More than a month ago I bought a Paolo Coelho book, Aleph. But after buying it, I hardly flip a page when many not-so-fortunate events happened to me (in my life, actually). Then I got so preoccupied this last week of July that I got to see the book on my table as if it was there centuries ago, as if it called me saying, "Hey! Maybe I can help you!"
Like some of the other books of Coelho that I have already read (The Alchemist, The Zahir, The Devil Miss Prym, The Valkyries), it was one of his journeys of self-rediscovery, past, present, and love. In his search for the answers to his unending questions to J., he travelled across Russia through Trans-Siberian Railway. Here, he went back to his past again, found love, solve mysteries and most of all found himself again. And this was because of a 21-year old Turkish violinist named Hilal.
The first three chapters of the book tell how they met. And the article/blog below written by Coelho, which caught me so deep, feels to me like so timely. This was Hilal's ticket to meeting Coelho. Read on. :)
A man called Ali is in need of money and asks his boss to help him. His boss sets him a challenge: if he can spend all night on the top of a mountain, he will receive a great reward; if he fails, he will have to work for free.
When he left the shop, Ali noticed that an icy wind was blowing. He felt afraid and decided to ask his best friend, Aydi, if he thought he was mad to accept the wager. After considering the matter for a moment, Aydi answered, "Don't worry, I'll help you. Tomorrow night, when you're sitting on top of the mountain, look straight ahead. I'll be on the top of the mountain opposite, where I'll keep a fire burning all night for you. Look at the fire and think our friendship, and that will keep you warm. You'll make it through the night, and afterward, I'll ask you something in return."
Ali won the wager, got the money, and went to his friend's house.
"You said you wanted some sort of payment in return."
Aydi said, "Yes, but it isn't money. Promise that if ever a cold wind blows through my life, you will light the fire of friendship for me."
A story of friendship. I was touched by it. I hold a lot of importance to friendship, like any other relationships I have now.
This was not the very highlight of the story for Aleph means, as per book, the point at which everything in the same place at the same time. This article merely sparked the beginning of Coelho's another inspiring time-travel life journey.
xxx
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