Did you notice the line that says he “seemed to know what there was on the other side of things?”
Did you look to see what was on “the other side” of those words?
Did you look beyond the words at the image beneath?
You’re glimpsing 2 of the items that kept the gypsy Melquiades “involved in the small problems of daily life.”
It’s not a big deal.

It’s just a portal into a different place, a different time, a different reality.