Ordinary Miracle
In the quiet seaside town of Port William, situated on the craggy coast of Maine, lived a humble, hardworking fisherman named Samuel. His day-to-day existence was marked by simple routines - waking up at dawn, sailing out to sea, casting his nets, and returning home to his small but cosy weather-stained cottage, always bringing with him the day's fresh catch.
One day, after a long expedition at sea, Samuel noticed a glittering object nestled between some rocks on the beach. This was a clear crystal hourglass, sealed tight, and unusually filled with brilliant, sparkling gold sand. A single gold inscription engraved at the bottom read ‘Temporalis’. Intrigued and a bit mystified, Samuel took it home.
The following day, he discovered that the hourglass possessed a strange, extraordinary power. Each time Samuel turned the hourglass, he found himself transported back in time by 24 hours. This was indeed, a one-of-a-kind artifact, capable of manipulating time, or ‘Temporalis’, as the inscription suggested.
Samuel began experimenting with the hourglass. He was able to relive events, change minor happenings, and even prevent certain mishaps. However, being an honest, modest man, he decided to never exploit the powers for personal gain.
However, one day, a series of unfavourable and devastating events unfolded in Port William. The fish began to decline in number, greatly affecting the town's livelihood. Simultaneously, an epidemic struck, taking a toll on the health of the townsfolk. Samuel felt powerless and worried, but then he remembered – the hourglass.
For the first time, he considered using the Temporalis to change major events. But the thought of possibly disrupting the course of natural events gnawed at him. He lived with the hourglass, mulling over the dilemma for days, contemplating the risks, the benefits, and the morality of it all.
Eventually, he made the arduous choice of intervening. He turned the hourglass several times, revisited the past, discovered the origin of the epidemic in Port William and managed to prevent it. He also alerted the townspeople earlier about the receding fish population, leading them to source other forms of livelihood earlier, thereby saving them from acute pangs of poverty.
With these significant alterations, life in Port William gradually improved. Samuel, relieved and grateful, ensured the hourglass was safely hidden away. No one but he knew of its existence.
Slowly but steadily, Samuel aged. On his deathbed surrounded by his faithful allies, he passed on with a serene glow in his eyes. His secret remained undisclosed, the hourglass remained untouched, safeguarded somewhere in his old house. Samuel lived an extraordinary life in the guise of an ordinary fisherman.
The townspeople remembered him as the man who somehow always had the right advice and assistance to offer in times of crisis. He was an ordinary miracle, they'd say. They were right, just not in the way they knew.
As we traverse through this tale, takeaway is simple yet profound. For each one of us, carries the power to be a miracle by making mindful decisions that can create a ripple effect, and change lives in unthinkable ways. And sometimes, even the simplest form of life can be extraordinary with its humble course of actions.