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### A Great Man Is Difficult to Discover

Short story

By Abdul QayyumPublished 13 days ago 4 min read
### A Great Man Is Difficult to Discover
Photo by Karsten Winegeart on Unsplash

### A Great Man Is Difficult to Discover

Margaret inclined back in her chair, the murmur of the evening city life sifting through her flat window. She looked at the photo on her desk—an ancient, sepia-toned picture of her guardians standing gladly before their to begin with the car. Their grins emanated an ageless bliss, a kind of joy Margaret had come to accept was progressively uncommon in today's world. She murmured and picked up her phone, looking over through another dating app, where profiles obscured together in a vague cloudiness of constrained grins and curated interface. She had swiped cleared out so numerous times that it felt nearly programmed, a reflex more than a choice.

"Perhaps it's genuine," she mumbled to herself. "A great man is difficult to discover."

Margaret's grandma, Beauty, had regularly said this with a knowing gesture, an articulation that appeared to bear the weight of shrewdness and renunciation. Beauty had lived through the Awesome Discouragement, World War II, and the social changes of the sixties and seventies. Her life had been an embroidered artwork of misfortune and flexibility, sewed in conjunction with the conviction that judgment and benevolence were the genuine measures of an individual.

"Remember, Margaret, Beauty would say, it's not about finding a great man, it's about knowing one when you find one."

Margaret's considerations were hindered by a notice ping. She looked at her phone. A message from a man named Daniel, whose profile she had spared from her tenacious swiping prior that week. His profile was unremarkable—a bookkeeper from the rural areas, separated, a canine significant other. But his eyes, there was something approximately his eyes within the photo. They appeared veritable.

"Howdy Margaret, I take note you adore jazz. There's an incredible small club downtown on the off chance that you'd like to capture an appearance with me this Friday?"

She wavered for a minute, her thumb drifting over the screen. After a profound breath, she wrote, "I'd cherish that."

---

Friday came, and Margaret found herself standing outside The Blue Note, a cozy jazz club tucked away on a limited road. The neon sign glinted within the sunset, casting a delicate shine that coordinated the murmur of anticipation in her chest. She spotted Daniel immediately—he was taller than she had anticipated, with a warm grin that made her feel at ease.

"Margaret?" he inquired, venturing forward with an outstretched hand.

"It's nice to meet you, Daniel," she greeted him with a handshake.. His grasp was firm but delicate, and she felt a glint of trust.

Inside, the club was lively with the sound of a saxophone weaving through the chatter of benefactors. They found a little table close to the organizer, and as they settled within, the band propelled into a profound version of "Harvest time Clears out." Discussion streamed effortlessly between them, a charming astonishment for Margaret. They talked about almost everything from their favorite books to their childhood dreams.

As the night wore on, Margaret found herself giggling more than she had in months. Daniel turned in eagerness when she talked, his eyes never straying, his reactions astute and earnest. He shared stories of his own—a later climbing trip, his dog's peculiar propensities, his work at the bookkeeping firm.

"The work itself isn't the most stimulating," he laughed, "but I find satisfaction in the small details."

Margaret gestured, feeling an association that she hadn't expected. There was a straightforwardness to Daniel, a kind of calm quality that reminded her of her father. By the time the band played their last melody, she realized she didn't need the evening to conclude.

Outside the club, they waited on the walkway, the night discussing fresh and cool. Daniel looked at her with a sincere expression.

"I had a very extraordinary time this evening, Margaret. I'd cherish to see you once more, on the off chance that you're interested."

She grinned, feeling the warmth of his words. "I'd like that as well, Daniel."

---

Weeks turned into months, and Margaret and Daniel's relationship bloomed. They went through ends of the week investigating the city's covered up pearls, nighttimes cooking together, and incalculable hours talking about their trusts and fears. Margaret marveled at how simple it felt to be with him, how actually their lives interwoven.

One evening, as they strolled hand in hand through a calm stop, Margaret brought up her grandmother's ancient saying.

"'A great guy is difficult to find,' Beauty remarked again and again.' She also mentioned that it's important to recognize one after you do, so I believe she was correct.

Daniel ceased and looked at her, his eyes reflecting the delicate gleam of the streetlights. "And do you think you've found one?" he inquired unobtrusively.

Margaret gestured, her heart full. "Yes, I do."

He grinned, pulling her into a tender grasp. "At this point I think we're both lucky."

---

A long time afterward, Margaret would look back on that minute as the starting of a lifetime of shared delights and challenges. Together, they weathered the storms that life definitely brought, each deterrent fortifying their bond. Through it all, Daniel remained the great man she had recognized that night within the jazz club.

Grace's words remained with her, an update that while a good man may well be difficult to discover, the exertion was worth it. It wasn't almost looking; it was almost seeing the goodness in somebody and cherishing it, nurturing it, and building a life around it.

Margaret never overlooked the lesson her grandma had conferred, and in Daniel, she found not fair an accomplice, but a testament to the persevering truth of those shrewd words. A great man is difficult to discover, but after you do, it changes everything.

Short Story

About the Creator

Abdul Qayyum

I am retired professor of English Language. I am fond of writing articles and short stories . I also wrote books on amazon kdp. My first Language is Urdu and I tried my best to teach my students english language ,

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Comments (1)

  • Esala Gunathilake12 days ago

    Actually your story is true. It not hard but very hard to find a great man!

Abdul QayyumWritten by Abdul Qayyum

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