor, is here in the person of Nona – a most interesting doctor who is volunteering her time here. Nona has quirks that Mimi doesn’t have but I immediately overlook them because she reminds me of Mimi.

I can’t figure out who Bhovana reminds me of – she is beautiful – but it is how she moves her mouth when she speaks that is a dead ringer of someone I know. I find myself focused on her mouth when she talks because I can’t figure it out yet. But I will.

Yianna uses her hands when she speaks just like Lynn Archer. Sometimes when Yianna is speaking I find myself paying more attention to her hands than to what she is saying which is a shame because she is a really interesting person – but then so is Lynn.

One of the children here (I think she is 4) is a dead ringer for Valerie Fisher Philmus at that age – just add a little Indian blood to Valerie and you would have Kiran.

Shrirajeb (I think that is his name – not sure) is a clone of David Marshak – except that his hair is completely gray. He doesn’t quite have David’s heh heh heh laugh, but other than that, he has the same pacing to his speech. I love talking with him because I feel like David is right here with me. It sure would be nice if I could remember his name – and this is a situation where I can’t fall back on the method I used with all the students whose names I couldn’t remember – “Honey” would NOT be appropriate.

Dyadar, the acupuncturist, speaks exactly like Jack Ellena from Carmel High School. I love talking with him for the same reason as talking with David’s clone.

RPT is a dead ringer for Richard Fletcher, also from Carmel High. When he starts speaking with passion about something I smile in recognition of Richard’s similar sense of passion.

And finally, a new arrival, Jivin, looks a little like my beloved brother, David - and Penny (who left about 10 days ago) has my sister Mary’s hair. I am still waiting to find the reminders of my other bother and sister, Carroll and Catherine, but assume they will arrive here before I leave.

So, although you were unaware of it, many of you are with me in spirit here in India. I am glad you are here. It gives me the comfort of family and friends around me when I am very far away from all of you.

I passed the half way mark several days ago – I will be home 4 weeks from today (I am writing this on Feb 28). In some ways I can’t believe so much time has passed, but, in other ways, it seems like a long time ago that I left home in mid January. It has certainly been an adventure and I am being stretched - as I hoped.