41. Bent Arrows

This Sunday morning, I walked to the shop, deciding to get there earlier than usual.

It was a nice morning, with the air, cold and crisp. I felt like it was the kind of weather that would be perfect for a walk and also to clear my thoughts.

Following my usual route, I was heading to the store, only to stop at the one beside it. It was a hand-crafted jewellery store, one that I always walked by and couldn't help but glance at.

However, this time it was different. I spotted a little pendant in the store, one that for some reason I felt drawn towards.

Unable to help myself, since I just had to take a closer look at it, I walked into the shop.

When the door opened, a little bell jingled. Closing it behind me, I walked straight towards the pendant, eyeing its beauty.

From what I could see, it was a thin, silver chain. But what attracted me the most, was the pendant attached to it, what looked like a bent arrow.

"Like this one, do you?" I heard a voice ask.

I turned around and saw an elderly man beside me.

When I looked at him, I recognised him as the man who ran this shop. Someone whom I've occasionally seen and offered a smile towards. He always smiled back.

"Yes, I do. For some reason, I can't look away from it," I told him honestly, whilst he just smiled at me.

"It comes with a story, would you like to hear it?" He asked and I nodded, curious to know the story behind the pendant.

He also kind of me of someone. One of my old neighbours from when I was little. He was an old grump for everyone else, except me. I always thought he was the sweetest.

"A very, very, long time ago, there was a boy, who was very much in love with a girl. He was so sure that she was destined for him. Every time she would smile, laugh or even just look at him, his heart would soar. He knew that she was the girl for him, that she was his true love. As they got older, he became more and more convinced that she was his. He loved her like no other could and would wait for hours just to get one look at her, one which would make his day," the elderly man began to tell me his story.

"However, one day, he found out that her parents had arranged for her to be married to someone else. In those times, you couldn't object to your parents and being in love was considered shameful, especially if they weren't of the same class. The girl was a lot richer than the boy and he didn't have much to give her, except his own heart. He always thought that Cupid's arrow had hit them and that they would always be together, but then seeing her get married to someone else, it broke his heart in an indescribable way."

"This pendant was then made by him, from his tears, his pain, his sorrow and most importantly, his love. He vowed to never love another, not wanting to feel that same way again."

When he said those words, a frown came over my face. I had hung onto his every word, but hearing that part was awful.

"That's so sad," I commented, glancing at the pendant momentarily.

However, he looked at me with a smile, before taking the pendant in his hand and staring at it intently.

"The story isn't over, my dear," he said.

I looked him with eager eyes, like a child waiting to hear the next part of their bedtime story. I just needed to next the part.

"Years later, the boy carried around the pendant with him, as a reminder of the love that he had and the love that he lost. Twenty years go by and then one day, he goes back to his old town, only to hear that the girls' husband had passed away many years ago and she now lived alone in her old house. Hearing this, he raced to her home and stood at the doorway. When she opened the doors, she still looked like an angel, as she did when he last saw her."

My eyes widened hearing that. "Then what happened?" I asked.

"He said 'hello' to her, which was enough for her to break down into tears," he said.

"Just one word?" I asked.

He nodded and smiled at me. "It's all you need sometimes. It not the amount of words, but the emotion behind it. She understood he was dumbstruck seeing her and she probably thought the same. Seeing someone you don't expect, it's enough to make you forget your words."

"Then what happened? Please tell me he married her?" I questioned him.

I probably sounded intrusive but this storey was so sweet, I just had to know how it goes.

The man chuckled at my question, but nodded nonetheless. "He asked her out on date, to which she then accepted. Now, twenty years later, they still live happily together and very much in love."

I grinned, knowing that they finally ended up together, after so long. They deserved that happily ever after.

"How do you know so much about this couple and their story?" I asked in confusion.

I only just realised I heard this whole story from him, but I didn't really know how he knew this. Maybe someone told him, whilst he come into possession of the pendant?

Before I could continue to wonder the wrong thing, I heard the man chuckle. I looked at him confused. "Because it's my story, dear." He said.

I look at him wide eyed, surprised that he'd been telling me his story the entire time.

"I was so mad the day my Elizabeth got married to someone else. When I made this pendant, I made it out of anger, sadness and love. I carried it around with me, thinking that Cupid's arrow was broken, that I spent my whole life believing I was going to be with the love of my life and instead she became someone else's. I spent twenty years feeling like this," he told me, with a saddened expression.

"But when I heard the news about her husband's passing and when I saw her on that doorstep, I realised that maybe it just wasn't our time. Maybe we weren't meant to be together at that time, we were meant to be together twenty years later. I wasn't living my life in those years, I was waiting for her. Cupid's arrow wasn't broken, it was just a little bent. It still hit us, but we just had to wait for it's magic to work," he said with a smile.

I couldn't help but nod in agreement to his words, since it looked like he truly believed that.

"This pendant then became a symbol of love. Our love," he proudly stated.

He then took my hand and placed the pendant on my palm. I looked at him alarmed. "No, no, no, I can't take this. Please, take it back," I requested him, but he just shook his head and gently pushed my hand away.

"I've lived a long life and spent years with a broken heart. You think I don't recognise one, when I see it," he said.

I was taken aback by his comment.

"You're mistaken. My heart isn't broken," I said.

"Trust me, I know," he said, as if he had some kind of magic powers. I really hope he wasn't Santa, even though he kind of looked like him.

"I have love now, I don't need this anymore, but you, I see the same sadness in your eyes that I once had. Keep this pendant, not as a reminder of your hurt, but as a reminder of your love," he told me.

As if on instinct, I closed my hand around the pendant, giving him a nod.

***

Mr Alves, the elderly man from the store didn't let me pay him. Instead, all that he asked was that, every now and then, to come to his store and pay him a visit. Of course, I happily agreed.

With the pendant in hand, I walked into the store. As soon as I closed the door behind me, I moved towards one of the mannequins, dressing in one of our beautiful gowns by the shop window. I placed the pendant around its' neck.

I couldn't bring myself to actually wear the pendant, especially after hearing Mr Alves' story, but knowing that it was in my store, that was enough. I will never sell it but it made for a beautiful addition, along with its' history.

Just as I was heading into the back office, I felt my phone buzz. When I took it out my coat pocked, I saw that it was a text from my Mum.

She had sent me a picture of Julie, but not just any picture. She was wearing her wedding dress and she definitely looked like the most beautiful bride I've ever seen.

My parents had gone to the wedding. We were family friends of the groom, it made sense. Of course, they asked why I couldn't go, but I told them I already had work commitments.

It was a very poor excuse, but they didn't push, something that surprised me. However, I was grateful because I wouldn't even have the answers they wanted.

Then, another message came through.

I didn't think I would ever find the perfect dress, but when I got your gift, I knew why I had felt that way. Thank you, Rena.

I smiled when I saw the message.

There was no way that I could go to the wedding, I just couldn't. No matter what I told myself now or however I felt, it wasn't the right decision. I knew that if witnessing the proposal could cause tears, seeing the wedding may just bring a breakdown.

However, instead of attending, I did something else.

The day after I received Julie's letter, I decided it was only polite if I replied back. But instead of a lengthy letter, I sent her a wedding dress.

Although I had no clue if she had one already and that it was probably really late, I still wanted to give her something. I also attached a note with the dress. A last gift from me, for the beautiful bride.

The dress was actually one of my most favourite dresses we had in store, but no one ever picked it, since it was just a simple gown. It always just stayed there, as all the other dresses got picked. But it was so pretty, I didn't understand why.

I didn't know if Julie would even want it, but I thought it was perfect for her. Now that I've seen the picture, I know it is.

You're welcome. I replied back to the text.

I looked at the message for a moment, before putting my phone away. I didn't want to look at it for a bit, or more accurately I couldn't.

I needed the distraction.