5.13pm
A slightly earlier arrival left me queuing outside the only shop at the beach, craving an ice cream. The elderly couple who owned the shop were overdue their retirement and sadly took them five minutes just to put a scoop in a cone. Currently the shop had just opened and the man, Ivor, was figuring out how to turn on the machine, I didn't want to rush him, I wasn't waiting for anything important, just something to quench my hunger. Seconds droned past but quickly he fumbled around with the machine and asked what flavour I would appreciate. I usually adopt the blueberry but today the mango looked invitingly delicious, I handed over my money and watched the machine as it swirled out my ice cream, Ivor adding a flake on top. I smiled and thanked him, clumsily sorting out my belongings in an attempt to adorn the most comfortable position. Afterwards, I resumed to my spot on the beach. Today the sky blushed pinks as amethyst clouds swept across the slowly setting apricot sun, the sky reflected onto the sea, dismantling it slightly, but to me it was spectacular. I pulled out my sketch book which was covered with an emulsion of watercolours, and my friends names because they thought it was humorous; I did not because it ruined the whole aesthetic I was aiming for. I pulled out a couple of pencils which matched the colour of the sky and began to sketch away, trying to encapsulate the scape with every pencil line. Unfortunately the sky had turned grey and murky as the sun disappeared, and I had lost all motivation to finish my picture. I had tried to the best of my ability and I'm sure my art teacher would be happy to see I've done something. As I got up, I noticed the boy who remained anonymous, wearing the same Parker jacket with the fur hood.
"Show me your painting." he ordered, his accent didn't belong around here - I was curious where he originated from.
"It's not finished," I spoke, shuffling my art book under my arm, wanting to make my way back home.
"It looked phenomenal from where I was standing," he complimented, and I smiled, my eyes trailing to the floor.
"thank you," I mumbled.
"so can I see it?" he repeated and I laughed, I didn't show many people my sketchbook, simply because I found it in a way a bit personal, my style wasn't the everyone's taste but at least I liked it and my teachers knew what direction to push me in. I squatted down on the floor, quickly flicking through some pages exposing my earlier work, until I came to my picture today. It had a grittiness to it due to the pencils I used, which I didn't particularly like but somehow it worked and added an extra dimension to the piece. "you're talented." he smiled gazing at the piece with delight.
"thank you." I smiled, quickly closing it and placing it back under my arm "sorry, I've got to go." I spoke in a hurry as if I was late for something, when in reality I would be welcomed with dinner and then collapse on my bed, procrastinating about nothing. He nodded, and sat down on the edge of the cliff, his iPhone in his hands whilst his dirty white vans dangled off of the cliff, the lace on his left foot undone.
YOU ARE READING
beach//reece bibby
Romansa"You're like a daisy; you've been trod on and become so closed up with every gloomy day that passes, you need to focus on the brighter ones so you can bloom," he spoke as he twiddled a daisy between his fingers. "A daisy?" I questioned, my voice hoa...
