The Testing of a Wizard - Viktor Gitin

look at the moon, I remember Lizy. When the wind sings in the sky, I hear Lizy’s voice. Whenever I smell wildflowers, I can smell Lizy too. Lizy is everything wonderful and beautiful about this world. Lizy is like a mighty river and yet tender like a brook. Lizy is like the warmth of the sun’s rays and the freshness of the summer’s rain. Lizy is like the brightness of the day and the calmness of the night. And she loves only me. When she’s near me I am ready to carry out the most unthinkable things and the most unimaginable heroic act. Whenever we’re apart I always remember that she is out there waiting for me, and we will be together soon. And because of that my heart is filled with warmth and pleasure. What could be more wonderful!

HERMIT – If so, why have you left your Lizy, and instead rushing somewhere risking your life?

GELO – This is my duty, my vocation and destiny. The matter is that I’m a future Wizard.

HERMIT – Like I haven’t got enough to deal with! Ah, that’s why you’re so strange.

GELO – No, at the moment I’m only an apprentice. But I hope to become not just a Wizard but a truly great one.

HERMIT – But of course! Young people are always trying to get themselves in the history books. If travelling, it has to be to the end of the world. And if jumping then to reach the moon.

GELO – You don’t understand. It’s not about vanity or pride, believe me. I want to become a great Wizard, because my greatest wish is to make all people happy. To an ordinary Wizard this is impossible.

HERMIT – So you want to make people happy. To give something to someone means that you have to take something away from someone else. Who will you take happiness from, so that you could give it away?

GELO – Nobody.

HERMIT – It doesn’t work like that.

GELO – My teacher Fadrius sent me on a long journey to get the MIRACLE. With The help of this MIRACLE, it is possible to make any wishes come true.

HERMIT – Now I get it. Your kind is a dying breed.

GELO – What do you mean?

HERMIT – You are a romantic idealist, a dying breed.

GELO – I’m not dying. I just have a slight headache. Apart from that I’m alright.

HERMIT – That’s just what you think. In truth you’re incurable. You want to make all people in the world happy by putting yourself at risk! To those people who gave each other anguish instead of joy. To those people whom treachery and lies come easier than truth and sincerity, to those people who won’t even want to thank you. You’re ill!

GELO – It’s not true. In every one of us there is kindness. The problems and burdens of life make us angry. But if you make everyone happy, then the lies, treachery wickedness will disappear. If all the people learn to love each other than the world would become a better place.

HERMIT – You’re definitely ill.

GELO – You are the ill one, not me! But the only thing that will save you is not solitude but the return to people. You saved my life. And that means you saved my and Lizy's love. I’m very grateful to you… If you become my friend, your soul will experience the same emotions.

HERMIT – What do you need me for? You already have Lizy!

GELO – It’s totally different. Love and friendship are like two sisters. But it’s not the same. I cannot give you my love, but I can offer you my sincere friendship. Don’t refuse it. Be my best friend.

HERMIT – But do you know how to be a real friend?

GELO – I don’t know… I never had any real friends. But I think you could teach me, since you seem to know what it is. I will try very hard. The most important thing about friendship, as in love is what you feel in your soul. And I only feel compassion. You’re a good person. I want to offer you the warmth of my heart. I want my joy and happiness to become yours, and your sadness and grief to become mine. I want you to be happy with me… is that not friendship?

HERMIT – You’re asking what friendship is. Friendship is when you have someone to share your grief and joy. For that you have close relatives and neighbors… Friendship is when you have someone to share your dreams, or just be silent with. And it’s not a burden. Friendship is a connection of souls and the ability to share emotions despite distance. A friend can support you or disagree with you, but in all sincerity and honesty. Friendship is not allowed to be sly or to be hypocritical. Friendship is always unselfish and not garish. It’s not dressed up in bright finery of thoughtless carousing. Friendship is like an everyday job, not loud or noticeable. But it’s always a celebration. Even in dire straits it is a medicine for the boundless disappointment in life. It is a safe bay for a shattered soul, wrecked in a storm of life. And at the same time, it is a source of motivation to move ahead in hard times. A sincere friendship, like a genuine love is made in heaven. Only there such a great and elevated feeling could come about, its fills up life not only with meaning, but humanitarianism, because a sense of meaning and purpose also exists in scoundrels. But sincere and genuine friendship is a quality of an honest and kind person. Not everyone in life is destined to have real friends. But everybody could try and be a good friend. You just have to want it though. And remain an honest human being under any circumstances… Even