The Colour

“Same old gray sky.” I think to myself whilst going home after work.

“Same old days, same old gray world.” I listen to my music, sinking deeper and deeper in self-deprecation and depression. “No matter how I go about it.” My head hung low, only seeing my own feet stepping one after another.

I take the turn onto my street, as a woman rushes pass me, holding a painting. I can’t help but glance up. Her face was smiling, though her eyes were as tired as my own. It was but a moment and she was gone. “I wonder what she drew?” I say out loud, but I quickly shut down the thought. “She’d never show me.” I ventured off to my sad dark home.

I sat down in same old chair, turned on the same old channels that were rerunning the same 5 shows every day. I sat in this comfortable repetition, thinking that is all that I needed to go on. Enjoying a beer with my meal, and thinking about nothing till I go and sleep.

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“New day, same old story.” I state in my head, crossing the same bridge, same time, never changing my routine.

Then I reached my street, I see the same woman from the day before. She is talking on her phone. I pause my audio, as if by instinct. I hear her say. “Can you believe what he did yesterday?” a pause, then she goes. “What do you mean where, on the show. The new one I told you about yesterday. It streams daily at 8pm on channel 10.” She ventures off, without even giving me so much as a glance. “Hmm, 8pm, I am not sleeping yet.” I shook my head. “No, no. Same old is gold.”

I arrived home. Dinner, shower, beer, and sofa. Nothing changed, nothing new. I watch the same show, but as the clock strikes 8, a memory echoes in my mind. “That new show on channel 10.” I try to shake it out, but it stays strong, making me motion my hand towards the remote.

Channel 10 came up. “Drama on the Island” the show narrator shouts out. “Derek cheats Steffany out of her immunity...” it goes on. I sit there, remote still in hand, wanting to turn it off, but also wanting to see how it resolves.

I spent an hour watching, listening to these people doing tasks and tricks, like trained dogs in a circus. Hour went by without me even noticing, each scene, each scandal pulling me deeper and deeper in. Each task they had to fulfil, making me more and more interested and addicted to the screen. “She was right, this was ifascinating.” I mouthed to myself without even noticing. I went to bed later than usual that night.

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Next day passed a lot faster than before. While working, my mind was wondering about what was going to happen next in the show. How will Derek’s drama resolve after the crash out of Stefany. Even my colleagues noticed I was different, but nobody mentioned anything about it.

While I was heading home, my mind was wandering so much, I took the wrong path and ended up taking a long detour. “I’ll miss seeing her again...” I thought to myself, but just then, I looked into a nearby window. There was a showcase of painting, aligned along th whole wall.

While admiring the grand pictures, I didn’t even notice someone standing next to me. “You know they look better on the inside.” I looked to my left startled. It was her, with her dead tired eye, but a smile that stretched from one ear to the other. “S-sorry!” I exclaimed. She just chuckled. “It’s all right. Why don’t you come in? The view is better.” I nodded, confused as to what to say. “Follow me then.”

She led me inside. I looked around and the walls were covered in many different paintings. Colorful skies and cities. Forests filled with animals and even some abstract paintings that I could not even understand. “Who painted them?” I asked, looking at them in awe. “These are all mine.” The woman said. “I’ve recently finished this gallery. The idea was ‘World around me’. I raised my head and painted all that I saw.”

I observed each picture, each one making me wonder where she could have seen such colors, such beauty. “You’re very good.” She laughed. “I hope so. I don’t really think they are all that great, but i hope they will be noticed and people will wish to take them home.” “So, they could enjoy the beauty that you see?” She chuckled again. “No, so I can eat in peace without stressing about money.” It even made me crack a smile. “I guess that is a good of a reason as any.” I added.

We finished the tour, I thanked her for her hospitality and headed home. I left without buying any paintings but kept them in my mind throughout the walk home. I watche the same show she had suggested. To her friend few days ago. The paintings making me see the show in more color. Seeing the sun flashes and the toned bodies of the contestants. “Has the tv always had so much to show?” I wondered.

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Next day, I kicked up a conversation with few of my colleagues. I talked about the colours of the world and the show I’ve been watching. They did not seem to show interest. Deep in their work, I saw myself in them.

I headed home on the same path I always took. I looked down from the bridge at the river. Dark and gray. I looked up to the sky, still the same colour as always. I was about to drift off into my old self, but no, I shook my head and i headed towards the art gallery once more.

The gallery was empty, except for the paintings and the seller. “Where is the artist?” The seller just shook her head. “She felt disappointed nobody showed interest and left early today.” “Mind if I take a walk around? And what are the prices?” The seller shrugged. “Look under the pictures.” I walked around till I saw a painting of the sun setting over a sandy beach. “I’d like this one.” I looked down. It was priced at 2000 euros. It was going to hit my monthly budget. As I was trying to reconsider, I remembered the savings I hvae been gathering for no reason. “This won’t hurt me.” I took the painting and asked to have it wrapped and paid the seller.

Heading home, I saw in the corner of my eye someone sitting atop the bridge. Normally I would ignore it, but something drew me closer. The closer I got, the clearer the person was and when I reached the sitter, I understood, it was the same girl from the Gallery.

“Good evening.” She got startled. “O-oh, Hi.” I sat next to her. “Are you doing okay?” She tried to force a smile. “Yes.” but her eyes dropped. “What has brought you so down?” I asked. “The paintings. I have failed to sell any of them.” I was astonished, seeing how they drew me in. “That is surprising.” “I guess just wanting to sell was never enough to create something that would have a lasting effect.” “And yet, you kept drawing, kept painting... tell me, what do you see right now?” She lifted her head. “Gray world of gray skies.” I slumped

“Those eyes... I had the same eyes, just like yours for years... But I know, I can feel that they are gone right now.” She looked back down, swinging her legs. “How? What happened?” I smiled. “You did.” “What?” “Few days ago, I saw you on your phone. You were carrying a painting and talking to your friend.” I laughed. “I found you pretty, I must admit, but what dragged me in more was your painting. I was curious of what it could be, but then I heard you talking about a show.” She analyzed me to see if I was kidding or not.

“I was stuck in a rut for years, but a simple distraction, a simple mention of a new show... it dragged me out of the rut. Thank you.” “I didn’t do anything.” “You didn’t need to. Just appearing when you did was enough.” I pulled the painting into my lap. “That show made me get lost in thought. It made me miss my path and end up at your gallery where you talked to me kindly.” She smiled “I was just trying to sell you something.” “That may be so, but you showed me the colours I had lost since forgotten. You said you didn’t do much, but the only thing I needed from you apparently, was for you to be and that is enough.”

I slowly unwrapped the painting. “Don’t be like me. Don’t give up on your view, don’t give in to the world.” I removed the paper slowly. “Open your eyes wide and let it all in, the good and the bad.” I lifted the painting I bought from her gallery. It was a sunset falling behind the horizon. It was full of colours, sparkles and reflections. “Because your one painting has given me more than you can imagine.” Her eyes came back into life. “It reminded me of what life used to be before I lost it.” I looked at her with a smile on my face. I motion her towards the river.

We turned our heads together. Tears slowly filled her eyes. “You reminded me of this. That the colours and the beauty has always been there, all I needed was to look.” I started to cry. “The sky has always been this beautiful, thank you for reminding me to lift my head.”