The Painters Death Wish

My Dear Dona

The unmoving eyes of the paintings were neither comforting nor iridescent of their vibrancy. The eyes were as bleak as those of the Mona Lisa. She found comfort in knowing that she wasn't alone; the schools of people were suffocating her. Before, being swallowed into the next lecture-she got a call from Harry.

"The tours started babe I can't chat right now."

She ducked her head between students in an attempt to hide, forgetting that she was short enough to disappear amongst the masses. "Yes, I love you."

"How much?" 

"Harry,  you can't ask me that right now."

"Dona my dear Dona," he said. "Confess your love to me."

"Sounds like you've been busy with your poetry."

He took a few seconds to reply. "Maybe". He chuckled," Dona, answer the question."

" I love you so much; I can't even explain just how much. I'm at a loss for words Harry."

"Try to."

She sighed with a smile and her eyes scanned the room. It was as if she was trying to find solace in a romantics painting. One painting has a Rembrandt effect that gave her no thought like that of a romantic. Harry stowed her away from her thoughts by saying," Quote a line from a poem."

She stood near Eugène Delacroix's painting of Liberty Leading the People and got an idea. "How about from an artist?".

Harry took a moment to consider it. "Nope."

She smiled and looked at her wristwatch that glinted on her caramel skin. She looked up to notice that Jasmine was engrossed in another art analysis with the group. As her hand rested to her side, her bracelet squeaked next to her watch. Her Harry bracelet, with his name, etched onto the silver.

"From Miranda in the Tempest by Shakespeare, when she asked him do you love me, do you know what he said?"

"Do tell."

"Beyond all limit of what else in the world. Do love, prize, and honour you". She giggled," You know you're supposed to say that to me."

"I've got one; I'll leave you to your tour after it."

"Okay." Jasmine's Afro was perked with enthusiasm this morning; the checkered female has many questions for the guide. Dona shook her head at the sight of her, smiling unbeknownst.

"A love lyric by the famous James Graham, I'll only say the first stanza."His words distorted the sounds around her, and she found herself moving around the area aimlessly. She occasionally looked down at the floor to avoid the eyes of paintings. There was this unrelenting feeling that kept gnawing at her, from the moment she walked in. As if she was being watched by more than a painting.

She started to walk around the museum corridor, staring at one artwork to the next." My dear and only love." He accentuated his words. "That little world of thee, Be governed by no other way. Than purest monarchy," she walked passed The Virgin on the Rocks artwork. " For if confusion has a part, and hold a synod in thine heart." Dona stopped at La Belle ferroniere and Harry continued to say," I'll never love thee more."

By the time she slid into line, Jasmine's analysis was over. She stood next to Dona was a confident smirk and twitched her eyebrow. "You guys are just adorable." Her words were going to side-step into a new subject. "You know what isn't adorable?" Her words took a slant yet again into her usual rant involving what she deemed to be the atrocities of the world. "War doll, war."  She used artworks as a reference before changing the subject.

"By the way, how's your blog going?"

"It's going well. When I went to Spain to do an article and vlog about Dali, I got a few more sponsors and requests."

"Interesting, where too next?"

"One right here in France, another from Norway and England."

"I'm hoping to go with Harry to the next one, but he is releasing his book during that time."

"I heard, he has done quite well with his poetry." The tour guide led them into the next hall.

" Who knew that one day in a bar, spoken word poetry would become something?"

"Yeah, and not so long ago he finished his M.A in Organisational studies." She continued to say," Me on the other hand; I'm waiting for one artwork in particular."

"Which is?"

Before she answered; she felt a lump in her throat. The icy wind wasn't only cold to the touch, but she could feel its hands on her. The slow rising panic subsided as she stopped to turn around. It immediately caught her attention. The artwork on the far side of the interior was covered by a black veil.

"What's that?."

Jasmine turned to check out what's caught her eye. "Check the sign."

PERSONAL ONLY

"It figures." Jasmine turned to her." It doesn't look like anything important."