He said nothing but she couldn’t help but look at him. His eyes were blue like a cloudless sky on a summer’s day, his skin flawless, and light blonde hair was pulled back by the aid of a ribbon, with the exception of the few strands that were loosely splayed effortlessly around his forehead.
“What is it little girl?” He asked with a soft, kind voice.
“Mister, can you teach me… how to draw?” She whispered pleadingly, casting her gaze away with a disheartened look upon her face, “You’re really good… please teach me, I want to draw something special.”
Clutching tightly behind her back at the paper she held, she brought it out in front to show him, “This is but the best I can draw…”
Giving a naive chuckle, oblivious to her troubled worries he let out a sympathetic word and reassuring response, “That’s already very good.”
“But I want to be better, like you...” She frowned, pools of water forming in the corners of her eyes. She blinked them away and gave a downtrodden sigh, wisps of soft brown hair escaping over her eyes.
“Just practice everyday, and you will be great in a few years” he encouraged.
“A few years?!!” She shouted. Her eyes darted downwards, her head tumbled down facing the ground and her lips threatened to let lose a wailing sob. Pushing her teeth over her lip she bit with a gentle force and forced out a dejected whisper, a pleading tone escaping through. “It’ll be too late by then…”
“What do you mean too late, what will happen?” He asked as he blinked in surprise and wonder at the girl who was now sobbing in front of him. A look of worry crossed his face as he continued to watch her.
A desolate tear slid down her cheeks and her lips curved into a painful smile as she tore the picture she had drawn of her family, happily together.
“Mother and Father have been hurting each other… after they separate I won’t be able to draw my family, no matter how good I am…”, she continued “That’s why… please, teach me.”
“I can’t. It will take years to teach you and I’m a traveller. I’ll be gone by tomorrow and besides; would it not be better to have your family instead of just an empty drawing?”
“I don’t want to be so hopeless...” She whispered desolately.
“Don’t despair,” He comforted her. He then paused and gave a warm-hearted embrace to reassure her, “Someone once told me art is about content, not skills, and a picture is worth one thousand words”
A silent, peaceful air curiously settled amidst the two of them. The sunbeams scattered and splayed through the branches of the trees, white daisies smothered the ground creating a tonal carpet of vivid yellow and white. The man watched as a single leaf fell from the tree making its way to the ground in a large spiral, before gazing straight back at the girl as she took a place next to him to sit down.
“I have an idea...” He said quietly. For a moment it was so quiet that she was almost sure her heart had stopped in anticipation. “Why don’t we make a trade... your drawing for one thousand words?”
“But…it’s ripped, and what can I with one thousand words?” She blinked. Her voice quivered in a surprised manner and her eyes fixated on him, curiously wondering what he could possibly gain. He gave a warm serene smile and a gentle pat on the head in return. “Maybe, just maybe, one thousand words will be enough to convince your parents.”
She stared into his deep blue eyes that resembled puddles the deep blue sea of the ocean and as she gazed into them it felt as if he could see into her soul. A small smile grazed her face and innocently she nodded at his words, feeling like her hopes had been answered. She put on an earnest face and allowed herself to trust him. Small specs of light streamed through the spaces in between the trees and shone beautifully, innocently between them.
The little girl sat awaiting in hope...
