Chapter 6:
Love and Dislike
Victor and Asya gradually began to talk about many things. Asya even dared to tell a little about the magical language, despite Victor’s ridicule.
Once, when Victor watched Purr’s expressive behavior and purring, he asked Asya:
“What did that cat say about me now? He just turned and moved away, with his tail fluffed up, like a peacock. Can you translate what he has purred?”
“I can. He said: ‘This boy loves only himself. That’s why he can’t be happy!’.”
“How do you know that?”
“It’s easy! You need to feel your companion with heart love! And then it even is not necessary to say the words: after all, you can feel another soul with you-the-soul!”
“How can that be?”
“Words are just like clothes for thoughts and emotions. But we can understand so much more without them!”
“So, what? Do you — with your magical language — always understand me?”
“No, not always. You think differently than I do. That’s why it’s so hard for me to understand you. And you do not want to learn to speak the magical language!”
“This is all just your imagination!”
“But what if it’s actually true?
“Plants understand when they are affectionately spoken to — and they grow better because of this! Animals — also understand! Even the water understands! I saw a scientific film, which showed some different patterns that were obtained when kind words were said to the water — or when evil words with the appropriate emotions were said. When such words, as: ‘I love you!’, ‘thank you!’ were said, some delightfully beautiful crystal patterns were created in the frozen water. And if someone said: ‘I hate you!’, ‘I’ll kill you!’ — then even the structure of the ice crystals became ugly!
“In the same way, when grandpa speaks to the water: it becomes healing and can improve one’s health.”
“Yes, it’s like those fairy tales about ‘living water’ and ‘dead water’… And what other nonsense do you believe in? For example, tell me: what do you think of me? Be honest!”
“Even though you sometimes laugh at me, it seems to me that, when you speak, you think differently than what you say. And that what you actually feel inside yourself — is quite different!
“You often want to hurt me, but that’s because you yourself feel hurt.”
“Nothing hurts! My feet don’t hurt! And nothing hurts at all!” — Victor exploded indignantly.
“I’m not talking about your feet… I’m talking about something else…
“I understand how painful it is for a person, if no one likes him or her at all. And then such a person may also not want to love others…”
“All you talk about is love, love, love! But love doesn’t even really exist! It is just a pretense which is beneficial to people for one reason or another! Right now, my parents benefit from being together. When they’re in front of everyone, they act as if they are ‘in love’ and they pretend that they are a ‘beautiful couple’! And they also even pretend that they love me too! They are in the Maldives right now, taking a break from the ‘hard feelings’. And I think that if they actually had a little bit of faith that your grandfather could cure me, then they would have stayed in a shed here — in this wilderness in Pokrovka — and prayed to God every day!…”
“Are they believers in God?”
“No, like everyone else, they believe just for show… They paid some money so that, instead of them, someone else prays for many days about my health… They feel ashamed to even stand near a wheelchair! The tutor walks with me and takes me to doctors! And brought me here to you!… But everything is for money, everything is for show!
“And love? Where is this love? It is nowhere to be seen!
“Is your grandfather going to love me? I’m a stranger to him! He doesn’t even like me…”
“I also did not like you at first, to be honest. But grandpa — he is different! He is not like everyone else! He knows a lot about God and about the Magical World!”
“About what Magical World?”
“I’ll tell you later. You don’t believe me. Or rather — you do not want to believe.”
“No, tell me about it now! Otherwise, in the future, I won’t tell anything secret to you!
“By the way, what God does your grandfather believe in? They say that all the healers believe differently. Your grandfather — of what faith is he?”
“I do not know. I think that he believes in true God, and even knows Him! He explained to me that many people think that the Arabs have one God, the Russians — another, the Jews — another as well, and the Indians — too. But, in fact, there is only one God for the whole world! And some people say that their God is called Allah, others call Him God-the-Father, and some even say that He is some kind of Great Energy-Force in the universe, but they don’t use the word God: in order not to look religious. Even scientists have started to look for ‘God’s particles’. They also started to guess that God — exists!
“However, devices cannot see God and the Magical World… And people who hate other people for having ‘false beliefs’ — they also cannot see the Magical World!”
“Again, you’re talking about some kind of fairy tale! What is this Magical World?”
“Well, it’s like a special country, it’s not visible to everyone. One part of it — the closest to our world — is sometimes called paradise. But this is not the whole Magical World!”
“And who created this Magical World of yours?”
“Who? God, of course! In the same way, He created all the worlds: both visible and invisible, and you and me!”
“You and me? That’s amusing! My mom and dad gave birth to me, just like your parents gave birth — to you! Isn’t it?”
“Right. But God created the Laws by which everything develops! From a seed of a pine — a new pine grows up, from a birch seed — a birch, from cats — kittens are born! Everything on the Earth is born and develops in a certain way. And, through this, everyone can improve oneself!”
“But why did God make the Magical World invisible?”
“That World is Magical. It, in fact, is both visible and perceptible, but not for everyone. One needs to learn how! I’m just getting started.
“The Magical World is separated from any evil due to its properties. It is as if protected, even without any sign of a safeguard. It is hidden from all the villains in the best way! Therefore, evil people, no matter how much they want to, will never be able to get into that World.
“All the other laws of God are also like this: they, too, act wisely! You just need to learn to understand them! That’s what grandpa says.
“The Magical World reveals Its entrances to those who learn to be kind and affectionate, joyful and caring! This World of Good and Light can be called the Country of God. Or — you can call It the Divine World.
“But people invented so many things about paradise and Heaven that grandpa calls It in his own way: just a Magical World. Or, perhaps, he came up with it just for me: so that it would be more interesting to me.
“Oh! My grandfather is calling me to help in the garden, I need to go!”
… Victor was left alone. It never occurred to him to help grandpa Basil and Asya with at least some of the household chores. He was used to everything being done only for him…
He already wanted to forget about Asya’s stories about the Magical World, but then Purr came. He settled on the opposite bench, wrapped himself with his fluffy tail, and began to stare at Victor with his surprisingly rational view.
“Do you, cat, also think that this Magical World really exists?”
… Purr condescendingly looked at Victor and confidently purred the statement:
“Mrrrow!”
“Why are you looking at me like I’m a fool?! Where is the justice in this World of yours? You have all four legs, and I have only two legs — and they do not move… Can you even understand me?”
… Purr sympathized. He even jumped off the bench and, shining with his fur, which had been warmed by the sun, walked, like a red fluffy sun on soft paws, to Victor. He crossed the border of the gray island of ill-will, which surrounded Victor, and jumped onto his knees…
Victor did not push away the cat, like he had done during their first acquaintance, but stroked and began to scratch his neck…
Purr began purring. And gradually his purring began to dissipate the grey shadow around Victor’s body.
Victor even dozed off for a while. In a dream, he saw himself running next to Asya. But it was not surprising because of the fact that he could not run in reality, but because there was no hurry, and then a happy-happy state came to him, which had never before been experienced by him.
When Asya came to invite Victor to have dinner, he suddenly said:
“Today, I also found myself in the Magical World — thanks to Purr!”