The Ordinary Wish
Once upon a time, in a small town named Medlington lived an ordinary man called George Delvin. George was known for his monotonous life, working at the local shoe store called Kawl & Bickle. He lived alone and was content, not craving for a life different than what he was leading.
Their quiet town of Medlington had an old church, the St. Helga's. The church housed many secrets and legends. Among all the tales, one stood most popular. It revolved around the ancient organ within the church, one that was believed to have been a ship's organ salvaged from the wreck of a pirate ship.
Legend had it that anyone could make a wish while playing the organ, and it would come true as long as the wish wasn't ill-intent. George, the nondescript man, hadn't paid heed to these tales until one day, curiosity took the best of him, and he decided to give the legend a try.
One afternoon, when the hustle of the town was at the minimal, he silently walked into the church and towards the ancient ship organ. It glistened under the rays of sunlight filtering through the stained-glass windows of the church. He sat before the organ, his heart pounding with anticipation. He let his fingertips grace the worn keys, closing his eyes to make his wish, his desire to have a life less ordinary, not realizing the consequences that could follow.
With his wish made, he played the first harmony which echoed through the eerily silent church. The melody was haunting and flowed straight from his heart. When he finished, he sighed audibly, dismissing it all as a humbug and left the church.
The following morning, George woke up to the sound of the ticking clock, only to find it wasn't his usual alarm clock. He sat upright and scanned his room, which wasn't his room anymore. The dull and unexciting room he was accustomed to was replaced by a magnificent room with tall windows, a splendidly large bed, and antique furniture. His ordinary life was no longer the same.
Day by day, puzzling yet exciting changes happened around him. One day he woke up in a spectacular castle on a remote island and another day in a spaceship orbiting earth. Sometimes he was a Broadway star, while some other days, he was an archaeologist discovering ancient Egyptian tombs. Life was extraordinary but chaotic.
However, as weeks passed, George began to feel worn out from his ever-changing lifestyle. While it was splendid and exciting, he missed his ordinary life, the monotony, and the peace that came with it. He yearned for the familiar chime of the local shoe store, the faces of people he'd known all his life. The spice of unpredictability had already become tasteless.
The realisation dawned upon George. He knew what he must do. He bided his time, waiting for his next transition back to his town, back to St. Helga's Church. When he finally did, he played the organ again, this time with a different wish. A wish to revoke his previous desire and return to his ordinary life.
The next day he was back in his small, cozy bed in Medlington, the familiar scent of leather from the shoe store wafting in. His life was back to normal, back to the monotony he had once wished to escape from.
From then onwards, George Delvin was no longer an ordinary man with an ordinary life. He was an ordinary man with an extraordinary story. He relished every bit of his ordinary life, perfectly content with the simplicity and tranquility. The story of George and the wish-granting organ of St. Helga's traveled like wildfire and is still told today as an illustration of how we ought to appreciate our lives as they are.