Namaste'!

It is I, your friend, Neela Ashwani, writing.  I just got done completing my schoolwork; I now have free time until I go to bed, so I decided to write in my journal, to let you know how I am doing.

I am doing very well.  Mummy and Father are well; my big sister, Ashanti (she is 14) is too.  My brothers Ashram, Davan, and Vishnaj (they are six, four, and two) are in bed already, so it is quiet time for Ashanti and myself.  Ashanti is reading, and I am writing in my journal.  Mummy is here, but Father is visiting a neighbor who has been very sick.  I pray the neighbor, Mr. Raj, gets better.  He has a fever and is achy all over.  I pray it is not anything serious.

The weather here is very bad.  Heavy rains have been falling for a good part of the day; it is not a day fit for man or beast.  There are reports of waters rising and roads being washed out.  If it floods, we must move, to try to get to higher ground.  It won't be long before Mummy tells us to gather our things and get ready to leave if we have to.  I pray to the gods that this doesn't happen.

I pray Father comes home from seeing Mr. Raj soon before we make the decision to leave for higher ground.  I don't want him to get caught or left behind.  Tht would be terrible!

I have been inside all day; did not go to school today because of the bad weather.  I have been playing with what few toys I have and trying to entertain my little brothers with songs and finger games, but I quickly got bored with that, so I looked at my books and made funny pictures on my school slate.  I then decided to do my school work, and write in my journal once I got done, which is what I am doing now before I go to sleep.

I don't know if I can go to sleep, with the sound of the heavy rain beating on our tin roof and hearing the ever growling thunder and seeing the lightning light the sky up like it was daytime.  I don't like storms; storms scare me almost as bad as elephants and tigers!

Well, thank the gods Father has returned home, but he is soaked to the skin.  I pray he doesn't fall ill!  I am going to stop writing now and go to bed while I still can.  Hopefully we won't have to leave here, but if the rains don't stop, we may very well have to.  I will try to write soon, to let you know what has happened.  Take care; talk to you again!

~Neela, your friend in India.

~To be continued.~