In Between

Stangers And Shadows

Abba always felt a strange kinship with strangers. To him, they were blank canvases, untouched and full of potential, much like the greatest artwork he had yet to create. Each new face represented an opportunity, a fresh start unmarred by preconceptions. This preference for the unknown extended to his interactions, allowing him to give strangers the benefit of the doubt—a luxury he rarely afforded those he knew well. However, there was one exception to this rule, a person who stood out in the grayscale world Abba inhabited: his brother, Canaan.

Abba’s upbringing was unconventional, to say the least. While he was his father's son in many ways, it was an entire village that essentially raised him. He lacked a single figure of real importance to guide him into manhood until his brother emerged as a defining presence. Abba's world was devoid of color, a bleak landscape where he felt misunderstood and out of place. He was a loner, antisocial, and indifferent to the expectations and paths laid out by those around him. In a society where nonconformity was tantamount to being an outcast, Abba found himself perpetually on the fringes.

Canaan, however, was different. He had unwavering faith in Abba, a belief that never wavered despite the whispers and rumors that surrounded his brother. Canaan's trust was not based on the details of Abba’s daily life, but on the essence of the boy he had watched grow up. This faith acted as a lifeline for Abba, pulling him back from the brink during his darkest moments. Canaan's belief in him was a constant reminder that he was not entirely alone.

Words, as they say, hold immense power. They can destroy or create, and people often speak carelessly about things they do not understand. This phenomenon is not unique to celebrities, who struggle with public affection that can turn toxic and drive them to madness. It applies to everyone, and Abba was no exception. He often wondered how different his life might be if people chose kindness over cruelty. "If you have nothing good to say, don't say anything," he would often repeat to himself, a mantra born from enduring countless rumors and falsehoods about his character. Sometimes, he wondered if he had a hidden personality living a separate life, one that people gossiped about in hushed tones.

Without Canaan’s steadfast support, Abba might never have pursued art. And without art, his story could have ended tragically at seventeen. It was his brother’s unwavering belief that kept him grounded and gave him the courage to express himself through his paintings.

After the success of his first art collection, Abba faced a new wave of skepticism. Critics and naysayers began to murmur, "He got lucky. He probably can't do it again." Audiences are rarely satisfied, always hungry for more, and the artist is expected to stay starved, constantly proving their worth. For Abba, this meant not only matching but surpassing the emotional depth and originality of his initial works. The weight of these expectations bore down on him, heralding the arrival of his first real challenge as an artist: the dreaded creative block.

This creative stagnation came at a time when Abba needed to produce his next masterpiece. Art, which had always flowed effortlessly from his soul, now seemed elusive. His usual sources of inspiration—his pain, his memories, his existential angst—felt insufficient. The pressure to replicate his past success was immense, and the fear of failure loomed large.

In this state of turmoil, a new muse began to take shape. This muse was not born of his inner darkness but from a connection he had made in a new district. This girl, whose presence had steadily grown in his life, was about to play a pivotal role. She had been walking in the shadows, observing and understanding Abba in ways that others could not. As she drew closer, she was poised to become a significant influence on his work and life.

Abba's journey was one of self-discovery although those are not words he would ever use, that is what it was. His art evolved alongside him, reflecting not just his pain but also his growth and the relationships that shaped him. With each brushstroke, he moved closer to understanding himself and the world around him. And as he continued to create, he found that the greatest masterpiece was not just his art but the person he was becoming.