When Shadows Fall by Sita Brahmachari

Author:Sita Brahmachari [Brahmachari, Sita]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Stripes Publishing
Published: 2022-02-15T00:00:00+00:00

When we finished the teacher said we could add one other thing to the portrait. Without hesitation I drew your sister’s tree. After, you painted your hand and stamped it over the face I painted. It was a disturbing image and the teacher was angry, saying you had no right to mark my work, telling you this is exactly the kind of impulsive behaviour that gets you into trouble.

But I defended your action. “We are painting portraits together and this hand over the face makes the portrait true.”

Afterwards you clenched me and whispered, “Thanks, Om, man. You are the only one who gets me.” Then you laughed a sad laugh with no joy, an echo of your father’s discord in Greenlands tower.

I carried on drawing to complete the picture. Above you I charcoaled in the two black birds that stayed by you. “My ravens!” You stretched out your arms like wings. I thought of your dancing.

All term we continued making portraits of each other. As we worked together I saw how tired you were, how lack of sleep came creeping on you, turning your days slowly, slowly into night.

You started using charcoal too but first you painted your page in yellow like a desert in full glare of the sun. I do not like this colour: it is a blast of searchlight in my eyes. My mouth grew dry at the sight of it, my throat scorched with the desert sun reflected from the sand. The endless yellow we walked and walked and walked across in search of green.

In art we found the way to see ourselves and each other beyond the border of language. People do not see enough the truth in the language of eyes.

It felt good to be seen. I sat still as stone when you drew me. I was used to sitting still. Hiding in woodland, crying inside hard enough for feeling in me to reach the stars.

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