The days passed by. Each day the boy became stronger in body and mind. His morning regiment slowly increased in number, as each day his muscles grew. His 50 push ups and sit ups became 55, then 60. 

Until each morning the boy woke up, he would complete 200 of each before he took a shower. Then he would pray, meditating on the floor of his room until his eyes opened on their own accord.

He would get dressed, make his grandmother coffee, sometimes breakfast, and then he would walk to school. The old man started to come over to his grandmother’s house more and more, eating dinner with them occasionally after assuring the boy had completely finished all of his homework.

Then he would train the boy for one hour, teaching him how to calm his mind through meditation, showing him how to channel his energy into physical force. In the evenings after his training, the boy read passages from whatever book he was assigned by the old man.

He started first learning about medicinal herbs and fungi, cultivation and agriculture.

The books became thicker, having been given each holy book and charged by the old man to read a passage each day from each book. The boy began to learn about each religion, as well as the history of the nations where each philosophy was born.

On the weekends, the boy would still work in the old man’s shop. He soon learned that growing mushrooms was a true transformative experience, it was alchemy. However, the old man would not let the boy grow his own mushrooms, stating that he was not yet ready.

The boy was learning more outside of school then the time he spent attending. But he did not back out of his promise, and indeed he did attend every day. He graduated as one of the top in his class, graduating with a 3.5 grade point average. 

The day came as a momentous joy to both of his grandparents, who sat together in the stands as he marched his way to the podium. Distinct shouts of a woman yelling ‘that’s my baby’ could barely be heard over the deep booming ‘whoops’ of an old man’s voice.

The boy was now 18, and a man in the eyes of society. He had grown a lot in two years, his body now like chiseled iron from the daily workouts, and his mind sharper than a blade from the constant studying. The day had finally come, where he was to make a decision on the path that was set before him.

“You should think about getting at least an associates degree.” Said the old man as he sat stoically on his shop stool, newspaper folded in his lap as steam rose from his morning coffee.

“Why does it matter about degrees if I’m going to work here in the shop.” Retorted the boy, dusting off a display case filled with crystals.

Over the last two years, the boy had begun to organize the shop in a more efficient manner. He had also started advertising at his school to not only the students, but the teachers as well. 

Prescribing certain herbs, fungi, or crystals to those who seemed to find their way to him. He also continued selling not only weed, but mushrooms as well, guiding first timers the same way the old man had guided him.

“Think about it son,” said the old man, “if what you really want to do is cultivate and distribute mushrooms, it would help if you had, in the eyes of the public, legitimate credentials to do so. Remember what I told you, you can have all the expertise in the world but without a little piece of paper as proof of your knowledge, no one will take you seriously.” 

“But gramps, you said it yourself; when you possess great treasures within you, and try to tell others of them, seldom are you believed. Even with a degree, in what, holistic medicine? People don’t even take this kind of thing seriously as it is! They call it alternative medicine, how is it alternative when it’s the first medicine known to man? People don’t need some doctor who has been trained in the ways of natural remedies in some LED lit classroom. They need a genuine shaman from the jungles of South America.”

“And you are neither.” Replied the old man.

The boy turned to him in frustration.

“You said all I needed was a diploma and I got it. I don’t want to continue on at a place I don’t want to be in, being FORCED to learn subjects that I have no regard for!”

“Calm yourself.” Said the old man softly. 

“There’s no need to get all riled up. We are just talking, control your emotions.”

The boy took a deep breath, then exhaled slowly. 

“Sorry.” He said. 

“It’s alright.” The old man said holding up his hand in peace. “I’m just saying, it’s the experience of it all, plus think of all the people you could meet and help, college kids love to experiment.” He said as he chuckled.

“I don’t know.” Said the boy.

“It’s only two years. It’s better to get it over and done with while you’re still young. Your father and I never got to go to college. You would be the first one in the family.”

The boy pondered the idea of it thoroughly.

“Just think about it son.” Said the old man.

“Jesus did not become a spiritual master by staying in Nazareth, Siddartha did not become Buddha by laying around in his palace, and Mohammad would not have been alive had he not snuck out in the middle of the night.” 

The old man placed a very familiar hand upon the boy’s shoulder.

“Listen to God. Let His word guide you, eh?”

Ok gramps, OK.” Said the boy. “I’m gonna go in the back room and meditate on it for a bit, is that ok?”

“Take all the time you need.” Said the old man. 

“I’ll just be up here with my coffee and my paper as usual. Afterwards, maybe you can go and get us some breakfast.” 

The old man laughed amusingly.

So did the boy.

“Love you old man.”

“Love you too son.”

Next Chapter: Labiba