The Apprentice’s Journey

It was almost dawn, you could see the glow of the sun on the horizon. He was looking through the window. The sun looked like it would rise on the horizon of another planet in the reflection of his eye. You could see the tiredness. The Master will come shortly. While looking at the rising sun, he was preparing how to explain that he was not ready again. Should he be ready? Yes! His eyes showed it. He was already having shivers, thinking about confronting him without a solution.

It was 7 AM; the Master entered the bar. He saw the disarray and thought about the sleepless night of his apprentice. He sighted. It was difficult for him to provide guidance, this life was natural for him. He felt the as he would fail. How could he not provide it? The Master was looking around and his heart ached. Again, a sleepless night. Was he the one who cause it? Was he pushing him too much? On the other hand, he needed to learn. Was this the issue of generations? The Master looked and felt as he was at the beginning. The life of trial and error. This was the live. Find the solution on your own. Maybe he was not a good enough teacher? He never felt like it. He was forced to provide guidance, yet he never asked for it. His art should die with him. This was always the plan. Normal humans never should obtain his skills.

The eyes of the apprentice narrowed when the Master entered the bar. Is it already that late? He was early. He felt sweat on his body. Rarely was he afraid of something in his life. Yet disappointment in him was something he never considered. He tried for some many nights, yet he wanted to be the best and surpass him and never felt to reach it. 

The Master said, “is everything alright?”

The Apprentice looked and said, ”no, I still can’t get a hang of it Master” 

There was an awkward silence as they looked into their eyes. They realised that this was not that easy, yet who said it would? This was the ultimate test. The solution was difficult and nobody should just find it. If somebody would, he would be the Master from the beginning. The task was immersive, yet the idea was basic. You should be able to solve it, else there was no point in being an apprentice. He knew that a new day was arising and the normal tasks needed to be performed. This was easy. The day went by with normal chores as the customers never had an idea about the genuine struggles of the employees. 

At the end of the night, there was one customer ordering with each round more challenging drinks. He did this relentlessly, as he would try to challenge them. Finally he said, “show me what you got as I will leave afterwards.”

For some reason, the Master was occupied in the back room and the apprentice was the only one in front of the bar taking the order. Was this a test or just a coincidence? The apprentice made his own cocktail based on the experience. He put the ice and the ingredients into the shaker. He shook them vigorously in front of the customer, as his life would depend on it. Other patrons looked interested at the show. This was something new for them. As he shook the shaker, looking at the customer, he was smiling. Somebody was interested in his craft. This was something he needed. This was what he was striving for. 

He woke up at noon in his room. He finally felt that his art was improving, yet still missing the most important part. The apprentice got ready and instantly went to the bar. He needed to practise. There was no other way to perfect his art. Last night again showed him he was lacking the last ingredient in his drink. The last customer took a few sips and said, “It is good, but are you striving to be good or better?”

Those words shook him. What was the meaning of this? As he wanted to open the doors of the bar, he realised they were already open. The Master was inside sitting on the chair. He looked at the apprentice and said, “come, we need to talk.”

He acknowledged the invitation and sat beside him, and listened, “you see the world only in proportions. This is one way, yet as I always try to guide, this is not the way to truly feel the way. You need to find the reason people come to us. Some want to taste something special, others want to numb their pain, but the important ones want to feel that you understand them. This is the art. Find the reason and provide them with solitude at the moment. This will bring them peace and the reason to be here. As you know, sometimes, it means following recipes to the letter, but usually it means to provide them with what they want. Most customers have their own problems and we need to help them solve them and now standard drink will solve it. Think why do you want to be a master in this craft?” This guidance meant more than he could imagine. It was the reason he was here. This was his awakening, as he felt why he was in the bar in the first place. He wanted to bring solutions to his customers. The Master kept him the whole night supporting the bar. This was painful and annoying. 

The next day came earlier than expected. As he was opening the bar, he got a message, “sorry I cannot work tonight.” Signed Master. The apprentice was terrified. How? Why? The questions were filling his mind. Who would lead at the bar? The other employees were looking at him. This was the test. He needed to show that he was capable. He looked at the bar and at the door. There was already a queue forming. He knew he needed to be strong and guide the rest to fulfil their destiny for tonight, because he was the apprentice of the Master. 

The bar. The one which is sought by many, yet found by few. Only the ones who truly needed it could find it. This change surprised the moment the Master took an apprentice, everybody who knew him for years. This was extraordinary. The Master was a shut in who never wanted to pass on his craft, yet when the young apprentice showed up, something clicked. Many more found the bar, and it felt like the apprentice could have that something what was missing in all the others. The Master initially attempted to get rid of him, but the young one’s stubbornness and persistence convinced him to give him a chance. 

He opened the door and greeted the first customers. They were surprised that the Master was not opening. This was unprecedented. The bar was getting full and everybody was waiting for their drinks. The Apprentice issued commands to the stuff and work himself. There was no other choice, as he needed to keep the world from turning. The drinks went out to the patrons at the usual speed. There were no complaints. As he calmed down, the customer from before showed up at the bar. He sat down and requested the best he could offer. The apprentice still struggling to work out his best provided the recipe of his Master. The customer looked and said, “I asked for your best, not of the Master” 

This startled the apprentice. What should he do? He was not ready to prepare something unique, or was he? He doubted himself too long. This was the time to show his art. He mixed the ingredients vigorously. As he was pouring his cocktail in front of the customer, he could see the spark of interest in his eyes. This was the sign for the first step, anticipation. The second sign followed shortly afterwards, tasting. The face showed everything. It was a hit. The only missing ingredient was the aftertaste or the feeling afterwards. This was the missing part. Did the customer feel the emotions he needed to feel?