Asmitmas.

This can't be real.

My housemates and I went out of town for a few days to rest and be with God. It seemed like a good idea to get away from normal life and to be alone with God. And it was. It was really good to spend some days not studying Nepali language and refocusing my brain on the Reason for all of this. However, when we came home, we came back to a different neighborhood.

When we arrived back on our street, I could tell that something was wrong. It was way too quiet.


I went outside to see who was around. I noticed that the old piece of tin roofing that usually blocks the entrance to the sleeping room was missing. The front right doors were open and a sheet was hanging in the open doorway.

When the wind caught the sheet I could see Sundesh's mom sitting inside the room. She waved me over.

As I pulled back the curtain, my heart sank. I hated what I saw.


"Eeeh, naya pashal ho?" I asked hopefully, but with doubt in my heart.




We chatted for a bit about her new shop. She told me that her other shop had closed and that she and her family weren't living in this room anymore. They moved to the back room and are now using the front room as a tea shop.


 My heart sank to my toes and my stomach came up to my throat.

"Oh Lord, please let my Nepali be really bad right now. Please let me be misunderstanding."

But it is true. She and her family took over the front room for their shop and are using the back room for living. The back room where the Asmitas used to live.

The Asmitas.

They are gone.

Gone.

And I didn't even get to say goodbye.

 My love bucket is running a little empty tonight.