Lost in the Forest

Once in the year 1940, a little boy named Max and his family lived happily in their home. The family lived in a small village called Coyotes at the Sierra Madre Occidental, a mountain range in the state of Durango, Mexico. This peculiar community was far from the city and deep in the mountain forest. The people that lived there were few, so they all knew each other well. The town people were very close and everyone helped anyone if they were in trouble. The society had houses, a bank, a post office, a police station, a school, a restaurant, a hotel, a small hospital, and a wood factory where most of the people at the village worked. That factory took wood from the enormous forest. The forest was acres big and created fresh air. The skyline was green and the sounds of the forest made the environment peaceful and calm. The climate was cool all year-long.
Max’s family was composed of his father, José, his mother, Alicia, and his brother, Thomas. They loved and helped each other. Max was six and his brother four. José had some cows and Alicia took care of her sons and also worked as a housewife.
One ordinary Saturday at five o’clock Max went with his father to get the cows to graze in the grass fields. The grassland was next to the wood factory so there was a big saw dust hill. Suddenly, Max noticed that one of the cows was missing. “Dad, dad, Rosy, the cow is missing!” Max said. “Max stay here” said his father. “I am going to look for the cow on the other side of the saw dust hill. Stay here and do not move from here. I am coming” said his father. He waited for his dad, but he began to get desperate and decided to go and help his father find the cow. He entered the forest and started to look for the cow. Max’s father returned and Max was not there. “MAX, MAX, MAX!” he shouted. “MAXIMILIAN, MAXIMILIAN, MAXIMILIAN!” It was getting dark and the forest was full of bears, wolves, and other wild animals. Juan was very worried. He ran as fast as he could to the village for help. Many people went to look for Max. “MAX, MAX, MAX!” they all shouted. The sun disappeared from the sky and they could not find Max. At night the people always wore sweaters and liked to drink hot chocolate. Sometimes the sounds from animals made the little kids shiver of fare. They kept looking until midnight. They did not find him.
Maximilian’s family was really worried. The next day in the morning all the village went to look for him. The kids from the town school where also looking for Max. “MAX, MAX, MAX!” the little voices shouted. Days and days passed away and they could not find him. More days passed and there was no signal of Max. Finally they thought that Max had died in the forest, for there was no way for a small kid to survive without food and surrounded by fierce animals. Max’s family cried and cried. They had lost a much loved member of the family.
When the village people where looking for Max, he did hear them, but he was afraid to be beaten for not following the rules of his father. He was afraid of being seen. So, when he heard someone calling for him, he would hide.
One day after one month of Max being lost, a man with a long white beard, an old cane, wrinkles on his face, a sweet look in his eyes that gave confidence, was walking through the forest looking for a good tree to make a table for his house. He wanted a strong and big pine tree for his new creation. Suddenly, the old man saw Max lying on a rock. He was thin and had some wounds. The old man took the boy to Coyotes and gave the notice to Max’s family. They quickly went to the hospital to see their precious son. Max was alive. Max got the necessary attention and went to normal again.
Everyone was amazed! How would a little boy survive for a month in the forest? Max told his incredible story. “A man helped me. He had long hair, blue eyes, and was very kind to me. He gave me food and water and in the night he protected me from wild animals and gave me quilts to keep out of the cold night.” “But who was that man?” everyone said. “I don’t know!” said Max. “He never told me!”
Max´s father had promised God to go to the capital, Durango, and visit the Cathedral with his son if they found him. So, as soon as Max recovered, they went to Durango to pay the promise. It was almost the end of the Holy Week. The church was magnificent, made out of rock and beautiful ornaments. It was a sad day for the church; it was Good Friday so all the statues where covered with purple covers, as it was done back on those days. Juan told the priest that they had traveled from far away and that he wanted to present his son Max before God to thank him. The priest agreed and discovered the statue of God. Immediately Max shouted and ran away from the statue. Juan was shocked and went after him. At the entrance of the church Juan asked Max what had happened. “That is the man that protected me in the forest!” said Max, and began to cry, “Why do they have him on that cross? Why is he bleeding?” “Oh my God” said Juan. “It is a miracle!” Juan told everything to the priest. They were amazed. They all thanked God for saving Max.

Some years later, when Max was 19 years old he went on a trip to the city with his friends. On the road one of the tires of the van they were traveling on, blew off. Max was sent out of the van and died. He was the only one that died in the terrible accident. Max’s family thanked God for saving Max when he was little and lost in the forest. They were also crying and lamenting. They were all sad but they knew that God wanted that for Max.
And this was the story of Max, the boy that was lost in the forest and was saved by God.
MAOQ