Tracing Memories

8: C r e a t i v i t y

Needless to say Raimon won that match. Everyone's hard work had finally paid off and we acquired our first victory of the tournament. Now we had to look forward to the next challenge but before that we had some time to rest and prepare ourselves.

I had recently caught up on a new hobby: drawing. I found myself doodling one thing or another from time to time. Soon I got good enough to make sketches of people and places.

One day after practice at the riverbank I took out my sketchbook and settled on the grassy slope to trap the sunset in two dimensions of the white page of my sketchbook. I would study the clouds and the way sunrays fell on the far away buildings and trees that seemed to merge into the horizon and then try to recreate it down on the paper. I was so engrossed in drawing I didn't realise when you came and quietly sat beside me. It had been at least half an hour before you spoke, making me almost jump and roll down the slope.

"That's beautiful." You had remarked.

"Thanks but i-it's nothing." I said, blushing.

"Let me see." You said taking the sketchbook from my hand and staring at it for a while. Even though I thought my artistic skills were extremely inadequate I found you studying the drawing with marvel.

"Can you draw people?" You asked, a hint of excitement and interest evident in your voice.

"Y-yes. I try." I replied.

"Can you draw me?" You said barely giving me time to finish speaking. My eyes widened at your request. Could I?Could I capture all your perfection on these pages? I wondered staring thoughtfully at the blank white pages.

"Umm...it's okay if you don't want to." You broke the silence taking my lack of response as my refusal.

"N-no! It's not like that." I quickly answered waving my hands wildly in front of me, "Of course I will."

I turned myself slightly to face you as you adjusted yourself into a pose you liked. You had straightened your shoulders that were slumped casually before and your lips were curled into a smile ever so slightly that it could go unnoticed very easily had I not been paying attention.

I then started scribbling down with my pencil on the blank page, making hasty and messy lines at first and then clearing them up with a definite outline. I wanted to make this as perfect as it was in my capacity. I had never been so cautious in drawing something before as I was in that moment.

I looked up at you for the seventh time to get the details right. It always made me blush to stare directly at people's faces while drawing them but with you it reached an entirely new level. Your intense gaze that was directed towards me, your brows knitted into a frown and your mysterious smile made it so hard for me to concentrate yet somehow I managed to complete my drawing before we ran out of light.

I had completed the drawing but I couldn't find the courage to show it to you. I didn't know if you would like it or not. I was afraid you wouldn't.

I slowly handed you the sketchbook and shut my eyes tightly out of nervousness. A couple moments passed but I didn't hear a sound. Carefully opening my eyes, I looked over to you and found your eyes widened and fixed at the paper.

"Wow" I hear you say under your breath.

"Thanks" I replied shyly even though you hadn't addressed it to me.

"Can I keep it?" You asked, smiling. I tore the page and handed it to you. You looked at it delightfully one more before saying goodbye to me and leaving.

That was the first time I ever drew you. Since then, I have drawn your portrait several times but I know you have still kept the first one with utmost care.

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