Roses Are Red

CHAPTER 1

“Hmmm…. who are you?” Reedly Rose thought while scrolling through the social media of Violet De Silva. She wasn’t focused on the girl, but on the painting or the sketches the girl always posted every day. Palaging may caption na gawa iyon ng kapatid nitong si Red De Silva. The post would always hit a million views.

Marami na nga ding fan base si Red De Silva. But the artist herself remain mysterious. Binisita niya and social media nito, twitter at halos lahat ng social media accounts but the girl didn’t even post a picture of paintings or sketches. Only one picture of herself in every one of her social media account. Kambal pala ang dalawa. But Red has this face like an angel, not smiling but always so serene, so calm like a painting. Kaya mas nilamon siya ng curiosity niya.

Matunog ang pangalan na iyon sa kanya dahil ayon na din sa mga tao. She could lose the trophy she had to that child prodigy. Kung hindi lang daw ito nag collapse. Ayon din sa mga judges, Red De Silva’s art has a lot of technics for her age. Marunong ito ng placement ng shadows at magaling sa perspective. Pero hindi nito natapos ang ginagawa nitong painting. Red De Silva collapse and was disqualified in the contest.

Dumaan ang inis sa mukha niya. She doesn’t want that trophy if she only gets it because that prodigy wasn’t there to complete her painting. Balang araw maghaharap din sila nito. Papatunayan niya sa mga taong nag sabing, walang wala siya sa Red De Silva na iyon na mali sila ng iniisip. She was meant for greater things. After all she was the daughter of the two greatest artist of the generation.

“Anak? Ready ka na?”

Napangiti siya ng makita sa labas ng kwarto niya ang Mom and Dad niya. Nakasandal sa pintuan ang dad niya habang may ngiti sa mga labi nito. While her mom was reaching her hands out.

“Yes po.”

Nakangiting hinawakan niya ang kamay ng dalawa niyang magulang. It was the best feeling in the world. Mahal na mahal siya ng mga ito at hindi kailanman ipinaramdam sa kanya na isa siyang failure kahit pa hindi niya ma-achieve sa murang edad niya ang na achieve ng mga ito. They said they are already proud of her but she doesn’t want that, she wants to make her parents proud by achieving what they didn’t achieve at her age.

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They arrived in the art gallery faster than she thought. This is the first time na bibisitahin niya ang art gallery na pinag sasabitan ng mga paintings ng mga magulang niya. Kahit pa may kopya na ng mga iyon sa bahay nila.

She was really amazed. Ang laki ng art gallery na iyon. Maraming art enthusiast ang dinadalaw ang nasabing gallery. It was also where renounce Filipino artist hung their painting.

“Ma! Mag i-ikot-ikot lang po ako.”

Ngumiti at tumango naman ang ina niya. Gusto ng mga magulang niya na dalawin nila ang art gallery dahil mag aaral na siya sa isang art school sa lunes. Para daw ma-inspire siya sa pag gawa ng mga magagandang paintings.

She went inside a room full of landscape painting. Wala kasing maysadong tao doon. There are 3 persons currently looking at the paintings inside. Yung dalawa magkasama ay may edad na at nagkukwentuhan habang nakatingin sa painting. While the other is so fixated looking at a large painting of a landscape.

Kumunot ang noo niya. The girl was probably her age. Mahaba ang buhok nito hanggang sa bewang but what she finds the most intriguing was that, at this age, people aren’t really interested in art maliban na lang kung isa ka ding young artist.

Nagpalinga linga siya sa paligid. Wala siyang makitang estudyante na magkakasama that means walang field trip ngayon.

Hindi niya na napigilang lumapit sa babae. She looked in the painting in front of them. Kunwaring nakatingin but she was peeking at the girl beside her. Nanlaki ang mga mata niya ng makita ito. The girl has an angelic and serene face like one of the paintings. It was Red De Silva! Kaya pala familiar ang mukha nito sa kanya. Hindi niya na napigilang humarap dito. She gawked at Red De Silva’s face more than the paintings in front of her.

Ang hahaba ng eyelashes nito. Matangos ang ilong at mapula ang mga labi.

“It’s rude to stare you know.”

Napaiwas siya ng tingin sa tono ng boses nito. She felt like she was being reprimanded. Kumalat ang init sa mukha niya. Nakakahiya! Umiling-iling siya at itinakip ang kamay sa mukha niya.

“S-Sorry.”

Hindi niya ito narinig na tumawa o nag komento man lang sa sinabi niya. Napasilip tuloy siya sa siwang ng mga daliri niya, and shoot. Nakatingin pala ito sa kanya.

Umangat ang kilay nito but there was a hint of a smile in the lips of the girl infront of her. Napakunot na tuloy siya ng noo niya. Masaya ata itong naging uncomfortable siya sa harap nito. Tumikhim siya at inalis na ng tuluyan ang kamay sa mukha niya. She stood up straighter. Inirapan niya ito. It’s either the girl infront of her is confident o talagang mayabang lang ito. She can’t believe she could lose to someone like this person.

Naalala niya tuloy ang lahat.

Reedly was so focused on her painting after the MC announce that the contest had officially started. Fear. That was the term they have to draw after 1 hour.

Pumikit siya. What does she fear the most? Huminga siya ng malalim. Since she was a kid marami nang expectation ang mga tao sa kanya. She wasn’t really gifted like both of her parents. She has to learn technics and persepective bago siya makapag drawing nang maayos. It wasn’t an in born talent but she really wants to draw. Kagaya ng mga magulang niya she wants to hung her paintings in a prestigious art gallery. Her fear is failing those expectations.

Iminulat niya ang mga mata niya. Kinuha niya ang mga paints na kakailanganin niya sa pag pipinta. She gathered grey, black and darker colors. She dipped her brush in the paintings then started drawing on the canvass in front of her.

“She wasn’t even half of what her mother could achieve in that age.”

“Akala ko pa naman kapag anak ka ng dalawang pinakamagaling na artist ng bansa natin. Mamanahin mo ang talent nila. Hindi rin pala ano?”

“It’s a curse being your parent’s daughter. People expect things from you. They expect you to always succeed but what is success without failures.”

Nanginig ang mga kamay niya sa paghawak ng brush niya. Those are the conversation she overhears everytime na isasama siya ng mga magulang niya sa mga art convention ng mga ito. Hindi man lang kino-consider ng mga tao na yun kung anong mararamdaman niya.

Huminga siya nang malalim at muling hinawakan nang maayos ang brush niya. She has to gave her all to this painting. Nagsimula ulit siyang mag-drawing. She wasn’t minding other people dahil focused na siya sa painting niya. Hanggang sa may bigla na lang sumigaw ng pangalan ng isang contestant. They all saw how that girl collapse.

Napatayo ang iba niyang kasamahan. She wants to know what the commosion is all about pero kailangan niyang matapos ang painting niya hanggang sa 1-hour time limit. Hindi na siya nakigulo sa mga nangyayari. Hindi niya inintindi ang paligid niya. She kept on drawing. Hanggang sa matapos ang time limit.

She sighed. Aalis na lang siya sa pwesto na ito, kaysa mairita pa sa naalala niya dahil sa babaeng ito. Iniwan niya ito doon sa pwesto nito. But she kept on looking at the girl’s back. Naintriga kasi siya kung bakit ito nag-collapse noon. Plus, she wants to meet the girl again in a contest. Sisiguraduhin niyang mananalo na siya laban dito.