The Painter's Amour

His Infatuation

Chapter 20: His Infatuation

“The heart has its reasons which reason knows not.” – Blaise Pascal

Julian Hartwell

Pure white. It was the color of the snowflakes shuffling in the cool wind everywhere. The pretty tiny ice crystals held elegance in it that made it appealing to observe and such. I watched it continuing to fall down from the clouded sky before piling on the earth ground.

“It’s cold.” I muttered to myself.

I shifted my vision on the scene in front of me and the always crowded place of the town square was what I saw. The colorful bazaars were endowed with life as countless people stopped by to look at them now and then. Strangers in their winter clothing were herding all around me that I found it difficult to pinpoint whose faces I know and whose not.

Until somebody got a hold of my bicep, I looked over my shoulder and I came to see Lucas carrying an old linen bag in his hand with a material inside wherein I assumed was the stuff he bought.

“I’m sorry for making you wait.” he smiled after releasing his hand from my arm.

“No it’s nothing.” I replied while tugging up the collar of my frock overcoat to shelter my skin from the chilling wind.

Lucas seemed to notice my actions since he grabbed something from his bag then he pulled it out to reveal a thick knitted muffler in which he soon wrapped around my neck.

“I bought it for you.” he claimed.

“You shouldn’t have bothered to buy me one.” I protested to him not because I didn’t like it but rather it was because I can afford it on my own however he simply dismissed it with a smile.

“I know but I want to.” he explained with his breath coming out in mist.

“Thank you.” I surrendered my complaint before noticing the muffler he gave to me. It was a clean clothed with nothing for a design and was made of peach colored wool – such simplicity for a gift but I like it.

Today, we were here because it was said that the town square will have a firework show and my adopted father granted us the chance to see it since he probably thought it will be a good idea to cheer me up a bit. Well I understand him after all I was still far from being alright.

But then, it was still more than an hour early before the said firework show.

“I shouldn’t have left ahead of time.” I let out a bored sigh. It would simply mean that I have nothing to do for the whole hour but most likely just stand here and stared at random things.

“Do you want to build a snowman?” he asked out of the blue and I looked up to him only to meet his delighted facial features.

“A snowman?” I repeated dumbfounded.

“Right. It seems funner than spending the rest of our time standing here or looking over the merchandises in every shop. What do you think?” he reasoned out.

In any case, he was correct on that sense since it was better at least to have something to do in the meantime instead of doing nothing in the middle of the town square waiting for time to pass by slowly, and besides a tiny part of me kind of wanted to do that.

“Sure I’ll do it.” I smiled at him.

“Great! Let’s go to the park.” he took my gloved hand in his before leading me to the small public park across the road.

―

Lucas carried the third ball of snow before placing it on top of the other two and I went to grab a handful of snow to put in between the layers to stick them together. Powders of white snow were sticking into the gray knit of my mittens but I paid no care.