The Painter and the Corpse

"Should I color the moon blue? Or should I make the sky darker?" the painter asked. "I know you like starry nights. But somehow, this is just the best I could do. I'm no great painter like the myths. I can't paint or create picture as great as theirs. But I promise you, I'd do my best to your desires."

The dead body kept staring with its empty eye sockets. She wore a red dress. Her sunday hat as beautiful as a queen's crown. The earring and necklace she wore were brilliantly clad in precious jewels. If not for the fact she's a corpse rotting, she was beautiful.

"Do you remember the first night we met? It was a rainy evening. We were running away from the rain and that's when we met under a gently tree. It was the most uncommon thing. A tree in the city? But perhaps that's what made it more beautiful. We were destined to meet there. It's romantic if you think about it, right? Not some waiting shed or some night stalls but under a tree.

"I was hesitant at first when you talked to me. I never liked talking to strangers and yet your words as well your voice lead me on. You guide me to be courageous. And that's why I spoke to you. You asked me what time was it and as young I was I lied to you. I didn't have a watch. And you immediately pointed out what's on my wrist.

"I was embarrassed by it but you laughed it off and took my hand. Your hands were warm. It played it unison with the weather that night. You know, it was raining and it was cold. Somehow, you there was keeping me warm. You somehow made me at ease. And your gentle touch, all too comfortable. I laughed and apologized for lying.

"You smiled as you let go. Suddenly, it became quiet. I thought my lie had killed the connection. Was there any connection at all, was what was running in my mind. And then you told me your name. I smiled and told you mine.

"You told me you lived far away from your work. Odd enough, we lived  close by each other.

"You laughed, smiled once more and said that it was all too surreal to be a coincidence, you couldn't believe it. I couldn't believe it either. Then you suggested we go home together. I didn't mind at all and agreed. Once more you held my hands and told me you're happy.

"Were you lonely then? I wanted to ask you that. But suddenly an arm appeared on your shoulder. You smiled and turned. It was your abusive boyfriend. I knew already he was abusive as your smile was all too forced. After a moment it died away. You weren't happy with him.

"I wanted to save you but who was I anyway? A stranger you just met, all we know is nothing more but each other's name and where we lived, nothing else. All my idea were just speculation from all the stories and tell-tales I've read. I know nothing else about you. Except your smile. Your smile was.. real and honest. Beautiful. And when you smiled for your beloved, you're lying. It wasn't beautiful at least. It was ugly.

"It's not the real you," the man looked back on his painting. He wasn't satisfied. There was something wrong with the stars. The starry sky was not as beautiful as he'd preferred it to be. And so he threw it on the ground. "It's not perfect. I'll make another one."

The man took a canvas and replaced it on his stand. As he readied his hand, he glanced on the corpse. Did it suddenly smile?

"You're listening, right?" the man asked. "Anyway, as we got home together on the evening bus, I noticed more of the bruises you're trying to hide. I wished I never saw them. But your smiled as well your voice tried their best and succeeded as we talked on our way home.

"You told me you like sweets. You like eating the cake that was near our street. You ate there every once and a while. You tried asking your boyfriend to come with you but he'd always decline. You told me that only once he came to your house. And every time you'd ask him he'd say he's busy with other matters. And you know he's lying.

"So why continue on? I asked if you loved it and your answer was you don't know. I wanted to ask and speak to you more about it but then we're still just stranger. You only tell me your tragedies and you know nothing about me. So why should I pry more into your loss? Suddenly you kissed me.

"I was surprised but I didn't mind at all. It might not have been your first time but that was my first. And somehow you took it. My first kiss was an affair. A nice mileage for my story, don't you think?" the man said as he touched his lips with his the length of his brush. "But I won't say I didn't like it either.

"You're beautiful then as you were now. Who'd not want a kiss from you?"

The man started to paint another starry night.

"What do you think of my first kiss, by the way? I'm sure you didn't like it. I wasn't ready and I'm sure it tasted awful. Yours was both sweet and wonderful. Just my opinion though. I wonder why your boyfriend was cold to you though.

"Was it your attitude? If that's the case, that's his problem. After that, we continued going home together and week's past you told me you broke up with him. And you asked me to go out with you. I said yes. Was I too fast? Or was our silly conversations on our way home have opened our hearts to each other more? I don't know why but somehow, then I felt we were supposed to be.

"You told me about your dreams and so did I. You sometime showed me the worst of you. To which I tried my best but you'd always smile in the end. Well, I did show you my childish side. Odd enough, it's your smile that made me smile as well. We're a perfect pair, that's what I thought. Do you think we're a perfect pair too? I hope you do.

"The best part in our conversation was your laughter. Even though there were times when we're in an argument, never was a day I'd never hear you laugh. You shine brightest when you do. I don't know why, even though work was all too stressful and unbearable, your laughter was what's making life bearable and stress free.

"You're my everything, you know that," the man suddenly stopped with his work and he turned around.

"It was going great until one day beneath same tree and under the rainy starry night. We took a rest. An arm suddenly appeared. It was your previous boyfriend."

The man bit of the end of the brush. He was angry.

"It was all a lie. I should have known. It was going all too great. I should have known you were lying.

"You laughed with a laughter of your voice all too unfamiliar to me. It was both bitter and resentful. You were mad. But not angry. Just plain mad. You kissed your previous boyfriend and there I saw a change in your eyes. I was nothing but just a toy. You played me, both you and your beloved.

"It hurt somewhere here," the man pointed on his chest. "Your boyfriend told the truth as you laughed. You both used me. I didn't understand the reason but I was used. It was plain to see as you gave your boyfriend a passionate kiss. More passionate than the one you gave me. More passionate than my first kiss.

"The bruises you showed me in the evening bus was a lie. The conversations we had in the bus as well the cake shop you said your favorite was a lie. The smile and laughter you had was nothing but a mask. A lie. All of it were a lie. None of it were real. You had me, didn't you know? I would have given everything for you should you have kept on going. I love you."

The man turned back on his painting and kept on painting.

"It happened all too suddenly, one night. I was back on the same tree that we first met but the evening sky wasn't raining. In fact a commotion just happened. You were in an accident. Both you and your boyfriend. He died. I was happy to see that. He was cut in half. As beautiful as the smile you used to lie. I was delighted.

"And here you are, once more, with me."

The man gave a short laughed.

"I'm a painter, you know. I hate doing this job. It doesn't bring out the artistic side of me whenever I was asked to paint. There were no life, no passion, in my clients demands when they ask me to make something. It lacks that drive. But even so, I made it to their demand. It was a pain to do so. I hate doing such task.

"Yet, to you, anything you'd like I will do." the man suddenly stopped. "By the way, you didn't answer me, should I color the moon blue? Or should I make the sky darker?"

The corpse suddenly collapsed on the floor.