Matt stood in his studio staring at the various paintings he had done of the haunting eyes. It had been so many years but still he had been unable to let go. He held onto them so strongly that he had not even put them on exhibition. He knew that these four paintings were like his top work but he had never painted people.. and that too was a fact. Apart from a few drawings of people in his family that is. He always felt that the human mind was fickle and changed constantly and so whenever someone sat for a portrait, even if they would not move a muscle, their expression was bound to change and this change could not be captured on canvas.. Like the expression in these eyes in front of him, it was the same shape and color and yet correlated with the edgy and dark background one could feel different vibes in every picture. Guess it was time to release these paintings. Matt walked over to the planner in his work desk as he thought for a theme and name for the exhibition of these paintings. Once he had written it down, the blank canvas on the aisle called to him.. Taking off his shirt, Matt donned an apron that was once white but was not splattered with paints and started to paint. This time the colors he used were light hues pinks and purples.. pastels... He did not know what would turn up once he finished. He never started with an end result in mind and even if he tried the end result would invariable be different..
It was always by the ear. Concentrating with a furrow between his brows, his fingers smeared the oil paints on the canvas in bold strokes filling it up with colours.
Unknown to him, Jianan had also returned home for Shi Ai's bachelorette party and was walking towards his studio looking for him.
Opening the door, she saw the room with all the brightness and then at her husband who was lost in his own world. This was her first time observing him and she realized that she was utterly fascinated with everything he did.
She quietly glanced around, not making a single sound, knowing that he did not like to be disturbed when he was on a spree. Just as she was about to turn back, she glimpsed the words scrawled on the open page of the daily planner and the bold words captured her interest. "Unfulfilled Yearning Dreams". So this must be the new exhibition that Matt was coming up with. It had been almost a year since he had displayed anything and she felt happy that he was doing it soon. That meant that he had overcome whatever barrier was obstructing him. She really wanted to go inside and study the paintings but dared not to. She would have to try negotiating with him to let her be the first to see. She was his most avid fan! In fact they had even met when one of his paintings had captured her interest and she had walked into the art gallery looking to buy his painting. Though she had not known him then, she had already admired his talent..
After a few hours, just as dawn would have broken through the clouds, Matt stepped back with satisfaction. He had finished another two paintings and now had an entire collection ready to be displayed. As Matt observed his handiwork, he realized that it really could be that the girl was in his imagination only. Because the background that was usually dark was infused with light that could be a result of his own emotions.. which were lighter these days..
Stretching himself, Matt walked out of the studio and saw his wife sleeping on a couch. He felt a pang of guilt that she had waited up for him and thus fallen asleep on the couch. Pushing back her silky hair away from her face, Matt picked her up and carried her into their bedroom. Being moved woke Jianan up who snuggled comfortably into his neck before murmuring questioning, "Are you preparing for a new exhibition? Will you let me see them first? I want to see your unfulfilled dreams..."
Matt looked into Jianan's sleepy eyes and smiled, "Yes. You can see them first. But now the two of us need to catch up on our sleep so close your eyes and rest."
But before she would fall asleep, she asked Matt, "Do you have many unfulfilled dreams?"
Matt paused in his step before bending to place her down in the bed before he answered, "That is the theme of the exhibition. It has nothing to do with me.."
Not satisfied but unable to question his further, Jianan changed the topic, "After this, I want to see you paint me. Please?"
Jumping on the bed, Matt pulled his wife in his arms and answered, "We'll see.".. before he placed his head on the pillow and started to snore.