"You will have to be argus-eyed from now on, little brother. You are the last person I want to lose in this world. So, live knowing that you live for not only yourself but also for me and the girl that just left. I do not have to remind you of the one you have been telling me about." After hearing Eddie's piece, Jack sighed before leaving.
Painting had been Eddie's talent since he was a child. He was a spirit painter whose skill was to heal people's souls and hence their body through painting. While sleeping had done little to calm him down, he was sure painting would. He was a spirit painter but that skill took a toll of his spirit being a terrible option at the moment. That also meant he would not pay a visit to the gallery, at least not today.
After seeing Jack of, he went to his painting room and grabbed an easel which had a framed canvas already mounted on it. He dragged his stool and sat on it just before the easel. He then started picking paints with one of his brushes and mixing them on a palette. His movements were graceful, showing his mastery in the way of painting.
As his hand fluttered above the canvas, the supple movements of the bristles of the brush left beautiful strokes in their wake. His concentration was gradually devoured by his work until what was left of his mind was him and the painting. The headache that banged faded. As time flew, without his cognizance, whatever he was painting slowly materialized.
It was a painting of a lady in an immaculately yellow dress. She was delicately walking in a flower plantation with birds of every color following behind her. In her hands was a corsage held near her breasts. She looked beautiful even in the painting. The painting itself was so lifelike that it was almost inseparable from reality.
"Lulu, thank you for giving me peace, although I barely know how you look like today." He blinked as he whispered. He was adding in the last strokes to render the painting complete. Apparently, the girl he had just painted was Lulu, the girl he terribly missed.
The painting had helped him a great deal. After he was done with it, all he felt was relief. In his current state, he could even think and come up with a decision. As he looked at the image of the beautiful lady, some beautiful memories played in his mind, making him wish that she was here with him. "Lulu, when will I ever to see you again?" He gave his head a helpless shake.
He was almost going back to his thoughts when he heard a knock at his door. He rushed to open it and to his biggest surprise, it was Professor Henry, one of his lecturers.
"Sir, what are you doing here?" He asked.
"I am a teacher, is it a crime to visit my students and see how they are doing?"
"Not at all, come on in."
Professor Henry was a bulky man with heavy moustache and bushy dark beards. His eyebrows were thick on his big head which had a beautiful round bald amid long hairs. An innocent face gave him a saintly look and a glimpse of him, a stranger would think of him as the most innocent man living. Those who knew better knew he was a man whose deeds were dubious.
"The reason why I am here is because someone gave me a very beautiful picture of the lilies from Pineland a few days ago. She is a woman from Pineland, the district on the far north. She wants me to use the picture as a source of inspiration to produce a pair of high heels. Simply put, she wants her shoes to look no different from those flowers. You know how poor I am at that work and I couldn't think of a better person than you." After he sat down on a sofa and taking a few mouthfuls of whine that Eddie had served, the professor explained the reason for his visit.
"How much is she ready to offer?" Grabbing a photo his lecturer had retrieved from his storage wristlet, Eddie asked.
"Three thousand hogs." Henry answered.
"That is a lot of money, but if she is willing to pay, I am willing to do the job, what is my share?" Eddie stroked his chin with a mischievous laugh.
"70-30, you take the seventy I take the thirty. She needs it within three days."
"Consider it done, Sir." Eddie assured.