From the chapter PART III Diary of the book “Guru Ramana – Memories and Notes” by S. S. Cohen.
18th April, 1949
Sri Bhagavan’s wound from the operation of the 27th March has not yet completely healed: it is healing very slowly. Our anxiety is not yet at an end. A week ago came the analyst’s report which diagnosed it as sarcoma. It has since a few days been mildly bleeding. But Sri Bhagavan’s moods are as bright as ever and the lustre in his eyes is not in the least dimmed.
This morning a small boy about ten years old by my side spoke to me in Telugu. Seeing that he was not understood, he walked slowly to the Maharshi’s couch, leaned on it and talked hurriedly to the Master. Maharshi was all smiles and tenderness to him, then he turned to us and explained that the child, having seen him lubricating his joints a little while ago, offered to do it himself, because in his opinion Sri Bhagavan was too old to rub them effectively. Then turning to the child he told him: “If you are going to do the rubbing for me, then you must also do the eating for me,” and called the attendant to give him bananas. But before the fruit was brought the little boy disappeared.