The Carving Convention

It was weird being here; being around people that shared the abnormal hobbies I do, that is. Well, if I were to be honest, my hobby is not exactly weird; it’s quite fun, actually. It’s just not like other hobbies. I’m not a singer - although I have been told I have a great voice - and I’m not an artist either. No one has ever complimented me on my artistic abilities, and I don’t expect them to either. I’m also not good at reading, or anything similar to it, as I can barely sit still for more than a minute. But that is perfectly fine; I mean, I am here, at the one and only national Carving Convention. And I am perfectly content with that.

The room smelled marvelous; it smelled like home. There were earthy smells, fruity smells, and even a smell that seemed a bit too spiced. The smells blended beautifully together, like a medley of substances from different planets that united for one day, but that was enough. It was magical.

Even though the smells were all so perfectly blended together, a more astounding small trace of a smell seemed to be set apart from the rest. Maybe it was just for me and the smells I particularly enjoy, but I couldn’t stop smiling when it reached my twitching nose. It was fresh, sweet, and crisp. It was unfamiliar and new, yet comforting and natural.

I finally looked around. I had followed my nose here, but now, I wanted to use my eyes.

There were stands set up all around the large hall, each with a unique sign displaying what type of work was done by the people there. The walls were slightly sloped inward, and there were murals painted across them, only being interrupted by the occasional circle windows that allowed the bright afternoon sun to spill its light onto the solid marble flooring. There were soft yellow lights strung throughout the entire building, but they could not outstrip the truly magnificent and intricate chandelier dangling from the middle of the painted ceiling. 

I decided to use my ears next. I closed my eyes and listened intently, although I wasn’t listening for anything in particular. I could hear the loud blend of voices, but I could also hear individual voices that were in their own conversations. I could hear a girl, probably around seventeen or eighteen, like me, laughing about her latest creation. She also talked about how much she loved to carve candles, and how her favorite pieces were ones of birds like flamingos and swans. On the other side of the hall, I could hear a man who seemed to be in his forties boasting about his latest wood carving. He seemed to fancy making sculptures of feet. Now that was quite odd; to each their own, as they say.

I kept listening. I wanted to get the full experience of the beauty of this event. It seemed like everyone had been here before except for me. I had just started listening in on a group of men with extremely deep voices when I was suddenly knocked to the ground.

“Oh, I’m so sorry!” The unknown person apologized, “I was just rushing, and- here, let me help you up.”

Before I knew what was happening, I felt a firm grip on my hand that pulled me up to my feet. I didn’t even have enough time to fully comprehend what had just happened when the voice spoke again.

“Are you alright?” He asked. I finally looked up. It was a boy who was probably about twenty, but the stress lines on his forehead caused him to look as though he were born two decades earlier. Other than that, though, he looked extremely youthful and curious. His hair was a bit long in the front, and it even had a curl to it. His eyes were a dark green and seemed to dance. His nose was shaped, yet it had definition that looked so natural but also perfectly flawless. His lips were like cherries; red and plump. He had a jawline that was so sharp, I was scared it would cut right through me. He looked like a model, or even a superhero, who had attempted to blend into society, but his looks had betrayed him. He was beautiful.

After finally coming to my senses, I answered him, “I’m good, thanks for helping me up.”

He smiled, and my heart missed a beat. His teeth were the color of fresh snow, and he had dimples that made his smile look even bigger. He looked like he hadn’t smiled for way too long.

“Good. Again, I’m really sorry. I run one of the stands, but I was stuck in traffic and couldn’t make it on time.” He explained. Suddenly, he looked very thoughtful. “You know, maybe I could show you my greatest works. I do metal carving. Wanna see?”

I thought for a bit. I am an extremely mindful person; I love to experience things firsthand, and I often don’t take pictures or videos of the things I do or the places I go to. I was planning on just wandering around a bit, but did this boy want me to explore it with him? I like working independently; I have since I was a little kid. But again, this man, this god, on Earth had asked me to see his creations. Wasn’t that an honor enough? Couldn’t that persuade me? I remembered something my grandmother had once said, which was to “Never trust a boy with dimples.” But he couldn’t be that bad. Could he?

I nodded to the boy, and he smiled again. “Awesome. You know, I really love what I do. You see, I've been carving metal since…” 

I couldn’t help but think to myself: so, he’s the talkative type. Nothing could happen between us; I mean, we really are nothing alike. But, someone has to do the listening, and don’t they always say that opposites attract? I couldn't help but smile at the thought.

“...well, you probably don’t want to know all of my history with metal carving,” he continued, “But I- actually, where are my manners? I’m Joshua, by the way.” He extended a hand and I shook it.

We had been talking while we walked, and when we finally arrived at Joshua’s stand, I was awe-stricken. He had displayed several types of carved metal, all intricately carved. The details were immaculate; you could practically feel the emotion and hear the story behind each being told. That is, if you listened hard enough. He saw me gaping and blushed. I quickly closed my mouth, but not before my cheeks decided to turn the same color as a Red Delicious. 

I don’t have much experience with boys. I’ve never had a boyfriend, but I was always fine with that. That is, until now. Maybe it was his superhero-like features. Maybe it was his blushed cheeks. Maybe it was the pep in his step or the confidence in his voice. Maybe it was the dimples. No matter what it was, I decided that I was going to try.

“These all look so gorgeous,” I gushed, causing him to blush even harder. I wasn’t lying; the pieces were truly extraordinary, and no two were alike. I was obsessed with the detail and decorations on each of them.

“Thanks,” Joshua said, “I worked really hard on those. They take up, like, half of my spare time.” He cleared his throat and continued speaking. “Well, enough about me, let’s talk about you. What do you carve?”

As we walked over to the stand that displayed some of my pieces, I answered him. “I carve soap. I know, I know, it’s really not that cool. But it’s calming, at least, to me, and I really enjoy it.”

He laughed lightly. “I think that sounds cool. And, also, the way you feel about soap carving practically reflects how I feel about my metal carvings. It’s fun, relaxing, and you can listen to music or watch T.V. while doing it as well. I understand you perfectly,...?”

“Farah,” I mumbled. “That’s my name.”

He looked at me in the face and said,” I understand you, Farah. You know, we carvers have to stick together.”

I honestly didn’t know whether he was kidding or not. Maybe it was in his nature to be naturally more class-clownish, but this was all a bit odd. What was he thinking of me? Did he think I looked nice? I quickly tightened my low ponytail, wanting to present myself as nicely as possible.

“Here’s the soap carving table,” I announced upon our arrival, “I don’t run it, but some of my creations are featured on it. Like this one.”

I picked up a little elephant I made from a peach-colored bar of soap. It was my most recent and favorite work that I had ever created. And that wasn’t just because elephants were my favorite animal.

“I love elephants. They’re my favorite animal.” Joshua said softly, surprising me. He liked elephants too? Maybe we did have things in common. But elephants weren’t enough. Besides, we had just met.

“Mine too,” I said, smiling. He smiled back in a somewhat relieved way.

We talked for quite some time. I was surprised at how much we had in common, from T.V. shows to plants. We talked for hours, and we visited each hobbies’ stand as we talked. We laughed, we drank, and we ate chips with mild salsa. It was all such a surreal experience to me, being with a boy I actually felt comfortable with. I wanted to cherish it as much as possible.

When the convention came to an end, I couldn’t help but feel disappointed. It wasn’t just because the convention was over, though. It was also about Joshua. He had brought out a new side of me, a side that was outgoing, fun, and loved to laugh. So, when he asked me to get together the next day, I didn’t hesitate to answer. It was amazing, hearing that question from a person you just met, but, somehow, you just clicked. Of course, I mindfully enjoyed it, and I believed nothing could replace it. At least, for now.