Piece of Wonder

She found a statue made just by tape. It was an angel with wide wings, holding a key trying to reach the man’s heart before the heavens would take him away from her.                                                                                                                                  

Henrick Wilson is a boy born and raised in a poor rural village, He was an unsociable child who loves to stay away from people. Henrick would sneak out from school and he goes wandering in the arms of nature. He would spend hours and hours walking and watching every movement made by nature, from listening to the whistle of the air believing that it delivers the messages sent by the death to their beloved ones, to watching the tall and wide trees which have stood still for all these years which generates a feeling deep inside him of strength and resilience, and as he lied down on the dry grass, the arrows of the golden sunlight would sneak between the gaps of the forest and as it touches Henrick’s soft and white skin it would immediately turn him into a shining and sparkling diamond. However, this peaceful moment would last as he steps a foot in the house and it turns into an aggressive and fierce moment where Henrick is beaten up by his widow mother for skipping school.

Henrik’s mother has always treated him differently from his older brothers, if she has always taken him as a mistake, that it has only brought her shame and trouble. But Henrick gets used to it with every year pass, that he has reached a point where he doesn’t care, as long as he has himself and a bucket of tapes. Henrick would always pass through his mother’s grocery store and he would recommend helping her taping the boxes, so he can get a bucket of tape as compensation for his help. After he got what he wanted he would directly go to his secret basement in the middle of the forest where he and his father used to spend time together working on a piece of art made of tape, but after his father’s death he would go all alone spending the day working alone on statues.

When Henrick has reached his 20s he had to take over the store because his mother has got older and for his older brothers, they traveled away from the village seeking the pleasures of life, while Henrick was just an illiterate boy inexperienced the life of hardships and also, he has spent his childhood running away from people so they thought that if he moved away from the village would be dangerous for him and unsecured. However, Henrick was fine with that if he's only request from life is to let him live a quiet and peaceful life. On the other hand, every night when he lies on his bed, trying to empty his mind and to fall asleep, he would feel vacant inside which leads him to ask himself over and over again, “Is this the life that I want to live?” but at the end, this question would end with no answer but with a headache.

Days passed, and Henrick is the same as yesterday, the same routine, same thoughts, and same feelings. But a day came that was a little different than his yesterday, a girl with extreme beauty has entered his store, and as she started talking to him, he stood tongue-tied and became self-conscious, he could only gaze at her prettiness in astonishment. The girl called him a couple of times but he did not answer. The girl felt unwelcomed by her and it was better to leave, While Henrick saw her leaving he called her and asked her what she was trying to say, she looked back and said “mister I was trying to ask you about the directions, but you kept staring and not answering”. He apologized to her and asked her where she is trying to go, and it was the forest, he said with a broad smile “well! You have chosen the right person to ask, and I will take you there. So please wait for me to close the store and I will accompany you.” The girl accepted his offer, and while they were walking to the forest, Henrick introduced himself to the girl so he can break the silence that was going between them, but that didn’t help the girl kept silent up till they reached the forest.

As both reached the forest, the girl was filled with amazement, she said: “I was seeking inspiration but I didn’t expect that much of magnificence.” Henrick took the girl by her hand to his favorite spot, closing her eyes by his hands and whispered, “listen! Feel!”, the girl could feel the air touching her neck, hearing the rustle of the leaves, the symphony of the birds and the burble of the waterfall. The girl turned to the boy and said, “this is what is called heaven!”, the boy smiled and said “Can you answer my curiosity, and tell me who are you angel and why are you here?” the girl said, “I am not an angel but an artist, and my name is violet”.

Violet set on the floor, supporting her back on the tree, and took her canvas with her painting drawing, and sketching, while Henrick was sitting on the floor watching her silently. That kept for hours and hours and violet is not getting the result which satisfies her. Henrick had noticed that, so he grabbed her canvas away and said, “the bottle is already out of the water, it needs to refill. So, l thinks it’s better to take a break and lay on the floor”, they both laid on the floor, and they started talking and laughing openly for hours they felt as if they knew each other for a long time. When they felt drowsy, they slept involuntarily cuddling each other.

On the next day, Henrick woke up, and went to his store, finding a piece of drawing of him sleeping with a letter written on it; Thanks for the night, because of you I was able to fill the bottle, this drawing is a souvenir from me to you hoping to remember me when I come back, stay safe, your angel violet. Henrick felt disappointed for her to leave on the other hand he yearns to meet her again, has allowed him to sleep with a heart filled with hope, and to wake up for a reason which is waiting for his angel to come back.

When the girl came back to the village, she went directly to the store, but things seemed strange for her, Henrick was not in the store instead an old woman was there, and when she asked about Henrick she looked at her with eyes filled with pain tears, and told her, that he died from a genetic disease. Violet stood in pain and sadness aching her heart. The old woman asked if her name was angel, she told her well this is the name that Henrick used to call me with. The woman took a key with a letter and told her,” then this means it belongs to you.”

The letter was from Henrick, he wrote to her, “I wasn’t able to give you the key of my heart, so this is the key to my life. Go to the spot where we spent our night, and there you will find the door.” Violet went running to the middle of the forest and started to look around but she finds nothing. She started crying and shouting out of pain, she tripped on the floor, for a moment she thought it was a rock but instead it was a door. Violet took the key and open the basement, and as she went in her eyes were filled with wonder. She found a statue made just by tape. It was an angel with wide wings, holding a key trying to reach the man’s heart before the heavens would take him away from her. The room was filled with so many statues that are made by tape, and all the statues are the mirror to Henrick’s feeling. But the difference between all his statues and his last piece, that all the statues before were missing his heart.

This convention is made not just to talk about Henrik’s piece of wonder, but also about his hobby itself. it may not be well known by most people, but his hobby is very unique and special. It is considered as a type of art which is called art tape. Henrick didn’t know how this was important to the world of art, to him it was just a tool to open his feelings so he won’t feel burdened. So, if you want to know what happens then know that Heaven has taken away an artist, leaving his angel with peace of wonder.