While we were clearing out his things, we found it buried under dust and memories. Heavy, smooth, and oddly shaped, it looked like a tool whose purpose had been forgotten. Everyone turned it over, guessing what it might be, but no one could identify it.
It felt meaningful, like it belonged to a larger story, yet its function remained a mystery at first.
Later, we discovered it was a maritime tool called a “fid.” Sailors once used it aboard sailing ships to separate rope fibers and create or repair splices.
