Maria's Cabin

It had been twenty-four years since she'd last seen it, but the place looked exactly the same.

The velvet curtains that hanged above the window, her portraits on the wall that she had painted when she was 16 years old.

Maria had started painting at just 4 years old. Maria's father was a painter himself he would make money by selling his portraits to the people of his town. Growing up she would watch her father paint all-day-everyday. Maria never knew who her mother was rumor has it that she left when Maria was a day old. One day Maria's father was amused by how much his daughter was interested in Art. So, he had handed her a paintbrush to see if she could paint & once he saw that his daughter had the talent for painting he used the money that he had saved up from the selling of his portraits to build Maria a cabin.

Maria's father's idea of building this cabin was for Maria to go to when she wanted to paint in peace.

Once the cabin was built Maria & her father would paint in there most of the time. The cabin was painted purple on the outside, with drawings of flowers all over it. "Maria's Cabin" was carved on the door.

Sadly, At the age of 16 Maria's father became ill & passed away. The cabin was a place, she would go to when she wanted to grief & gain clarity. She would paint in the cabin all-day just painting her sorrows away. She had even painted a portrait of her & her father which she hung up on the wall so that his presence would always feel present.

But when she became 18 years old & graduated from high school she decided to move far away from home because as much as she loved to paint, the painting wasn't the same after her father had died.

Maria's uncle who was her legal guardian promised Maria that he would look after the house & her cabin when she told him that she was moving out.

Maria had married at 20 years old made a family of her own & became an art teacher.

As the years went by & the older Maria became the more, she started to miss the cabin that her father had built for her. " how could I just let that go?" Maria says to herself while becoming teary-eyed. It's been 24 years since Maria saw her cabin Now At 40 years old, Maria decided to go back to her hometown & visit her childhood home.

Maria waves goodbye to her husband & her youngest daughter while she departs from their home. Maria's oldest daughter had just graduated from high school & is soon on her way to art school.

As she drives on the road almost near her hometown she starts to reminisce about her father. The flashbacks were so clear in her mind. The moment her father put the paintbrush in her hand the laughter & joy with her father while painting filled her heart with so much joy.

" I'm sorry for disappointing you papa I should've never left" Maria whispers to herself. " But I will not cry anymore, I will make you proud you are now in a better place watching over me".

Maria pulls up to her childhood home & sees her uncle sitting in his rocking chair on the patio. She runs to her uncle like a kid & hugs him so right. As the two hug, each other tears start to run down their faces. " Maria I want to show you something" her uncle had responded. Maria & her uncle both start to walk to the cabin. Maria begins to cry " I can't believe it's been 24 years! My paintings have probably turned to dust". Maria's uncle responds " No Remember when I told you I was going to take care of the cabin when you left I kept my promise go take a look"

Maria wipes the tears off of her face & slowly opened the door to her cabin& slowly walked in. Maria's uncle was right everything was the same. " My paintbrush set papa brought this for me when I was only 4 years old! My painting of papa! Looks exactly how it looked when I painted it! How did you do this?" Maria says in shock while looking at her uncle?

Maria's uncle started to smile " I promised you & your father that I would take care of this place I would be a fool if I didn't & I knew how much this place meant to you."

Maria hugged her uncle.

" I'll leave you to it," he says as he leaves Maria by herself in the cabin.

Maria walks around the cabin touching her paintings softly finger by finger.

about 5 years after her visit Maria decided to move her family to her childhood home. Maria's uncle was becoming very old & couldn't take care of the home by himself anymore. Maria showed her daughters the cabin that her father built for her & told them that this place would be there's & how they could give it to their children when they decide to start a family. Maria & her daughters redecorated the cabin so it could be big enough for all three. One day Maria put the paintbrush in her youngest daughter's hand & she started to draw. Maria then became amused by how much her daughter also had the talent. Every day Maria & the girls would spend time in the cabin laughing making memories until Maria grew old & passed. Maria had written in her diary before she passed that said

"I'm so grateful to have the gift to draw & was able to pass it down to my girls I hope that they love to draw as much as I did when I was their age. But most importantly It didn't matter how old the place was it didn't matter how long it's been since I've seen it what matted was it still looked the same & that's All that mattered.