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I shift in my seat, bracing myself for the news. Whenever Papa wants something done, he sees to it that it becomes a reality, and in that regard, we are two peas in a pod. We get sour whenever things don’t go our way, so I understand his excitement about his plans.
Except, this time, there’s a feeling in my chest I can’t shake off. I trust my intuition more than anything…but I’m not about to deny Papa what he wants.
“So, what’s this project you’re excited about? I can feel your energy from where I’m seated,” I tell him, trying to keep calm.
“As you know, Musee du Allair only takes in the best artworks out there,” he begins, walking up to the side of his desk. He leans on the edge and looks at me with a glint in his eyes. “And currently, I have a painting I want to acquire no matter what.”
“And what is this painting?” He rarely ever gets worked up about getting a piece for the museum, so this artist must be an incredibly well-known figure in the art scene.
“Well, if you’ve been keeping up with the art scene online, you’d have read articles about this mysterious artist from Italy called Ren.” He crosses his arms, his eyebrows furrowing as he engages in deep thought. “And the piece Ren is currently working on has got all of the critics talking about it.”
I pique with interest. A mystery artist whom critics hold in such high regard?
“How come?” I say, sounding my thoughts out unintentionally.
“In an interview, Ren claims it’s the culmination of his life’s work. Although—get this—no one has evenseenthe artwork itself!”
“Are you serious?” I ask, my eyes bulging. “How can critics flock to the artist and the piece when he hasn’t even shown it to the public yet?”
“From my sources, I’ve heard that he hasn’t finished it yet.” Papa brings a hand to his chin. “Although itisindeed peculiar that critics would be interested in it as early as now. Even museums and collectors are already haggling prices to get their hands on it.”
My eyebrows shoot up in wonder. “That will soon include us.”
“Correct! As you may have guessed, this is exactly what I’m dreaming of, Jenny.” He claps his hands together, smiling brightly. “And I need your assistance in gettingThe Ephemerality of Seasons, Ren’s masterpiece that has the entire art world clamoring.”
“So when do you want me to meet this artist? I’ll have my office arranged immediately for his arrival.”
Papa stares at me and then booms in laughter, reaching out to clap a hand on my shoulder. A funny feeling settles in my stomach as he looks me dead in the eyes.
“My dear child, you’ll be going to Italypersonallyto convince Ren to sell the piece to us.”
REN
Aknock on the door breaks me from my creative trance, and blinking away the confusion, I put my brush down to answer it.
“Coming!” I yell after the second knock. I wipe my messy hand on my art smock and pull the door open.
“Tonio!” I greet, moving aside to let the kid enter. “You’re back so early. Weren’t the lines long?”
Antonio shakes his head. “Not really. Dinner time just started, you know. The restaurants were still a bit empty,” he informs, handing me the plastic bag of food.
The smell of vegetable soup and another serving ofcacio e pepewafts through the air. I hum in delight as I walk to the kitchen to place the food on the counter.
“Thanks again for this,” I tell Antonio, reaching into my shorts for some money. “Here’s today’s tip.”
“Awesome! You’re the best, Ren,” he cheers, pocketing the one-euro coin.
I’m glad he isn’t the type to demand so much. Antonio’s father raised him right, which is something I’m happy and thankful for.
“Are you going to eat now?” he asks me, placing his hands behind his back as he roams around the cramped space. “Man, you really have to sell these paintings, Ren. What’s the point of keeping them around anyway?”
“Well, for starters, they hold a lot of sentimental value.”
“What does that mean?” he inquires, tilting his head to one side.
“It means they mean a lot to me.” I walk up to him and begin going through each canvas. “Do you want to see some of them?”
“Oh, yes! You draw really well!”
