They called him the hunchback who couldn’t get a dame, and laughed uproariously at their sardonic wit.
Hugo accepted the jibes with humor, after all wasn’t God the greater jester, having missed the final brush stroke in his creation.
Hugo had searched for his Esmeralda, but alas could find no beautiful muse to sooth his tortured soul.
Desperate in his rented rooms, Hugo hunted for a piece of charcoal and a yard of canvass to articulate his despair of God’s missed brush stroke.
Struggling to express his inner torment on canvas, Hugo discovered that God had painted a rich tapestry within his soul.
A year later he was wed to Grace, his disfigurement forgotten, his soul triumphant.
Another sweet love story!
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Thank you, Cassa. Yes, he was in love with his art and reunited with God after he stopped blaming God for his disfigurement.
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Lovely story of triumph of human spirit
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Thank you, Sadje. You are very kind.
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You’re welcome Len.
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Oh Len, I LOVE THIS!!!! BRAVO!!!
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Thank you, Rhen. Glad you enjoyed the story.
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Oh I really did! You’re welcome 🙂
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Thank you for sharing your beautiful story.
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You’re welcome, Romi. Glad you liked it.
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Wonderful story, Len!
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Thanks for the inspiration, Denise. As soon as I read your word prompt, the first sentence popped into my head. The other five took work.
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You’re welcome, Len. Glad you had instant inspiration! That’s what makes hosting the SSS so much fun 😀
I’m glad you join in each week 🙂
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I am glad he found Grace.
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So am I, Frank. Thanks for commenting.
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This is amazing!
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Glad you liked it, Lisa.
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This is a striking story! You set the tone with the joke about the “dame” and then build on it with the feeling that the hunchback is the effect of God missing “the final brush stroke” in creation. Things are looking coarse and grim. Then there’s surprise in discovery and grace; and, what do you know, there’s Grace.
I like this retelling. It’s clever, meaningful, and fun. If I may say, you are so good with short fiction, Len!
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You are always so very kind, and your comments are always so insightful. I appreciate your wise words, Christopher.
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I’ve a long way to go!
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Not as far as you think. Persistence is the key. Grinding it out week after week. Smacking your head in frustration when the ideas don’t come. But plodding along any way. You’ve taken the first steps, just have to keep going. I’ve been enjoying your stories.
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Yeah it’s quite easy so far because I have these fresah ideas and not really any pressure. Must be a bugger if someone is a pro writer, and they *have to* come up with something, or else.
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Reading your Six, I couldn’t help be remember the old saying, “Great minds think alike, and fools seldom differ.”
whew! safe on both counts…
lol enjoyed your take on the story
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Thanks, Clark. I loved Charles Loughton as an actor and particularly his interpretation of Quasimodo. I liked the experience of imaging him.
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Wow!, Fantastic, I love your six!
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Thank you, Susan. Glad you loved it.
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Very positive spin on this. Well done.
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Thanks, Paul. I hope there is redemption for all of us.
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Ah he finally found what he was looking for.
I loved this line:
“Struggling to express his inner torment on canvas, Hugo discovered that God had painted a rich tapestry within his soul.”
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Thanks, Bernadette. Yes he had blamed God for his disfigurement and so was disconnected to a higher power. He had to reach deep within himself to find it.
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A happy ending, Len. It’s the soul within that counts, something that may take a while to see, but always worth the wait.
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Thanks for visiting, Diana. I agree, perfecting the soul takes a while, perhaps a life time.
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Grace indeed!
Nicely done.
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Thanks, D. Appreciate the compliment.
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I like what you did with this. Beautiful ending too.
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Thanks, Pat. It took some thought, but I got where I wanted to be in this.
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Wow..this is a beautiful story. What a great message too. If you stop blaming and look beneath the obvious disfigurements, a lot more depth takes over.
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Thank you for your kind comment, Pallavi. Yes, you can’t judge a book by its cover.
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This is great! Very creative. I love it!
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Thanks, Abi. Glad you liked it.
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Great insight! love it! thank you. Arlene
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Thanks for commenting, Arlene, glad you liked it.
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