119
SCHOOL, OR LESSON OF THE GODS
“Here is a flower. It has closed its petals. The petals of all the flowers
have closed, because there is no Sun. But they will open soon. Because there
is energy on the Earth…. I … I am going to turn into energy that will open
the flowers’ petals.”
The red-haired girl squeezed her little fingers into fists and began looking
at the flower without blinking.
The people sitting in their seats did not talk. Everyone was watching the
little girl and the potted plant on the table in front of her.
The professor slowly rose from his seat and walked toward his daughter.
He walked up to her and took her by the shoulders, trying to lead her away.
But the redhead jerked her shoulders and whispered, “Why don’t you help
me, Papochka?”
The professor must have been completely distraught. He remained stand-
ing next to his daughter, his hands on her childish shoulders, and he began
looking at the flower, too.
Nothing was happening to the flower. I felt sorry for the red-haired girl
and the graying professor. Why did he have to go babbling on with his state-
ments about his belief in an undiscovered energy?
All of a sudden, the boy who had given the report stood up in the first
row. He turned halfway to the hall sitting silently, sniffed, and walked to-
ward the table. He approached the table with dignity and confidence and
stood next to the red-haired girl. He too directed his stare at the plant in the
clay pot. But of course, as before, nothing was happening to the plant.
And then I saw it! I saw children of different ages start standing up from
their seats in the hall. One after another, the children walked toward the
table. They stood side by side in silence and looked closely at the flower.
Last was a girl of about six bringing along her very little brother, holding him
with her two little hands. They squeezed in front of those standing there,
with difficulty, and with someone’s help she stood her little brother on the
chair in front of the table. The little guy, gazing around at those standing
there, turned toward the flower and started blowing on it.
All of a sudden, the petals of one of the flowers on the plant in the pot
began slowly opening. Very slowly. But the quieted people in the hall no-
