Page 10 - BMTYS E-Magazine 2nd Edition

The Desolated Monk

Aaron T. Mathew
Roll No. 260

There once was an old monk who lived deep in the forest, across the

river. Every morning, he awoke to the majestic calls of the blue heron,

opening his eyes to the soft glow gliding along the flowing canopy. He

had no family, neighbors, or friends. He believed such connections

would tether him to the mortal world, disrupting his peace.

One day, while hiking the hills behind his house, he stumbled upon

a small child sitting alone between the roots of an old banyan tree.

Unsure of what to do, the monk, in an attempt to maintain his peace,

walked away in silence. After collecting fruits and nuts for the day, on

his way back home, he noticed the child hadn’t moved from where he

first saw him. Concerned the child might go hungry, the monk offered

him a mango - one he favored and had kept an eye on since it first

sprouted. Satisfied, he returned home.

That night, the wind churned and the leaves fell like raindrops in the

cold winter night. Disturbed by worry, the monk hurried out to the

boy, offering him shelter until the one he waited for arrived. Despite

the deafening silence, shivering in the cold, the monk hoped for a

response - a hum or even a glimpse of the boy’s eyes. But the child

remained silent. Worried he might have been too late, the monk carried

the boy back home. As the fire crackled, the boy found warmth under

an old brown woolen scarf. The next day, upon waking up, the monk

found the boy once again sitting under the comforting shade of the

old banyan tree, still waiting for someone who might never return.

9 Bahrain Mar Thoma
Yuvajana Sakhyam