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The Wooden House

On December 19th, 1983 a young couple was roaming the streets of Paris. They were newly wedded and they were on their honeymoon. They were very happy. The girl's name was Anna and the boy was Noah. Noah loved her so much. Anna was a pure soul. She was kind and generous. Although, Noah was not that rich, but he never turned any word down that came out of Anna's mouth. He was madly in love and so was Anna. It was a cold evening. Anna was freezing. The wind was blowing, leaves rustling. All of a sudden Anna said, "I think it is time for us to finish our coffee and enter some decent nice shop. I think it is about to rain". "Yes, why not!", Noah replied, "Let me take you to the most famous wood-craft house of Paris". "Where is it?’’  Anna asked excitedly. "It is on this very street. Come on! Let me take you there my love". They both went towards the shop. The shop was not so splendid, yet they decided to go inside. On entering the shop, they saw an old man sitting in his comfortable chair with some small tools in his hands. He was mending something. There was a boy in the shop who was cleaning some ancient artifacts. The shop had everything made up of wood. The boy greeted the couple and asked them that what they want to buy? The couple replied, "Give us some time". The boy left them. Noah asked Anna to roam and see things for herself. She took a quick round of the store and came back. She was a bit disappointed. She said, "Honey, I do not find anything that suits us". Noah asked her for the reason because according to him there were some pretty showpieces that they could buy. She replied, "Nothing in here reflects love". "Do you think love exists?" The old man interrupted. "Yes, of course I do", Anna replied politely. "No one today loves truly. Those were my times when people were mostly sincere. Nowadays, you will not find someone like that", the old man said. "No sire, it is not the truth. I married my husband two weeks ago and we do love each other so much. We have been through good and bad times, but together. I know him for past six years", Anna said. It began to rain outside. The temperature was freezing. It was getting cold. All of a sudden, the bulb got fused due to some electrical issue. The light went off. The boy fetched some candles and lit them. There was a dim light in the store. The old man caught their attention by saying, "I have something that might reflect love, but it is not for sale. I can show it to you if you want me to". The couple keenly agreed. The old man went to a small room inside the store. Five minutes later, he came out with a small wooden house in his hand. He raised his hand and asked the couple to have a look. The house was indeed very beautiful. "It is perfectly splendid", Noah said in amazement. "Yeah! Indeed", Anna added to Noah's statement. "I made it for someone I love. I made it a long time ago. You people won't have time for my story, otherwise I would have told you the reason behind making this wooden house", said the old man. Noah and Anna insisted that they have plenty of time and that they could amuse themselves with a story on a cold and rainy evening like that. The boy stood there listening to them. Noah, Anna, and the old man sat on the chairs. "Before beginning", said the old man, "I would like to tell you that this story belongs to me". And in this way the old man narrated his story. A long time ago, maybe fifty years ago, when I was a fine young man, I fell in love with a dancer. She used to dance in a club. I used to see her. She was so beautiful and young. She had a lady whom she called aunt. She was in a group of twelve young woman. She was youngest of all. She was seventeen and I was twenty years old. I was not that rich. I used to visit the place with my cousin, Ed. Her name was Elizebeth. I used to call her Lizzy. She liked me, too, but was unable to give me importance while dancing. Once she did and the consequences were not good. She was punished. Next day, after performing she was taking her break. I went near her and asked her the reason of her sadness. She hesitated at first, but later, she told me that last night she was punished by a whip and that she will soon be a prostitute once she will cross her eighteenth birthday. It made me sad. Such a beautiful creature she was. Violating her was the violation of the nature. She was a natural beauty. She asked me about my profession. I told her that I was a carpenter. She laughed, but not in an insulting way. She said that I was unique. Every man she had ever danced for was either a commander or a doctor or some other wealthy man. She never in her life ever met a carpenter before. She seemed glad. My cousin came and he told me that my father needed me on his shop. So, I left her there promising her to meet her tomorrow again. Days passed by, we talked and talked and talked and we fell in love without knowing it. Well, I was the only one who did not know it. One evening I was sitting with her. I was smoking my cigar and she was having a glass of bear. Suddenly she said, "I am going to be sold at the end of this week or may be sooner, I don't know". I was sad after listening to the words coming out of her mouth. "Will you marry me? You and me? We both can go to a farm, have our own kids. You'll take them to school. We will raise them. I will love you with all my heart. I will dance for you on the nights you will come home in a bad mood. I will cherish you in your sad moments. I promise you protection. Protection of your honor and dignity. Till death us apart?", she said with a question in her eyes. "Dear Lizzy", I replied, "Let me talk to my father about this". The next morning, I went to my father. He was very cold as usual. He was working on some project. I gathered all the courage in the world to tell him that I am in love and that I need to marry this girl. I took a deep breath and told him everything. He seemed normal until I told him that Lizzy was a dancer. He yelled at me and told me that dancers like Elizebeth are merely a source to calm oneself and not to marry. I told him she was virgin, but he threatened me with my whole career and fortune. He told me that if I will insist anymore, he would hinder me from his wealth and property. My mother came to me and told me that a man with his mother and sisters alive is not meant to marry a whore. I was immature. I went to Lizzy and broke up with her. I was a very foolish man. It saddened me so much because I had affection for her. She was disheveled. She slapped me and went to her small room. I was already dishearten. The slap added the salt to my open wounds. I drank a lot of alcohol. I was sitting in another bar all of a sudden, I saw a man staring at me from the right corner. When I looked at him attentively, I thought he was someone I know, but I was drunk so I tend to left the place. The next morning, I had nothing to do, so I took a block of wood, my tools, and some paint. That was the time I built this beautiful house. But I had no one to give it to. So, I waited for it to dry and I put it in my pocket. I vowed that I will keep it near me no matter what. It reminded me of her every time I looked at it. On the same evening, I went to the same bar. I saw the same man from yesternight. He approached near me and said, "Are you Mr. Elvis Dean?" I replied, "Yes, indeed I am. Why?". "Don't you remember your old friend, Vis?", he said. Now I knew whom I was staring at. The moment I realized who he was, I stood up and hugged him. He was Albert. Albert Franco, my friend. Nine years ago, he went abroad for studies and he returned as a quite rich man. He was a doctor. We exchanged a few words and then he finally asked me about my love-life. I told him about the melodramatic situation I was caught up in. The main problem was money. He smiled at me and offered me financial help. He told me that he could help me with the expenses. All I need to do is to find a priest and my bride to be. I felt really happy. I went home, said my goodbyes to my family. My father hindered me from the property, but it was fine. I was happy and completely supported by a generous friend. I went to her aunt's mansion. She was not her actual aunt. I asked her to send her out and I negotiated with her the price of Lizzy's freedom. She smiled and replied that Lizzy has gone for her first prostitution project with two men. Her words had an impact of a bullet on me. I was unable to speak. I took a step back and I thought that how scared that poor thing might be. I was heartbroken. I went back to my hotel room. I waited for the next day. The next day, I went to the mansion. I asked about her and she wasn't there. That mistress was not answering my questions. I become gravely worried. Another day passed and still no Lizzy. I was furious this time. I went there to claim what was mine. When I reached there, I saw a prostitute waving at me from her window. I went upstairs. Her name was Eva. She told me that Elizabeth was admitted in a hospital and that she was fighting for her life. I somehow maintained my balance and reached the given location as soon as I could back then. I searched every room hysterically and finally I saw her. Her face was bruised. Her wrists had cuts. Her head was shaved from its right corner. Her feet had rope marks. She was lying there like a lifeless body. She seemed like a corpse. I rushed into her arms and asked her about what happened. She sobbed and told me that she was sold at a very low cost to two men. They took her to a private place and then the poor Elizabeth was raped by twenty men over and over again. I told her how sorry I was. Guilt and grief were flickering through my eyes in form of tear drops. I told her about my father and about my friend Albert who helped me in achieving my goal or the goal that was yet to be achieved. I took out the house and placed it on her chest. She had bite marks there. She was severely molested. I asked her for her forgiveness. She smiled. She was barely able to talk. She gestured me to come closer. So, I did. All I could hear was "I love you Elvis" in her melodious voice. I pushed her gently back. She was staring at me. It seemed like my eyes were a dark pit and she was trying to find something inside of them. She looked into the dark pit (my eyes) and found her own image. She said, "In you, I find me. I find us". Those were her last words. I loved her since. I am a bachelor who was once in love with a whore. And that whore was my proud. In this way, the old man's story came to an end. Anna was bursting into tears and Noah felt lamented. The old man said, "My dear, take it. I was not able to get my love, but you do. Every time you will look at it, you will remember me and Lizzy. I want you to pray for me. I want to be with her in the after-life. Take this". Noah interrupted, "But it is special for you. How can we take it?" "So, it is for you, too. It reflects true love and weren't you looking for something that reflects true love?", asked Elvis. Anna said, "Okay sire, but we will be paying for it. How much for it?" "There is no price for affection my child", the old man replied. Noah interrupted, "take this", pulling out his wallet and placing a fifty Euro note on the old man's palm. "I think the weather is fine outside now. Let us leave love before it gets rainy again", Noah said. They then greet the old man and left his store. Elvis wiped his tears, sat in his chair and started counting his money. The servant who was quiet for so long came near and said, "Master, you have a wife, six daughters, three sons, and five grand-children. Why did you lie?" Mrs. Elvis is from a very respectable family, I know. Then why did you lie?" The old man laughed and said, "If a five Euro thing can be sold in fifty, wouldn't you sell it for a greater profit? Sometimes, we have to take what is ours by one way or another." The boy was disgusted by the old man's wickedness, but he was merely a servant so he remained silent and went back to clean the artifacts.