sunlight. Boy felt hope and a deep sense of gratitude for the gift of life.
Girl touched Boy’s cheek and said, "By striving to make this world better, our lives are worthwhile."
"Yes," said Boy, "and if I've made someone smile or helped someone in any way, it's been a good day."
The Human Spirit
It was twilight as Boy sat with Girl on the bench in the garden outside the bakery. Soft light from a glowing sky full of colors bathed them just as the sun was fading away.
"We are all so different and unique, just like the sky's colors," said Boy. "It's just that we don't realize that we are also all connected and share the same human spirit. Just like the colors are all part of the same sky. So are we part of the same humanity.
We all just want to be happy
and vibrant like those colors in the sky.
We are all one big human family.
We all love, cry, laugh, and smile.
We all share the same air.
The sun shines on us all.
Imagine living as one."
"Yes," said Girl, "the people living on the other side of the wall that divides us, are deep down inside just like us. This whole war is just one big misunderstanding. Like humanity has lost its way. If people only realized how interconnected we all are, if people only knew how to accept one another and live in peace. I wish there was a book that united all humans. I wish there was a book that, when you read it, you would see we are all one. And that you would want to do the best for another fellow human being, because you know deep down that you are one. That there really is no other."
Dreams
Sunny, Boy, Girl, and Snail were sitting together on the garden bench. Girl wrapped her arm around Boy as he held Snail in the palm of his hand. Sunny sat next to Girl putting his head on her lap.
Magically in the last few days, Girl started to make out what Snail was saying by the power of telepathy. It was as if Sunny, Boy, Girl, and Snail resonated with each other from a place unexplained. Perhaps they connected to the universe in a way we cannot comprehend, we can only sometimes feel.
Boy pondered, "Don't we all have a dream that somehow a great event will happen and change this world for the better? Don't we just yearn for something pure to just wash out all the hatred and wrongs in this world?"
"Yes, I think most of us do," said Girl.
"Follow your dreams and don't succumb to the walls in your way," said Snail.
"That's called just being yourself," said Girl.
Sunny barked and Girl smiled.
The Wall
In the middle of the night, Boy quietly sneaked out of bed, taking great care not to wake up Girl. Tiptoeing out of the bakery and into the garden, Boy placed Snail carefully into an empty matchbox, as they had planned beforehand. Boy then gently placed the matchbox in a small backpack he had prepared with a bottle of water, a sandwich, and some lettuce for Snail. In the backpack was also a large amount of colored chalks that Boy had been saving for some time now.
It was dark as they carefully made their way to the big border wall. Boy could see the full moon glistening in the night sky and felt reassured. Boy could hear his own footsteps and breath and wished he could move as quietly as Snail. They succeeded in evading the army patrols, and after about an hour's walk they secretly reached the wall and started on what they set out to do - writing on the wall.
At the break of dawn, deafening shots were heard as soldiers fired bullets. Boy laid peacefully motionless, eyes to the sky. Soldiers rushed to the scene and were stunned. On the wall was written the most beautiful writing they had ever seen. Sparkly silvery letters outlined with the vibrant colors of a rainbow:
Give peace and you will
know peace.
--- Snail and Boy
Birds squawked nervously, horses became restless, and other animals of the land shuddered as they learned what had happened. The winds howled and trees creaked.
Boy was still, but inside he was hanging on for dear life. He was rushed to the hospital.
In the following morning hours, word of Boy and the writing on the wall spread like wildfire. People began to gather on both sides of the wall, and by evening, masses of people were holding hands, lighting candles, and singing songs of peace. The once silent masses were no longer silent. Little did they notice that a tiny snail at the top of the wall was looking on.
Snail was extremely worried by Boy's situation as it slowly slithered its way down the wall. Snail knew exactly what Boy was going through; the telepathy between Snail and Boy seesawed between life and death.
Girl heard the news and, together with Sunny, rushed to the hospital. Sunny wasn't permitted in the hospital and so stayed outside. Girl entered the hospital and when she reached Boy's bed, saw him lying unconscious and pale. Girl called out to Boy several times, but there was no answer.
"Don't worry, we'll make it through," Girl whispered to Boy as she caressed his head and kissed his cheeks. Then swelling tears shot through as Girl sobbed and trembled uncontrollably, hanging on to Boy with her own life.
Days passed, and Girl rarely left Boy's bedside. Girl convinced hospital staff to let Sunny inside once a day, and Sunny would lick Boy's hand occasionally and whimper. Sunny went and got Snail, and together they were permitted to stay in the hospital complex in the yard, outside the building where Boy was hospitalized.
Visitors by the thousands lined up to see who this Boy was. They had to be pushed back from the hospital gates. In the meantime, the people's protests swept the land, and each evening masses of people gathered peacefully on both sides of the wall. People prayed for Boy's recovery, and paid tribute and looked in awe at Snail and Boy's message. It was the most beautiful message they had ever seen, burning so bright and touching their souls. Others started writing the same message on walls and pavements across the land.
Snail and Boy knew that words expressing ideas are stronger than walls. They knew that one of humanity's most powerful freedoms is the power to choose. They sensed that the power of the people was much stronger than the people in power. People from both sides of the wall had chosen peace. The winds of change had come. A few days later, the wall was knocked down.
The Awakening
One day, Boy woke up. He looked around and saw Sunny smiling and wagging its tail. He saw Snail almost jump out of its shell from joy. He saw the astonished face of the caring nurse. And, he saw the most beautiful smile he had ever seen on Girl's face.
Boy said,
"The world is a dark and bright place.
Those who choose peace see the light."
The End
About the Author
Gal Kleinman dedicates his life to bringing about a world based on a culture of peace.
Gal believes that the foundation of peace is education and the foundation of the world is peace. Therefore Gal aspires to mainstream peace education in educational systems worldwide. Gal is also the founder of a global educational project called Magical Moments Around The World.
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