How It Is

1 - Continuation: Crumpled

I can't help but think about that ethereal, orange hue of the setting sun.

The breeze took me out for a spin
Light on my feet, feels like I'm thin
A color that seems so ugly
A hue of orange in the sky is not actually
Wind seep through my hair, my hands, everywhere
I feel a soft smile right beside me
The one who showed me something this lovely.

As I went back home and think about what Alejo and I agreed on, I start to overthink about it too much. I can't do art properly. Everything needs to be perfect in order to be beautiful and I always make a mess. I sleep leaving my room a mess... am I really that messy?

I do my same morning routine but everything feels different today. I feel lighter and bubblier. I hope today's a great day. It's too quiet though.

MOM'S NOT HERE. My eyes open wide and I start to panick.

"Oh, she left a note." I saw at the table.

"Good morning and so sorry, hun. I have to leave early and probably take a night shift since we're short on budget and I have to work full time. Eat your breakfast and have a great day! xx P.S. You can invite Alejo for a sleepover tonight, alright?

Hmmm. I hope mom will have a great day too. She's always working so hard for us. I hope that one day she can rest without taking care of anything.

I start making my breakfast and once again stare at our window, admiring the world's creative sight. I do my morning routine, stretching, feeding cats, overthinking... yeah. I start to prepare my fit for the day and hopefully isn't too dressy. I'd go outside and take a deep breath from the glorious... polluted air, jeez. Everytime...

I head off to Alejo's house to wake him up because I clearly think he forgot because he told me he'll call me first thing early in the morning and still he's not awake. As I arrive to his house, Mrs. Romano tells me he isn't here. Clueless, fiddling with my own fingers, I think where Alejo would run off to. I tried to go to the workshop by myself and as I'm walking I saw Alejo waving to me with a paper bag in his hand across the street. Hmm, I wonder what's in it.

"Hola, bonita! I bought art supplies early so we don't have to stop by later because I know that you hate standing up too long." he says as he gives me a big smile while his head's tilted.

"Oh no, Alejo... I don't have any materials!" I say in a panicky voice.

"Oh it's okay Reederia, my auntie has kits in her workshop, you can borrow while we're there!"

I let out a big sigh of relief. What the heck is with that nickname though?

"Okay, let's go... Romejo." I say while grinning at him funnily.

"You idiota, not the grade school nickname." He looks at me grumpily. "Come on." he glares at me while he leads me to the workshop.

We walk to the block of the workshop and surprisingly there aren't much people there. Is it because it has a high price for sessions? "Do others expect it not to be paid? I mean art is hard and takes a creative mind of a person. They should take art seriously and not think of it like it's just some hobby." I rant in my head.

As we enter the workshop, it is bigger than it looks on the outside. I was amazed with all the sculptures, paintings, hand-made knickknacks that were displayed on every corner and side you can see.

"Tía wanted the entrance part to be some sort of museum made by her students, which is pretty cool." Alejo whispered.

He leads me to a room where we hear a bunch of people talking. He knocks on the door and some pretty lady opened it up.

"Buenas días, tía! This is Reed, my best friend." he says in a cheerful tone.

"Oh-uh, hi, auntie...?"

"Esmeralda. Eseme." auntie Eseme says in a cool toned way as she shakes my hand.

She invites us in and introduces us in front of her students. They're like our age.

She introduces us but no one seems to be paying attention...hmm.

"Don't worry guys, they're just...busy." she looks at us embarrassed.

Me and Alejo took the vacant seats in the back and started to do whatever we want. Alejo has some experience with art since all that he does is related to art. He takes photographs, he does pottery, he enjoys art museums, and so much more that you wouldn't expect! I think he can handle painting too.

We have canvases as the size of our torsos which is big, a painting palette, and a bunch of over-sharpened pencils? Everything and everyone is pretty much weird... but weird just means something amazingly unexpected and different. I like that.

Alejo sketched out a skull for his "skull study" for practicing head anatomy, which is actually pretty smart. While I have nothing in mind, just staring at my canvas... yikes. I look at the guy next to me. I looked at his work and my jaw dropped. Literally.

The guy drew the exact sunset I saw in the park. Incredibly stunning with the deep orange, and bright yellow tones. It's exactly like it. What the guy did was perfect.

I try to replicate what he did. I made sure it was exactly like his. Did this and that. Used a ruler for some things to be straight, and viola!

...

WHAT THE HECK IS THAT. It's not perfect!! why is it so messy. I should've expected it. I'm such a failure.

I wanted to crumple the canvas so much, although it's impossible. I wanted to crush it. All I can do is leave it there for everyone to see.

The day ended. All of us were expected to go home, and we did. Sad and miserable, I felt, nothing was the same with how I feel about art. As I arrive, I forgot mom is still at work. Oh, I forgot to invite Alejo to a sleepover. Well, he's out of my league... I'd bother him if I ask him to. What he made on canvas was spectacular and looks so perfect. It was so good I want to cry about it.

[ at the workshop: Eseme's POV]

As I was closing the workshop at 4:00 pm, a matured old woman came to me and said, "Why hello, dear. I was a famous painter back in the days and I just saw you were having an opening earlier. I didn't have the time to go, but here I am now!" she giggled and smiled. I wouldn't miss the chance for someone to be happy, so I let her enter the shop and stayed with her.

She liked what I did with the entrance and she said it's creatively, eye-catching. I lit up with joy, and so proud of my students for their works to be placed. I decided to take her in the classroom where the session earlier was held. All of my students work of arts were still there being left to dry. All their works were in a spotlight just because I want them to feel special.

The old woman went to the back part of the classroom and stood there standing still like she was about to cry. She was in a mixture of 'awe' and 'stunned'. She hit her mouth with her hand and sat in front of the painting.

I followed her and see which artwork it was. My eyes were wide open from what I saw. My jaw dropped. I felt like breaking in tears. I sat close to the lady with another chair and admired the painting's beauty of its abstractness.

"Who made this wonderful landscape?" she said.

"It was by... oh they didn't leave a name. I wonder whose work this is."

Leaving something beautiful un-named, it must be by someone new.