The Man Who Could See Truthfulness
A
Short Tale for Children ages. 5-100
By
C. S. Cholas
James
first saw the stranger by Mr. Gregory's grocery store. The young
schoolboy was trying to catch Sally Walker and pull her hair, because she had
broken his pencil point during the math exam the day before. James was
waiting for her to come out of her mother's cloth shop, when the stranger
walked into Mr. Gregory's store. James forgot about Sally as soon as he
saw the tall man, and his curiosity drew him across the street and into
Gregory's Grocery.
The
youth felt warmth and fear toward the newcomer; warmth because of the kind look
on the stranger's face, fear because the man's eyes seemed to look right into
one's heart.
The man
picked out an apple from a large bowl of Red Delicious on the counter and asked
Mr. Gregory, "How much for an apple?"
"Eighty
cents," replied the grocer dryly.
The
newcomer looked gently, but firmly at Mr. Gregory. Their eyes met for a quick
moment and Mr. Gregory turned away, his face as bright red as the apple in his
customer's hand.
"Eighty
cents?" inquired the stranger, but Mr. Gregory suddenly fumbled for words.
The
grocer knew that he had obtained the apples for nothing from Mrs. Gardener as
payment for part of the interest on her store account. Mrs. Gardener, a
poor woman who lived alone, grew apples and vegetables on her small plot of
land. She barely had enough to live on herself, so she often had to buy
food at Mr. Gregory's store on credit. Jack Gregory was a stern
businessman. If someone like Mrs. Gardener didn't pay up her account by
the end of the month, Mr. Gregory charged a high interest on it. That's
how he had acquired most of Mrs. Gardener's apples.
"How
much was that again?" the stranger asked.
Nervously,
Mr. Gregory said, "Um, eighty cents an apple. It's hard to get
apples at a good price this late in the fall."
As he
stuttered those words with the stranger's hard eyes looking at him, Mr. Gregory
became afraid, as if this stranger knew all about his unfair dealings with Mrs.
Gardener. Beads of sweat began to drip from Jack Gregory's neck, and his
hands fidgeted on the cash register.
Then he
added, "But since you're new here, I'll give you that one for fifty
cents."
The
stranger put his hand into his pocket and pulled out some change. He set
eighty cents on the counter in front of Mr. Gregory and said, "No, that's
all right. I'll pay what others have to pay." With that the
stranger turned and started toward the entrance. The little bells on the door
jingled as he walked out closing the door behind him.
Mr.
Gregory stood by his cash register unable to pick up the coins on the counter.
His face paled and his stomach churned nervously. His body froze,
as if he had been in his meat locker overnight, unable to move for several
moments.
For the
first time in a long time he felt bad about overcharging a customer. He
didn't know why he felt that way, but for the rest of the day he stayed confused
and nervous. Every time the little bells on the door tinkled, Mr. Gregory would
jump up as if scared. If a customer asked how much something cost, Mr.
Gregory became confused about the prices of the goods that before he was always
sure of. Every sound, every shadow startled Jack Gregory that day, for
fear that the stranger might return.
James
stood by the doorway when the tall man walked out with the red apple in his
hand. He watched Mr. Gregory for a moment, and then followed the visitor
to see where he would go next.
The tall
man strolled down the street a short way to the small town park. He went
over to a bench under a shady mulberry tree that was losing most of its leaves.
He sat down and bit into the tasty apple.
James
slowly approached the park. He couldn't keep himself from staring at the
stranger, though he did not know why he was attracted to this visitor in a way
he wasn't drawn to other travelers who sometimes visited his town. James
stepped closer to the bench, paused, and went closer still. He took
another step, and as he did, he tripped on a rock and fell. When he got
us and brushed the dirt off his pants, he raised his head to see the stranger
looking straight into his eyes.
"Are
you all right?" the stranger asked.
"Um.
Yes...sir,” James answered timidly.
"What
are you doing this morning?" the tall man, leaning forward on the bench
with the apple in one hand, asked directly.
"Nothing,"
replied James quickly, and then he remembered that he was really trying to
catch Sally Walker and pull her hair. He looked at the stranger, who
stared back at him and asked:
"Nothing?"
The stranger smiled slightly.
"Well,
not nothing nothing," explained James, "just nothing important. Just
kids' stuff." He was going to say more, when a group of well-dressed
men came walking through the park talking loudly with one another. James
told the stranger, "That's the mayor and the town council."
The
group of town officials stopped near where James and the stranger. The
mayor was speaking:
"Well,
I'm all for community projects, but I think that using the South Trail land for
a town recreation center at a time when our debts are high would not be in the
best interests of our townsfolk’s' future." As he spoke these words,
the mayor glanced over to the bench where the visitor sat. Their eyes met
for a brief second. Suddenly the mayor coughed and choked. He knew
that his real reason for not wanting the South Trail land used for a town
recreation center was due to a promise from shopping center developers back
east who had secretly offered the mayor ten thousand dollars and a seat on the
board of directors, if the mayor could convince the town board to
vote in favor of the developers buying the South Trail land at a low price.
The mayor tried to persuade the townspeople and its officials that they
needed a modern shopping center with "big name stores from the east".
He told them how much money "would roll into the streets and into
their pockets" by having these developers build a shopping center. Of
course, they didn't know about the mayor's secret and how he would become
richer beyond his dreams.
When the
mayor's eyes met those of the tall man seated near James, his own selfish
desires came into his mind and made him worry, suddenly, that someone sensed
his lying. He coughed and choked until the councilmen became concerned
and muttered, "Are you all right, Bill? You better sit down and rest a
moment. Maybe some dust is stuck in your throat; it's been a dry
autumn." They helped him to a bench that faced the one where the
stranger sat.
Without
getting up the stranger abruptly said, "I think that he'll be all
right."
The
councilmen eyed the visitor suspiciously and one of them inquired, "And
who are you?"
"My
name is Justo Honradez and I'm a community planner," the stranger said
calmly as a large mulberry leaf gently floated down before him. James'
eyes grew wide, as he learned that this stranger had a name and a profession.
He wasn't a nameless drifter after all.
The councilmen's
attentions focused on the newcomer, as they stood around their heavy-breathing
mayor stretched out on a bench. Another one of them asked,
"Community planner, eh? What community are you working in?"
"Anywhere
that I'm needed," Justo answered without hesitation. "Right now,
I came to see how I might help here."
"Here!"
the six men exclaimed together. The mayor choked again, unable to say a
word.
"That's
right,” replied Justo, "maybe I could be of service to you for a short
time."
"We
already have a planning office here," one councilman said.
"Yes,"
another added, "and a fine bunch of workers they are, too." As the
words left his lips, he nearly gagged. He knew that the town planner and his
two clerks used more time to sharpen pencils then to solve problems facing the
town.
Justo
Honradez gazed out peacefully to the treetops where the first winter birds had
landed, announcing their arrival with loud squawks. Then he stood up in
front of the town dignitaries. His eyes passed from one councilman's face
to another, and then finally settled upon the mayor, a pudgy sort of fellow,
who had regained his composure. The mayor instantly stared down at the ground
when Justo's eyes came to him. Justo casually told the men that they need
not pay him should they decide to use his services. He told them that
they could reach him at the Hotel Hillside when they wanted him. With
that he walked slowly out of the park toward the part of town where the hotel
was. Behind him the men silently stared until he was a block away, then
they began chattering louder than the birds above them about this strange man
in their town.
"Who
does he think he is?" one said angrily.
"I
think he's going to mean trouble for our town," another said. "We
better put a police watch on him."
Another
asked, looking right at the mayor, "Bill, what do you make of him?"
Still
shaken by his own coughing fit, when he first saw Justo Honradez, the mayor
shook his head from side to side, "I don't know. I honestly don't
know." And he honestly did not know what to make of the presence of
the newcomer with the penetrating stare.
"He's
kinda spooky," one official said twisting his head to the side as he
spoke, "He's kind of like an odd ghost."
"You
can say that again," the others joined in.
James
stood around by the gossiping officials for a few moments. Like a dart,
the thought hit him that he might lose track of Justo, so he bolted away from
the park and down the street in the direction of the Hotel Hillside. He caught
up to him by the post office and they walked along together. James
watched Justo's face, while Justo looked far away towards the clouds gathering
above the southern mountains.
As they
walked together, neither spoke. There was only the sound of their shoes
on the pavement; Justo with a steady click, James with a syncopated shuffle.
Dry reddish and orange leaves flapped in the slight breeze as they fell
from the trees that lined the street. James wanted to find out more about
this stranger who had come to help his town, but the longer they were quiet,
the harder it seemed to speak. James' mind filled with doubts.
Could Justo be a bad man who's come to rob the people? Or worse,
was he an odd ghost sent by someone to harm the
town? Or if he really did come to do good, then why
were strange things happening wherever he went? Finally, in a burst of
words that even surprised himself, like the unexpected pop of a balloon, James
asked:
"Why
did you choose our town to come to, and what is a community planner?"
His questions snapped out bluntly, though James had meant to ask them in
a courteous way.
Justo
Honradez did not look at James, nor break his casual stride, nor speak, for
just then several dusty looking boys the same size as James came running past,
shouting at James, "Where'd you get that dumpy pair of trousers?"
The gang laughed as they circled around James, who, embarrassed, glanced
quickly down at his new pants his dad had brought back from the city last week.
Justo
stopped and watched the young guys with a sullen stare. Their laughter
stopped, too, as they looked back at Justo with a wave of sudden fear.
The teasers then looked at their own ragged pants and again at James' new
pair, as they realized how jealous they were of James. Justo sighed and
began walking once again. James followed suit, while the gang stayed
silently behind staring at James and his strange new companion.
James
thought to himself, "Boy, this man has a weird power over people."
He, too, grew afraid and began to think about slipping away. As
James contemplated how to run off without showing his fear to Justo, the tall
man turned to James and said:
"I
didn't choose this town. It was chosen for me. Every place has a
time when certain things must be done. The outcome depends always on the
people who live there. Whether the result is helpful, or not, depends on
them. A community planner helps those who want to see. One cannot
help those who turn away. The planner shows the sincere how to do
something, not to do it for them."
Justo's
voice was firm, but comforting, and James forgot his plan to escape. He felt
suddenly more relaxed walking next to Justo, and it was easier to speak:
"But
it seems that you can look at people," said James, "just look into
their eyes and see...something...like you can see truthfulness. How do
you do that?"
They had
reached the entrance of the Hotel Hillside, a humble place
of weathered wood. Justo put a gentle hand on
James' shoulder and replied as they stood by the front door of the hotel,
"I don't see any more than what the eyes show."
"What
is it you see in their eyes...in my eyes?" James asked with a desperate
twist of his eyebrows.
Justo
answered, "Hmm. Maybe I can show you by doing an experiment."
"An
experiment?"
"Yes,"
said Justo, "an experiment is a way to observe how something works so that
some truth can be revealed."
"What
kind of an experiment are you going to do here? Are you going to catch
people and lock them up in a science lab?"
Justo
laughed. "No, I plan to do the opposite. Be patient and you
will see. Monday morning the experiment will begin." Justo
turned to enter the hotel, then he swung meekly back to James, "By the
way, what's your name?"
"James.
James Gunthrops, sir."
At that
moment a teenage girl came dashing out of the hotel yelling, "But mom, I'm
only going to the library with Julie!"
From
inside the lobby a woman's voice yelled back, "I don't want you running
around with those guys, when you have studies to do."
The girl
made a cry of disgust and shouted, "I won't, mother! I'll be
studying with Julie!" She looked up at Justo's eyes momentarily and
then gasped for air. Her real intentions swelled in her head-- she
planned to spend fifteen minutes in the library with her girlfriend, then skip
out for a soda with her boyfriend, while Julie covered for her. When she
saw Justo's eyes, she felt that he somehow knew all about the plot.
"I
feel faint," she muttered. Justo grabbed her arm and helped her
until she stood up alone again. "Thank you, mister," she said,
weakly.
Again,
the voice from inside called out, "What?"
A
middle-aged woman opened the door and startled as she saw Justo and James.
"Oh, I was talking to my daughter. She doesn't know her
mother's concerns for her." As the lady spoke those words, she also
choked a bit. The mother was jealous of her daughter's freedom, while she
had to manage the hotel affairs.
To
interrupt the embarrassment of the mother and daughter, Justo said,
"Excuse me, I was coming to check on my room reservations."
The
mother caught her breathe and said, "Oh yes, you must be Mr. Onrad.
Is that right?"
"Honradez,"
Justo replied humbly, "Justo Honradez."
"Yes,
please come right in." The woman started into the hotel, paused,
looking back at her daughter, and said sharply, "Just," she paused
again and softened her voice, "be careful, and enjoy the afternoon."
Her words brought an expression of surprised joy on her teen-ager's face.
"Yes,
mama." With that the girl briskly walked down the street.
Justo
followed the woman into the hotel lobby. He smiled at James as he went
into the building and said, "James, see you later, okay?"
James
grinned back brightly. "Oh yes, sir. I'll look for you."
Justo
disappeared into the hotel. James stood by the front window briefly to
see Justo filling out a registration card at the desk, as the lady talked and
fumbled around with several room keys.
"An
experiment," thought James, proud to be in on Justo's secret. "Boy,
this is going to be interesting." An energy rushed over James as he
thought about his new friend. He felt that as long as Justo was in town,
everything would be fine. He ventured into the street, touching each of
the trees lined along the curb as he headed home for dinner. He didn't even
stop to watch Sally Walker, as she mockingly called, "Out buying some new
pencils, Jimmy?" from the door of her mother's cloth shop.
That
night the clouds that had been meeting over the southern mountains quietly
moved over the town.
A grey
sky greeted Sunday morning. The word had blown around that the town had a
visitor unlike other visitors. Gossip and whispers, and even arguments,
spread from house to house, store to store, and street corner to street corner.
Some felt that the newcomer meant trouble for their peaceful community.
A few even were bold enough to assert that the stranger came from the
devil. Others claimed that Justo was sent from heaven to judge the town;
that's why he seemed to know what was in a person's heart just by looking at
them. Those who had met Justo had experienced the same feeling; that he
knew their real thoughts, and he could tell when someone told a lie.
"He's
eerie," said James's father. "I don't want you around him
anymore." James sadly looked up at his father's face, as Mr.
Gunthrops pronounced his judgement against Justo. "He may be a good
man, or he may be bad. I don't know, but, for now, it's better to stay
away from the man. Do you hear?"
James
mustered up a weak, "Yes, father," and solemnly moped to his room,
thinking, "Nobody really cares about the truth anymore. Now I won't
get to see Justo's experiment."
Meanwhile,
the local sheriff paid a visit to the Hillside Hotel and asked Mrs. Singh if
her new guest gave her any trouble.
"Well,"
she answered thoughtfully, "he's different than anyone else who's stayed
here before, but in what way I can't really explain. He's quiet and has a
sincere smile, and... somehow...when you look into his eyes..." Mrs.
Singh shivered as she spoke, "...he seems to know what you're
thinking."
Sheriff
Rivas noted down the words on his notepad. Then he said,
"Strange guy. Is he around now?"
"No,"
answered Mrs. Singh, "he stepped out a short time ago. He didn't say
where he was going, but he did say 'Good morning' in the warmest way I've ever
heard around here."
"Uh
huh," nodded Sheriff Rivas, "and did he happen to put on his
registration card what business he's on here, or where's he from?"
Mrs.
Singh searched her guest file for Justo's registration card and pulled it out,
"Says here, Justo Honradez from Buena Luz. It doesn't say where
Buena Luz is. And under profession, well, he just put community planner.
Does that tell you anything? Is he wanted by the police or
something, sheriff?"
Sheriff
Rivas scratched his head, "We don't know. My guess is that he's just
passing through, but it seems a lot of townsfolk have had the same experience
with him as you have, Mrs. Singh. He seems to know what people think, and
that bothers folks a bit around here. You know how we simple country folk
are; we get worked up about most anything that's a little bit new or
different."
Mrs.
Singh trembled as she held Justo's guest card in her hand, "Will you let
me know if you find out anything about this man? I don't want to house
dangerous people, you know, sheriff."
"Don't
worry, Mrs. Singh," the sheriff assured her, "I'm just doing a
routine check to see what's got the town buzzing with doubt. I'm sure
that townspeople are over-reacting."
The
discomfort that Justo's presence made among the residents caused more and more
commotion. When a person boasted or exaggerated, or worse, told a lie,
they would show signs of nervousness, maybe stutter or break out into a sweat.
The
mayor became more uncomfortable, too, for on Monday morning the council would
be making their final decision on whether to sell the South Trail land, and
now, with all the talk about Justo going around town, and his own choking
encounter with the man, the mayor was in a tizzy. He had a fever and a
nagging headache. He was tempted to ask the council to postpone the
Monday meeting, but his advisors suggested that such a delay would only add to
the doubts many had.
The
town's agitations caused Sheriff Rivas to make another visit to Mrs. Singh's
hotel in the afternoon. He wanted to speak directly with this Mr.
Honradez, but Justo hadn't been back to the hotel since he had left.
"Maybe
he's left town," suggested the sheriff.
"I
don't think so," said Mrs. Singh, "he paid for three nights.
He's got two to go."
Thus,
that particular autumn weekend was the most nervous one ever on record in the
hillside town.
James
unhappily sat in his bedroom that Sunday morning trying to understand why he
felt confused. Why should he be bothered by the arrival of one strange,
tall person whom he had never met before, whom he knew very little about?
Why should his parents, on the other hand, be worried about him being
around the visitor? James thought, "I could just as well be playing
volleyball with my schoolmates." He sighed as he sat on his bed
swinging his legs back and forth.
Sometimes
when he felt depressed or sad, James would take a walk to a special place by
the river under an old tree, where he could sit on a big boulder, listen to the
sounds of nature and let his mind drift into daydreams. Without telling
his parents, he slipped out his bedroom window and ran down the street.
On the way to the river James had to pass through downtown. Passing
by the Hillside Hotel, he thought about stopping to see Justo, but the words of
his father rang out in his head: "Stay away from him!"
He
noticed Sheriff Rivas's patrol car parked in front of the hotel, which made
James stop short and wander closer to the place. He saw the sheriff
talking with Mrs. Singh at the lobby desk. James wanted to enter and hear
if they were talking about Justo, and, if so, what were they saying about him,
but the fear of displeasing his father kept him from going in. He
lingered a few moments and then hurried off out of town over the hill to the
bend in the river where his "special spot" waited.
One
reason James like his "special spot" was that no one ever came there.
It was his secret place, where he could be alone when he wanted to be
alone. Of course, sometimes there were visitors; birds and squirrels.
Once he even saw a coyote come close to the riverbank on the other side. That
Sunday morning, as he drew near to his place by the river, James saw the figure
of someone already there. He felt an unexplained burst of disappointment
within himself to think that his very own secret spot was not his alone
anymore, but as he came closer, he saw that the new visitor was none other than
Justo Honradez.
"Oh
my gosh!" James said half out loud, "How did Justo know about
my special spot?"
As James
approached the boulder where Justo sat, Justo looked up calmly and said,
"Oh, hello, James. What are you doing here?"
"I
come here sometimes," answered James, very surprised to see Justo,
"to think. How did you know about my place...this spot, I
mean?"
Justo
smiled and said, "I like to take walks near nature. My steps led me
here. It is a wonderful place to sit and think."
That
comment made James even more surprised; that Justo would have the same feeling
about the "special spot" that James had.
Justo
asked James, "So you come here, sometimes? You have a nice place,
James." Justo watched a flock of cranes flying south overhead.
After
the cranes had disappeared from view, Justo asked, "Do your parents know
that you are here?"
James
almost choked. "He does know everything!" he thought.
James answered anxiously, "Well, I'm not supposed to be near you.
My father says. And...I didn't tell him or my mom that I was coming
here. They might ask me all sorts of questions, and I didn't feel like
talking. I only want to think a little bit...about you. A lot of
people are angry about you being around, Mister Justo. They think you
mean trouble for the town."
From his
place on the big rock, Justo nodded, "Then the experiment is beginning to
work."
James
looked up with his mouth open, "Experiment?" he shrieked.
Justo
said, "Yes. All the conditions are set for the experiment to be
tested. Tomorrow morning the treatment will begin."
"Treatment?"
exclaimed James.
"Yes,
James," replied Justo, "in an experiment the treatment is given to
see what changes will happen. Once the treatment is given, it will be seen what
changes take place."
James
leaned against the rock where Justo sat. Some more cranes flew overhead.
"I don't understand. All I know is that since you've been in town,
everything is stirred up. And everybody says that you can tell what they
think. How can you change people just by being around them, Justo?"
James's voice became angry, though he didn't mean to sound angry.
"Hmmm."
said Justo thoughtfully, "maybe the people of the town are really
reacting to their own selves. Maybe they are beginning to think hard and
deep about themselves. Tell me, James, what have you noticed most about
the people since yesterday? What's different about them?"
"Well,”
James thought for a moment, "I don't really know exactly what it is, but
it seems that before you came we didn't think it was bad to say something that
wasn't really true, and now..." James paused, watching the river,
"now when somebody starts to tell a fib or something, it makes them
get all nervous."
"That's
right," said Justo, matter-of-factly, as if he knew all along what was
going to happen. "And that's the real work of a community planner;
to help people think about the results before they talk or act. A lot of
problems could be solved if that happened, wouldn't you say so, James?"
"Yes,
sir." James wanted to ask more questions, but Justo jumped off the
boulder and faced him.
"Now,"
said Justo, "so you do not displease your parents, I will let you have
your wonderful place to yourself, but don't stay too long, or your parents will
become worried about you. That wouldn't be good, would it?"
James shook his head side to side in agreement. Justo continued,
"Tomorrow will be one of the best days ever to come here." With
that Justo put his hand on James's shoulder, smiled warmly, and then walked
toward town.
James
wished to follow him, but he knew Justo wouldn't let him. He stayed,
instead, and climbed upon the rock, tucked his feet underneath himself and
watched the river for a while before running home.
Justo
returned to the Hillside Hotel to find Sheriff Rivas and many townspeople
gathered outside the hotel entrance. Several of the citizens yelled out,
"There he is!" as Justo approached. Justo walked past the crowd to
the entrance where the sheriff stood.
Sheriff
Rivas spoke first. He stuttered as he spoke, feeling nervous about making
such a big fuss over the quiet stranger. "Mr. Honradez, I don't mean to
cause you any disturb..."
One of
the crowd interrupted with a shout, "What ya going to do with him,
Sheriff?"
Sheriff
Rivas cast a glance of displeasure over the crowd, then continued, "It
seems that our town has not had a visitor who has stirred up the folks as much
as you have in the couple of days that you've been here. And as sheriff,”
Sheriff Rivas said solemnly, "I have to look into things that affect the
town..." His words dropped off as his eyes connected with Justo's.
Sheriff Rivas wasn't checking up on Justo as a normal routine but had
been ordered by the mayor to keep a watch on the stranger and report his every
move.
The
sheriff could not speak. His lips tried to move, but no words came out.
He felt ashamed and embarrassed. The large mob of people stood
hushed in the streets. Even passing cars stopped, as their drivers and
passengers gazed onto the gathering. Several town councilmen timidly
watched from the back of the crowd. Grocer Gregory leaned against his store
entrance down the street. Mrs. Gardener was among the crowd. Farmer
Garcia sat in his parked pickup; his dog, Fredo, settled in the back with his
tongue out, panting heavily. Coming from farther down the street was the
mayor himself with someone who had gone to fetch him.
It
looked like a showdown in front of the Hillside Hotel between the tall stranger
and the whole community. Everyone waited to see what would happen next.
Would Justo say anything? Most people feared that he might start exposing
all their fibs, half-truths and lies in public and humiliate everyone.
Justo
stood calm as usual. He seemed to be waiting, too. When the mayor
arrived, out of breath, and halted next to one of the councilmen in the back,
Justo turned to the people and spoke:
"Mr.
Mayor, Councilmen, Sheriff, friends," he began his address. "I
am happy to be here visiting your lovely community. It is a good place with
wonderful people. And, of course, as you all know, it is not a perfect
town..." His eyes studied the group, most of whom had their heads
cast downward, as each one thought about their tendency to be dishonest.
Justo paused for a long spell. He looked up at a few clouds passing
overhead. Farmer Garcia's dog yelped from the pickup, then silence, like
the sky above, stretched over the gathering again. Justo continued,
"but it is a pleasant place to live. However, the signs reveal that
the future may not be so bright if things go on as they gradually are.
That's why I'm here. It's not important where I came from, but I
can tell you that I am a community planner, who is here as your servant. I
realize that during the past two days my presence has created a lot of worry
and uneasiness among most of you, and you all know why that it."
Justo stopped again to let the audience think about his words.
Truly, everyone, even those who hadn't personally met him, was uneasy about
Justo's presence, because whenever someone started to make up a story or
falsehood, they would feel guilty and afraid.
Again,
Justo resumed his speech, "With your kind permission, I don't wish to say
much more, but I do have a proposal to make with all of you..."
Murmurs and whispers circulated among the people. "...and if
the mayor would be so kind as to come forward with the councilmen, I will
publicly share that proposal with all of you."
Cautiously
and hesitantly the mayor and his council nudged through the crowd and came to
Justo, who warmly shook their hands.
Justo
then said, "I wish to propose to the whole town, which includes every
member living within its town limits and those who have regular visits to
town..." Justo glanced toward Farmer Garcia's truck and then to Mrs.
Gardener and a few others in the assembly. "...that beginning at dawn
tomorrow, everyone will agree to live the next twenty-four hours without
telling a lie or half-truth, or in any way try to deceive, trick or be
dishonest with another person, or cheat anyone for any reason."
The
crowd stirred with chatter. Justo motioned for everyone to quiet down and
listen. He let the gathering become still, and continued, "Now if
you can complete the designated twenty-four-hour period without anyone,"
he emphasized the word 'anyone', "breaking the agreement, then, each and
every one of you will be granted your greatest desire and wish." Again,
the crowd broke into noise. People began visualizing the things they
wanted most-- new houses, ranches, riches, long vacations, large wardrobes,
handsome boyfriends, charming girlfriends --each looked around at their
neighbors as they pondered how it would be possible for everyone to be truthful
for an entire day.
Justo
quieted down the crowd again and said, "If anyone breaks the agreement,
then the promised wish will not be granted. And furthermore, during the twenty-four-hour
contract, all should participate in the agreement with courtesy and kindness
without any hint of accusation toward another of breaking or trying to break
the agreement. An unkind word or deed could prevent the fulfillment of
the promised wish. The town leaders with the sheriff can inform every one
of the proposal should you now accept it. I will see that no outsiders
with bad intentions will enter your town during the agreement, so the effort
can proceed in the best way possible. I feel that you all are deserving
of this endeavor, and I know that all of you will do well. Now I will let
you consult among yourselves about this proposal, and I will await your reply
in my room." With that Justo disappeared into the hotel.
Outside
a noisy confusion filled the street. The mayor tried to call everyone to
silence without much success. Then the sheriff tried without succeeding
any better. Finally, Farmer Garcia honked the loud horn of his pickup and
the crowd settled down.
James,
returning from a soothing meditation on his special rock, entered the main
street where the town had gathered. He saw them crowded before the hotel, each
one stunned; some lost in dreams of what they wanted most, some angry at the
audacity of the stranger, many stood motionless, open-mouthed. All were
disoriented. The first thought crossing James's mind was, "The
experiment! The experiment has started. Oh, gosh! Justo has started the
experiment!"
James,
too, froze with his eyes fixed on the townspeople before him; fascinated at what
a 'town' of people really looked like from afar. His ears wanted him to
draw nearer to hear the voices, the commotion and the stir, but his feet held
their ground a half block from the mass of souls. Watching from a distance gave
James a feeling of being detached, as if he was a stranger, sort of like Justo.
He began to imagine what his own town and its residents might be like to
a newcomer. He spotted his father in the back of the crowd, and even saw
his own dad with new eyes, as a person like other people, who live, think, work
and suffer, at times; who try to understand what to do from moment to moment,
day to day. James lingered in awe by the swell of power that circled over
the town. As he pondered his town's world, spread over the main street
like peanut butter on bread, another thought struck him-- why had Justo let him
in on the secret of the experiment that was now unfolding? Justo didn't
seem to have told anyone else? And how strange that Justo had found the
place by the river, as if he knew that James would soon come there. And
where was Justo now? James could not see him amongst the people.
Maybe they planned to rush into the hotel and harm his newfound friend.
A sudden flash of fear caused James to jump and run closer to the crowd.
As he neared, the mayor and the sheriff could be seen trying to hush the
people. The mayor had his arms raised out and he was shouting, "Now,
friends, let's keep our hats on and our wits about us. Listen up a bit!
Let's collect our thoughts and give me your attention for a few more
moments..."
The town
was snared. Even the respectable clergymen could not escape from the
challenge. One readily denounced Justo as "a direct descendant of
the Devil," while other pastors could not but agree that Justo was
"God-sent" to warn and to re-direct the community from its slowly
encircling apathy and the weakening of its integrity.
Soon, in
the shouts and shock of the townspeople, it became clear that to reject Justo's
summons, regardless of who he was, would be to cause suspicion of being
dishonest or untruthful. What truthful soul could find fault with the
idea of such an honest contest, even if no
one's wish ever came true?
Mrs.
Gardener muttered aloud, "We're being tested; I don't know by whom, maybe
by God Himself, but let's gear ourselves up and do it, whether our dreams come
true or not." A large round of applause and cheers ensued.
Several
people, angered by Justo's assertiveness and total control of the town,
attacked the idea of a twenty-four hour "examination", but, before an
hour had ticked by, the entire town submitted to the contest. The crowd
dispersed to their homes; each to rest and prepare for the heavy dawn that hung
above the town like black clouds before a storm. Some were filled with
dread and fear-- a fear that one small slip of the tongue on their part might
ruin everyone's dreams. Others were lost in whirls of fancy as to which
of their favorite dreams they would choose.
Apparently,
it wasn't clear who informed Justo in his room about the town's decision; the
mayor swore remembering that Sheriff Rivas immediately left the multitude after
the town's consensus to tell Justo of their acceptance of the contract; Sheriff
Rivas thought that Mrs. Singh offered to tell Justo; Mrs. Singh only remembered
standing by the hotel door dreaming of taking a long, ocean cruise with her
daughter after the twenty-four hours were over. No one recollected
actually telling Justo face-to-face that the town accepted his plan, or could
recall knocking on the door to his room.
Everything
was cloudy, indeed, that day. Nobody later could recall when the famous
gathering had ended; some thought it ended about sunset, others said the
meeting broke up long after dark.
James
found his father in a depressed mood at home, but his mother was surprisingly
cheerful. She even sang an old spiritual that James had not heard in
several years.
James
walked to the chair where his father sat and put a hand on one of his dad's
arms. "Don't worry, Dad. It's an experiment!"
His
father grunted under his breath something about "outside trouble."
James told him, "Good night," and went to his mother and kissed
her as she bowed her face to his. Then, he went to bed.
PART II
THE EXPERIMENT
Mr.
Gregory awoke with the thought of a giant supermarket flashing across his mind:
GREGORY'S ONE STOP SHOPPING PLACE. If that Mr. Justo's pact was no
hoax, thought Mr. Gregory, he was only twenty-four hours (and counting down)
away from a dream come true. How nice it would be to have all the space
he needed and wanted things to sell! With many more things to sell, just
imagine how rich he would soon be!
"Of
course," he said out loud to himself, as he dressed for a day's work,
"why not just wish for permanent riches and skip the grocery store work
altogether? Nah, life might turn dull fast without work. Better to
wish for riches and a giant supermarket." He moved to the mirror to
fasten his tie. "Hmm. I wonder if that would be two wishes?"
As Mr.
Gregory walked to his well-packed store and unlocked the front door, his mind
continued phrasing his wish in a way that he could be rich and have a
supermarket: "Ah, yes," he thought, as the key turned and the
lock opened with a loud click, "a rich, giant supermarket owner, or better
to say a wealthy entrepreneur. That's
it!" As the little bells over the door jingled, Mr. Gregory's mind
buzzed with excitement. "Now...just to go all day without one fib or
lie."
He
looked around his cluttered shop and he quickly saddened. Signs glared
all around the store with messages like: LOWEST
PRICE AROUND. FOR SALE: CHEAP. and FRESH APPLES: BEST BUY EVER.
He knew
that all his signs lied. He had even cheated people so that he could get
some of his products, like Mrs. Gardener's apples. Justo's haunting
presence from the earlier day rushed through him. Mr. Gregory realized
that to gain his wish to be "a wealthy entrepreneur," the entire
store's prices would have to be changed.
"Where
to start?" he asked himself in a melancholy whisper, as the bells jingled,
and the day's first customer entered.
Mr.
Gregory turned to see Mrs. Gardener. "Oh my, no!" winced Mr.
Gregory to himself. Except for Justo Honradez, the last person that Mr.
Gregory wanted to see was Mrs. Gardener, especially on that day. His
unfair dealings with poor Mrs. Gardener flooded his head.
"Mr.
Gregory?" she called as she hobbled on her cane toward the counter.
Mr.
Gregory blushed. He put his hands out in front of him and said,
"Now, Mrs. Gardener, I've done some thinking, and I noticed some errors in
my math..." his voice dropped off, "...uh, I should say rather that I
haven't really been upright with you, Mrs. Gardener. About the apples,
and, uh, your store account, too. But, I want to make it all up to
you." He paused a moment as he looked into Mrs. Gardener's always
twinkling eyes. "In fact, I'm certain that your store account was
paid up long ago..." He could not believe his own words, but the
string of them were already out and he could not catch them. "What's
happening to me?" he thought, as Mrs. Gardener watched him with wonder.
"Oh,
my goodness," she exclaimed. "There must be some mistake! Are
you sure 'bout all this, Mr. Gregory? Because I sat down and had a long
chat with myself last night after that stranger-man spoke at the hotel; and,
well, I decided to be truthful with you, Mr. Gregory. You see, I do have
the money to pay up my account, and I've had it all along. But I held on
to it, because I wanted to have something set aside in case I had an emergency
of some kind. But..."
Mr.
Gregory took Mrs. Gardener gently by the arm and assured her, "No, Mrs.
Gardener, you keep that money, and your account is paid up. There's no
mistake. And what more? I've decided..." the words flowed from
his lips as if a different person had possessed him, "...to give you an
unlimited supply of seeds of any kind that you wish, and,” he added with
emphasis, "I have a special place right here in the store to sell your
produce." He stepped to a central spot in front of the counter.
"Right here. We can move these old buckets and garden tools
over, and have MRS. GARDENER'S FRESH PRODUCE right here..." Mr.
Gregory pointed decidedly to a place where metal pails and plastic buckets were
stacked.
Mrs.
Gardener shook her head in amazement. "Oh my!" was all she
could utter for a long moment. Her eyes filled with tears. Her arm
that always trembled slightly on her cane stopped shaking for the moment.
"Oh my, Mr. Gregory!" She exclaimed. "When
this day of truth started, I refused to make any sort of selfish wish..."
Jack
Gregory blushed as she spoke, pondering his own self-centered wish to be
"a wealthy entrepreneur."
"...but,”
Mrs. Gardener continued, "there popped into my head quite uncontrollably
this thought that...well, that wouldn't it be nice to have a little place
downtown to sell my vegetables and fruit, and," she sighed, "here it
is like a dream come true! And you know, Mr. Gregory," she stared
directly at him with her twinkling eyes and blinked, "my reason for coming
here today was, as I already said, to bring myself to account with you
truthfully and to pay my bill. Oh, my goodness!"
So, it
was that Mrs. Gardener's dream came true before the experiment had gone three
hours. Jack Gregory, as if caught up in a whirlwind of fate, was acting
as he never had acted before.
As Mrs.
Gardener hobbled out of the store, Mr. Gregory admitted to himself with a sigh
of reluctance, that he felt better than he had in many years-- deep inside he
felt peaceful and happy. He looked about his store. The day would
pass quickly, and he had much to do, much to change and rearrange.
Justo's miracle was already at work.
The
mayor had similar ambitions to Jack Gregory. He liked being at the heart
of things, moving them forward with himself in the middle, of course. On
the day of the Experiment his morning started with thought and reflection about
what his highest wish really was. Fame? Untold riches and power?
Something that would outlast his own life, perhaps, like a town, or
better yet, a city. A large, famous city named after him. Cornfield
City. Maybe a Cornfield County could be included, and the Cornfield
River...Mayor Cornfield had a broad vision of the possibilities all pointing to
himself.
But...the
day of truth was at hand, and he was twenty-four hours away from fulfilling his
greatest ambitions and desires. Twenty-four long hours. He looked
up at the calendar by his bed. His wife called him to breakfast. He
felt depressed.
"Time
to go, Mayor Corn," she yelled from the kitchen downstairs. Mayor
Corn was her nickname for her egocentric husband.
The
mayor thought out loud, "The Council meets today about the southside land!
Why did it have to fall on the same day as this stupid contest? Who
could possibly be truthful an entire day anyway?" His head twisted
to one side as he stood up from his bed and began to dress. "Mrs.
Gardener maybe. Farmer Garcia's probably never had to lie. But
where has it gotten them? They have no riches, no fame. They're
just content to be nobodies the rest of their lives. But me! I was
made for greatness. Bah! Day of truth!"
He sat
down again on his bed after putting on his slacks. "I'll lose the
chance to make ten thousand dollars and sit on the board of directors for
Eastline Developers if I have to be truthful. Especially if I have to
tell how I plotted everything out after secretly talking to those developers
during the mayors' convention last year. I'm ruined!" He put
his head in his hands. Then he sat up excitedly, "But wait," he
murmured to himself, "all I have to do is to be truthful today and my
greatest wish will come true. Why limit my wish to a meager ten thousand
dollars and directorship, when I could wish for the whole works? I'll be
the happiest man in the state! Unless that stranger is a liar himself,
trying to pull a quick trick on the town at my expense." With mixed
emotions of hope and despair, Mayor Cornfield finished dressing and headed
downstairs for breakfast with his obedient wife.
James
did not want to go to school on that Monday morning. He wanted to visit
Justo and then wander around town to see how the Experiment was working out.
"If I didn't tell my folks that I wanted to skip school, it would be
like fibbing; and if I asked them if I could skip school, they'd tell me to go
to school." Not wanting to go to school, James went to school.
At
school James noticed as soon as he arrived that all his classmates behaved
better than they ever had before. Even Miss Brown, the teacher, acted
different. Several times she'd start to say one thing, then she'd stop
and slowly say something else. James guessed that she was making sure
that she didn't fib to her students, and say something that she didn't mean
like, "I want each of you to do your own work or moss will grow on the
north side of your faces." Miss Brown had many interesting sayings
like that to scare the students into being good. Today she didn't use
those sayings. James wondered what Miss Brown's wish was.
During
recess some of the students asked each other about what wish they were telling
the truth for. Sally ran up to James and asked him, "What'd ya wish
for, Jimmy?"
He hated
being called Jimmy, but he didn't become angry today. He gritted his
teeth and said nothing. He had not made a wish, and the question puzzled
him.
"What's
your wish?" Sally asked again.
James
replied, "I haven't made one, yet."
"Are
you sure?" Sally quizzed.
James
answered, "I wouldn't lie, especially today with the Experiment going
on."
"The
experiment? What experiment are you talking about, Jimmy?"
"Well,"
he said, "I meant to say the proposal to be truthful all day that Mister
Justo gave the town last night."
Then
Sally moved closer to James, faced him and said in a clear voice, "Jimmy,
I'm sorry that I broke your pencil last week during the test. I did it
because I wanted to tease you, but I didn't mean to embarrass you like that in
front of the teacher."
"Oh,
that's all right, Sally. I had already forgotten about it."
Sally
gave a broad smile, "And do you know what my wish is, Jimmy?"
James
said, "Better not tell me, 'cause if the Experiment...I mean the proposal
gets broken before twenty-four hours is up, then nobody's dream will come true,
and everyone will be disappointed." He stared down at some clumps of
dirt by his shoes, and gently dug his foot into them.
"You're
right," said Sally, "Tomorrow ya'll know anyway. That is if
everyone keeps the agreement. Do you think they will?"
James
looked into Sally's eyes and, after thinking about her question for a while,
said, "Perhaps. I really don't know. But I do know that Justo
knows what he's doing."
Sally
said, "Well, I don't know anything about that Justo guy, but it's kind of
nice to have a contest like this. Ya know? Just to see if we can do
it and all."
Sally's
frank comments surprised James. He saw her for the first time as a nice
person and not as someone who always bothered him in school. "Could
I ask you one thing, Sally?"
"Sure,”
Sally eagerly answered, "What is it, Jimmy?"
"Well,
I would rather be called James than Jimmy if it wouldn't offend you too
much."
"Sure,
Jimmy....I mean James. I'll try to remember." They laughed,
and the bell rang ending the morning recess.
All
around town the mood of each person was changing. People were friendlier,
and they were more careful with their words. They had to think before
blurting something out. They had to be careful with their actions.
At first, everyone was nervous. No one wanted to be the one to ruin
the proposal by telling even a small lie. As the day moved on, everybody
grew more relaxed. It felt good to be truthful. Many people of the
town moved about normally, because they did not lie anyway. For a few,
like Mayor Cornfield and the Town Councilmen, it was not easy.
The
important Council meeting was to start at ten in the morning at the Town Hall.
They were to decide about selling the Southside land to the Eastline
Development Company, or to turn the land into a park and recreation area.
Mayor
Cornfield brought the meeting to order with the clack of his gavel. What
followed was interesting. Each councilman had an opportunity to speak.
As each
one had their time to talk, it became plain that each one's motive for being in
favor of a recreation park or in favor of selling the land was selfish.
One admitted that the only reason he wanted to see a recreation area was
because his brother hoped to be the recreation manager; another thought that by
supporting the park he would become more popular in town. Another councilman,
who favored selling the land to the developers, said that he thought by siding
with the mayor, it might lead to a higher office in the state. As each
councilman finished their turn, the room became more serious. The
newspaper reporter, who took notes at the meeting, could not believe this
sudden display of honesty by the town leaders. Each one apologized to the
town for considering their own needs before thinking about the future of the
townspeople.
Then
Mayor Cornfield's chance to speak. He sat speechless. The
councilmen became worried that he might collapse again like he did the day in
the town plaza in front of Justo.
The
mayor took a deep breath. He did not cough or mutter. When the
words came out they were clear and true. His eyes looked about the room
to each councilman, his secretary and the newspaper reporter. He said,
"Now I must also come true."
The
words that rolled out of his mouth like a river in a flashflood. The
mayor could not stop them. They flowed free and bold.
"The
reason, the real reason that I hoped the town would sell the Southside land,
was not to help the town get out of its financial difficulties or modernize,
but because of something that had happened last year at the state's mayors’
convention. I was approached, during that time, in the evening hours at
my hotel room by members of the Eastline Development Company, including a Mr.
Raleigh Light, a right arm man of the company's president. They handed me
one thousand dollars in crisp hundred-dollar bills and told me that nine
thousand dollars more awaited me, if I could convince our town to sell them the
Southside land at a "reasonable" price. They also assured me a
place on the Board of Directors for the operation, once the land was purchased.
I took the thousand dollars and have it here now." Mayor Cornfield
took an envelope from his suit's inside breast pocket and pulled out ten neatly
folded bills. "This is one thousand dollars. Enough to make be
betray the trust of this town in me. I'm now sorry for it."
The room
turned more serious, and quiet enough to hear through the closed windows the
winter birds enjoying the mulberry trees a block away in the town plaza.
Everyone, including the mayor, stayed frozen in their seats, unable to
move even their heads from side to side.
Then the
newspaper reporter, Lila Hopkins, began to laugh. She laughed and
laughed. The councilmen, the mayor and his secretary turned to watch her.
They began to laugh, too. The public onlookers joined in, as the
room surged with laughter. They now knew that Justo had made them learn
an important lesson. Having become honest, they could work together
better, the town could prosper, and all could be happy and proud.
One of
the councilmen suggested, as their laughter subsided, that they go as a group
to the hotel and thank Justo Honradez personally for giving them the greatest
gift of all-- happiness. It was worth more than all of the developers,
and all of the money, and all of the fame and all of the grocery stores in the
universe.
As they
rose to leave, Sheriff Rivas stormed into the room with great excitement.
"You cannot believe what is going on here!" he exclaimed.
"I've had five people, including our lone prisoner confess to wrongdoing
and they all asked how they could pay for their crimes. Even Farmer
Garcia came in and admitted to parking in front of fire hydrants during the
past five years, when he knew that I wasn't around. Whatever this
stranger is doing here, I sure cannot complain about it!"
"We
agree with you!" shouted the others as they invited Sheriff Rivas to
accompany them to the Hillside Hotel to give their thanks to Justo.
Mrs.
Singh had just returned from having an ice cream soda with her daughter at the
drug store. Arm in arm, the mother and daughter entered the hotel at the
same moment that the mayor, councilmen, sheriff, reporter and onlookers crowded
into her hotel lobby.
"My,
what a surprise!" Mrs. Singh proclaimed. "You know this is the first
time in years that I've left this business unattended more than five minutes.
And now to have so much company; it feels so grand! That Mr.
Honradez sure is great, isn't he?"
Mayor
Cornfield stepped forward with his hat in his hands,
“Actually, Mrs. Singh, we feel the same way. That's
why we came; to see Mr. Honradez and thank him. Is he in?"
Mrs.
Singh answered, "I haven't seen him since he went upstairs last night
during the big meeting outside, but this morning I came in here very early
about five and his room key was here on the counter along with payment for his
room. The maid later went to his room to clean it, and she came back down
and told me that Mr. Honradez's room was unsoiled. The bed, the soap, the
towels looked as if they had not been used. It's as if he wasn't here at
all. But maybe he's returned from a walk or something."
Mrs. Singh walked to the check in desk and found his key still on
the counter. "I left it out in case he came back while I was out.
He was my only guest last night."
"Mind
if I check the room?" asked Sheriff Rivas.
Mrs.
Singh handed him the keys, "It's room 9."
The
sheriff walked up the stairs. The crowd downstairs could hear him
knocking at the door and calling Justo's name. They heard him clanking
the key and turning the doorknob. Then they heard his steps thumping down
the stairs.
"Nothing."
the sheriff said. "Like you said, Mrs. Singh, it's as if he wasn't
here at all."
The
crowded lobby filled with clamoring voices, as everyone looked one another in
momentary confusion. "How could that be?" asked Lila.
Another
stated, "Maybe he slipped out last night?"
"Could
he come back?"
"He
did paid for another night,” Mrs. Singh said.
"It's
like he wasn't here," repeated the sheriff, "but we all saw him
yesterday, or rather he saw us."
"What
do you make of it?" the mayor asked Sheriff Rivas.
"Hard
to say, Mayor Cornfield," the sheriff responded, "but now that I
think about it his very name might be the key. Justo Honradez."
"What
does his name mean?" Lila Hopkins asked with her pen and notepad ready.
"It's
Spanish for Just Honesty. And that seems to be why he was here, if, in
truth, he really had been here at all."
And so,
it was that by the middle of the day, everyone in town already knew what their
greatest gift was. Their dearest wishes had come true. To be happy
was something more grand than big houses, fast cars, riches and fame.
Through the afternoon the feeling of joy increased. It was like
being reborn. A new life had started. It was a life, fresh and
bright. Tests would still come, no doubt, but with truthfulness as their
guard, the town could always rest assured that it would go forward.
By
nightfall the whole town was content, except for one soul. Out on his
special spot by the river, James say crying. His greatest wish hadn't
come true. He wanted to be with Justo. His young mind could not yet
understand that Justo Honradez was a quality within each person. Even
though James recognized that the Experiment had worked just as it had been
planned, he desperately wanted to see the person, Justo, one more time.
The sky
darkened, and James sadly climbed down from his rock to head home, so that his
parents would not worry about him. He brushed off his pants and took a
step.
"Wait
one moment, friend," a voice spoke from behind him.
James
turned around to see Justo standing by him. "Justo!" James
shouted aloud.
Justo
smiled, "You didn't think that I'd let my favorite friend down,
did you? What did you think about the
experiment?"
"It's
great!" exclaimed James, suddenly filled with ecstasy. "But do
you think that all the people can pass the night without a lie?
"I
suspect they will, James," Justo assured him.
"I
was getting sad that maybe I wouldn't see you again. That was my greatest
wish!"
"Well,
I know," answered Justo as he knelt beside James. "But I want to tell
you something, James. This experiment was not a magic show. It
would have happened whether a stranger like me came here or not. It might
have taken more time for everyone to learn how to be truthful, but eventually
they would have to learn it, because it is the one way to be happy. Do
you understand, James?"
James
pondered Justo's words, as the last ray of sun illumined the reddish sky.
"Yes, I can understand it. Sooner or later the town might have
become so unhappy that everybody would have to tell the truth. But I
still want to be with you, Justo."
"James,"
Justo said with firmness, "if you know what truthfulness is, we will
always be together." Justo smiled and then looked toward the western
horizon. "It's almost dark now, and we both must go. My path
is destined for me, and you have a path, too. If we're not in the same
place, it doesn't mean that we are not together. It just means that we
are doing our work. Now I must go visit other towns like yours in these
hills, James, but you promise me to always stay happy."
It was
hard for James to answer. It was hard for him to promise to be happy,
especially with his best friend about to leave him. He took Justo's hand,
as Justo stood up, and held it firmly as he said, "I'll try my best,
Justo."
"Try?"
asked Justo.
"I
will be happy,” James said.
Justo
said, "That's good. And I want to tell you that I appreciated your
help with the experiment. You have a respectable town, that's why the
treatment worked so fast. You're going to make a qualified scientist one
day, if you work hard and practice having good qualities. I wouldn't be
surprised if you do some wonderful things in your time to help a lot of people.
It's been nice working with you, James. Good night."
With
that Justo grasped James's hand firmly for a moment, and then released it.
Justo quietly walked along the river away from town. The last ray
of sun was about to escape behind the hills. James was not sad anymore.
He ran toward town and to his house to enjoy a tasty meal with his folks.
He could hardly wait to hear how the day of truth had gone for his mom and
for his dad.
As time
passed, the lives of the citizens changed remarkably. Mayor Bill Cornfield left
politics and started a community school, where both teachers and students came
from the community. Mrs. Gardener, for instance, began a field class about
vegetable farming; Farmer Garcia gave a "hands on" course on home
repair; and Grocer Gregory taught accounting and bookkeeping.
Lila
Hopkins, the news reporter, became the first women mayor in the town's history.
Mrs. Singh turned her hotel over to her uncle during the following
summer, so she could travel with her daughter to India. Sheriff Rivas
remained sheriff by popular demand, though he spent more time reminding
townspeople to vaccinate their dogs than he did writing parking tickets.
Sally Walker made her own wish come true. She loved
art and became a painter and later opened a local drama workshop.
And
James Gunthrops? He continued visiting his special rock to pray, meditate
and think, often remembering Justo's visit. Sometimes he invited his
parents to hike there with him, which they did. James dedicated himself
to school and community service and earned a scholarship to the university,
where he studied both science and religion. At last word he was living in
a distant country working with villagers on local projects, as part of an
international movement for world peace.
No one
was ever certain that an actual person named Justo Honradez had visited their
town. Even the ink in Mrs. Singh's guest book faded out, except for the
words "Buena Luz". As time passed, it became less clear
if Justo had truly come, though everyone remembered him.
One
thing the town has never lost to this day is its wonderful happiness.
People from all over the country visit the town and enjoy the new recreation
park. Visitors always wonder why they feel so happy when they enter the
town. Well, the townspeople know, and that is the truth.
THE END
by C. S.
Cholas, 21 January 1993, Corozal Town, Belize
