Rome, 1844
It was early morning when a child of only ten years, unaccompanied by any adult, arrived in Rome. This was not by choice, it was the only way of escape.
As the young boy arrived after a tiring journey, the city was so beautiful he could not contain himself and had to explore.
He encountered a building site. The boy cautiously walked over to it and gently touched some of the stonework.
Before he could do anything else, something suddenly appeared, disturbing his study.
The boy jumped backwards and instinctively grabbed his knife, directing it towards the invader.
His heartbeat started racing, his mind conjuring the unwanted memory he desperately tried to bury away.
Yet he stood ready to attack while the invader lifted his hands in surrender. The man looked harmless but he was not going to be made a fool again.
Giuseppe realized that the boy was trespassing but it did not give him the idea that he meant harm. After all he was only a child admiring the stonework.
Yet he could see from his appearance that he had been through a lot of pain physically. The child was not dressed in proper clothes. He was only half clothed in shredded trousers and had a filthy piece of material covering his entire face underneath a once white mask.
Giuseppe gently moved forward with his hands remaining in surrender.
"You know you are trespassing boy." He said calmly without appearing violent.
"I wasn't doing any harm!" The boy quickly protested.
"I can see that, you were clearly just admiring the stonework. Interested in architecture?" Giuseppe asked, cautiously walking forward.
The boy sensed this and slowly moved backwards surprised by the man's question.
"Yes, Sir."
Giuseppe did not expect the boy's manners. This confused him because he certainly didn't look like the type of child that has been raised by a good nature and civilized family.
"Well then, I'm sure that you will love to see the rest of the architecture here in Rome, wouldn't you my boy?" Giuseppe asked putting his hands down and smiling gently.
The boy hesitated and started trembling. Why was this man being so kind to him? He was threatening to kill him! This man must be out of his mind, yet it was very tempting to go along.
Slowly and cautiously, he put the knife away and joined Giuseppe at his side. Giuseppe then gestured for him to follow.
"Where did you come from?"
"From nowhere Sir." The boy simply replied, emotion absent.
"What is your name?" He tried again.
"Quade, Sir."
Quade, the name which meant eternal ruler.
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1851
Giuseppe had to endure 7 years to break the many walls surrounding the child's heart. After sharing everything Giuseppe knew about architecture while treating Quade like his own son he finally gained his trust.
Little by little Quade opened up and didn't isolate himself anymore down in the cellar in Giuseppe's house where he used to stay in day and night.
There were times where he felt that there was no hope for this child. Though a lot of patience managed to pull the boy out of his black hole of hate and despair and finally brought him to the light of Jesus Christ. Giuseppe valued Christianity and realized it was the child's only hope to undo the damage of his past that he knew nothing of. The past, Giuseppe was forbidden to touch.
Giuseppe reached the point in his life where he no longer had the physical strength to continue his work and came to the conclusion that it was time to resign. It was already morning when he called Quade into his room.
After the very first time he introduced Quade to the art of architecture, he knew instantly that he was no ordinary child.
Quade learned tremendously fast and started doing tasks and asking questions that were beyond his knowledge. The boy was extraordinary, and Giuseppe made sure to encourage it little by little, since he had observed that this boy had been beaten down mentally repeatedly.
"Is everything alright Sir?"
After all these years he still called Giuseppe sir. He appreciated it, it proved to him that Quade still had respect for him.
"My boy, we need to discuss something." Giuseppe started, gesturing Quade to sit down.
He does so gently by sitting on the edge of the bed, waiting patiently.
As he did so Giuseppe reached over and grabbed his hand. Even after all this time of taking care of Quade he still stayed awfully thin. He could never fully comprehend it.
"Quade, you can see my days are being numbered and the arthritis isn't doing me any favors which is why I came to the decision that it is time you take over from me."
The eyes behind the mask suddenly lighten up with both excitement and surprise.
"Really sir? You think I'm ready for such a responsibility?" Quade asked eagerly.
Giuseppe laughed.
"My boy, no one has been more ready than you! You have been ready years ago, now you just have no choice since I can't bear the hard work anymore." He said laughing again with Quade joining in.
"So what do you say my boy? Would you give me the honor to hand over my business to you?" Giuseppe asked smiling. Quade was quiet for a moment before replying with agreement.
"Absolutely."