bapa: from here to eternity

chapter 32: loyal

Chapa POV:

I woke up at 7:30 a.m. and quickly got ready, making sure to pack my essential painting supplies. I was nervous but excited as I caught the bus to George's villa—mansion, really. When I arrived, Katerina was the one who opened the door.

"Hello, Chapa. Come in, I'll lead you to your workspace," she said with a polite smile.

"Thanks," I replied, following her through the maze of hallways. This place was enormous, and I couldn't help but feel a little intimidated by its grandeur. Eventually, we reached the workspace, a large room filled with natural light pouring in through the tall windows.

"This is your easel," Katerina said, pointing to one near the window. The view outside was stunning, and I could already feel my creativity stirring. "The other painters will be here soon, I assume."

"What are Mr. Davis' wishes for the painting?" I asked, eager to know what he expected from us.

"Here's a list," Katerina said, pointing to a large sheet of paper pinned to the wall. Each type of painting had a name tied to it. "If you like one of these ideas for the painting, you can write your name on it, and it'll be all yours."

I nodded, taking in the different themes listed. There were so many possibilities, but I knew I had to choose carefully.

"If you need more insight on the painting, you can always ask Mr. Davis himself," Katerina added with a smile. "But only if he has time."

"Thank you," I said, and she left me alone in the workspace. The quiet was soon broken by the arrival of another artist.

A girl with braids woven with colorful threads walked in, wearing an emerald green top, baggy jeans, and beautiful gold accessories that perfectly complemented her warm brown skin. "You new?" she asked, giving me a once-over.

"Yeah, I'm Chapa," I said, trying to sound confident.

"Hello, Chapa, I'm Blaise," she said, her tone friendly. "Nice to meet you."

"Likewise," I replied.

Soon after, three more artists joined us. There were two boys, Aaron and Nate, and another girl named Fatima. Fatima wore a hijab and later in the day, I overheard her speaking in a different language on the phone, probably with someone back home in Morocco. We all exchanged greetings, but once we got to work, the room fell into a comfortable silence, each of us focused on our respective canvases.

After a while, Fatima broke the silence. "So, Chapa... I heard he bought your piece for 60k."

"Yeah, he did. I'm still surprised by that," I admitted, still wrapping my head around the fact.

"Oh, don't be. He's as rich as someone who'd win the lottery about 100 times," Blaise said with a laugh.

"True," Aaron chimed in.

Curiosity got the better of me, and I asked, "So how did you guys end up here?"

Blaise was the first to share her story. "I was a street artist. I painted people, cities, and streets where I painted. Then one day, George came by when I was in Rivalton. He was amazed by my talent and took me in."

"My mom was a professional painter who sold a painting to him once," Nate added. "When he discovered me, he was amazed, and that's my story."

Fatima nodded and said, "I was in an art school, and he came to one of my exhibitions—just like you. He bought one of my pieces and asked if I wanted to work for him. It was a small art academy in Swellview."

"I own an art gallery," Aaron said. "He came by once, bought one of my pieces, and also asked me to work for him. I still have my art gallery, but this job pays way better."