Cycle of Time

3.2

What is magic? Ava asked.

It was an innocent enough question.

Although the question was really asked from Noah, Liam was quick with his answer.

"Well I must say its a complicated thing to answer", he started in a very serious tone.

"I don't know whether a 12 year old would be able to understand though".

"Well you can try me" Ava quipped. Liam had managed to get her annoyed.

"To tell you the truth, well how can I make it simple, hmmmm"

"Well ? I'm waiting."

"To tell you the truth there is no such thing as magic "Liam thought about being more gentle not wanting to hurt her feeling too much, but decided it was always best to be direct with Ava.

"All things can be explained or will be explained at some point. Sometimes it's just that we don't have the answers just yet", he continued, not waiting for a response.

" Ava was disappointed, and you could see it in her face. She wondered a bit.

"But magic is an explanation, don't you see".

Noah who had been keenly listening to the discussion between the two young ones decided it was time he said something. "My father used to say that there will always be magic in the world and it is only the young who can see it. Except for a few special older ones," he added with half a smile.

"See I told you so. You are now officially old Liam. Too old to know magic ", Ava took the opportunity to have a chuckle.

Both were looking at Noah for further explanation.

Well for me it has always been a feeling and not something I think about, so it will be hard for me to explain, but I will try. As Noah was wondering how to explain magic, it started to drizzle. It was near midday now, and they walked along the foot path in the forest as they talked. The tiny droplets were beautiful but cold, like they had come from another place. Maybe the heavens from which they came, was indeed another world. In contrast the rain drops that fell from the trees were bigger but warmer.

As Noah was still struggling to answer, an impatient Ava quipped in. "Well can you at least tell us, who are these older people who still know magic?"

"Can you take us to one of them?"

"You ask a lot" Noah smiled.

"But I will try to take you to one, you need to be patient though we need to get back to the village for that".

"Well I have a few tricks up my sleeve too" Liam interjected. The very next moment, he took out a pack of cards and asked Ava to pick a card.

After that Ava had to place it back in the pack. She was even allowed to shuffle the pack.

"Now I need to do a bit of magic" he said. He mumbled the words "kusubusubhasu" three times gesturing with his hands over the pack. Next he flipped through the pack and plucked out a card confidently. "Is this the one? "He had no doubt at all.

"That's the one. How on earth did you know, Ava was amazed".

"Well that what I say, I know a bit of magic too"

But Liam you said there was no thing as magic." Ava was quick to remind him.

"Oh."

"But there is a method to how I did the trick." That's what I meant.

"You mean it was a trick".

"Well yes I guess so ".

But I enjoyed it anyway Liam, it was magic for me."

Noah quietly noted that Ava was still one of the young ones.

As they walked on, the rain had now almost stopped and the sun was out. The rain had made the forest very humid and now that the cooling rain itself had all but disappeared, it was warm and uncomfortable. Sweat was pouring down and tiny insects were everywhere, and most of them appeared to be following the three. It was hardly a time or a place to be discussing magic. They were on their way to find something. They were on a journey each one in search of something they still hadn't figured out. They would only know when they found it. It had been a long time since they had left, the three of them strangers at first, now good companions.

Just as their weary bodies were starting to signal that it was better to stay and rest even if the insects were after them, the forest suddenly opened up. The wind which had been unable to enter the forest was swirling outside it. The insects suddenly disappeared, and as the sweat dried out in the wind, it was comfortable again. They decided to rest. As they caught their breath, Noah's mind became clear. He started remembering.

It was when he was around 10 years old. He was outside and the wind was swirling like it was now.

Noah was feeling down after losing his dog that day. Doppy had been his best friend ever since he could remember in his short life back then. He did not know of a life, without him. But dogs grew older much faster than we did or so it seemed to him. The young Doppy who was Noah's play pal was no more. As Noah grew stronger Doppy had grown weaker.

And now as he stood wanting to be far away from everyone in the swirling wind with tears rolling down his eyes, he couldn't see afar. There was dust everywhere and the tears blurred whatever the dust allowed. Although he could not see he felt something. Something soft rubbing his legs. The sadness lifted as if by magic as Noah got on his knees. It wasn't his Doppy, it was a little puppy but for Noah it was Doppy. From a corner of his eye he could remember and vaguely see his parents watching over him from a distance. As Noah was recalling this, he relived the magic he felt when his sorrow lifted so suddenly and hope suddenly dawned on him that day.