Chapter 7:
On Purity and Joy — Within and Without

Victor gradually changed due to living with grandfather Basil, Asya, Buddy, and Purr, though he himself did not notice it.

Grandpa Basil was very surprising to Victor. He did not look like an “ordinary grandfather”: he looked very young and, if it were not for the beard, it would have been difficult to call him a grandfather.

But that wasn’t the most important thing. With his whole behavior and relationships with the surrounding creatures, grandfather Basil transformed the space: bees, birds, and small mammals obeyed him. Forest dwellers approached him without fear. Squirrels, for example, could jump on his shoulders, birds could sit on his palms, even hares were not afraid, if noisy Buddy was not nearby.

Grandfather Basil was never angry with Victor’s harsh words, and spoke to him very calmly and sweetly, as if Victor was to him the dearest person.

Peace and a kind of special inner strength passed down from grandfather Basil to the surrounding space.

Asya once told Victor that her grandfather is able to use the Force of the Magical World. Victor did not attach any importance to these words. But he began to notice the unusual soft and confident strength of this man.

… And now, thanks to Purr, Victor had seen the Magical World! And that meant that everything else in Asya’s stories could be true. And a hope began to arise in him that grandfather Basil could cure him.

… All the food seemed especially tasty for Victor on this day. He even told grandfather Basil about it. And he did not just mutter an ordinary “thank you”, to avoid being considered rude, but he thanked him very genuinely!

Suddenly, grandfather Basil suggested:

“Victor, do you want to wash the dishes after our meal today?”

… Victor was confused. He wanted, as he usually did, to say some unpleasant phrase, like: “It’s not my duty: I’m the patient! And besides — you need to buy a dishwasher!”.

But — for some reason — he did not say anything like that…

Grandfather Basil continued to speak as if Victor had happily agreed to wash the plates, spoons, and pot:

“It is very important for a person to learn how to clean everything both outside and within oneself! In this case, if one does not wash the dishes, the leftovers will dry up. And then, if one starts using a plate or spoon, for example, which was not washed in time, one can get some poisoning. Likewise, if one keeps inside of oneself all sorts of angry emotions and bad dark thoughts — they, just like the remnants of spoiled food, can stick inside the soul and harm one’s well-being and health.

“But if one tries to always keep everything clean, then life becomes very interesting! If you want, Victor, I can show you much on this topic!”

Victor even washed the dishes with pleasure. He admired the cleanliness of the plates, and this — quite unexpectedly — brought him joy and satisfaction!

… From that day on, everything began to change in Victor for the better and with increasing speed.

Daily body trainings on special exercise machines, invented by grandfather Basil, and the exercises in the lake — also gave their results. Victor still couldn’t walk, but his stronger muscles already allowed him, in many respects, to manage his body without assistance. And therefore, he felt less feeble, sick and miserable.

… When he first started living in the house of grandfather Basil, Victor refused to get up early and didn’t allow them to wake him up.

But today, Victor woke himself up when dawn was just beginning.

Feeling that he was needed by Victor, Buddy looked into the room.

He was very cleverly able to open all the doors in the house, pressing a paw on the door handles. But previously, he would not go into Victor’s room.

But today, he shoved his smiling shaggy face through the slightly opened door and asked with all his facial expression:

“Can I come in?”

“Come in!” — Victor whispered enthusiastically.

Buddy happily followed the invitation.

Victor dressed. Then they went together to the garden.

There — everything was immersed in the soft morning mist!

Then the rays of the rising sun began to shine!

Birds were singing!

The space around the house of grandfather Basil was so saturated with the aroma of the Magical World that birds always wanted to sing, and not only in the spring and early summer. And they filled the surrounding space with their wonderful musical creations — the music of meadows, gardens and forests!

Victor listened. Before, he did not pay attention to such natural sounds, often saying to himself: “someone is screaming there in the bushes”… But now — everything inside thrilled with this new previously unknown feeling of belonging to this gentle natural harmony!

Asya came out from the home.

She danced happily among the trees of the garden in the morning sun, not noticing that she was being watched by four attentive eyes.

Then Buddy could not restrain himself — and rushed to say “Hello!”. He jumped around Asya, spreading joy in the space!

Asya saw Victor and was very surprised:

“Are you awake? So early?”

“Yeah, I couldn’t sleep… And what kind of silly dance was that?” — Victor tried to hide his still fragile joy behind his usual coldness. But he was not very good at hiding it right now…

“I start every morning like this! My grandfather taught me to celebrate the sun! It rises — and wakes up the happiness of all beings!

“And you, too, can let this joy, light, and purity into yourself!

“And then — give joy from your spiritual heart both to birds, and trees, and little mammals, and not only to those whom we see around us now!

“The light of love can be sent over huge distances! And due to this, the whole day becomes good! Do you want to try?”

“There you go again!” — Victor muttered, but once again it was not said as angrily as usual. He even wanted, like Asya, to begin rejoicing and being glad, but he forced himself again “to put on a mask” of the usual coldness of an unfortunate patient.

Grandfather Basil came out of the garden and offered:

“Because the two of you today are such ‘early birds’, then water the patches while I prepare breakfast!”

Victor began to pump water, and Asya watered the plants with a hose.

Streams of water twinkled in the sunlight and turned into shining splashes and mist!

Then they changed places: Victor watered, and Asya worked with the pump.

Grandfather Basil praised them for their work.

They all gathered for breakfast.

… And after the meal and a short rest, grandfather Basil suggested to Victor and Asya:

“Do you remember how you today watered the garden, and the water ran through the hose under the pressure?

“And now let’s try to imagine that the same hoses, carrying light, can be combined with our hands or feet, and that there is a pump in our chests. And we can ‘inhale’ air-light through one hand or foot, and ‘exhale’ it through the other. Then — the opposite way. Or: ‘inhale’ through one hand — and ‘exhale’ through the leg or the head. You can think up many of such combinations! That’s how you can wash the body inside and heal it!

“This, Victor, will help you! Try it!”

… Later, they all went to the lake.

On this day, Victor managed to stand in the water of the lake, plunging up to his collarbones. The water hugged his body from all sides, and supported it. He felt himself standing on his own two feet without help! Yes, the water was not letting him fall, but, nevertheless, his legs were already beginning to work and obey!

They stayed at the lake for a long time, baking potatoes in a campfire, which were brought with them from home. And Asya with Buddy had found some early mushrooms in the forest: several orange-cap boletuses, yellow boletuses and brown mushrooms. And now on thin stripped twigs-skewers, which were made by grandfather Basil from branches that had been broken by the wind, they began to fry these mushrooms over the fire with a little sprinkle of salt.

The lunch was very blissful!

Then they sat around the campfire on the shore.

Victor, who was very tired from the efforts of this day, even slept a little, lying by the fire. And then, he woke up — filled with peace and strength!

Everything inside him and around him — as if by magic — has changed. Why? Because he started to change himself!