The Forgotten Piece
Once upon a time, in a tiny and lonesome village located beside a gigantic forest, lived an elder potter named Benedict. His home was a small, humble hut made of clay, just like his pottery work. He was renown all around his village and the neighboring towns for his exceptional craftsmanship in pottery. People would travel miles and miles just to catch a sight of his exquisite pottery work. However, there was an air of mystery that surrounded the old man.
One day, a young boy named Hugo, who was deeply intrigued by Benedict's charming reputation and intrigued by his enigmatic existence, summoned the courage to visit the potter. Hugo approached Benedict, his heart pounding against his chest. He saw the elderly potter, his hands beautifully shaping the clay. Their eyes met and without even saying a word, Benedict gestured Hugo to sit beside him.
Within a couple of weeks, a bond of camaraderie developed between Hugo and Benedict. The young boy grew more and more intrigued about Benedict, especially about a particular unfinished vase that the potter never completed. The vase was the epitome of beauty even in its incomplete state, its contours flaunting the potter's exceptional craftsmanship. Hugo was coaxing the potter to reveal the mystery behind the unfinished masterpiece, and one day, Benedict finally gave in.
He started narrating a story that happened many decades ago. The unfinished vase, Benedict revealed, was not just a piece of pottery, it was the symbol of his unfulfilled love. He was in love with a beautiful maiden named Rose, the pottery was meant for her. It was supposed to be a birthday gift but fate had other plans.
Rose was captivated by the murmurs of the capital city’s nightlife, her heart yearned for an exciting, vibrant life, far away from their small village. On the eve of her birthday, the day the potter intended to present his gift, Rose left the village, to chase her dreams. The news left him shattered, and he could never bring himself to finish the vase.
Hugo, deeply moved by the story, decided to finish the vase on behalf of Benedict. Despite the pottery work being far beyond his skill set, Hugo put his heart and soul into it. Days passed by in the blink of an eye, Hugo understood every curve, every line of the unfinished pottery, it was as if he was starting to know Rose through it.
Finally, the day arrived when Hugo completed the vase. The look in Benedict's eye when he saw the completed vase was beyond the expression of words. The elder potter's eyes welcomed the cascade of tears hidden for many years. It was a moment of unsaid emotions and the potter couldn't thank the young boy enough.
The news of the finished vase spread like wildfire, people from nearby villages flocked to see the marvel. Hugo’s humility and Benedict’s gratitude towards him struck a chord with the onlookers. In their applause and laudations, they understood the divinity of love, latent in Benedict’s unfinished vase, now completed by Hugo.
The story of ‘The Forgotten Piece’, as the villagers came to call it, went down the annals of the village history, told and retold over generations, just like a legend. A simple piece of pottery had, with time, turned into a prized possession for the village that spoke stories of unfulfilled love, empathy and a bond that spanned generations.