The Earth Painter
Page 20
“My master sent me with a gift for you. He wanted me to tell you that he is sorry he couldn’t come himself.”
I half smiled. “I understand he’s having a hard time with all that happened.” A twinge of guilt for my failure gnawed at my heart. “I am too.”
“You have no idea.” Khai-Ree looked away and shook his head like he meant it. “Anyway, I know you are aware of my long held shame over losing my master’s work. Well, I have been vindicated. I did not lose the painting after all. It was in the blessed file all along.”
Khai-Ree handed the work to me. “My master wants you to have it.”
I took it from him. “And you forgot you did it?” I still hadn’t removed the cloth but was about to.
“No, that would be the mystery. It was most definitely blessed, but I never presented it or filed it. But there it was all along in the blessed cabinet.”
I took off the cloth to find myself staring into my own eyes. It was me. Curly haired, freckled, me in the exact dress I wore for the Renaissance play. I looked at Khai-Ree. “Me? But…Theo doesn’t paint people.”
“I know. The whole thing is beyond anything we can figure out. Theo says his inspiration was intoxicating to the point it altered his memory.”
I held it out from me. It was stunning. A word I would never use to describe myself, but looking at my likeness made by Theo’s brush, there was no other way to describe it.
“It may also explain why you noticed Theo.”
I looked up at Khai-Ree finally understanding. “Yes, his creatures know him.” Then I looked back at the painting. “And I’m his creation.” No wonder he’d been so protective—ready to go to battle for me. And… of course, he thought I was beautiful. He felt that way about all his work.
“Holly!” I looked over at my parents coming up the hill to me. “What are you doing up there? It’s time to put on your robe and get in line.”My parents didn’t notice Khai-Ree with me. “What’s that you’ve got?” My dad came around to look at the painting. “Holly, that is beautiful.”
I smiled up at Dad. “It’s a gift from a friend.”
Mom looked at it. “It is lovely. Your friend from the fish camp?”
I nodded, holding back the tears. “He is talented. He can make anything look good.”
I didn’t even care what my mom had to say at the moment. “Dad, can you put this in the car for me? I’ll be down in just a second.”
My parents left, and I spoke to Khai-Ree again. “Please tell Theo I’m sorry about the well. And thank him for…” I thought about all I was thankful for. “...for everything.”
Khai-Ree bowed and was gone.
I looked at the ruined site with new hope
Things hadn’t turned out the way I’d wanted. I’d tried and failed and tried and still failed, but in the process, I had changed. Maybe that was the point of all of it and not the task itself.
I headed to the new auditorium to put on my cap and gown and march with my friends. And, somehow, find a way to be ok with gray again. What else could I do? At least I had the painting and my room—Charleston, to know it was all real and not some fantastic dream.
Epilogue: Khai-Ree
I was not made for this. I was created to be Khai-Ree-Hlo-Theo, Assistant Painter to Theo—not care taker to a man. I stood next to my master watching as the doctor questioned him. Dr. Stephanie Coats was her name, and she seemed to have genuine concern for Theo as she spoke in a quiet and gentle tone.
“Now, tell me again who you are,” she inquired, leaning forward in her chair. “Can you remember your last name or how you got here?”
My master rocked back and forth, back and forth with the sketch pad and pencil in his hands. I wasn’t sure he even heard her questions. I nudged his arm. He looked up into my eyes. The teasing in his was gone. Hollowness took its place. I tilted my head towards the doctor. Theo appeared to understand the gesture and replied by looking at her.
“I’m Theo. I was a painter, but now I can draw… See?”
He turned the sketch pad around to show Dr. Coats what he’d been working on.
Dr. Coats took the pad, her eyes grew wide. “Yes, you can draw very well. Do you know this girl? Can you tell me her name?” She flipped the pad back around to face Theo. “She’s Holly. I did a really good job didn’t I? She’s beautiful. I’m really proud of the freckles.”
Dr. Coats smiled. “You did an excellent job. I like her freckles too. Now, think really hard. Is Holly someone you know? Your sister…girlfriend? Can you tell me how to get in touch with Holly?”
“She knew me because I painted her.” Theo’s eyes grew large and wild as he answered. “That’s why she saw me when no one else noticed I was there. I painted her picture one day in April. I saw her face in my head, and I had to paint it. Then Khai-Ree lost my painting. I was so angry about that. I kind of took it out on him. But somehow it got blessed and now she’s real. And now I’m real, and I can draw. I used to paint but now I can draw.”Theo took the sketch pad back from Dr. Coats flipped to a clean page and started drawing. He looked back at the doctor, “Can I get some more ice cream. I really like it. It’s cold and creamy, and I can taste it now.” He looked back at his pad and resumed drawing.
Doctor Coats stood and walked to the hospital room door. “I’ll ask the nurse to bring you some ice cream when she changes the bandage on your arm. She’s going to give you some medicine too. I’ll come back later and maybe you can tell me how you got that awful burn on your arm. The infection isn’t healing as we’d hoped. Maybe the new medicine will help.”
Theo didn’t look up or answer. What was to become of him? What would we do now? I tucked another pillow behind him on the bed as he drew. I was not made for this. I was a Khai-Ree, not a nurse.