PORTRAYED THROUGH HIS EYES

 Once published as a requirement for Creative Writing class

Everyone was gathering on the cliffs to see the sun which was about to set below the horizon. The calm sea reflected the last bits of sun rays; it was like a dancing arm on the water. Everything looked like a painting in orange shade.

A timid girl was drowned in the crowd, trying her best to distinguish herself so she could get a great view. Suddenly, she got pushed, making her almost fall. She was about to burst in anger, but when she looked up and saw the suspect was a little girl with crippled leg, she just gave in. She walked down the cliff, to the sandy beach where everyone were gathering and partying gaily, but she wasn’t.

She had planned to spare a day for quiet holiday and get away for a while from her stuck-maker college assignments as well as being able to see the sunset. However, it turned out to be least than she expected. She sat down on a dead palm wood, alone and strikingly distinguished from the partygoers. There were couple making out and laughing with their friends as she observed the beach. Beautiful girls enjoyed the attention they got from the boys, who were also looked handsome in a preppy way. They looked very happy, and buoyant, and she wonder why there can be at least a person who has everything, good looks and purse and still blessed with happiness while there were also people who need to struggle just to put a genuinely happy smile. Perhaps that’s what called as life justice, or love. She never thought about it, though she had to admit the guilty pleasure when she imagined what life might be when there was someone who can love her. Her eyes stopped wandering when she suddenly felt like someone was watching her, she turned her back, but no one was watching, there was just a guy sat alone with his head down “What’s he doing?” she wondered. She ignored him and she focused her eyes to the sky as the crowd began cheering for the sunset.

The twilight wind felt so refreshing and the remnant of sun rays glittered in her eyes. For a moment, she forgot all of her heaviness. She laughed and closed her eyes, to feel the wind and opened them again just to say goodbye to the sun. She was mesmerized by the beauty.

The girl got up and started her way back to the hotel. When she just walked a few steps, a little girl with crippled legs, whom she encountered on the cliff, came to her.

“Hi, my name is Sofia. I’m sorry for pushing you last time. I didn’t mean it. And I appreciate you for letting me forward, I know you should have been very angry” she said. The girl smiled and hold the crippled girl’ arm. “Hi Sofia. That’s okay, no need to thank me. Besides, I still could see the sunset clearly down here. By the way my name is Raven”

“Hi Raven. Look, the boy sitting on the stone is my brother Dimitri. He is handsome, isn’t he?” Sofia pointed her finger, to a boy whom Raven had seen before. He was the loner boy, like her, distinguished from the crowd. Looking at him, she admitted to herself he was pretty much the dreamiest guy she had ever seen. There was something sophisticated and miraculous aura in him, an aura whose soul emerged with the nature, she thought.

“He’s very handsome indeed. You must be very lucky to have a brother who is as beautiful as you are” Raven said and smiling, but Sofia didn’t. Instead, she stared down, a tear rolled down her cheek.

“However, I’m not lucky enough to have him forever” she sobbed. Raven hugged her, feeling her pain, though she wasn’t clear what made Sofia sad about her brother, but it must be something dreadful.

“H…he may die soon. That’s what the doctor said” Sofia continued.

“And you should just be happy around him. That’s what he need” Raven said. Sofia looked up. “You are right. I came from an ill family. You can just look at my leg and understand. My mother died five years ago because of the same illness my brother has. Before she died, Dimitri told me the same thing you said. Come; meet him, he must be very happy to find his kindred spirit”

Sofia grabbed Raven’s hand and together they approached Sofia’s brother. When he saw her sister, he smiled. Sofia introduced Raven to him. As Raven stared at him, she felt his deep eyes penetrated hers. The stared at each other rather too long than any normal strangers would do. Nervously, Raven sat beside him and greeted him. They talked about the normal and nothing personal introductory things.

Later, a man, apparently a butler, approached them and asked Sofia to come with him.

“Miss, Master is afraid if you are getting tired now. He is waiting you now. Come with me”

Sofia rolled her eyes and smiled to Raven. She said goodbye and climbed the butler’s arm.

“Young master, you should come in too, Master is very concerned about you” the butler said. Surprisingly for Raven, Dimitri said no. “I still want to be here” he said. The butler nodded his head and went away with Sofia in his arm.

“You should show your sketch to her, Dimitri” shouted Sofia. Dimitri just smiled

“So…”

“So, my sister must have told you how I’m dying from heart cancer now, and you come here to pity me, right?” Dimitri laughed bitterly.

“No, I didn’t mean to pity you. You have a beautiful sister, a caring family who is rich enough to hire a butler, what should I pity from you? Besides, death is not something to be afraid of, but the grief of the loved ones upon the loss is. You may think I’m a heartless preacher, but that’s what I believe” Raven said, her eyes looked far away. Dimitri, looked a little surprised, gazed at her in silent admiration.

“And that’s what I believe too. That’s why I never said much to Sofia again. You can tell how sullen I look, not that I need great effort to do it, but the problem is, I was awakened by something so alive” Dimitri looked at Raven’ eyes.

“I’m in love, and I didn’t know why I should and how it could happen” Dimitri continued and then he laughed bitterly again. Raven was surprised that Dimitri would tell such thing to a stranger like herself. And what’s more strange was she felt somewhat sad his heart was already occupied. She thought it was stupid of her, “He just a stranger, Raven” she kept chanting it in her head.

“You should embrace it. Embrace the love” Raven said.

“But, it will only making me harder to leave this world. So, I had promised Sofia that I will draw the most beautiful creature that has moved my heart. To give her know that she has someone that I psychically think will be my replacement, and the only stranger that filled my heart with love’’ Dimitri rambled.

“Is it in your sketchpad?” Raven asked as she glanced at the sketchpad which was a size of scrapbook.

“Yes, my sketchpad is my dear friend. I portrayed every significant moments in it as best as I could”

She was so curious to see the content of the sketchpad but she knew it will cross the line. They sat in silence, enjoying the upcoming night as the sky grew darker and many lamps were just turned on.

“I think I should leave” Raven said.

“Or we should” Dimitri got up and offered his hand to help Raven get up. Raven held it as she balanced herself. She felt something electrical yet comfortable pulsation when she held his hand. Together they walked to the hotel and parted in the three quarter way since they stayed in the different hotel.

“Raven, if I still have tomorrow to live on, are you willing to meet me again?”

“Of course, with all my heart” They smiled to each other and made their way back to their hotels.

However, Raven had not got the chance to meet him again. The next day when she was anxiously waiting for Dimitri at the beach, she saw Sofia and the butler. Sofia, her big eyes were red and her cheeks were wet, while the butler’s face looked very grave. Raven knew what had happen, and it crushed her heart to know Sofia will confirm it.

Sofia hugged Raven and cried heartily. Raven’s heart felt very heavy and unstoppable tears kept running down from her eyes. “It couldn’t be, it wouldn’t be…” she thought. Dimitri had left them forever.

Raven attended Dimitri’ funeral, and strangely, his family welcomed her warmly, though she just a stranger whom Dimitri just knew for a day. She had realized she had met a kindred spirit she could had made a bond with, yet she lost him so quickly. She still wondered about his love interest, but no one gave any signal about her.

After the funeral, Sofia came up to Raven, and she was holding Dimitri’ sketchpad. Sofia hugged her and gave her the sketchpad.

“This is so magical, but for Dimitri, it’s a no wonder. He was always a deep person, and you should see who is his last love, a very unbelievable, yet very beautiful. This is the most amazing thing I have ever seen”

Sofia said her farewell and left Raven. Raven stared at the sketchpad. Somehow she felt she didn’t deserve to see it as she was nobody to him. She opened it. The first few pages were beautiful portraits of Sofia, his family, the wonderful sea and the sunset. When she opened the last page, her heart stopped for a second.

A warm feeling mixed with bitter grief rushed through Raven’s heart. The picture was Raven sitting on the dead palm tree, she was smiling. The wind blew her hair and the sun rays illuminated her. She looked radiant, and for the first time, she was seeing her genuinely happy face. The feeling of being watched, it came from Dimitri, who had noticed and watched her all along. The only soul recognized hers.

She cried in silence. She held the sketchpad tight in her chest, savored the wonderful feeling Dimitri had bequeathed. She looked up the sky and said;

“We will meet again someday, Dimitri”