Second: The Queen's Lament

03

03

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It was a splendid rainy day of July when I went to the nearest DIY store to ran some errand. Being alone in the confines of my condominium creates boredom. Kaya napagdesisyonan kong lumabas ng bahay para bumili ng art materials. Art will always be the most productive thing to do when you are bored.

Two weeks of familiarizing Louisiana’s flat is enough to tell that she is not really an organized person. I already caught a glimpse of her space in my memory but seeing it personally is more devastating. She was depressed. Who am I to judge her.

For the past few weeks, I’ve had my place tidied up by professionals. I may have grace and diplomacy skills, but I was not raised to clean off stain of spilled coffee on my table. In simpler term, hindi ako marunong maglinis.

The only thing Lousiana and I have in common. Except I know how to organize my stuff.

It took exactly three days for the professionals to tidy up the entire condominium. Naalala ko pa kung paano ako nagulat nang makita ang lagay ng condo kapag malinis. Gone the random books, pieces of clothes, broken glasses and lamps, food scraps, empty drinks, and broken glasses of wine. The place looked entirely liveable. On contrary to when I first saw it that screamed nothing but disaster.

Most of it was the making of Louisiana and Ethan’s quarrel but I know more than that. Louisiana never get to experience a well-deserved clean space since she moved out of their house. That was three years ago.

Louisiana knew nothing about independency, she desperately just want to escape her father’s control.

I glanced to the red basket I was holding as I stand in for the queue. There was a variety colors of paints, different sizes of brushes, stationary, and of course canva. I plan to paint a landscape of my view in my condo. It’s the perfect piece for this rainy season because the skyscrapers’ monotone theme added an interesting combo for the weather. It also intertwined gracefully; it’s lights making it majestic. The nearby ocean as well adds allure to the architecture and the vast greens above the horizon makes everything spectacular.

I had plan to name the painting in my mind already. I plan to call it Sullen.

Ito ang unang painting na gagawin ko simula nang mapunta ako sa mundo ni Louisiana. The painting is sullen because it is just as sad as the weather. Just like her life. My life. Our life.

Just as when I put the stuff I picked up earlier to the counter, someone spoke behind my back.

“You’ve got some nice ass, lady!”

I turned to the old man behind me as he was checking my back. He was wearing a plaid shirt with a dark brown vest over it and a ripped jeans. The man looked like in his late 70s. Underdeveloped for his age.

I smiled at him when he finally looked at me in the eyes. I was about to say something when the cashier butted in.

“Manong, bawal po ang bastos dito. Hindi niyo po ba nakita ang sign sa labas? May nakalagay po ro’n na “Bawal ang bastos rito.” Eh pumasok po kayo at nambastos pa, ngayon kailangan niyo po magbayad ng penalty na 100 berries.”

My head turned to the cashier who seems to be in her early 20s. Her hair is neck length with gray highlights underneath. Her bangs was clipped side ways. She also has a piercing in her right eyebrow and she’s enjoying a lollipop.