Sai Baba and my recovery that never occurred
Date: 12-27-02
From: Norberto Aiello
Sent: Saturday November 30th 2002 - 16.35 p.m.
Date: 12-27-02
From: Norberto Aiello
Sent: Saturday November 30th 2002 - 16.35 p.m.
I first heard about Sai Baba in 1990 and after reading a lot of unbelievable things about him, and after attending his devotees, I decided to go and meet him personally. You must know that I've been suffering from progressive muscular dystrophy since I was 7 years old, and now I am 49 and I have been in a wheelchair for over 20 years. Anyway, I went to India for the first time in 1993, to Whitefield, and everything was nice, even if Baba didn't choose me for a private interview. All the same I was charmed and little by little I myself became a devotee. In spite of the many problems I had travelling, I decided to come back there after six months, because of a dream, in which he told me to come to him; he would grant me a private interview. And so I left for Puttaparthi. My dream did not come true because he did not call me. But by now, I had become a fanatic follower and so after 10 months I left once again.
My third journey was in September 1994, and it was very beautiful because this time Sai Baba called my group for an interview. You can easily understand our happiness, as we truly believed in him. He let us sit and soon after he "materialized" some ash he gave to everyone, then he produced a golden necklace and a plastic watch he gave to an Indian girl, and a small ring for a 9-year-old boy who, according to Baba, had a cancer, but he would heal him. Soon after he led the Italian group into another room. The interview was rather short, especially because there was not an interpreter who could translate what we said. So he promised to call us once again and asked us to look for a better interpreter than myself, but before I went out he asked me why I was in a wheelchair. I told him about my illness and that I could stand on my feet, even if for short periods. He asked me to stand up. I tried, but I couldn't, so I asked my nephew to help me. Baba looked at me without saying anything until I was obliged to sit down.
After two days, we were called by Baba again. This time we had an interpreter with us, an Italian girl, who had been living in London for 7 years; we entered the interview room and there, after producing three rings, he chose us for a private interview. There were six of us, and Baba was talking with the youngest, then I asked him if he wanted to help me (you see, I said wanted on purpose and not could, because as he says he is God, he can do whatever he wants). He answered I had some problems in my belly (and in the meanwhile he touched me there), it was very difficult, but if he wanted, he could do that (and I really believed him). In the end he said: "Ok, I give you recovery".
I was so very happy, I inquired with the interpreter if I had understood, if he really meant what he said about the recovery from this terrible illness. The interpreter asked Baba, he said "yes". We went out of the room, and in front of all the other persons I asked for a present, and he produced a ring with his face on it.
I remained a devotee for many years, and the following year I came back to India, September 1995, he did not call us and didn't even come near us, but I was still convinced I would recover, and it went on in this way for 5 years.
Time has passed, my faith has become weaker and weaker, my illness has got worse and worse.
Norberto Aiello