|
Get the full copy
Oemor was filled with joy as the saleslady of the jewelry shop packed three boxes containing the legendary Fortune Ring from the City of Dailmore.
“These are good and precious presents, for very special persons, I guess,” the lady said as she delicately put an adhesive tape on the wrapper.
“Indeed, everybody in Scallur is obsessed with this ring, including my wife,” he replied.
“Really, she would be very glad then! So, you are from the City of Scallur. And what business do you have in Dailmore, sir?”
“I just attended a special training for jewelry crafts here. Your City is famous on that.”
She smiled with the complement and said, “You’re right but your city is known for the great Hotel Scalluria. Everyone from Dailmore, I guess, dreamt to stay there once in their lifetime.”
‘Really, it’s also a dream of most Scallurians,’ he thought. But only the rich in Scallur can afford the best hotel service of Hotel Scalluria. Dailmorees are known to be rich because of their highly developed economy, and their people can pay for the services of the prestigious hotel.
“But the legend of the Fortune Ring from your City is more popular, I think.” He returned the compliment.
“Well, they say that. But it’s no legend for it is real. Fortune really comes to those who seek for it! After all everyone needs a fortune” She smiled then placed the three boxes in a plastic bag with the label ‘The Fortune is yours forever’ and turned it over to him. “I wish you then good fortune, sir!” she added.
He thanked her and walked through the opposite stall where foods and native delicacies were sold. He had spent a month in the City and he was familiar with the place already. It was about 3:00 PM and he felt a little growl in his stomach, so he bought something to eat and sat on a bench in front of the stall.
An old man seated near him noticed the bag he carried. He was clad in leather jacket; it was cold even that time of day as the rainy season brought humid air in September in Dailmore.
“Seeking for good fortune, huh?” he leaned forward to Oemor while pointing his right forefinger on the bag to show he was talking to him.
“It’s my wife,” he replied as he made a bite on his sandwich.
“Do you believe on the story?” the old man asked. His gray hair covered part of his eyes as the wind blew on his face. He quickly combed them with his hand.
“I don’t really know. But most in our village wanted to have it. They said it really can give good fortune. Everyone who has it, in our place, is progressive in life. But only few could afford it.”
“So, you bought it for fashion’s sake,” he declared as he looked ahead as if looking at something in his mind.
“I love my family, my wife, I promised her the ring for about 10 years and this is the only chance I have. I saved a lot to have it”
“Good decision, though it sounds like your wife is more convinced of its marvel,” he said gazing back at him. “I tell you mister, the story is real its no legend,” and he showed his ring finger with the Fortune Ring.
Oemor nodded in approval. “So it’s not only Scallurians who are convinced by the ring’s fortune but Dailmorees as well”, he replied.
“Do you know the story?” the old man asked.
“I heard of it but I don’t know the details. They said the original ring was made by a wandering generous goldsmith. I read an ad that until now Dailmore is looking of his whereabouts or his remains and gives good prize to those who can find it with the original ring with intertwined hearts and name of Dailmore and Airam.”
“You are partly correct,” he said then voluntarily the man recounted the story while Oemor listened passively first, but then he became interested.
“It begun hundred years back in Dailmore, a rich man named Kimone once lived and owned a city. The mighty Kimone had a son named Dailmore. Dailmore was a good and generous man and a total opposite of his strict and tyrant father. When Kimone imposed heavy burden upon his workers, Dailmore help them by allowing them to rest. While his father oppressed the poor, Dailmore regularly feed them without his father’s knowledge. Those were the reasons why their people loved him.
Dailmore felt in love with a beautiful woman named Airam, a poor goldsmith’s daughter. Her father worked in one of Kimone’s goldsmithery shop. But his father didn’t want his son to marry the poor lady.”
“It sounds like a good and challenging love story.” Oemor batted in as he paused. He became engrossed with the story.
“The father ordered Dailmore to see Airam no more but despite his command he secretly visited her. They usually met in her home near the bank of the river outside the city walls. Since they were in love with each other, he secretly married her without his father’s knowledge, and her father could not prevent her either.
When the news finally reached Kimone’s ears he was outraged. He ordered his armed servants to punish and torture his son, and Airam, and her father and feed them to the crocodiles in the river. But since Kimone’s armed warriors loved Dailmore they allowed the three to escape from the city. Upon their return, the warriors brought torn garments of Dailmore, Airam, and her father to Kimone to let him believe they were savagely snatched and eaten by wild crocs.” He paused once more and combed the gray hair that covered his eyes again.
“Where do you think they go” Oemor asked.
“Well, the three having no properties at all, established a small house some distance outside the city walls. Their closest friends went there to visit them and bring news from the city and some food and other provisions for them to survive. To earn for living, Dailmore and Airam’s father went on gold panning then later on established a small goldsmithery shop. It was then that they created the first fortune ring.”
“So, how come luck was associated with the ring,” said Oemor.
“At first, they did not sell the ring. They gave one to every friend who visited them in return for their visits and any gifts they brought to them. After several years, without everyone’s notice, most of their friends whom they gave the ring became richer and went out of Kimone’s property and established their own. They didn’t knew if the ring brought them luck but neighbors, who didn’t knew about the real story spread rumors that these people have purchased a gold ring that brought fortune from an enchanted goldsmith outside the city walls.
The news created a fad in the area and a lot of people from the city and neighboring areas where Dailmore’s friend lived went to Dailmore’s place to buy the ring.
That event made the family rich and they established a jewelry shop selling the fortune ring. But even then, the family lived an ordinary life with no servants at all. They do all their works in the house, the shop and the store. From time to time Dailmore and his friends distribute food to poor families in the city as a continued show of his generosity to the needy.
That time, the city’s property was crumbling and divided. Kimone’s sons, who were born of his other wives after Dailmore left, were greedy like him. They divided the city and sold their part then left the place. Kimone who was ageing was left with very little which made him poor and no one heard of him again since then.
One day, while Dailmore was packing food for the poor in his kitchen which was elevated by three steps of stairs or about 3 feet high, he noticed an old man resting just near the side of the landing made of polished stones. He didn’t know if the man was hungry or if he needed something else. Dailmore watched him but he never called him.
Suddenly, his only son aged one year crawled from the inner room. The boy, who was just practicing to walk, went straight to the stair. Since Dailmore’s focus was on the old man, it was already late when he noticed the boy swung off the open stair. The boy’s forehead hit the corner of the wooden step and blood oozes out from a cut. The boy rolled down heading directly unto the rock landing head first. The old man seeing the terrifying event suddenly dived in to catch the boy. He grabbed the boy’s body before he hit the stone slab, saving him from eminent danger. As the old man stood up he pressed his hand on the child’s cut to protect the blood further from oozing out while his other hand embraced the crying child. As the old man gazed up to Dailmore, he noticed tears rolled down from the man’s eyes. Only then that he noticed, the old man was his father, Kimone.”
Oemor noticed, the man’s eyes seemed cloudy with withheld tears as he paused. “What happened,” was his curious words.
“That was it; Kimone and Dailmore were united with that accident. It left a scar on the boy’s forehead but it reunited a repentant greedy father and a generous and forgiving son.”
The elderly man paused then continued “as to those who believed about the rings fortune, the luck was really associated with generosity and kindness. It was generosity and kindness that gave Dailmore the luck; and generosity of his friends that made them grew.”
The old man stopped as Oemor said, “What a lovely story to tell. Is it really true, or it was a legend?”
“Yes, it was true!” The old man smiled as he looked at Oemor. Then he combed back his hair again revealing a scar on his forehead. “And you are talking to the boy!”
Oemor finally was convinced, because the old man narrated the story in very clear details.
And the story also made the city popular and the fortune ring as its best selling product during birthdays and other holidays like Christmas even to the rich and popular from every corners of the world.
“That was so inspiring. What happened to your father Dailmore and your grandpa Kimone?” he asked.
Silence echoed for awhile then the man broke it. “After that event, most people called our place by my father’s name which was adopted when a unified government took over the land. The city became Dailmore. When my grandfather died, my father went into a journey with a mission to help the poor, but he never returned since then. All his riches were left with the care of a foundation that helped poor families. We are still looking for the remains of my father that was why we announced that whoever finds it with the original ring, the foundation will give a gift.”
“So, what about you and you mother Airam?”
“My mother left caring for me and she managed the foundation until she died. Now I am running the foundation which helped most of the needy families in Dailmore and neighboring cities.”
“What fortunes have you since having the ring aside from your wealth?” He asked curiously.
He smiled and gazed at him then said, “I am not rich. All we have is intended to help others. Staying alive and happy with my life is the fortune I wanted, and I have it.” He looked into the blankness of the sky, nodded then continued. “Yes, the desire for physical thing doesn’t end when you get it. You desire for more!”
Silence echoed.
“And that brings misery. As for me, the fortune I got brought me peace of mine.” The old man nodded again “So, you better wish from the God of Fortune spiritual virtues, kindness instead of money; wisdom rather than material blessings… it makes you more satisfied.”
Oemor nodded in approval. “He is absolutely right”, he thought as he stood. After a little while he excused himself from the old man and feeling proud he met one of the main characters of the legend or the story of the Fortune Ring.
He threw the sandwich pack and the cola bottle in the garbage can and waved goodbye.
“May the fortune be yours my Son,” he shouted as he waved back.
>Back to Top
Chapter 2
Get the full copy
|
