The Little Prince I met yesterday in the heart of Africa.
In the distance I saw a child walking and caressing every tree he passed. A tingle ran down my spine. I’m thinking, God… he’s all in tatters, he’s got nothing, and he’s standing there proudly, walking calmly and caressing the trees.
And they are not roses, there are no roses here.
Only the Little Prince can do that. Nobody else.
I’ve never seen anything like that. I follow him, hoping that this grace of love will pass to me as well. I catch up to him and grab his hand. He looks at me and says in English: “Where did you come from, what are you doing here? Why are you white?” I answer him: “I am one, slightly different tree to you. And why are you doing that? Why are you caressing the trees?’
He readily answered: “To grow faster.” They give us shade. I love trees.”
“What else do you like?” I ask him.
“To mom and dad,” he says. “Sisters, brothers… and trees. I don’t have anything else.”
He is not sad, but rather starmal. I try to gather myself, I don’t let go of his hand and lead him to the shade behind the school, to take everything I have out of my bag and give it to him. I don’t have much. One banana, some bread, water and bracelets.
Mali Princ
I look at him and feel ashamed. I haven’t felt such peace in a long time. I guess mine got lost, contaminated by the adult world. I don’t caress trees.
In my mind, I confirm to myself – This is definitely the Little Prince!
He didn’t let my anxiety rub off on him. Maybe he was afraid that I wouldn’t tame him, and then he would cry.
I feel that his soul is older than mine. I am not confused by that feeling, one sees better with the heart.
I want his calmness, I want to be a child who loves trees again. Well, we were all children, we just don’t remember it anymore. Children who forgive adults, and they have to forgive them a lot, because there really isn’t anything that adults haven’t managed to spoil.
My luck is enormous, I found him, I found him after so many years. I found the Little Prince who fell from his planet to ours. Where there is everything and there is nothing.
Where that Little Prince gave me the highest and best thing he had. Peace. The peace that I took from myself a long time ago.
I strongly wish that no one ever tames me again. Because then I cry bitterly.
