Paint The Sky

Hi guys,
    So here is a repost of my first story and it was featured on Tunde Leye's blog way back in 2012. You can read his other works at http://tlsplace.wordpress.com

ON THAT DAY, I stared at him from ‘toe to head’- Italian suede black shoes, Armani grey pants, Pink TM shirt. Beards clean shaven, acute eye brows and a baby dimple that danced around his smile. That is the description of the first man I had said, “Oh my gosh!” to at first sight.
With a smile that revealed his perfectly arranged set of white teeth, he handed me his file. “Tobi Adams” he introduced. I was still lost in my island. I pictured his lips near mine as he repeated his name again, this time with a brighter smile. BY GOD, I love this man!
“May I?” he asked motioning to a chair.
Just then I realised how stupid I must have looked. “Please do.” I said, hastily.
“I have been here twice last week to see you, but I was told that you have been away on official duties.”
I nodded in agreement. “I had this conference in Brazil to attend.”
He smiled as he also nodded. “I followed the whole conference. I am a huge fan.”
“Really?”
He nodded and flushed slightly. “Wunmi Olu-Williams, popularly known as WOW right from high school.” He started. I straightened in my chair as he continued. “Beautiful, Intelligent, and WOW!” he said. We both laughed and then he continued. “I don’t know how you possess all these features, you graduated with First Class Honours from Yale and then you proceeded for your residency at John Hopkins. You became a GP at 23, and of course you are a painter.”
“WOW!” I said. Tobi Adams had left me speechless. “How do you know so much about me, I probably won’t even keep my stats at hand” I said as I adjusted my glasses.
Tobi Adams shifted his weight against the swivel chair. “I did my home work properly.”
I grinned. “That’s some homework.”
“I was referred here after the Maggie’s case. I think I can be that lucky.” He said, with a smile.
My God, this guy is beautiful! Every time he smiles, I realise how good he looks, and with that smile, he just glowed.
“So what do you think?” he asked.
I stared at him confusingly. “What do you mean?”
He looked ahead. “My file…” He replied.
Oh the File! I had totally forgotten that I had his file on my desk. “Oh this,” I said, handling the file carelessly. “I think you are good.” I hadn’t even taken a look at it.
He raised an eyebrow with a smile. “Dr. Williams?”
I was caught! I sighed and smiled. “I am sorry Mr. Adams, but I have to say you are gorgeous.”
He blushed faintly. “Thank you.”
I opened the file and slowly started tracing the records. As I traced, the smile on my face faded, my hands got stiff and eyes went wet.
“What is it?” he asked, with a great deal of concern.
I fought back the tears in my eyes. “You are Leukemic?”
He managed a smile. “Yes.” he shrugged “But I don’t need you to cry on my account.”
“I am sorry, I just get emotional. It’s too soon, Maggie’s case just passed.” I said as I grabbed my handkerchief.
He grabbed my hands. “I know what you did with poor Maggie, she was a veggie before she met you, but Maggie died a proud woman.” He paused and cleaned the tears in my eyes. “I have lots of people feeling sorry for me already, and honestly, I don’t feel sorry for myself. I just want to live.”
“Why you?” I asked, dumbly.
He sighed and held my hands firmly. “Dr. Williams, I am hopeful.” He said with a smile.
I was struck by the purity of his smile. I fell in love that day.
TODAY is the funeral service of Tobi Adams and it is raining heavily. My heart is so weak. “Sorry for your loss, Dr. Adams” a man greeted as he dropped a tulip branch on Tobi’s casket. Yes, I became Dr. (Mrs) Adams six months after I met Tobi. I broke one of the most important ethics in the field to love Tobi. We had our wedding in Paris, it was a romantic getaway.
I returned into the house after everyone had left the funeral home. I fetched my Canvas and other painting tools. It was time to say bye to the man I loved and in what other way could I do it? I had to paint.
The perfect picture to me was the first day we had met when he held my hands and said, ‘I AM HOPEFUL’
So much hope in his eyes on that day. I tried my best to reflect it in the painting. I ended the painting with a note:
“In the rain, I had painted the sky with the tears that washed
my loved one away.
I have lived to see a lover’s final breath.”
I loved Tobi Adams.

This entry was posted on November 16, 2012, in Reader's Corner.