Kris likes his vodka. Tito’s vodka.

When Dani is in his room cleaning, he will usually have her fill his vodka glass for him. Everyday before leaving, she will go into Kris’s room to tell him goodbye and see if he needs anything. The good man loves her and will always smile when he sees her. He is always asking Uma, “When is Dani coming?”

So, once when I was in the kitchen talking to Uma waiting for Dani to get her things, she went into Kris’s room and in her cute Dani voice said, “Kreees, do you need anything?” Usually, if he doesn’t, she will say, “Okaay. Bye-bye Kreees.”

This time, she brought his vodka glass into the kitchen and handed it to Uma and said, “Kreees wants more vodka and he told me not to tell you.”

Uma firmly put the glass down with a frown and took a deep breath. I don’t know what happened after we left, but I imagine she took him a little more vodka.

Dani works for Uma and Kris three days a week, Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Those are also the days the next lottery comes out. So when Dani is in Kris’s room cleaning, if he remembers, he tells Dani to tell me to pick up three Powerball tickets and three Multimillion tickets. So, on my way to get Dani, I will stop by a convenience store and pick them up. From what I understand, you can ask for extras, which I believe it is something about winning more. Once a clerk asked me if I wanted extras, I told her No, because it didn’t make sense getting extras since the tickets won’t win. That put a funny look on her face.

So, one time when I gave him his tickets as he laid in bed, I told him, “Kris, if you win, Dani gets 1% of the winnings.” He gave me a big smile. So, back in the kitchen with Uma, we spoke briefly where all that lottery money goes, and I told her at one time it was suppose to go to the schools. She said Kris has been playing the lottery for 20 years, and she said something about him needing to change the way he prays to one of their gods to win. (something like that).

Then I told her, “When I gave him his tickets, I told him that if he wins, he needs to give 1% to Dani.”

Uma lit up!

“NO! I told him to confess (promise) to me that he will give Dani half. I told him to confess to me now, but he wouldn’t!”

That would explain why Kris gave me such a big smile.

~ you know, she is one of those people I truly wish I could record what she says. I feel so comfortable with her and can say anything to her. Once she was mad about her son who lives in Houston and after one long rant, I said, “Whew! Uma, you are one tough woman.” She didn’t respond. I love to push her buttons and joke with her to make her laugh. She has a beautiful smile and I wish I could get a picture of her. I once told her how beautiful her granddaughters were, and she was stunned, then smiled and thanked me deeply. I wondered if anyone ever told her that before.

During my last months in Afghanistan, the University of Maryland satellite school in Salerno offered a course on World Religions. I took this class to help me understand the Islamic influence in the world. It was a class that covered all the major religions. It was interesting and I made an A in the class and got 3 college credits. Ironically, it is the only college credits I have to my name.

It was a lot to digest as it covered the three Abrahamic religions, plus Hinduism and Buddhism and all their associated gods. So, we go through life hearing of the different gods that people across the world follow and worship, and never really give it much thought. But since visiting with Uma and Kris who are Hindu, it became interesting.

One day when I came to pick Dani up, she was sitting with Uma who was telling her about their gods, and the stories behind some of them. “We have a god for this and we have a god for that, etc.” I remembered hearing about the stories of the different gods at the class in Salerno, and now listening to someone who believes this way so casually was an eye opener.

They have many small Hindu statues throughout their house and even a small room similar to a walk-in closet for their shrine, but they also have several crucifixes displayed; there is even a picture of Mother Teresa on the wall. It was as if they honor all religions. India used to have a caste system that has since been abolished, but some people still cling to it. The other day Uma was telling me about the relative of someone or another, (it is difficult to follow what she is saying sometimes because of her beautiful accent), but it was a story about a certain member of that family who shunned someone because of the caste they were born in.

So, when I tell others about Uma and Kris being Hindu, I am intrigued with how they react. One good friend who I thought would say something pertaining to it not being Christian, listened intently and remarked how he met many Hindus while working in a prison ministry, and was impressed with them.

I will tell the story to others sometime and will see how they react. The more God shows me other people and their beliefs, the more I realize there is to discover and accept. When it’s all said and done and we are all standing in line to explain ourselves, we need to concentrate on what we will say about ourselves, because at that point, no one else matters, and I know it will be very difficult for me.