Paint in the Sun

Paint in the Sun

Story: Ryan Sandagon

Matthew is a broken man. He's wife, pregnant then, died from a car crash 6 years ago.Matthew never survived the aftermath of the accident. Living in solitude on a small house which used to be a home, Matthew is usually seen going out every morning by neighbours to visit the park. The park reminds him so much of how he and Dana met.

Matthew used to be a painter with an extraordinary gift. He can paint objects at motion without any problems. He can easily freeze an image he've seen by imagining it. Some people believe that he've got a good photographic memory, but Matthew believes that it was faith in what he paints. One of his famous painting is the "Chateu Romero", an oil-painting depicting people in motion at a restaurant of the same name. He was able to show in details all people who were at that place during his visit. It was so realistic that scholars called the art a pseudo-photography. Others believed that the painting is a work of love.

If one would look closely on the painting, one would notice that Matthew made a lot of effort painting the lovely lady in the corner of the painting. A lady named Dana.

It took months of fruitless searching of the mysterious lady before Matthew found what he was looking for. It was the Autumn of 1986, and Matthew was working on his 10th exhibit. Suddenly without any idea why, Matthew found himself having a stroll in the park near Cetio Guevarra. He sitted on a bench while searching for an inspiration for a new painting he's working with.

"Excuse me, can I share the seat?", Said a woman standing nearby. Glancing slowly, Matthew breathlessly stared at the woman. The woman in the painting.

"Of..oof..course. Please do.", he responded nervously, trying to put himself together.

"Would you believe that I came here looking for you...Matthew", asked the woman as she sitted comfortably in the bench.

"Ahmm..no..Why is that?" matthew responded still unable to compose himself in front of the beautiful woman. She turned towards him and smiled.

"Because I know you love me"

II

He still vividly recalls the accident. He was knocked unconscious by the impact of their car against a swerving trailer truck; Drunk driving, as the report would turn out from the police.

The last thing he remembered was the scream of his wife and the color red, like a filter in his eyes slowly fading to darkness.

III.

Everyday Matthew made it a point to visit the park. It's good for him according to the psychiatrist. He's been having a series of attacks lately; Seeing the ghost of his wife. Surprisingly the doctor said its a good sign of improvement.

The attacks range from seeing shadows and hearing voices to seeing the image of his wife in the mirror. He oftentimes find the bathroom used. He knew it was his wife from the smell of the perfume. "She's trying to tell me something" he thought.

The "attacks" started when he begun to talk to this kid he met in the park. The boy reminded him of his wife so much.

The boy's name is Daniel. "What a lovely name" he thought."I've always wanted to have a son with that name." A son he never had.

"I live just around the corner, near your house mister." the boy said.

"Really? Is that your Mommy?" Matthew said pointing to the woman sitting on the bench nearby.

"No." the boy said sadly. "She's a friend. I can't live with my Mommy and Daddy."

"How come?" said Matthew with concern.

"My Mommy's taking care of my Daddy. He's very sick." said Daniel trying to sound okay.

"I'm sorry." said Matthew, apologetically. "It's okay. How about you mister? You look sick yourself" teased the kid.

"Ha ha. You're one honest kid."

IV.

In his dreams. The doctor was comforting his wife. He was lying on the hospital bed. He couldn't clearly hear the conversation but heard the phrases "permanent disorder" , "without cure" and "believed to be dead". Then he was driving. His wife sleeping peacefully in the passenger seat. They had a wonderful dinner with some couple of friends at work. He made sure that he won't drink since he'll be driving late. Then she smiled and muttered a whisper from her slumber. She was staring at him from the dark. He smiled back and glanced at his wife. A glance he wish he never made. In the park she was sitting alone. He was painting from a distance. He was painting her in red paint.

He was about to finish when he realized that she wasn't there.

V.

"I must be losing my mind again".Matthew muttered to himself. He never recalled preparing the breakfast. He was, however, too anxious to see the boy that he finished the meal with haste.

"I'm glad you're here mister." said the boy smiling. "You seemed to be in good mood Daniel. I wish I could share the same feeling" said Matthew. "You will." for a few second the boy and Matthew looked at each other. "You'll see...you'll soon see" and the boy smiled.

VI.

"You'll see.. Just don't open your eyes yet" said Dana while clasping Matthew's eyes. It was their last Christmas together. "No hint whatsoever? You know I'm not good in guessing" said Matthew while holding a gift wrapped box. "We'll not everything in life can be seen. Careful now, you might drop my gift." whispered Dana. "Open it" she muttered. "Which one. My eyes or the gift." and he opened his eyes while hastily unwrapping the gift. "CHEATER" and they wrestled in the bedside for moment. Matthew got the box and found that its empty "Where's the content. The box's empty." He was searching under the bedsheet when Dana stopped him and kissed him. "The box is empty... and the gift is in me." she said while smiling. Matthew on his disbelief just smiled. "Oh my...I'm going to be a father."

VII.

"I just learned a small secret mister." said the boy. "Will you keep a secret for me? Promise not to tell?" asked the boy. "Well to tell you the truth, I'm really not good in keeping secrets. But I'll try anyway. Would you still trust me?" Matthew asked, seemingly lost in their converstation. "Yes I will" said the boy and he pulled Matthew towards the leafless tree. "I just learned from Mom that my Dad's well already and I can go home any moment now". "That's great! You can now even take your Dad for a stroll here in the park" said Matthew, a bit dismayed though, thinking that he won't be able to see the boy more often in the park. "Selfish of me" he thought. "So was that your little secret?" he asked. "Actually there's more. I just saw your wife yesterday"

VIII

"You're getting well" Matthew heard someone whispered from behind. He searched for the source of the voice and saw no one. He looked back at the boy. "You must be mistaken. I told you my wife died a few years ago". The boy just looked at him and smiled. "Can I call you Dad now?". Matthew took a few steps away from the kid. "Is this some kind of joke?" and he soon realized that he was walking away from the boy and slowly he run away. He was running on the snow-covered road when he saw a car wrecked from a car accident. He walked towards the car checking if there was somebody inside the car. He saw a woman unconscious inside the car. It was Dana.

IX

"Im losing it", he said horror-stricken from what his seeing now. But Dana slowly came to consciousness, she opened the car and stared at Matthew. "Oh my God! are you hurt Matthew?" she was running towards Matthew and suddenly she passed through him. Matthew wasn't sure what happened , he looked behind him and saw Dana and a younger version of him covered with blood and snow. The younger Matthew was just staring on the wreckage mumbling something. Dana was crying and shouting "Are you alright? ANYBODY HELP US! My husband...oh ..help..his hurt." The younger Matthew slowly rolled his eyes before falling down on his knees. The last thing Matthew heard was the voice of Dana crying for help. He soon realized he was alone on the road, in front of his house.

X

The vision was so clear. He slowly moved towards his house. The door was wide open. He thought that he might have left it open when he went to the park. He almost forgot the incident in the park with Daniel. Or was it part of the vision. He's no longer sure of himself. He probably just need to call his psychiatrist for help and wait for anything to happen in the house.

The living room was lit. It now looks like someone living in the house is actually living. Matthew slowly walked towards the room. "Hello? Anybody here... aside from me and my imagination?" If only he's not experiencing the weird visions, he might have laughed at his own remarks. He heard voices upstairs and decided to confront his visions he thought.

There was the sound of crying in their bedroom. Matthew slowly moved towards the door and opened it. Inside was his psychiatrist talking to his wife. "The trauma caused some irregularities in his...thinking" said his doctor with sympathy to his crying wife. "Is it..is it... curable?" asked Dana trying to find the right words. "I'm afraid I don't know the answer, This is one of the strangest cases I've seen. But I believe that somehow.. you might be able to convince him.. that you're real." Matthew could not believe what he's hearing. He was about to leave the room when he saw himself lying down the bed listening, but trying to look as if he is sleeping. When Matthew got out of the room, he found himself in the park just a few steps away from boy, who was now looking at him shouting "You really are.my father"

XI

"Believe him" said the familiar voice behind him. He slowly turned and found that there was no one there. "Open your eyes. Please Matthew. open them. Believe your visions. I am, afterall,... alive". said the voice which soon became clearer. "Dana? Where are you?" said Matthew still unsure of what he just heard. But before he could speak again he just soon remembered every details of his life for two years. But the strange thing is that he now remembers Dana in his memories. He remembers Dana eating with him.preparing the breakfast, cleaning the house, lighting the dard living living room and crying with him whenever he remembers the tragedy... The tragedy which he no longer remembers.

Dana was there in front of Matthew. She was crying and smiling at the same time. Her eyes bore the years of waiting; the frustration of not being able to talk to the man he loves. The man who thinks she was dead. She slowly embraced him and kissed him.

Matthew could not believe it. "If this is still part of my vision I'd rather live here" he said. He closed his eyes once more, and hold it closed for while. Although afraid to lose the sight his wife, he opened his eyes and saw that Dana was still there."I told you you'll see." Matthew almost forgot that Daniel was just a few steps away from them.

"Matthew meet Daniel...your son" Daniel soon joined them and hugged Matthew so hard. "Welcome back Dad. Sorry I lied to you the first time we met. I'm glad you know now that Mom's alive."

It was an endless moment for Matthew... and it will be.