After the last meetings with the Desert Dough and the strange dancing with a certain Mr. Y, our protagonist had a long time to come to his senses.
Waking up sitting on the bench next to another stranger Mr. X looked around.
Or rather he tried to look around, but he couldn't because there was nothing around except fog. The grayish haze stretched to infinity. X shuddered at the cold air.
"At least it's not as hot as the desert," he thought.
It was time to figure out where X was this time.
"Ser, where are we? Ser...?" - he turned to the stranger.
Silence followed in response.
The stranger sat motionless as a stone in a Japanese garden and seemed to be staring at one point, oblivious to the outside world.
Was it a human?
His head was made of plaster, his shoes were plaster boots with red soles, his coat and pants were exactly the same as Mr. X's, the only difference being that his pants were blue.
His face was constantly changing, as if thousands upon thousands of emotions were displayed in a fraction of a second.
"I should definitely stop being surprised by everything I see," another thought ran through Mr. X's head.
Only now did he notice that there was a bottle of something incomprehensible in front of them.
"Probably alcohol, but at least it'll keep us warm."
X took the bottle in his hand and at that moment the plaster man shouted loudly:
"PUT IT DOWN."
Mr. X almost dropped the bottle in surprise, but obediently put it down.
"I am Plaster Henry. I was born from a piece of plaster that ended up in the hands of a sculptor working in a sculpture studio. I was a small but wonderfully detailed piece of plaster that became part of a larger sculpture composition.
One day, on a day when the workshop was closed, I came to life. I gained consciousness and the ability to move, and I was amazed that the world around me was so real and alive.
I began my life wandering around the city and learning about its streets and inhabitants.
I learned to hide to avoid danger and to observe people to understand their behavior and way of life.
But one great desire took over my life: to drink strong gin, which I once tasted in the workshop.
I fell in love with its taste and smell, and I did everything in my power to get my first bottle by remaining unnoticed.
When I first found a full bottle of strong gin, I took to its contents, and when I drank every last drop, I knew that I had found freedom and could enjoy life to the fullest.
From then on I became a secret inhabitant of shops and bars...always on the lookout for a bottle of gin.
I don't know how much longer I will live, but one thing I do know is that I will continue to drink strong gin and enjoy life as much as I can.
Now I've met you on my path, X.
You are clearly special, I sense that you are searching for the meaning of your life and your past and you are willing to do anything to find it all.
I offer you a challenge - try three sips of my favorite drink."
Mr. X was puzzled-what could this simple task give him?
But Henry knew that gin was not just a drink, but a symbol of life that could help a man find his way.
X agreed to the challenge.
The first sip was as bitter as life itself.
But with it, X learned to accept life as it is and to find beauty in it.
The second sip was sweet, like hope for the future.
X learned to believe in his own strength and to go for the goal, even if it seems impossible.
The third sip was poignant, like the moments when hard decisions have to be made.
X learned to make those decisions with courage and without hesitation.
It became clear that Henry had given him not just three sips of alcohol, but three life lessons.
He thankfully shook Henry's hand and walked away, knowing that he could now find his meaning in life.
But as soon as he got a decent distance away from his sudden drinking companion, Mr. X was surrounded by black smoke again and his consciousness shut down.