Framed Connection

Chapter 15: Thinking of you

In the open space of the gallery, bright showcase lights illuminate filling the empty gap of the room. Navy blue walls and dark mahogany wainscot at the bottom lined with various worlds come to life. Marcel sat on the Washington finish cherry wood floors, he stared dreamy eyed at one of his paintings longingly. Lucas walks in through the large rosewood bifold doors seeing him. Thinking he looks like a spotted love sick puppy. "Did you get a girlfriend or something?" Lucas questions, having never seen him have this look before, not to mention at one of his paintings. Proud, sure he looked at his paintings with pride but admiration now that was something new.

"If you're going to ask foolish questions then please leave." Marcel says without taking his eyes from the painting.

"If I leave then you'll have nobody to help you plan out your opening." Lucas says, but he doesn't understand what's with his enamored look. It just seems so unlike him to the point it scares him.

Marcel continues to stare off into the painting getting lost in the glistening bubbles, a split between glass and an underwater world. Filled with schools of fish, eels peeking out from the coral and digging their heads into the seabed splashing up sand. Clear jellyfish bobbing in the water and giants floating above them all leaving shadows and echoes of songs.

The side of the glass having a little fish, it's fine fanning out like fine linen swaying in the water as lights shimmer down on its pink, red and violet scales. It stares beyond the division of its specially curated world. It once seemed so big in comparison to its size however, now it seems to shrink when looking off at the much grander world before it.

The fish's gaze longing to venture out but in its fear decided to stay within its made world. "I've always liked this piece." Marcel says fondly, which causes Lucas to look over to see which painting he's looking at. Now Lucas baffled wonders if this deadline set by his folks might have caused some wires to have crossed in his brain. The painting in question was a piece that he'd almost destroyed in a blind drunken rage. From then on had avoided even glancing at it as if it were another blank space on the wall.

Lucas is not sure what's going on, a little concerned with what's going on in that head of his. Nevertheless he finds it as a good sign to try and coax him into allowing visitors. "It's always been a show stopper hasn't it." Lucas looks over to Marcel who nods. " People get glued to it as if they were enchanted to statues before it. Remember how people would hound you to sell it to them?"

"Yeah, those were the days." Marcel says, too lost in his own mind to really pay attention to what he's saying.

"Wouldn't you want to experience it again? You know before you take these down." Lucas says looking over to him who doesn't seem to notice what he's saying. "What do you say, feeling like having visitors say farewell to this collection?"

"No" Marcel says without hesitation getting up and brushing off his pants.

"Come on, not even a few visitors, to make it special?" Lucas tries negotiating not wanting to let this go.

"The answer is still no, what if some of those guests bring along journalists and reporters with malicious intent?" Marcel says finding that there's no use to this farewell event Lucas came up with.

Lucas wanted to reason with him some more but he saw something dark in those brown eyes of his. Feeling like he was being pierced within his soul and dragging him to the deepest of hell.

" Just drop it, I'm not letting anyone in until everything is ready." Lucas backs away raising his hands in the air of surrender but in the back of his mind he is silently cursing himself for the predicament he has landed himself in. Gears turning in his head on what he was going to do now then a light bulb appeared in his head he grabs his phone sending a quick message and then anxiously but joyfully smiling to himself. Marcel turns to him "what's with the stupid look"