The secrets of the blacksmith

In the old town of San Blas lived a blacksmith, he was a man of hard work, every day he got up very early to go to his workshop. Before starting his workday, he would go to the kitchen and roast some coffee seeds to prepare a hot drink that would give him energy and help him fight the fatigue he would get during the course of the day. After so many years of working in this physically demanding job, he had achieved the appearance of a sturdy guy, which earned him the respect and admiration of his neighbors.

Throughout the day there was a constant sound of metal being struck, which was the sign that he was working. The blacksmith had no family, but that did not mean that he had no friends or that people did not like him, on the contrary, he was well liked in the village. Sometimes, when he had no work, he would go to the square and chat with the other neighbors, he liked to keep abreast of the town's news. Everyone knew him and loved him, but no one knew about his past.

One day, when the blacksmith was getting older, he decided to go for an aimless walk on the outskirts of town and while he was walking at a slow pace, remembering with longing the experiences of his youth, a runaway train appeared out of nowhere and he was the only witness of a fatal and tragic accident. On his own he went to the police and told what happened, he said, "The train was going at such a high speed that when it rounded the curve it derailed and caused it to roll down the slope." In the accident there were survivors that the blacksmith rescued, one of them was a young and very humble boy who looked devastated for having lost his family, his clothes were bloody and dirty. The blacksmith asked him his name and the boy told him his name was Luis.

The blacksmith invited him to his house to offer him something to eat, since the boy told him that he had nowhere to go and seemed not to have eaten for days. The boy gladly accepted and the blacksmith prepared a plate of food for him. Luis ate very hungrily and the next day he prepared to help him in the trade as a sign of gratitude, so the blacksmith gave him some keys to open the cellar door and bring him some pieces of old metal so he could teach Luis the trade. He walked and fulfilled the errand, however, before leaving the room he came across some old painting where a once happy family seemed to be painted.

When the day's work was over, Luis curiously asked the blacksmith: "Why don't you have a family? The blacksmith told him that in his youth he had had a family, but one day some bandits came in to steal and killed his wife and children, since then he has lived alone and never had a family again. The boy looked down and at that moment he knew he had found someone who had also experienced firsthand what it was like to be alone and lose the people he loved the most. They both sat at the table and while they chatted about their past, the blacksmith took some chewing gumball out of his pocket and offered it to Luis. After getting the sorrows out of his system, Luis formally thanked him for the hospitality and comfort he received from being with him.

The blacksmith told him that he could stay, and so Luis moved into the blacksmith's house. From that day on, they became close friends and were like a family. Luis helped the blacksmith in the workshop and also helped him with the housework. The blacksmith taught him everything he knew about the trade and Luis became a good worker. One day, the blacksmith became seriously ill and Luis took care of him day and night, until finally the blacksmith died. Luis cried a lot, but he knew he had to go on and continue with what he had learned.

From that day on, Luis became the new blacksmith in town and made his cup of coffee every morning just like the deceased did. Luis never forgot the friendship and affection he had for the blacksmith and would always remember him as if he were his own father.