Many years ago, flowing in the river of time, lived a child.
He had no home. He had no adults to take care of him. He spent his time quietly hiding in a secret old spot in the middle of the market, behind the market stands. Dreaming of what could be. Warming himself on a calm inner fire.
The men in the market knew him. They knew he would never steal. He proved them right, and they reinforced their trust in him.
Every day, a few of them would hand him some food. Sometimes ripe tomatoes or other vegetables or fruit. Sometimes, a piece of fish. Some of them shared with him parts of the cooked meals they would prepare during the day for themselves.
He would always thank them with his eyes, and when done, bow to them gracefully, hand back the bowl they shared, and disappear.
This would happen almost every day, and when this boy would not show up, the man in the market would look for him. Wondering who he visited today, who fed him, where he hid.
He was in their hearts.
So passed many days, and the boy came less and less until he did not show up anymore.
Months and years passed, and the men of the market grew older. Other family members replaced some. Their sons, their daughters. Some gave their stands and shops to others, and other shops opened and coffeehouses. And the market so changed.
One morning, the boy returned.
He walked around the market, admiring all the changes, looking around for his old friends.
Every place he stood held so many memories.
But standing was hard. People were walking so fast. Pushing him and almost spilling their precious coffee on him.
He was overwhelmed by the crowd and the noise.
Needing a quiet moment, he remembered his childhood place where he used to hide and sometimes sleep, and he skimmed himself between two walls and into the back of the market stands.
He stood there, breathing within the beauty that had not changed. It was just as he remembered.
An old unused fountain from times before the market stood there. Untouched as it was before.
Around it, the paved stone floor was still as people walked on it a thousand years earlier.
He dropped by the fountain, sat by its side, and cried.
It was nearly lunchtime.
The elders of the market gathered as they had for many years to eat together. Taking some moments away from the crowds.
They pulled some chairs to their secret spot, just behind the fountain, and quietly prepared to eat.
But none of them could.
They looked quizzically at one another. Wondering where their appetite had gone.
Hearing the familiar voices, the grown child felt his heart calling.
He got up and wiped his tears.
Some of the elders, facing the fountain, saw him, opening their eyes with surprise.
One of them even a little angrily said: “Who are you? And how did you know of this place?”
The grown child smiled and answered: “I grew up here.”
He looked around the small space with love in his eyes. Recognizing some of the men, he came today to look for.
“You have all fed me for many years,” he said.
The elders got up and slowly walked towards him. Trying to recognize the little hungry boy, in the grinning man, looking so joyful and whole, standing with them in their secret market spot.
“Are you that little child who used to share our meals?” one finally asked.
“Yes,” the grown child nodded.
They were all quiet for some time.
“Would you like to share it with us again?” they said, inviting him. All held good memories from that time.
When done, when all the elders needed to return to their stands, the grown child bowed to them, just as he did when he was a child.
“Thank you, my friends,” he said with tears of gratitude in his eyes.
“This time, I came to give back,” he handed them each a beautifully wrapped box.
“This is for teaching me that it is worthwhile to be honest. For trusting me that I would not steal,” he said.
“It is for your generosity, not only for the food but for giving me a chance, when no one else could, to trust my truth.
To know its worth. To know you trust it,” he added, and as he always did when he was a child, he bowed and magically disappeared.
Healing stories are a magnificent and fun tool, connecting and bridging worlds.
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Learn more about mythical healing stories here.
