Memories on Canvass

It was a rather gloomy day for a woman in her 50s to be going to the most famous museum in the city. She wasn't planning on going but she received an invitation from an anonymous sender yesterday and another reason was that she felt lucky to even be able to enter such a high class place. She dressed herself with the most beautiful dress she had and went on her way.

She felt nostalgic and guilty for some reason after seeing the paintings and kept walking and observing the different artworks and sculptures displayed all over the place.

A moment later, a young woman asked for her name and directed her to the exact part in the museum written on the invitation. After opening the door, the young woman excuses herself leaving the woman alone. The woman went inside and to her surprise, she saw the most beautiful yet bittersweet paintings she had ever seen. She notices that the paintings were somehow arranged in a certain sequence. She starts on the painting which showed overflowing happiness.

She saw a little girl drawing, and singing in glee. While the other, a somewhat older woman stood beside her and seemed to clap and smile.

She turns to another painting that expressed a rather less happy emotion than the previous one. It seemed as though the two were arguing. She saw the slightly older woman and the little girl standing between two different roads which were painted. She noticed that the little girl was carrying a bag on her back while the slightly older woman points at the direction where the road was straight, clean, and smooth without any traffic or disruptions to worry about. But the little girl was pointing at the opposite direction wherein the road was curvy and pebbly--the exact opposite of the other. But she noticed that the destinations of each were also contrary to each other. The destination of the straight one was a big city with lights and everything but was covered by a thick fog. It was sketched using different kinds of black pens. While the curvy one's a colorful village filled with imaginative figures and rainbows. It was drawn using crayons. She felt her heart being squeezed tightly until she decides to look at the next one.

Unfortunately, the next one wasn't as giddy as the first one either. The girl was sitting in a corner with her crayons and papers scattered on the floor and her head held up high but her eyes were pitch black--as if they were broken, while her head was wide open with a lot of things she didn't understand being pushed inside by the slightly older woman. She felt guilt rushing through veins. Then she quickly looks at the next one.

This one had two paintings in it that were in sequence. The one on the left showed that the little girl was trying to reason out with the slightly older woman but on the other side of the painting the slightly older woman ripped the little girl's bag apart and tore its contents to pieces. She felt sorry for the little girl who was now crying and wailing so that the slightly older woman would stop.

Angered by the slightly older woman's actions, she looks at the next painting. This one was a little peaceful. The little girl hugged the slightly older woman--as if she was apologizing. They both cried.

She looks at the next painting which was the second to the last. The little girl was a lot bigger now. She thought that the little girl just got back from her journey to the straight road while the slightly older woman, now much older than before, had a big smile of satisfaction on her face. She notices the eyes of the girl. They were broken and filled with stress and fatigue. She also noticed a small blue fire--the kind that would die when blown by a person's breath.

She was surprised to see the last painting.

The girl's little blue fire died!

The old woman cried while she hugs the girl. But was not able to feel the warm embrace of the girl's soul from behind. The background was total darkness but only the part where the old woman sat while crying over the now gone girl, was colored with white--kind of like a spot light.

Reminiscing, she was taken aback then kneels roughly while she covers her face with her hands without covering her eyes. She widens them when she notices the initials at the bottom of each painting.

How could she forget? She was too indifferent and one-sided to even notice the feelings of her daughter. Why did she have to send her away from the path she already chose for herself? The path to her dream? Why did she persuade her over and over even to the point wherein her daughter had no choice to follow her demands...

And what good did it do to her?

...

Nothing.

Finaly, she screams in grief. Then she looks at the last painting again.

The soul of the girl was embracing the old woman.

Did she forgive her? Of all the selfish things she had done she still managed to forgive her?

Once again, she cries. But not in agony anymore. She actually felt relieved and thanked her daughter for the understanding she gave to her that she didn't.

THE END