the silent smile

every day around 17:30, the "aunt" comes to bless this resort. she is a short woman but with a big round face and a big round belly. her smile is like that of mona lisa. her walk is like that of a priestess; slow, looking forward, non pulsed by anything other than her actions. she wears a mans wide striped greyish polo shirt, and a simple beige sarong with a yellow sash. she carries a small round plastic tray on which she has prepared ahead of time 4 small flower offerings with a stick of burning incense in each. she lives in a small shack behind the resort. and she slowly" glides" along the dirt path. a stone wall separates the path from the resort and since she is short, i can only see from her mouth to the top of her head where the dark hair is pulled into a big bun. she does not look left or right, just silently walks until she gets to the far gate at which point she carefully balances the tray while her other hand reaches down to move the wooden lock to the left so she can enter, and then again closes the gate. i catch her eye sometimes at that moment, as i am usually sitting by the sofa at this time of day, and i smile at her, and she gives me a mona lisa smile in return in silence. she walks slowly and steadily down the path that leads to the altar for the resort towards the rear. after having placed the first offering there and blessed it, she continues over to the big bale where we eat and which is the center of the resort. i am usually sitting on the sofa that is next to the little altar hanging on the cement post. she removes her flip flops and then alights the 2 steps and steadily holds the tray again in one hand while removing the offering with incense which she places on the pile of former offerings that are piled up on the altar from days gone by. she must go on her tiptoes to reach the altar. not a single superfluous movement is made. once she has placed the little triangular folded banana leaf cup on the altar, her thick fingers on her right hand dip one flower petal into the little cup of holy water that is on the tray, and sprinkles the drops from it with a gentle flick of her hand, three times onto the offering, and then, with petal between second and third finger, she makes a gentle elegant waving movement along with the wisps of smoke from the incense with her stubby hand over the offering while silently blessing. finished, she slowly takes the step back to the two steps and "floats" into her flip flops and slowly and steadily walks back to the front gate where she does the same procedure on the earth in front of the resort, and on the corner of the wall. and then walks back, slowly and gracefully to her house. i have never heard her speak, and cannot even imagine her speaking. her silent presence is so powerful.

i always stop whatever it is i am doing when she comes to make the offerings. somehow i have a feeling that her dedicated simple humble daily gesture is what makes this place so magical.