6 Chapter 6: The door opened (1/2)

”Koko ni anatatowatashi.”

It was the name of the painting.

”Why? Why was this painting here?” She muttered in her breath.

It was an oil painting on canvas about 48 by 60 inches in dimensions. A still painting of a corner post where a violin is placed on an angle on a wooden chair beside a closed sash window. A bright morning portrayed. There was a pot of gladiolus flowers painted on top of the side table with a stash of books and a lit firelamp. The painting itself emanates an air of spring, beauty and tranquility but Laurice was feeling restless instead.

She was rooted to the ground. She eyed the painting before her, hanging on that pristine beige wall. Her senses overdrive. Laurice moved her body, with unhurried steps inching closer to the painting and just as she was about to reach the end of the hall, she retreated a few steps back. Her eyes widened in shock.

So close. So real.

With bare hands slightly trembling, she extended her right hand and reached out to the painting, almost touching the canvas with the tip of her fingers but her hands suspended mid-air. It was a long pause before she decided to retrieved back her hand to rest on her sides.

”Here you and me.” That was the essence of the painting.

Her own painting. It was the third amongst her artworks that were completed.

Daddy.

Laurice's clear eyes sunk into a deep well.

She remembered her father, her best friend, was the one who taught her how to paint. He taught her techniques and different styles and they even created art together. Painted together.

She remembered her dad who have always had high hopes and praises of her only daughter, inspires her to do whatever she desires, to reach an even larger medium for her art, was suddenly hinting his retirement from his career at that specific time.

”My liz, darling. If one day, dad would want to quit painting. Will you be able to forgive me?”

”Papa! Don't you dare! I will not accept that. You promised we're on this together, forever. And besides, I don't believe you could ever toss away you brushes and your leads. You hands will betray you papa, believe me.” She scoffed.

It was almost her graduation day and her father was even saying something upsetting. How cruel!

She is finishing off her Degree in Fine Arts and Studio Arts majoring in Drawing and Painting in a prestigious university in the states back then. She even took up Creative Writing as another major since she loves to compose literary works and was doing excellent in all of her subjects. She was a candidate with the highest honors in their batch. Her parents must be so proud of her. Especially her father, who was an artist himself. But she must be hearing things from him.

That time ...

Her father chose to remain silent. He only looked at her daughter, something unreadable flashed his very eyes.

Was it regret? Laurice wondered. Drifting from her memories as if spell-bound.

Or was it fear? Despair? that she senses in his father's eyes back then. She could never guess. And she could never get her answers anyway. Never again will she be able to reach her own father who has abandoned not only his career but his very own daughter.

This painting was supposed to be her gift to her father on her graduation day. The very same day he choose to leave their own home, leaving his beloved wife and child behind.

Laurice retrieved her eyes from the dull painting. She balled her fist on one side, the other now clutching her chest. Tears begunlooming on the side of her lifeless eyes.

Here you and me?! Rubbish!

She thought that she had already managed to dispose this painting, even suggested tearing and burning the entire canvas itself but it seems her agent have handled it on her own terms back then and now it has found it's way here in this particular home.

How unlucky!

Her emotions are getting unstable as of this moment. From fear to loneliness, then longing and now anger, while she was completely oblivious around her. She haven't realized that someone was intently watching her from the sidelines.

There, standing in the further top of the grand staircase, the man was looking down at the strange woman with a composed face devoid of any emotion and yet exuding an aura with a tinge of rage that could send chills to anyone surrounding it.