The Last Ride

Chapter 8: The Sketch Book

Jordan's POV

Dear Diary,

It has been a few days now since that day. This day is different. There's change because for the first time in a long time, I don't regret the day before it starts but he same time I'm afraid because my instincts is telling me that I shouldn't let my guard down. I'm scared that if I let myself be happy for even one moment my world's going to be crashing down again.

I was turning the pages of his sketch book, he must really like landscapes since all the things he drew was terrains, well except for the last page, it was a water color painting of my face. I touched the art work running my finger through the lines of my face, and I noticed the date 08-04-17, this was the first day of school. The first time we met. He painted this on the day we met. I realized, I smiled to myself.

Cring! Cring! The doorbell rang, I placed the open sketchbook on the counter as I stood up.

"Hi, I came here to buy back my locket." It was lady last week, she was staring at the painting once again

"So, did you finally see the true meaning of this hideous painting?"

"If you don't mind me asking Ma'am, you said last time that the painter painted this out of guilt, how did you know that?"

She smiled "Because, the painter was my husband." My face fell faster than a corpse in a cement boots, my mouth hung with my lips slightly parted, my eyes were was wide as they could stretch.

"Did he actually—?" "Yes, He did he suggested no he was determined for me to abort my child when he found out that I was pregnant and when he didn't get what he want he pretended to love my child and one night I saw him looking exactly like that painting. He painted that and gave it to me as a gift, I also thought that it was sweet, I even thought I was the one on the painting itself but he fooled me, and laughed in to my face when I decided to hung that into our living room. In time I realized the meaning behind the true picture. That's why I sold it." she exhaled loudly. "I would like my necklace back please." "Just wait a minute Ma'am I'll get it for you." I turned around to get the necklace from the vault, but when I got back she was on the counter holding the sketch book. "The artist is talented and brilliant right?" I asked her but the eyes were wide opened, her face turned white.

"The – date of this portrait. How—?" What is she talking about? She grabbed my shoulders across the counter "How did you get this?! Who painted this?!" shaking me violently

"M—y friend." I statured in anxiousness. Then someone entered the shop, it was her nurse pulling her away from me. "Ma'am clam down!" but she started wailing "Give me my locket!" I hurriedly handed it to her nurse "here." With her trembling fingers she took the locket and clutched it in her chest "My son, My beautiful son, I need him bring me to him." "Ma'am your son is no longer—." "No! NO. no..no. The date..." She whispered, "Okay, if you take this we'll pay him a visit." the nurse gave her some pill and finally she calmed down and the nurse assisted her out of the store.

I sighed loudly, well that was strange. A few minutes later, Paul came by the store.

"Hey. Is you shift over?" "Nope. I have to cover for Micah, her brother has no baby sitter today."

"Oh, I thought we could go watch a movie or something." "Next time," I smiled. "Hey, Paul by the way the last time you were here. That painting you were so caught up with—" 

"What painting?" I pointed out the landscape painting "I wasn't looking at that one." 

"I was looking at that painting." He said pointing out the portrait painting of a father and his child. The one that the lady claims that was painted by her husband.