The Magic Candy

Chapter One

The wooden door creaked and little Thomas ran to see who had come. He had been impatiently waiting for his father to come home from his day’s work.

“Mommy, mommy, see daddy has come,” he shouted with joy. His mother, Dorothy, who was sitting near the stove with impatient apprehension, came out with a glass of warm water. She knew he would be tired of roaming for the whole day in search of work.

Michael put down his heavy sack on the floor and shut the door. Then he carefully hung the jacket from the latch so that it covers the cracks and prevents the chilling air from coming in. Ever since the industry closed, they had been living on the meagre saving that they had. The fireplace stood cold, with no coal to put in. Dorothy had used it up all for cooking.

“Daddy, what have you got for me,” Thomas asked with gleaming eyes.

Michael couldn’t answer. He sat down on the mat, exhausted. The day before, he had been hopeful as the leaders had confirmed few vacancies. He had promised little Thomas to get him those cookies he had been asking for. But the day’s pursuit went in vain as he came to know that it was a bluff.

“Daddy?”

Thomas looked up with his big eyes, his voice lower, waiting eagerly for a reply.

“Were you able to visit the grocer’s?” Dorothy intervened as she passed on the warm water.

“There’s no work, Dorothy.” Michael said.

“Then what shall the kids have for supper? The bread have all got over. The potatoes at the back of the garden are nearing to end. Suzanne is sick and Thomas is too small to understand. Today I borrowed money from Lady Winnow to visit the chemist. He says Suzanne needs food.” Dorothy broke down. Since the last few days they have been skipping food and the kids are falling sick.

Having finished the glass of warm water, Michael said, “The Parker’s offered me some money. They asked me to try my hands in wood cutting tomorrow morning. If it works, they will give me a part of the month’s wage tomorrow to suffice this crisis.”

Little Thomas had curled up in the corner by then. Cloud of disappointed shadowed his face. Dorothy retired to the empty kitchen and Michael went to see Suzanne.

Chapter 2

The following morning Michael went out for work. He toiled hard the whole day. He had never worked as a wood cutter before. His muscles pained and stomach hurt in hunger. At the end of the day, when he went to the Parker’s to collect his wage, he saw a poor candy seller passing by. Seeing Michael he stopped.

“What candy is this?” asked Michael to check the price.

“It’s called the Magic Candy, the more you chew, the more juicy it becomes. It will become so sweet that you will not feel hungry.” He said and handed him one.

“Really? We won’t feel hungry?” Michael squinted in disbelief. He noticed that it was one of the cheapest candy he ever heard of.

“No Sir,” the candy seller continued. “Just go home and try. Come back to buy more. I live below the bridge.”

Michael took it and put it inside his pocket. He took a moment to imagine how happy Thomas would be to discover it there.

That evening he went to the grocer’s and bought some bread and margarine. He went to the chemist to refill Suzanne’s medicine bottle. The remaining little money was kept aside. Seeing the provisions, Dorothy’s mood lifted. Yet she was not happy. The little provision was not enough to last throughout the month.

Thomas was overjoyed to have the candy. He unwrapped it right away and put it in mouth. Then he retired to his play corner while Michael checked on Suzanne. She seemed frail. He sat beside her and stroked her hair. He made up his mind to provide her at least two meals a day. If required, the rest of the family can cut off one meal.

When it was time for dinner, Dorothy went to find Thomas. He was busy in his own world, drawing pictures. The candy was still in his mouth. He told he would finish it off and join. Dorothy waited for 30 more minutes. Thomas was still chewing the candy. The more he chewed the sweeter it became. And it never finished. He was enjoying so much, that he didn’t hear his mom yelling at him. After couple of hours Dorothy complained to Michael.

Michael found him perching on the floor, concentrating on an incomplete flower that he was chalking on his slate. On his arrival, he retired to the corner and continued. Michael patted on his back and asked him to have his dinner. He forced him to throw the remaining candy and promised to get him more. Dorothy dragged him by hand to supper table. Michael picked up the thrown candy and stared in curiosity. It had turned into a gum. It could never be digested. It was just for chewing and keeping the mouth engaged. Then, he remembered the seller’s words, “…you will never get hungry..”

That night, when everyone was sleeping after a hearty meal, Michael was awake. He had suddenly found a great escape from hunger and Suzanne’s sickness. The magic candy. It served the taste buds, and pacified the stomach! He decided to go and buy more such candies. Hundred such candies would come at the price of one piece of bread.

Chapter 3

The following day, Michael found out the place where the candy-seller had gestured before. He was standing below the bridge with his assortment of candies. His hollow eyes and lean body unmistakable. Seeing Michael from far, he came forward. “I knew you would come,” he said with a broad smile. “I have seen you at the industry,” he continued. “I used to work there too.”

Michael was taken aback. His mind went back to all those days of toiling under the ground. He couldn’t remember to have seen this face. It was difficult to identify everyone from the crowd. Mindlessly he asked, “What’s your name?” “Mark,” said the seller. Then he paid for the candies and returned home.

The following few days were planned diligently. They had supper once a day and chewed candies for the rest of the day. Surprisingly, time went by without the advent of hunger. The candies satiated their thirst. Suzanne was given fuller meals and she got better. All throughout that time, the only thing Michael did, was look for jobs and wait for the end of the month to get the rest of the wage.

Days passed by. Hunger felt defeated. Bodies became leaner. Suzanne got cured. Slowly, to everyone’s joy, the month-end arrived with the rest of the wage. Michael took his family out to the city for one day. The kids played and they ate whole food. In the evening Dorothy baked a cake. She kept a portion of it aside. After the family had enjoyed the cake, she took that portion to Michael and asked him to gift it to the candy seller as a gift of gratitude.

The following morning, Michael wrote a note:

Dear Friend,

I haven’t seen you at the industry. But I realize that you have had the same fate as I had. Your candies kept me and my family alive for the whole month. Please have dinner with us tonight.

Thank you

He then packed the cake that Dorothy had carefully kept and started off. When he reached the bridge, he could not see the candy seller. He waited at the usual corner in hope of his sight. Time passed. Nothing happened. Michael started asking passers by. No one could say anything on his whereabouts. He remembered that the seller had once said that he lived below the bridge.

Michael began to walk along the whole length of the road. Several ill-fated families, the street dwellers, hawkers, sweepers had taken refuge there. The space below the bridge had it’s own ecosystem thronged by the poor. At one dark corner, he found a deserted mat and a jar of candies. His mood lifted. When he reached near it, he found a note tugged inside the jar. It read:

Oh! the candies of rainbow colour

Unknown magic your texture hold

For your reality has confused it’s way

Into the illusion proudly sold.

Michael felt a faint sense of discomfort. He tried to figure out the meaning. His mind couldn’t read. He flipped it over. The other side was blank. It was not addressed to anyone in particular. Might be it was for all, might be it was for the destined. He didn’t know. He didn’t notice the crowd slowly gathering over him. They snatched away the jar from him. His fingers let go of the note. He pressed his ears as someone whispered how Mark had passed away the night before, dying out of hunger. He couldn’t breathe. The hunger came back. This time not in disguise, but in giant steps, galloping towards him. He collapsed on the the ground.

Long time after he got back to sense, he saw through the facts. Mark had survived on magic candies for two months.