The Long Walk

The following short story is dedicated to my Mama, who is starting on a new journey after almost three decades of an inspirational walk.

The Long Walk

by Prakarsh Singh

The walk had been going on for 28 years. The traveler felt thirsty and looked for water in what looked like a forlorn well in the sands of the Gobi desert. He had not had anything to drink for several days. He looked down into the well and saw his reflection in the water. How much he had changed from when he last saw himself. Signs of fatigue had set in permanently on the youthful face. The forehead had creased and the eyes looked swollen from lack of sleep.

He lowered the bucket into the well and filled it to the brim with water. Pulling the ropes, he brought the bucket up and splashed water onto his tanned face. He cusped his hands and gulped the precious water till he could drink no more.

Just as he was about to resume his journey, a tall man with very long white hair and a white beard appeared to jump out from the well. The traveler was astonished. He had never seen such a magical occurrence. He stepped back and asked the old man who he was. The old man gave him a knowing smile such that his whole face was crinkled from forehead to chin. Stretching his arms, he held out a ruby and a pearl in his open palm to the traveler.

The traveler was even more confused. He asked the old man why he wanted to give them to him. The old man said in a serious voice, “Anyone who drinks the water of my well gets to keep these gems. These are not ordinary gems. They grant you a wish if you sprinkle water on them. Ruby will give you what you truly want but before you sprinkle water on it, you must spend a day with someone whom you do not know.”

The old man continued, “The pearl is to be sprinkled only when you spend a day with yourself. Use them wisely – they can only be used once.”

As soon as he had said these mysterious words, the old man left the jewels in the hands of the traveler and disappeared back into the well.

The traveler thought of sprinkling the pearl with some water, but then realized that he had to spend an entire day with himself. So he began to introspect.

He began to think what the purpose of his life was. What he had achieved in his life and what remained. What he had learnt and what he wanted to learn. What he had experienced and what he wanted to experience. He realized that he was still very far from his destination. He evaluated his strengths. He had faith in himself. He was empathetic. He was not afraid of change. He was good to people and perhaps more importantly, good with people.

The walk had been taken to discover what lay beyond. He had been fascinated by what he had seen. The serene lakes, the deep gorges, the cliffs and the seas, and the sprouting of rivers and waterfalls had captivated him. He had made many friends and had learnt from them about their successes and failures. Everyone admired him for the courage he possessed. He had gone where no one had and traveled far and wide. At a young age, he had reached the peaks of the most difficult mountains. As his fame had grown, he had become more motivated to find what lay beyond. He had now become familiar with diverse lands and people. But he felt as if he was not complete. He felt that he would never be able to achieve happiness from walking to faraway lands. The journey had to end somewhere.

He recalled how he had been so rich 28 years ago. Now after all the travel, he wanted to regain those riches. He wanted to go back to his house in Ulaan Bator.

After a day of introspection near the well, he sprinkled water on the pearl and wished that he may go back to his home in Ulaan Bator. However, nothing happened. The traveler thought that the old man must not have been serious. Out of curiosity, he sprinkled water on the ruby and wished again. Instantly, he found himself standing outside his home.

After the long walk, he thought that he had learnt the lessons of life. But he knew he was still a stranger to himself. His real journey had just begun and the pearl was still with him.