Rebellion Against Inferiority!

Louis rests on a side table, the shimmering light of the city’s finest restaurant reflecting off his polished surface. He feels like the proudest corkscrew in the world, always ready for great moments. The couple sitting at the most beautiful table in the renowned three-star restaurant moves him deeply. Their soft voices speak of a life filled with love, adventure, and shared laughter. Tonight, they celebrate 45 years of marriage. “An eternity,” Louis thinks. And today, he will be a part of it, opening the bottle of wine that has accompanied their love.

The moment feels perfect for Louis—until he sees it: the simple bottle opener in the sommelier Pierre’s hand as he returns from the restaurant’s wine cellar, carrying the bottle still wrapped in transparent foil. Louis’ spiral tightens. “What is Pierre doing?!” he thinks in horror. “That’s a 1978 La Tâche! A wine that has changed the world! And he wants to open it with—that?!“

As Pierre politely smiles, removing the protective wrapping from the bottle and presenting it, the gentleman nods in approval, and the sommelier prepares to use the bottle opener. Louis vibrates. He wants to scream, throw himself off the table—do anything to prevent this disaster. But then, something unexpected happens.

“One moment, please,” the lady says, her voice gentle but firm. She leans forward and decisively takes the simple bottle opener from Pierre’s hand. “Are you serious, young man? Opening such a special wine with this tool?” Her husband nods in agreement. “You know, even at our wedding, every wine was handled with great care. And I remember a very special corkscrew. The sommelier back then called him ‚Louis.’”

Louis’ heart—or rather, his spiral—leaps. “They remember! They know I’m the only one worthy of this task,” he sighs in excitement. Pierre frowns. “Madame, Monsieur, that corkscrew is somewhat—how shall I put it—old-fashioned. It’s over there. But I believe this one would be more practical.”

“Practical?!” The lady is appalled. “My husband and I have learned that the best things in life are never practical. They are elegant. They have style. They evoke emotions. And they tell stories. Bring him, please.“

Pierre hesitates, but the gentleman’s look leaves no room for debate. “Right away,” he says, half apologetically, half meekly, and hurries to the side table. He picks up Louis, examining him critically. Louis suddenly feels like a precious jewel sparkling in the best light. “Well then,” Pierre mutters. “But if you fail…“

“Me? Fail?” Louis thinks. “Monsieur Sommelier, you are holding a masterpiece.“

The moment Louis has waited for has finally arrived. Pierre presents him to the couple, who greet him like an old friend. “Ah, there he is,” the man says with a smile. “I had hoped—no, I knew—he would still be here.” “Yes, how wonderful, it really is ‘Louis,’” the woman exclaims joyfully.

Pierre carefully sets Louis against the bottle of the 1978 La Tâche from Domaine de la Romanée-Conti. Louis senses the resistance of the perfectly matured cork, the faint creak that sounds like music to his curved handles. Pierre notices it too, relieved. He turns slowly, with utmost precision, then pulls with a smooth motion, releasing the cork. A delicate, elegant “pop” fills the air, and Louis realizes—he has done it again. He has created magic.

The scent of the wine rises from the glasses, and the couple’s eyes light up. “Perfect,” the woman whispers, and the man agrees: “Absolutely perfect.” Louis remains on the table, watching the scene unfold. Pierre does not dare place him back on the side table. The couple lifts their glasses. “To us. And to the little things that make life special,” the man toasts. “Like Louis,” the woman adds with a smile.

In that moment, with those words and this honor, Louis feels as if he is glowing. He has not only opened another bottle of the finest wine but has preserved a piece of history. And as the guests clink their glasses, gazing at each other with the same love as 45 years ago, he knows that he has been—and perhaps always will be—a small part of their love story. A humble corkscrew who, for one more moment, became a hero for lovers.

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Photo Credit: © Adobe Stock/Yuli