Under Fire

Carina led them all to the drawing-room just beside the dining hall. The walls and furnishings are of the color beige and cream. Some paintings were hanging on the walls and I will bet all my money that it cost a fortune. My eyes were particularly glued to the biggest frame out of the bunch. It was a portrait of the Nagasaki family sitting atop the fireplace.

The subjects in the said painting were relatively young compared to now. The couple stood in the middle, one was smiling while the other was not. The twins, Keith and Kate, were on both sides of the still infant little girl, sitting atop a stool. Keith in particular had the same serious look like his father. The sharp glint in his eyes caught my interest as if he had already surpassed his true age. If I calculate it, he must have been around 10-13 years old in this picture.

"Isn't he adorable?" Carina suddenly chimes beside her. I turned my head to her and saw Keith's mother fondly staring at the painting.