The Exhibition


    **Three monthster**


    After three months of working hard on various fronts and trying to get my new life under control, the day


    of the exhibition finally arrived. Throughout the past three months I’ve been keeping myself busy by


    juggling my parttime teaching job, my university project, prepping for the art exhibition and spending


    time visiting my grandmother in the hospital.


    I woke up extra early today to ensure that I had enough time to do anyst-minute preparation for the


    exhibition. After all the hard work that I put in, I was sure that I did my best and now all I had to do was


    pray for the best. I got up from bed, showered and put on a nice burgundy dress that I had saved up to


    purchase so that I could wear it to the exhibition. It wasn’t rare for artists to get somemission or


    I put on my dress and applied some light make up before checking my reflection in the mirror. Guess


    this will do for the day. ncing a little to the side of my dressing table, my eyes focused on the photos


    that I took together with Hayden that day that we went to the amusement park together. We looked so


    happy together and it made my heart ache a little at the memory. It all seemed like a lifetime ago.


    I still miss you…


    By this time, I had alreadye to terms with the fact that I probably won’t ever see Hayden again.


    He’s no longer a part of my life and I wasn’t a part of his either. Just like how we lived in different worlds


    before we met, we have now returned to our own worlds. Never will our paths ever cross again.


    I no longer cried my eyes outte at night whenever I look at the photos that we took together at the


    amusement part that day. Everything about him, the times that we spent together and the memories


    that we created together had all be precious memories in my mind that I would treasure. I look


    back at them with a smile while I felt thankful that once I got to share a part of my life with him, no


    matter how short our time together was.


    Snapping out of my thoughts, I grabbed my bag and hurried to the door. I put in the effort to wake up


    early, so I can’t bete. Now isn’t the time to daydream. After arriving super early at the exhibition,


    walked around with Jenny checking that everything was in ce.


    “I think everything is ok. Sorry, Jenny, I need to go now. I need to pick my grandmother up from the


    hospital,” I said, sounding apologetic.


    “So, the doctors allowed her toe?” Jenny asked in surprise.


    “Yes. They finally did. It’s amazing, at first, I couldn’t believe it. However, she can’t be out for long, so I


    was thinking of bringing her here before the exhibition starts,” I exined quickly.


    “Wow. Sounds like a n. You go ahead. I’ll do another round just to be safe,” Jenny said before


    smiling encouragingly at me.


    “Thanks, Jenny,” I said before smiling at her.


    …


    A week before this I told my grandmother about the exhibition again and she got very stubborn about


    wanting toe and see it in person. Although I told her that I could take photos to show herter or


    that we could do a video call while I was there, she had turned down all the options that I suggested.


    She was adamant abouting to see it in person.


    “It’s like your graduation project. How can I miss it?” she said.


    “It’s not entirely up to me, you know? We need permission from the doctor,” I reminded her.


    “Then let’s get permission,” she said like it was no big deal.


    “We can try…” I said followed by a sigh.


    “I’ll convince them. I feel so fit. There’s no reason for them to keep me from going,” my grandmother


    said firmly.


    “If you say so…” I replied.


    To my surprise, somehow, my grandmother managed to convince her doctor to let her go out for a short


    while on the day of my exhibition. However, I wasn’t allowed to bring her out without a nurse, and she


    had to be in her wheelchair the whole time. Those two conditions did not hold my grandmother back


    and now here she is with me and the nurse at the exhibition hall.


    “Wow! This ce is huge. Congrattions, Lisa, you’re like an established artist now,” my grandmother


    said as her eyes took in therge hall.


    “Not really…but thanks, grandma,” I replied, feeling a little shy at herpliment.


    I showed her around as the nurse slowly pushed her wheelchair along. The theme of my exhibition was


    ‘precious memories’ and itbined various paintings in both water and oil colors that reflected


    precious memories from various phases of my life. Of course, the key painting that I wanted to show


    my grandmother is the painting of her that I had finallypleted for both my university project before


    and had added more finishing touches to make it exhibition ready.


    “This is the star of this whole exhibition,” I proudly dered as I waved my warms to bring her attention


    to the painting that I painted of her.


    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    “Wow. It’s changed from thest time that I saw it. It looks…prettier…brighter? I’m not sure but it


    definitely looks much better than before,” my grandmother said as her eyes sparkled.


    I watched her smiling face as she stared up at the painting disyed on the white wall. She was right,


    the painting was brighter now because of some new colors that I added to it to make her standout more


    from the background.


    “Do you like it?” I asked.


    “I love it, Malissa. You’re so talented. I’m so happy that I came to see your exhibition. I’m so proud of


    you…” my grandmother said before her voiced cracked a little and she started to sob silently.


    --To be continued…