The Path Leads To You

Chap 10

Cleve Ash...

"Sir, who is she?" A student of mine asked. I am in the classroom and I am showing them some samples of paintings I did, for them to critique according to our discussion a while ago.

"Oh, she? She is my subject." I said and they just laughed. "What? it's a fact?"

"Sir, is she a real person?" Another student asked. I looked at the painting and I just smiled at his question.

"Why? Is she beautiful?" I asked him because I felt like he had something to say. He looked at the painting before turning to me.

"Yeah sure it is beautiful, but if she is real, how much pain she is bearing that she's so sad like that?" He wondered not a question for me but like a realization for them. I was about to talk but another student talked.

"I also noticed sir, when you first glance at it, it looks like a normal and peaceful day and the girl is having a peaceful time. But if you look at it again you will realize it's very sad and lonely. You will see she looks so lost and alone. She looks smiling at first but when you look at her eyes she is actually crying." She said and sat down.

"Good observation guys," I said and they all smiled. The painting was a 30×40 size. It is a vivid picture, in it is a girl sitting on a rock watching over other people on a fine day. As the student said, it looks happy but sad if you look at it longer.

"She is a real person," I said and they all gasped not expecting it. "This girl is the same person as the other painting I showed the other day," I said and they were just too stunned.

"Sir, for real? Woah, you are really a good artist." I just laughed at her comment.

"This girl is I think the saddest person I've ever met."

The girl in the picture is Hannah Rae, yes it is her. When I was just starting as an instructor Rae was in her Third year. I remember that day when I and Clay were fighting with the camera on our break I suddenly caught sight of one of my students, Rae. She is just sitting there watching her friends playing and teasing each other. She is smiling so I took a picture of her and also the angle looks so good. But when I look at her again, she isn't smiling. She was actually biting her lips as tears fell from her eyes. When her friends looked at her she would try to cover her eyes or look away. That time I wanted to talk to her. I don't know, but when I saw her smile at her friends after that my heart felt sad.

"Ahem! Okay, are you done with the activity?" I asked to get their attention back to the activity.

"Yes sir!"

...

After the class, I returned to my office. Seeing that no one was around I went out again. Maybe they are still in their classes. Reaching the art club, I entered as no one was there maybe they all were busy.

I entered one room. It's my painting room. I didn't expect to see someone there.

"Sir William." He turned to look at me and smiled. He returned to looking at the paintings, which I also did.

"I always wondered why you paint these sad pictures. I didn't expect her to be the sad one, not you." He said while he was looking at my new painting. It's a girl laying her head on the table while she stares blankly at the water glasses. Though it's not yet finished you can see how sad she is.

"Who is she, Cleve?" He asked. Sir William was my teacher in college before and he's also an artist. He is now a dean of a college.

I smiled before I looked at all my paintings most of them were all about her. "She is an important person, I met her 7 years ago. She is good at hiding her emotions but she doesn't know I can see them all." I look at him and he's also looking at me.

"I hope one day I can paint her not with sadness but with true happiness in her eyes." I am looking at the blank canvas. Yes, I hope one day I can see that.

Rae is not the kind of student who excels too much in class, she's not too quiet but she is also not loquacious. Sometimes people won't notice her but I can easily see her.

I feel a warm palm on my left shoulder. Sir William just put his arm on me. "Hmmm. Is she the reason why? She must be a difficult one, a broken person, they are the most fragile ones. I'll wait for that day you can achieve that wish of yours." He patted me and started walking out.

"But she somehow looks familiar." He looked at me back and I just laughed. I don't think so. Rae is the kind of person people will not notice especially if she is in her world.

.....

"Good morning!" I greeted Clay after seeing him open his door.

"What the! Can you not do that, my heart almost jumped." I laughed when he was surprised and almost bumped his head on the door.

"Tsk." He marched towards me. "When did you come home? It took you so long so I didn't wait for you." He said and sat down on the table as I gave him a cup of coffee.

"Past 2 AM." I look at him as he is staring at me while grinning.

"Ha-ha, What?"

"What happened last night?" He asked. I can't help smiling when I remember what happened last night. I still remember the warmth of her hand in mine. Last night I didn't expect to see her there. She is just so beautiful.

"Sir Ash?" I glared at him when he said that but he just laughed. I turned my back and took my coffee.

"Sir Ash." He keeps on teasing me.

"Shut up!" I threw my slipper at him and he just laughed. He clearly knows I like that calling. No one calls me by my second name. Rae is the only person calling me that.

"But Hannah changed so much. She became even more beautiful. I almost didn't recognize her if she didn't call you Sir Ash. Tell me when did you see her again? you look much closer." He stared at me and I could only sigh. Of all the people, it's only Clay who knows the secret I'm hiding.

...flashback...

"Who is she?" Clay keeps asking me who is the girl in my painting.

"No one just my new art," I said as I concentrated on painting the portrait I had been doing for almost a week.

"Tsk" He just bites the apple and starts walking out.

.....

"Sir, this is the activity you are asking about. " It's my free time and one of my students came into the office to submit an activity.

"Okay, just sign in the log book please." I pointed at the book in front of me.

"Cleve!-" I look at my brother who just shouts and stops right away after seeing someone is inside too.

"Miss Simon, did you get your excuse letter?" I asked and she instantly opened her bag and gave me a piece of paper. It contains her letter and her guardian's signature with the approval of the guidance office.

"Ahm Sir Ash?" I raised my head to look at her. She is a bit nervous I could tell.

"Yes?" I smiled

"Sir, can I still submit the other activity I missed yesterday?"

"Yes, of course, you still have a valid reason." I keep her letter in the drawer.

"Okay, thank you, sir." This time she is smiling. I could not take my eyes off her cute smile until she finally left after greeting Clay who was at the door.

"Hey!" I glare at Clay again.

"Ahem! Cleve please tell me I'm not seeing things but, that girl, she looks like the person -" I instantly cover his mouth and look around to see that none of my office mates is listening.

"Shhhh" I pulled him to sit down.

"Woah, is she really is-?" He whispered when I motioned him to keep quiet. I just nodded.

"Yow, bro!" He smacked me on my shoulder and his eyes were wide open, while he looked at me and the door back in forth. "Seriously, you know the rules you cannot date a student here." I sighed.

"I know that it's not like I'm going to date her. I just like her it just happened." I said to him.

"What's her name?" I pointed at the paper on my table.

"Hannah Rae, tsk, tsk. You're totally doomed." He said and patted my shoulder. Yeah, a single curiosity leads me to like her.

...End Of Flashback

"Hey, I'm asking." I came back to my senses.

"Not long ago. When I first saw her again I don't know what I'm feeling." I confessed. I sat down in front of him.

I'm happy and sad at the same time. I'm happy because. I saw her again after five years, but I'm sad because she still has those sad eyes.

"Hmmh, good for you. This time you don't need to hide anymore. You've waited for so long."

7 years ago I got curious about her until I didn't realize I started to like her. I hid it because of the University rules. I can only watch her from afar and be contented. But five years ago she suddenly went missing. Her social media stopped and even her friends could not reach her. It is like she disappeared.

I tried forgetting about her, but it didn't work. I started regretting that I did not take the courage to at least approach her.

"Yes, this time I will not stop even if it fails, I won't regret it," I said and smiled.