Started with Goodbye

Chapter 5

I have searched countless articles about that painter named Asher C.W. I did not even get a good night sleep because I kept on thinking about him and his mysterious paintings, and I could not seem to take my mind off of him.

I remembered what Aiden had said right after we found that article who was claiming that they managed to meet and interview that painter that no one dared to do, or it is much better to say that no one had managed to meet him other than the writer and the interviewer of that article.

“This painter is really mysterious,” Aiden said to me as soon as she closed the article that we read earlier.

She sighed as she closed her phone and stretched her arms as if searching about this man, by chance because we were suppose to find something about Aser Coldwell whom I met twice, and I even heard her yawn.

I snapped my head towards her and gave her a nod. “Yeah, he is really mysterious and I could say that his artworks are really great,” I told her that made her look at my direction too. I smiled to myself as I said, “I am interested.”

Aiden just shook her head when she saw that my eyes sparkled because of my interest about this painter and his artwork. Though she let it go, as she looked at the wall that was in front of us, and I could say that she was getting bored.

“We have confirmed something though,” she said that made me look at her, curious on what she was about to say. I raised my eyebrows as I urged her to continue what she would tell me. She snapped her head towards me as she say, “This Mr. Mysterious Painter under the name of Asher C.W. and the Mr. Grocery Guy you met named Asher Coldwell are not the same person.”

I frowned at her and asked, “And how can you confirm that?” and that made her let out a loud sigh as she opened her phone again, and went on that article again as she showed me some proof that this painter and that Asher that I met are not the same.

“This Asher C.W. is already thirty at the time of the interview,” she reasoned that made me realize why she said that they are not the same person. “This article was published five years ago, but as you just said to me earlier, the two of you are almost at the same age, so that means that they are not really the same person.”

I slowly nodded my head, understanding her reasons why. I even hummed as I said to her, “Maybe, he is really just a normal person and we were just anticipating something that is really impossible to happen.”

“Yeah,” Aiden agreed as she closed her phone again. “But maybe, the two of you can get really close to each other if you want to, even though he is someone that is not famous.” She gave me a knowing look that made me shook my head.

“Then, I guess that we should already prepare for the night. After all, we already concluded that he is not someone famous,” Aiden said, and she was about to stand up and clean the utensils that we used on our dinner, but before she could do it, I snatched her phone and started opening it.

“Hey!” she shouted, almost a complain. “That is my phone! Why don’t you use yours ? I am sure that you have it with you.

I ignored her complains and started to search something about that mysterious painter again. “I am still curious about him,” I said to her, as if that would be the answer as to why I snatched her phone away from her. “I wanted to find something more about him, because he really intrigue me.”

“That does not explain why you had to get my phone, when you have your own?” she said to me in a sarcastic tone.

She was about to snatch it away from me, but I managed to hide it for the last second. I looked at her then I pouted. “Let me borrow your phone!” I told her, still hiding her phone behind my back. “I am lazy to get my phone that was on the kitchen, so let me use yours!” I added that made her sigh and shook her head.

She raised both of her hands as if she had already given up as she sighed. “Alright. Do whatever you wanted to do,” she said as she started to clean our table. She was about to turn and leave, but then, I heard her whispered, “You and your love for artworks.”

I did not bother to answer her nor pay attention to her anymore, because I was so focused on finding something about this mysterious painter. After all, just like what Aiden said earlier, I really love paintings and such, and I really wanted to know more about this painter and his artworks.

I have read almost all of the article that I found online about this Mr. Mysterious Painter under the name Asher C.W. and I almost did not notice the time. I did not even had enough sleep because I could not stop myself from reading those articles about him.

I found out that most of his paintings were talking about time between two people, unbreakable love, and unconditional loyalty, even though the person that he loves was not on his side any longer. It may sound so tragic, but for me, his love for that woman is too strong that’s why he could paint something like that for her.

I also found out that he already stopped sending his artworks almost two years ago. Some said that it was because he already does not have any inspiration anymore, or maybe, he had realized that the woman whom he mentioned in his article was not really meant to be his, or maybe, there was something else that no one knew what or why.

Well, either way, his artworks are great, and I really wanted to find something more about it, so I searched it even more. And my curiosity about this mysterious painter lead me to an article that was published just days ago, saying that there was an art gallery where the paintings of Asher C.W. would be out for exhibit.

That art exhibit would be held inside our city and it would happen two weeks from now, and i got really excited with the news, so I bought two tickets so that I would be able to see his artworks with my own eyes.

Though I must admit that I had completely forgotten that Aiden was not a fan of something like this, and now, I was having a hard time thinking on who should I invite to come with me.

Aiden was more of an adventurous person who wanted to take pictures about nature and such, and this is not really her cup of tea. Though she always agreed with me whenever I was dragging her towards and event about artworks, it seems like I was not able to convince her right now.

I clearly remembered what she told me this morning the moment that I opened up the topic about the exhibit that would happened two weeks from now, and I could clearly remember the look on her face as if she was saying that I could not change her mind now.

“I am not really killing your fun, but please do not drag me in that exhibit,” she told me that made my smile drop. “I really love you as my best friend, and that was also the reason why I always agreed to accompany you in things like this, but not now.”

I pouted in front of her, and I know that I looked like a kid who was sulking because I could not get what I wanted but I did not care. I just wanted her to accompany me, but it really seems like she did really want to come with me, which is odd because she always agreed whenever I asked her to accompany me.

I was thinking of a scenario like this, but i never really thought that it would happen because she always agreed with everything that I told her. Maybe, she has some reason why she did not want to come with me? After all, it was really odd that she did not want me to go with me.

“It would be a waste if I do not use the other ticket,” I told her as I pouted even more. “I do not want to give it to others because I just got really lucky with those last two ticket.”

I know that I may sound so irritating when I said that, but I really wanted someone to accompany me and I wanted that someone to be so close to me, and the only person that came into my mind whenever I was thinking of ‘close friend’ was Aiden.

She was my only friend after all. Though it looked like she was really not planning on coming with me on this exhibit, unlike before. The expression all over her face was saying a firm ‘No. I do not want to, even if you start to act like a child in front of me,’ and I, somehow, wanted to make her feel bad.

And so, I pouted even more as I looked away from her as I told to myself that I would not look at her to tell her how disappointed I was. I even stopped eating my breakfast as I crossed both of my arms under my chest. And I knew that I looked like a child throwing a tantrums right now, but I do not care. At least I could make Aiden feel bad.

A few minutes later, I heard Aiden let out a loud sigh. I looked at her on my peripheral vision, and I could see a guilty look on her face that made me almost clap my hand because of the satisfaction that I felt.

“You know,” she told me as she stopped eating to look at me, but still, I did not turn my gaze at her. “I should be the dramatic one between the two of us, and not you, because I really feel so bad whenever you are doing this to me.”

My eyes lit up because of what she said. It seems like I could still make her come with me, but as soon as I looked at her direction, out of excitement, I saw a sad look on her face as if she was saying that she was really sorry because of her decision.

“Though as much as I feel bad because I turned you down, I really could not accompany you on that day,” she told me that made me feel sad again. She let out a sigh as she stood up from her sit and went to mine as she pat me on my shoulder. “I’m sorry, girl, but I have an appointment with my client that day.”

She even hugged me on my sad to show me how sorry and guilty she was that she turned me down, for the first time ever since the two of us became best of friends. She even tighten her embraced when she saw that I was still sulking because she turned down my invitation.

“They really wanted the photoshoot to be perfect, so they said that we should plan it ahead of time so that I can plan it for a long time.” I could imagine that she was pouting too, right now, as she said that. “So forgive me? Because I could not really accompany you on that day.”

In the end, I accepted her apology and her reasons why she could not accompany me to the exhibit. After all, it was work she was talking about and it seems like the client was an important person, a VIP to be exact, that is why she could not turn down the meeting that would be held the same day as the exhibit.

“Alright. Alright, I understand now that you cannot really accompany me,” I told her as I raised both of my hands to show her that I gave up on asking her to accompany me on that day. “Though it would be such a shame if I would not use the other ticket. Do I have to give it to others?”

She finally let go of me and sat down beside me as she sighed, thinking of a solution on the little problem that I have. “You can just find someone else to accompany you to this event, because it seems like you really wanted to go to it.”

I sighed when I heard that from her. “You were saying that as if you do not know me,” I said to her then I glared that made her raised her eyebrows, asking what do I mean by that. “You are the only person that I am really close to, and I do not have anyone that I could invite in an event such as like that.”

All my co-workers were busy with their own lives, and I was just talking to them whenever I needed something, or if it was work related. I was not even going on our company parties whenever we have one, because I really thought that it was pointless for me to come.

I did not have any friends in there, and I do not think that I could have one before I would leave my work. And yes, I was planning to leave my office works and focus on writing my novels, because I really wanted to be one ever since I was a child.

I was just finding a perfect timing on passing my resignation letter to my boss, because I could really see that the company were having a hard time doing all the tasks at once. They were just small and was just starting to get well-known, and I that was also the reason why I could not seem to let it go, yet.

I was snap out of my thoughts when I heard that Aiden clicked her fingers as if she really thought a very bright idea. But I doubt if it was really a great one, because again, this is Aiden I was talking about.

She even looked at me with her eyes widen, that made me almost back away from her. She had this huge grin on her face that made me get a little scared, but I rolled my eyes when I finally heard what she would say, or should I say suggest to me.

“You can just drag someone that you can meet on the road,” she told me that made me roll my eyes as I sat with my chin on the palm of my hands and sighed.

“You know what,” I told her that made her look at me, curiously. “I might consider what just said to me.”

“Consider what?” she asked, as if she could not believe that this was coming from my mouth.

“Consider that ‘drag someone that I could find on the road,’” I told her as I emphasized the words that I say.

“Are you serious about that?” she asked me in disbelief.

I nodded my head as I stood up with a determined looked on my face. “Yes, I am serious.”