THE MAGICAL WINDOW

Does magic exist? It’s a very popular question, some say yes and some say no, still it’s a fantasy. Some people believe magic, some don’t, I believe magic because I experienced it. It was after that tragic day.

On that day, I got first prize in the drawing competition. I wanted to show the trophy to my parents. When I went back home, they didn’t arrive. I waited and waited. My nanny prepared dinner for me. I lost my appetite. Suddenly, I heard the bell sound, “mom, dad” I rushed and opened the door, I saw cops standing in front of the door. They looked somber. They called my nanny and spoke something to her. I don’t know what they were talking about. When she returned her eyes were filled with tears, she knelt and hugged me. “Where is mom and dad nanny?” I asked her, her words shook, 

“They’re gone”

“Where did they go?

Why didn’t they tell me?

When will they come back?”

I questioned her, she felt pity for me and said, “They’re dead”

“What, mom, dad….” I can’t believe that and I cried aloud. I was only twelve years old when my parents died. After that tragic incident, my grandfather adopted me and I shifted to his village. I transferred to a school in that village.

I was so sad and doomed. I couldn’t forget my parents. Every day night, I looked at their photo and wept.

“Why you left me?

Take me with you

I need you”

But it was of no use. My grandfather was a kind man. He comforted me. I slept on his lap, every night. He was so friendly with me and never scolded me. I was quite naughty. I played football in the hall and broke all the glassware. He didn’t get angry but told me not to play in the hall. So I went out to play. I had few friends in the village, I played with them. Day by day I got up from my tragedy and focused on my future, as my parents wanted me to become a Doctor. I worked hard and studied well. My grandfather was proud of me. I know that my parents would also be proud of me.

Back from school, I played with my friends in the evening. That day we decided to play softball. My friend Jonah was the bowler, he threw the ball and I made a super hit. The ball flew and fell in the beard-man’s house. He was an old man, who lived lonely. No one knows his name, everyone called him Beard-man, because he had a long beard. He never communicates with anyone in the village. He was a strange guy. None of my friends had the guts to enter his house.

“Don’t worry guys, I’ll go”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, damn sure”

I went and stood before his gate. I thought it was locked but no, so I opened it and knocked on his door. There was no response, I again knocked on the door, and the beard man arrived. For the first time, I saw him. He had a long no, a very long, long beard touching his feet, he wore a black coat and had a hat, he looked like a wizard, whom I have seen in movies, a black cat sat over his shoulders, he looked at me,

“What do you need boy?”

“I came to take the ball; it fell on your house roof”

He glanced at me and called, “Aril”

A white cat came and bowed before him, I was shocked to see such a thing,

“Go and get the ball” he ordered the cat, what kind of man he is, I thought and to my surprise, the cat named Aril brought the ball and gave it to him. He handed it to me,

“Here’s the ball”

“Thank you, sir”

I smiled at him, he didn’t smile, I left his house and went back home. I asked my grandpa about the beard man. He told me that he was a jerk. He stays in the village for a short time, no one knows where he goes, he won’t smile or talk to anyone. I got interested in that beard-man. My grandfather asked me to stay away from him.

One day as I was returning from school, I saw a cat being injured, lying on the road, a vehicle must have hit it. I took it, it was bleeding from the thigh, and its left leg was broken. I took it home and nursed it. I didn’t tell my grandpa because he hates cats.

“Meow, meow” it cried in pain,

“You’ll be fine kitty” I patted its head. I went to the storeroom and took a basket. I put pillow and sheet and made a bed for the cat. I took a small bowl and poured milk and gave it to the cat. It looked at me happily and licked the milk. Then I put it on the bed. It slept. I was so happy to help that cat. At midnight, I heard some sound, a scratching sound; I woke up and saw a cat scratching my window. Is it a dream, I rubbed my eyes, a cat was really scratching my window,

“Stop it” I got down and opened the window and saw Aril, that beard-man’s cat. What this cat is doing here? I wondered, it jumped down and went away on seeing me. I was puzzled. I locked my window and slept. The next day, I fed the injured cat with milk and cleaned up to go to school. On my way, I felt a shadow was following me, what would it be? My imagination or for real, I turned back and saw, I found no one, it’s my imagination. I cleared my mind went on my way.

Suddenly, Aril came before me. I jerked on seeing it. It placed a note near my feet and went. I took the note and read it,

“Thank you boy for saving my Deny, bring it back to me 

- the beard-man”

So the cat belonged to him, I wondered how many cats he had. Back from school, I took the Cat, Deny, and went to the beard-man’s house. I knocked on his door and he opened it at once,

“Come in boy,”

I went inside, his house looked tidy, I gave him Deny, and he patted it and saw the broken leg,

“You’ll walk now, Deny”

He took a small vial bottle and poured a drop on the broken leg, a bright light burst, I closed my eyes and when I opened it, Deny was standing on her feet.

“How this happened?”

The beard- man smiled at me,

“Are you a wizard?” I asked him, he again smiled at me.

“No, I’m a Magi”

“What! Magi” I was stunned

“Yes, I belong to the Persian Empire”

“But the Persian Empire doesn’t exist” I blinked,

He smiled at me and said, “I can travel through ages”

“Really, can you bring my parents back?”

He placed an assuring hand over my shoulders and said,

“The fate has taken them, they can’t be brought back boy”

I was saddened on hearing that, the beard-man, comforted me,

“You saved my Deny, you will receive the gift”

“What gift?” I asked him eagerly, he smiled and said,

“Tonight, stand in front of the window when the clock struck twelve, you will receive it”

I was perplexed. “Just tell me what it is?” I asked him,

“Do as I say” he placed his hands over my head. I closed my eyes and when I opened them, I was lying on the couch, I was astonished.

“How did I come here?”

“You dozed off after returning from school,” my grandpa told me,

“What!” I couldn’t believe, “how did I end up here, I was at the Magi’s house,

“Grandpa, that beard-man is a Magi”

“What, Magi?” my grandpa heard all my story and said,

“You’ll become a great writer by your imagination”

“Grandpa trust me”

“The beard-man left a week ago”

“No, I saw him today”

“You saw him in your dreams”

My Grandpa didn’t believe me, no one can believe me. I had no evidence to prove. I remembered all those happened. The Magi’s words echoed in my ears,

“Tonight, stand in front of the window when the clock struck twelve, you will receive it”

Okay, I made up my mind and stood before the window, I turned off the lights so my grandpa wouldn’t suspect me that I was awake. I opened the windows and stared at them. As the clock tick, my heart also tick, I waited and when the clock struck twelve, a cool breeze blew and nothing happened,

“That Magi said, I will receive my gift” I got angry, is he for real or it’s a dream, I suspected myself, suddenly a bright light showed up and a portal opened before me, it was shining and glittering,

“Wow!” I stared at its shine and a powerful force pulled me in,

“Aaahhh” I shouted, t traveled through stars, I don’t know where I was going. In a twist, I was landed on beautiful land. 

“What is this place?” I wondered at its beauty. The trees were tall, the leaves were glittering green and the fruits had rainbow colors.

“What kind of trees are these?”

I wondered, suddenly a tree slanted towards me,

“Pick the fruit” 

I heard a sound, I picked a rainbow fruit and took a bite, it was so sweet, I have never tasted such fruit in my life. I ate it and picked many fruits and ate them, when my stomach was full, the tree straightened. I thanked the tree and went to discover the land. On the way, I saw bushes with different shaped flowers. The flowers were so ravishing, I plucked one and the smell was stunning, I never smelled any flower like that.

I walked along with the bushes and ended up with a splendorous waterfall, the water was shining, and it was crystal clear. I was lost in its beauty and went towards it. At the riverbed, the pebbles looked like diamonds. I collected some of them and put them in my trouser pocket.

“Drink the water”

I heard a mystical sound, I don’t know where it comes from, and I knelt and took a handful of water and drank it. It tasted heavenly.

“I love this place” as I saw my reflection in the river, I saw a Magnificent Pegasus, flying above me, I looked up and yes, a Pegasus was flying in the sky. I have never seen a Pegasus before. On seeing me, it landed and told me,

“Come with me, they are waiting for you”

“They, who are they?”

“Come, I’ll show you”

The Pegasus knelt and I climbed on its back, “Hold tightly” it instructed me and in a swift, it flew and I was in the sky, I touched the clouds, it was an amazing journey, the Pegasus flew over the rainbow, I enjoyed that. The Pegasus landed on a white mountain.

“Get down little boy”

I got down; the Pegasus pointed to a cave,

“Go through the cave, you’ll see them”

Before I could respond, it flew away, I went inside the cave, it was dark, slowly small sparkles filled the cave, the cave was lighted, I went through it and as I was approaching the end of the cave, I could see a bright light, I finally reached that spot.

It was like an ice palace, so shining and glittering, in the middle there was a table and I found a cake, with an inscription,

“Happy Birthday, Steve”

And I saw some toys near to it, when I saw them I remembered that I asked these toys, my parents, for my birthday, tears welled,

“Steve,” I heard my mom’s voice, I saw her and my dad approaching me.

“Dad, Mom” I ran and hugged them. They’re real, I can feel them, they kissed me on my cheek, and I was on cloud nine to see my parents.

“Steve we brought you what you asked us,” my dad told me.

“We’re happy to see you, Steve” my mom welled tears.

I was unable to say anything,

“Come cut the cake” they encouraged me, I thought of this kind of celebration for my twelfth birthday, but my parents passed away before my birthday, now I’m celebrating with them. I was so happy; Dad l lifted me, as usual, and swung me. I really missed it. They gave me the gifts. I loved them so much. A cool wind blew; my parents looked at each other and told me,

“It’s time for us to leave”

“No, stay with me, please”

“We’ll always be in your heart, dear” with that a wind blew and they faded. I was perplexed, just then I saw the Magi, he was standing near me,

“You”

He smiled and said, “I hope you loved my gift”

“This is your gift”

“Yes, I granted your wish to celebrate your birthday with your parents”

I was shocked, I don’t know how he brought them back, and I was in confusion,

“Now, yours as well as your parent's wish has come true, now you need to return” he smiled in satisfaction.

“Wait, how did you do this?”

He didn’t answer and a cool wind blew and I was taken. The wind swirled me into darkness, I closed my eyes and when I opened it, I found myself on my bed.

“I’m back, Nooo”

I saw the window, it was closed. I glanced at the clock; it was 12:05 AM,

“Just for five minutes, I stayed in the magic land?” I couldn’t believe it,

“Magi, magi, where are you? Please come back” I shouted, I called him continuously, and my grandpa came,

“Little boy, you didn’t sleep”

“Grandpa, I met my parents”

I told him about all the adventure, he became upset,

“Steve you're obsessed, calm down and sleep”

“But grandpa, trust me” I pleaded,

Then I remembered the diamond pebbles I put in my trouser pocket,

“Grandpa, I took some diamond pebbles”

“What” he was amused, when I took those pebbles out of my packet, they were normal pebbles, and they aren’t diamonds. I was so confused. I threw the pebbles on the floor.

“Steve, relax; sleep now” my grandpa comforted me,

I wasn’t able to say anything; I lay on my bed, my grandpa kissed on my forehead,

“Sleep well, good night little boy”

I wasn’t able to sleep

“Are those real or fake?” I wondered, my grandpa left my room, I was entangled with thoughts, as I turned I saw the pebbles I threw, shining like a diamond, I was speechless, a cool wind blew, and I heard a voice,

“Everything is Real” 

I drifted to sleep all of a sudden. I woke up in the morning, the pebbles vanished, and I don’t know how that happened. A note was on my table,

“You can’t prove this little boy, follow your fate”

The Magi. So magic is real, I confirmed and the note faded away. It was an unforgettable experience; I never met the Magi or saw the magical window till now. I’m now twenty-four, still, now I never again saw the Magi, but I know everything is real.