Art in the East

I couldn't believe my eyes. This was my first time receiving a tip with such a huge amount! Do I even deserve this? I'm not even popular!

I ended up thanking Rocco because he insisted that I accept what he gave. I withdrew some cash and bought groceries and some paint because I'm running out of stock.

"Yohan!"

I closed my eyes as I recognized that energetic voice behind me. She's not that far but I can sense it's Sai. I grabbed my orders after paying at the cashier and faced her direction.

"Yohan! I knew it was you!" she was running towards me.

"Why are you in a hurry?" I asked.

"It's my day off tomorrow!" She held her knees, trying to catch her breath.

"So?"

"What do you mean, 'so'?" she scoffed. "I'm joining you tomorrow! Are you going to wander around again?"

I thought about this for a few days, I'm planning on going to the South tomorrow since I've visited a lot here in the North.

Techne Island is actually a big place and is almost like a small country. I landed here in the North where I rent an apartment, met Iseul, and visited almost every galleries in the streets. There are other places to explore, including the Southern and Western part of the island.

"I'm going to the South," I said.

"I know popular places there!" she said. Her eyes were sparkling, I'm not even asking her to join me.

"I might stay there for a few days, you can't come with me." She's skipping beside me like a kid again.

"Why not?!" she frowned.

"Uh, you have an art gallery to look after, Sai?" I said sarcastically.

"My dad's here! He said he'll look after the gallery until next week so I'm free! What a perfect timing." she clapped her hand and giggled.

I sighed in defeat. "Are you sure?"

"Of course I am! What time are we gonna leave?" she sounded so determined that I couldn't stop her from going.

"After lunch... I haven't packed my things yet. I'll be staying there for about three to four days."

"Hey! It's 'we' not 'I'. Include me too, dumbass!" she pouted her lips.

"Whatever, don't you have something to do? My apartment is already nearby."

"Alright! I'll go ahead now. See you tomorrow, Yohan!" she waved her hand before running away. I shook my head and went upstairs.

"How are you? Do I even have a son?" Mom said from the other line. I'm currently talking to her on the phone and it's night time already.

"I'm doing fine, Mom. It's unusual for you to check up on your son." I sat on the sofa and closed my eyes.

"When are you coming home? Our business needs help, you know? You're just wasting your money and time there. We need you here." This is how my Mom normally talks to me.

If it wasn't about me helping out in our business, then it's about my vacation... and how she doesn't support it. She wants me to handle stuff in their business which is something that I never want to do. Never.

"I told you a hundred times, I won't join your family business. I also didn't ask for a penny from you, Mom." It's true though, I'm spending money from my own savings. I never asked for their help. Tch. What else do they want from me?

I heard her groan. "You won't even go anywhere with your degree. What a waste, Yohan. You'll change your mind soon." she scoffed.

"Don't you have any better line than telling me I won't go anywhere with this degree?" I rolled my eyes.

"Just wait until you regret choosing that more than our family business. Anyway, I gotta go. I'm disappointed but not surprised. Take care dearest son." she said and ended the call.

I placed my phone on the coffee table and lay down again on the sofa. I just got paid half a million a while ago and my mother's telling me that I won't go anywhere with my degree.

Some people never truly cared about artists, and most of them are from my own family. This is why I appreciate clients who never looked down on us.

This is not even about money. It's something that I love doing all my life. No matter how I defend myself, nor the amount of money I earn, I can make my family support what I do. I never gave up on art, I gave up on my family.

"Who was that?" Iseul said. She's sitting on the counter, with her feet swaying.

"My mother."

"She must've been against your passion for painting." She sounded concerned.

I nodded. "I don't care about it anymore. They don't actually have the right to tell me that my degree was a waste, I paid for my tuition using my savings." I shrugged.

"I guess you're not really that stupido, Yohan."

"Wow, thank you for that, Iseul."

"My mamma's like your mom too. She hated the way I tried learning how to paint. Quella puttana..."

"Now that you mentioned that, I've been meaning to ask you."

"Che cos'è?" She said 'what's that?'

"Are you a painter too?" My eyebrows rose.

It took her a minute to answer my question.

"Eastern people were not allowed to paint. Well, that's what my Mamma's generation taught us."

Like pieces of puzzles, I'm starting to understand. But there are still hundreds of gaps and questions that I don't know.

"You're a painter too, right?" I asked again.

I heard her gasped from behind.

"I was."

"Then what would happen if a person from the East paints?"

"Dead, kid, that person would much likely be dead. They will face the same fate that I had. Behind bars, tortured, killed, and some... cursed."

"But those things stopped, right?"

"Mhm. I told you before, Eastern people are now protected and nobody shall harm them again. I think they're allowed to paint too... I hope they are."

"That's good for them... but how about those who were cursed like you?"

I glanced at her, she's now sitting on the coffee table near me while I'm still laying down, feeling sleepy.

"Anima perdutas were left behind. It's a curse that has a low chance of being broken. We have no freedom... but yeah, in exchange artists would never draw at night. It's a curse for them too." She grinned.

"But it's unfair," I said while covering my eyes using my arms.

"You think so, stupido?"

"Yeah. They never tried to break the curse for lost souls like you. You said there's a low chance... but you never mentioned there not totally a chance. There's a way, but people here will never move for you."

"Some artists tried to help..."

I looked at her. "But left and betrayed you?"

She looked away. "You might end up with nothing after visiting almost all of the galleries on this island."

"It's better to end up with nothing than never trying, Iseul."

I still have hope inside me that somehow, I can find a way to break the curse. Not just for her, but also for other anima perdutas. And when that time happens, they can finally rest in peace.

"Sei ammirevole."

"What does that mean?" I said before dozing off to sleep.

"It means Yohan is admirable."