The master

Idiots! Jerks! Imbeciles! Asses! I barely remembered the last time I was THIS angry! Seriously! If you run a shop, you sometimes have to deal with difficult customers, but this was on a whole new level! Never have I encountered such a vicious combination of stupidity, rudeness and toxicity!

I shook with rage, at the same time I felt utterly devastated. My precious artwork had been defiled by absolute morons, who couldn’t comprehend even the least bit of its value.

I wasn't really in the mood to deal with any more customers today, so I closed the shop and hid in my flat, procrastinating and wasting time watching anime and youtube videos.

Next morning my anger had somewhat subsided, but I still felt down, so I left the shop closed.

At noon my old master came by for lunch and immediately noticed my sour mood. Of course I told him everything and was immensely relieved afterwards.

As always he listened without interrupting and said finally:

“Vilko, you really are an absolute genius when it comes to craftsmanship, but a complete moron when it comes to people.”

I stared at him, dumbfounded.

“Look at what you have done!” he elaborated. “You crafted a perfect masterpiece for customers who had completely different expectations. They wanted a simple family bike and you built a unique gem. Of course they were irritated, but…”

And here his stern expression softened a little bit and he patted my shoulder.

“...you stood your ground. Very good!”

I didn’t know if I should feel either proud or crushed.

“Of course they were idiots,” he continued. “But as a mechanic and a salesman you have to deal with these kinds of people. More than you probably think. And that leads me to a very important question.”

He looked me directly in the eyes.

“Are you really cut out for this job?” he asked with a hint of steel in this voice. “You have your own shop now for nearly six months, but without me or your brother you would have already gone bankrupt.”

In shame I bent my head.

“I know, and I’m really grateful for all your help, master. But it’s just so hard! I can only spare the least ounce of my energy and time to actually build things. Everything else around seems so much more important and it always draws attention away from where my heart belongs. I want to craft things, not deal with stupid customers, doing paperwork, worrying about taxes and bills, socializing, and building connections. All these things, as necessary as they seem to be, are eating away at me and what I’m really good at!”

“I know,” said my master. “And that’s why I told you from the very first beginning that you need a partner for all this!”

God, not this old topic again!

“Yes!” I said with a sigh. “But do you know how hard it is to find a suitable partner? And I’m just not good with people! I wouldn’t even know where to begin!”

This is one of the very few sore topics between us.

His eyes narrowed.

“How many times have I told you to go out, to socialize, to actually meet people?” he pulled out his old lyre.

“And how many times have I told you that I just can’t do that?” I snapped back, annoyed that he stubbornly refused to understand. “All the noise, the crowds, the stupid rules and conventions you have to follow! I just can’t understand them, it just overwhelms me, and I don’t want that, sorry!”

I really was close to tears and my master must have sensed that we reached an impasse. So he changed the topic.

“Lets stop moping around,” he said and gave me a gentle, surprisingly understanding smile. Then he boomed: “Because today we have something to celebrate! Your completed first ever masterpiece! And what a masterpiece it is! Absolutely unique in this world! Come on, I’m preparing a proper feast for us! All the worries and sorrows are a thing for tomorrow!”

My master really knew how to lift my spirits! And he was a great cook!

After our meal - delicious as ever! - he let me show him my work again. It was a real pleasure to talk about every detail, to show him all the features and how they worked properly together and created a unique piece of art.

He already knew most of the details, but he hadn’t seen the whole thing yet. For the first time since I met him he seemed actually impressed, circled my craft, soaking in every detail.

“Do you even know what you have created?” he asked me with disbelief and awe in his voice. “This vehicle looks to me like the holy grail of personal transportation! It can get nearly as fast as a car, yet weighs just a fraction and consumes much less energy. The solar roof generates enough electricity, especially with extended panels. And it is weatherproof! Is it maybe even amphibious?”

“No, I didn’t want to get too much overboard.” I admitted, and we shared a heartful laugh.

Then, looking at the smooth, elegant, aerodynamic, yet unusual, but beautiful shape again, he uttered: “This vehicle is too good for this world...”

His mood made a turn again and he said:

“Do you realize how many rules and regulations your vehicle breaks?”

I shrugged.

“Not really. I didn’t want to worry about that, otherwise it would’ve choked all creativity away. But nevertheless I built it as safe as possible.”

“I can see that.”

He had visibly trouble getting out of the workshop. It was so good to feel his appreciation after yesterday's disaster!

“What plans do you have for it?” he said, after we entered my flat again.

I shrugged.

“I didn’t have time to think about that.” I answered. “But I always envisioned traveling around the world in a similar vehicle. But that is a thing for another day.”

My master seemed lost in thought.

“No!” he said after a pause. “I think you should take some time off, go on the road and gain practical experience with it.”

All blood drained from my face.

“What?!” I exclaimed. “This isn’t built for traveling the world! That would mean a whole new level of engineering! It would need a much bigger and sturdier structure and frame, tires, better insulation, and it doesn’t even have a bathroom or a toilet!”

My master's eyes sharpened again.

“Don’t tell me anything about engineering! I recognize a technical marvel when I see one! Your vehicle is ready to drive the streets and roam the lands, despite what these idiots were yapping about. And you certainly wouldn’t have offered it to your customers, if it wouldn’t be ready, right?”

That is true, I had to admit.

“You see,” he continued, a little bit softer. “I’m not telling you to drive around the world. But I think a journey in your vehicle would do you very good. You built it, now you have to test it.”

Despite often dreaming about traveling, I didn't actually like it very much. It was ok, but there are too many uncertainties and unpredictable situations for my taste. A look at the determined face of my master however told me that I’d already lost.

“I can’t leave now! Who will look after the shop?” I protested in a last effort to delay the inevitable.

“Bah, don’t worry about it.” he grumbled. “I will help out and I’m certain, your brother will too. Just let me talk to him.”

And so it was decided that I'd go on a journey with my velomobile.