259 Must Survive
In the middle of her journey through the city and looking for a new place to live, Ella accidentally found a painting studio.
Ella looked at the painting hanging in the window, the one that caught her eye the most. She stood in front of the window for a long time while still looking at the painting.
Since childhood, Ella had always been interested in painting. She had time to learn to paint back then. At that time, Indri also studied together with her.
Ella really liked the class. But unfortunately, Indri was always fussy whenever she learned to paint. For some reason, the class suddenly ended.
When she thought about it again, Ella realized that it was Merry who stopped the class.
She didn’t care even though Ella liked to paint even once. The affection she showed Ella was just a fake.
The only person she cared about was Indri, her own daughter.
Ella entered the studio and saw the paintings on display inside. She circled it for a moment and stopped before a painting.
It was a painting of a little girl looking up at the sky, looking up at the stars.
.....
The color of the painting is very influential in the atmosphere that the painting wants to convey. The sky was a dark blue and the little girl was wearing a red skirt.
“What do you feel when you see this painting?” Suddenly, a man’s voice rang in her ears. Ella turned her head and saw a man behind her.
The man was about 30 years old. He wore glasses with gold frames. From his style alone, he looks like an artist, making Ella believe that he is the owner of this studio.
He looks warm and friendly, making the guests who come to the studio don’t feel disturbed by his presence.
Ella was silent for a moment. She didn’t expect a stranger she didn’t know would suddenly ask her such a question. But Ella didn’t feel the evil aura from the man so she told what was on her mind.
“I feel that the painter who made this painting is very desperate.”
Ella’s answer stunned the man. He smiled slightly and nodded, telling Ella to continue.
“The painter seemed to feel that she couldn’t bring out his abilities to the fullest, as if she was hitting the wall continuously. She uses this painting to express her reluctance.”
Ella felt that the painter was just like this child, looking up at the sky, longing for something big in front of them. Unfortunately, they are just a child who can’t do anything and can only see their dream from a distance. The painter’s frustration radiated from the way they stroked each brush of their painting. The scratch looks angry, reluctant and full of emotion.
After a long silence between the two of them, the man suddenly laughed. “You were the first to say that.”
“Is that true?” Ella was a little surprised. She did not try to think and seek the philosophy of the painting. She just expressed how she felt.
She could feel the feeling of the painting without having to think too deeply.
The man nodded and looked at Ella with a look of admiration. “So true. But many who saw this painting felt that the painter hoped for a new life. In fact, the painter is satisfied with their life. They love their life. It’s just that they feel frustrated because they can’t bring out their best version.”
The man paused for a moment and said, “You are very talented.”
“Ah, no,” Ella just smiled gently.
She felt that she was not talented at all. Otherwise, after being released from the mental asylum, she would not have fallen to the point where she had no job at all. The only places willing to take her to work were bars selling wine and nightclubs.
The man looked at Ella, he felt that the woman in front of him was an ethical and educated woman, so he asked, “If I may ask, which university did you graduate from?”
The man felt that this woman was really talented. She must be from a famous school.
Ella waved her hand nonchalantly, although there was regret in her heart. “I just graduated from high school. Something happened long ago.”
The man was shocked. He didn’t expect this talented woman to only be a high school graduate. That means, Ella must have a natural talent.
But the man didn’t plan to dig too deep in Ella’s matter. Maybe she is the daughter of a rich family who went bankrupt so she couldn’t continue her education.
“I understand. Everyone has problems that they want to keep to themselves. Just like the painter who made this painting.” The man’s gaze fell on the painting and said, “They have been painting for 10 years, but unfortunately they are never satisfied with the results of their paintings. Just like this painting, it is admired and accepted by many people. However, until now, no one has been willing to buy it.”
Ella nodded calmly.
“I’m not going to buy this painting. I don’t think an ordinary person’s decorating style would be able to make room for this painting.”‘
“You are very honest,” the man laughed. “I thought you would say something to cheer up the painter.”
After that, he walked into the inner room and said, “If you don’t mind, let’s have some tea together. The studio should close at six.”
The man’s voice sounded soft, a bit like Liam’s. His voice made Ella feel calm.
Since the man gave off quite a good impression, Ella didn’t refuse. She followed him and entered the room with him.
The room is full of paintings. There was a half-finished painting in the middle of the room, a pile of sketch paper, various brushes and paints.
Just like the other painters’ rooms, this men’s studio is a bit of a mess. But there was a table by the window that looked neat. With a tree shade falling on the window, the corner of the table seemed to have an artistic concept.
The man walked to the table and poured tea for Ella. “The tea is still hot. I think I brewed it too long so the tea smelled too strong and dark. But that’s life.”
Ella took a sip of the tea, feeling both hot and bitter.
It’s true, it feels like life.
Sometimes, life tastes bitter like this tea on the tip of Ella’s tongue. It was as if her sad days had reappeared before her eyes.
“Life goes on, regardless if we’re at the highest or lowest point.” The man said with a deep sigh.
Ella looked at the man and asked, “Then, what would you do if you were at the lowest point of your life?”
The man did not immediately answer Ella’s question. He pointed at the pile of paintings around him and said, “While I was at the bottom, I would see people around me who were suffering far more than me. Unknown painters who left their paintings in this studio. Compared to them, isn’t my situation much better? At least, I can open my own studio.”
Ella nodded. “You’re right.”
Compared to those painters, the owner of this studio was much better.
It’s the same with Ella, her life is much better than the people out there. So she had to endure. She must do everything in her power to survive...
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