‘What a lovely day!’ one boy tried to start a conversation. But there was no answer. He saw that the old man next to him was dressed poorly, and he had a veil of sadness over his face. The boy tried to make his day brighter even for one moment. But the old man seemed not to have heard him. So the boy repeated his statement, this time a little louder. ‘What a lovely day! Don’t you think so?’
This time the boy spoke directly to the old man. The man showed no signs of hearing nor understanding the boy.
They sat in silence for a while. But the boy wasn’t at peace, he had a feeling that this man was utterly unhappy and he wanted to make him smile. He didn’t care that the man might think he was annoying, he just wanted to lure that smile out.
So he said again, ‘Indeed, it is a lovely day.’ But this time, he said it quieter, like whispering to the wind.
That particular day, wasn’t as lovely as the boy stated it to be, but that was never the point, the point was to see the best in everyone and in everything- and the boy had the opportunity to share his happiness with a complete stranger.
There was still no answer. But something started happening. He could see that the man was thinking about something, his face was no more neutral. The wrinkles on his face started moving, like they were smiling to the boy. The man’s eyes started shining with a glow different than before. His fingers started moving. The boy got through to him, and that made him happy. But the silence between them became heavy as a fog, and started pressing the boy to leave. But he didn’t.
The wind arose. At first the wind was gentle to the boy’s cheeks. It was playing with them. Then it became rougher as it grew stronger. The boy started shivering, and he felt cold. He closed his eyes and heard a voice saying ‘This man hasn’t spoken in years. Why are you trying to force him?’
The boy turned his head around, but there was no one there. ‘I just wanted to make him smile!’ shouted the boy because the wind was too strong and too loud.
‘Don’t!’ came an order then. ‘He was taught to say nothing if he has nothing nice to say!’
‘But there are plenty nice things to say, every day!’ explained the boy. ‘Who am I talking to, anyway?’ the boy wanted to know.
‘I am the Wind Almighty. And I represent this man, he summoned me here.’ said the Wind ‘And he demands you to explain your statements’
‘Then why didn’t he asked me himself?’ yelled the boy.
There was no answer. The boy realized that both Wind and the old man were eager to know the answer, so he started explaining.
‘You see, I was taught to find beauty in everything around me’ started the boy. ‘I try everyday to find at least one thing worth admiring. I find nature and all its inhabitants fascinating. How people see rainbows and admire them, I also see lightning and find them beautiful. How people love Sun, I love rain also because it feeds the ground that produces food to plants, which are further food to animals. I see people, both good and bad and admire them in their strength to carry on.’
‘Then how do you explain wars and hunger and hatred spreading trough men?’ asked the Wind.
‘I don’t. Because I see past the Evil in this world. Of course those are all very bad things to do to your Spiritual Brothers, but have you looked closer? You are the Wind Almighty, you travel everywhere and see everything. Surely you have seen the good in those people in wars. The care that they give to fellow soldiers as to common men on the ‘enemy’ side. Surely you have seen how misery draws people together. How hunger makes people share. How thirst makes people careful not to spill anything. These are the things to be grateful to, and not to frown upon the Evil. Because, the more people see Evil, the stronger it gets and its poison spreads faster.’
‘You are right’ said the Wind. ‘I understand now’
The wind stopped blowing. It was quiet again. The boy wiped off the tears that the wind made him shed. He sat alongside the old man, satisfied that he had said all that he wanted to say, and that the old man sent the Wind in response to his view.
The old man slowly looked at the boy. He was smiling.
‘Indeed, it is a lovely day’ said Silence to Happiness.
By Jelena Jekić
Read the related story: The Phoenix – Part One
