The Spiritual Water
When Rosa woke up, the tears had gone away. Still the pillow was wet, she got a beautiful morning. She began to prepare for breakfast. She went to a small river with a water jar, filled it, took a bow to the passengers on the horse, and returned home.
There was somebody calling her name. It was Christy and her brother, her neighborhood. They were yelling across the fence, waving to her.
“Rosa, come here! I’ve got a message from your grandpa.”
“From my grandpa?” She wondered.
Her grandfather was living with her, and he didn’t have to leave a message for her.
“What’s that?” said Rosa.
‘I’m leaving for the White Mountain and borrow the horse here. Don’t worry. I’m coming back by noon. No need to have breakfast.’
“Why didn’t he tell me?” said Rosa.
“Maybe he didn’t want you to worry, I guess.” said Christy. “Have you eaten breakfast yet?”
“No, not yet.”
She was worried about her grandfather. His sight was losing light. In other words, he was going blind. They ate together. Rosa had a tasteless breakfast.
After washing the dishes, Christy asked Rosa.
“What’s on your mind? Your grandpa?”
“Yes.” She couldn’t tell her in detail.
“If you are so worried about him, why not follow him?” said Christy
“Sounds good! But how? He borrowed the horse here.” said Rosa.
“Ask somebody to take a ride!” said Christy.
“Near the river?” said Rosa.
“Yes!” said Christy and said to her mother. “Mom, we’re going out for the Mountain!”
“Take care, little girls.” said her mother.
“Thanks.” said Christy.
They walked to the river. The surface of the river was shining, reflecting the light from the morning sun. The pink roses were there for Rosa, planted by her grandparents.
“I’ve got to be stronger.” said Rosa to herself.
She wanted to weep. The words didn’t get away from her ears: “Rosa, I’m losing my sight.”
“Your grandfather is coming to us, Rosa.” It was a message from the picture of her parents.
“No! Don’t leave me alone!” said Rosa.
When Rosa stood still at the river, her grandfather was looking for a visitor from the City.
He heard a rumor by a traveler. ‘A man in white knows quite a lot. He has the sixth sense, and is able to make a miracle. He is traveling to the north to get a spiritual water. It is said to be near the White Mountain.”
Nobody had ever heard that there was such a spiritual water near the White Mountain.
Rosa’s grandfather was willing to live, and he had to take care of his little granddaughter because her parents had passed away when she was three.
He had got to meet the man from the City.
The Emerald tablet showed that the water was nearby. The closer he got nearer, the aura from the stone got bigger. The vibration showed it was from the same light.
“Yes.” The man said. “I’m sure it’s around here.”
Suddenly, he heard a horse coming to him. He looked back. He knew he had met the man on the horse. “Hello? I think we have known each other.” said the man from the City.
He knew that he was not his enemy.
Rosa’s grandfather smiled at him, and his face turned happier.
“I knew it was you! So long time no see!” Rosa’s grandfather said to him.
“Sorry. I don’t recognize you. May I have your name…?”
The moment he said to him, he recognized the face.
It was in the coldest winter they met each other. A January 10 years ago. The man from the City stopped the horse by the house and asked for a stay. Rosa’s parents and her grandfather were kind enough to give him food and a warm blanket.
He foretold the birth of his granddaughter. He knew a girl would be the host’s granddaughter by the time the ice of the mountain melted. His story was like this.
“I can see the fence and three children. One of them has a jar in one hand and she looks after you. Maybe she is the granddaughter of yours. The same eyes. It’s around May or June because I can see little snow on top of the mountain.”
“Oh, good. I have wanted a baby between them.” They smiled.
“I have got to ask you something.” said Rosa’s grandfather. “Can you make a miracle to my eyes?”
“To your eyes? Let me see?”
And all of the sudden he knew he had understood the whole everything.
“Yes, yes, yes! Wait there, mister.” he wanted to cry out with a joy.
“Do you know a girl whose name is ‘Rosa’?” said the man from the City.
“Christy? There you see two horses?” said Rosa.
“Yeah! I’ve found him! Make a stop near the two horses, please.” said Christy.
A traveler nodded.
“Grandpa! Tell me before I wake up! I was so worried about you!” said Rosa.
She was crying in his arms.
Too little to be alone, the traveler thought.
“What are you doing, mister?” said Christy.
“Shhh. I’m collecting her tears. said the man from the City.
A drop from her tears warmed his palm, and the light was the same as that of the Emerald Tablet.
He wet the stone with a drop from her tears.
The stone began shining, and the man from the City knew where it was coming from.
“There, you see? Very small pink roses! Dig it and take a good care, mister. Don’t forget to water it every day.”
“And the miracle happens?” said the old man.
“Yes, sure, I know.”
Every day and night, Rosa prayed for her grandfather. She talked to the small roses. She watered them from the river.
One day, when the rose got bigger, she heard her parents’ voices again.
“Rosa, take a good care of your grandfather. He’s getting well.”
“Mom!” said Rosa.
“Don’t take him with you!” said Rosa.
“He already came. With you!”
The parents had left the pink roses near the White Mountain, following to the letters from the man from the City.
‘Someday, when your daughter gets older, she will search for her grandfather for a mountain. Please don’t forget to tell her that her grandfather is coming to you. I’ll be ready for it.’
“Rosa? Where are you?” said her grandfather.
“In front of the roses.” said Rosa.
The man from the City concentrated on his mind, talking to her parents, and knew the reason why he had come to Rosa’s house again.
“Yes.” said the man from the City.
“I know I have come to the point I have wanted to reach.” and he left a letter.
‘Open your eyes to everything. Not only to the things in front of you, but also to the light from your heart. Love the light as much as the roses we found. Your parents, you’ll find everywhere, whenever you need them. Your grandfather is not leaving you.’
And he added this sentence.
‘When you’ve become older, until you get married and have two sons, he is still alive.’
His words became true.
His name was Elya, and his words became true, and that was the miracle.
Rosa led a happy life, surrounded with her parents and her grandfather and two sons.
Every early summer, when the snow melted, small roses could be seen. Rosa took a great care of them, still praying for her grandfather.
His eyes never lost the light as long as he lived.
Written by Masato Iwakiri, Copyright(c)2009-2021 Atlantis英語総合学院 All Rights Reserved.