The conclave had just begun.  There was an air of restless tension in all the members.  Those in charge of the meeting were trying hard to maintain control and order.  Something absolutely defining was unfolding…

God:  Why are you so tense my dear Science? This is not a rare occurrence! In fact this is an all-the-time event !

Science:  I know Father. But for this man it is his first most monumental adaptation.  It is always a miracle when an organ is accepted.  The amount of stress on the entire body – on every cell literally – is enormous.  Such a life threatening period for him…

The conclave they were witnessing was the interaction happening between all the cells in the body of a man who had just gone in for surgery for an organ transplant.  When we are so choosy about the company we keep and friends we make, how much more challenging must it be for the hundred trillion odd cells inside our body to accept an organ from outside?  Every cell was literally fighting – but fighting for what?  To win over the other or to stay alive and in turn keep the man alive?

Brain:  Let us focus on the issue.  We need that new Kidney… (turning to look at the old tired kidneys) sorry old chaps… I know this is difficult for you… Accepting a new comer into your space and seeing him take charge of your domain is not going to be easy… But for our sake you must yield peacefully.  You know the repercussions of not conceding!

Old Kidneys:  Hey! We can still do our job okay!  If only this man had realised that he cannot keep dumping all that toxic waste into us… He has been over working us practically all his sorry life of 45 years! Of course we are not happy!  For all that work we have done, all we get in return is some new kidney taking over our domain?  You may have the master control, my dear brain, but don’t you forget we can cause enormous trouble if we are not respected!

Brain:  Not just you both, my dear old kidneys, every one of us present here can do that…

All the hundred trillion cells woke up. The new comer had arrived.  The surgeon’s hands were tying the final knot.

Immune cell leader:  Time to get to work fellows!  Charge…

But as he turned around he saw his entire team becoming inactive. Anti-rejection medicines had long taken over the immune system suppressing his colleagues from reacting. He seemed to be the only one still active. Dejected he sat back.

New Kidney:  (with a tentative smile) Hi… I don’t know how to say this so let me just come out and say it. I don’t want to be here any more than you guys want me to be here.  I never thought I will be asked to move away from home and serve another master.  Moreover, this man must be a hard one to serve otherwise my good old friends would have surely been able to go on without needing my additional support. Whether it is congenital, circumstances beyond his control or sheer neglect, whatever the reason may be, there is no doubt this guy is going to be very very difficult to serve.  Now my master… er… I mean my old master was an amazing guy.  I hardly had any trouble.  (With a hint of pride) Yeah! I am good; that is why I have been called here!

Every cell was ready to charge. That is all it took – one hint of arrogance and they would reject him outright.

Brain:  Hey hey… Now hold on… This meeting isn’t over yet!  I have a few questions for you my brother.  I understand you must be good.  But that in no way reflects on our team.  So can you just tell me how come you happen to be here?  What is your normal routine?

New kidney:  Sir, I have had a cherished life till now.  My twin back home and I are as healthy as you can get.  It is time you guys got to know me and how efficient I work…

The old kidneys sent a shiver down the spine calling all their colleagues to fight this arrogant guy off.  Hurriedly the brain intervened…

Brain:  I have to remind you of something my dear visitor.  Till we choose to ensure you are part of our team, you remain an outsider.  And while we may have our own issues and problems to tackle, let me tell you that once we reject you, you don’t go back to your twin, your donor’s body. You will probably keep shifting from one recipient to another. That is going to be hard for you. So might as well try to settle down here and stop rubbing us on the wrong side, okay?

The new kidney silently accepted that wisdom.

Science:  Finally, now that is settled.  They will take some time but I sure he will not cause any more trouble.

God:  (with a smile) Are you really sure? What about when he starts craving for his old life…

Science looked puzzled. But soon enough he got the answer.  A few months after the transplant, the recipient was sitting down for a meal.

Recipient:  Darling! Now don’t be shocked. But I have this enormous craving for fried chicken…

Wife:  (with a shocked look) When did you start eating meat?  Have you become a non-vegetarian? I should never have let you go with your friends alone last night…

Recipient:  Relax dear! Last night Kiran ordered some chicken at the restaurant and out of the blue this craving began in me to have a taste of it. I swear I didn’t eat it. But it was weird because you know how horrifying I find it to even eat in a non-vegetarian restaurant.  So why am I getting this sudden craving?  Also I feel like selling my car and buying a motor bike for myself… Sounds really unlike me after all that argument refusing our teenage son a bike… but that is how I feel…

Realisation dawned in his wife’s eyes. The donor of the kidney, here dear friend’s deceased son, had been a lover of chicken and had practically lived on his motor bike.

The conclave had just begun. This was now becoming a tense routine. Every cell was feeling threatened and it just reflected in the way they all worked.

Brain:  You had no business sending that message to the spine for chicken and motorbike. In this body, we don’t do that!!

New Kidney:  Hey I am sorry if you guys find it difficult but you must understand I too have lived a life. I bring my own baggage of memories, likes and dislikes… And it was right there in front of the eyes… I recognised that smell… so I just sent out the signal that it is okay to have them according to my upbringing.

Old Kidneys:  You are forgetting that we are still here.  And we will not permit this kind of take over! You have not only violated us, you have over stepped your boundaries trying to take charge. This is war…

New Kidney:  For your sake I have been quiet for a long time. But now I can no longer suppress who I am.  This is now my home too. I have a right to send those signals. You kidneys are old and weak. If you want war, I am ready to fight you.

Brain: Stupid fellows! Don’t you see what you are doing? (Turning to the new Kidney) How much ever you fight, if survival becomes an issue, you will be thrown out – not any of us! Remember that! (Turning to the old kidneys) I understand this is difficult but you got to see the importance of your accepting him. He has given all of us a new lease of life. All our days will be numbered without him. You got to let go of your ego and accept him into our fold.

Science went in search of the Father. He had to tell him how right he had been…

Science:  Oh this is tough Father. Look how they are fighting… I don’t think I can save this man.

God: You talk of one man. I am having the same trouble with all of humanity! See how they fight…

Science:  What do I do Father?

God:  Hmm… Watch…

Intuition flowed into the body. The cells became aware and the brain began to interpret the new information.

Brain:  I think it is important to shift focus from what is causing trouble to how to survive this threat. It is time to focus on ourselves – on each one of us. When I ask you to adapt to the situation and say ‘live and let live’ I am saying drop this feeling that you are doing something ‘for their sake’. Dear old Kidneys! We have been together for so long… You have never once complaint to any of us about the job you do. And yet today you are unwilling to accept the newcomer. I am not asking you to accept him for any of our sake. I am asking you to accept him into your fold for your own sake. Because if you reject him, we all die. That is my call to each one of you, my hundred trillion brethren cells… Not for his sake do I ask you for your co-operation. But for your own survival, for your own peace, for your own well being, for your living – can we all stop rejecting him. Can we learn to accept and move on. Can we simple whisper every time this is ‘for my sake…’

Written by Gita Krishna Raj  |  Published in infinithoughts in November 2012

When Science met God… |  Segment Four: The dance of a trillion cells

Chapter Fourteen: For my sake…