DESTINY INTERVENES

I was on an aisle seat on the plane. Right next to me in the window seat was a tall elderly white man with a beard. Sometime after the plane took off he rang for the service crew and asked for a glass of water. It was brought and given to him. He drew out a pill and was about to swallow it when the plane ran into sudden turbulence. Before he could swallow his pill the water in the glass spilled over wetting his clothes and sprinkling a few drops on my face and clothes. He profoundly apologized. The service crew brought swabs to help him and me dry up. After swallowing the pill he said to me “It was my fault. I should’ve kept a firm hold on my glass.”

“No harm done. Only a few drops fell on my dress.”

“Nonetheless it was uncivil. Or should I say incivil? I hope I’m using correct English term for my language is French.”

He gave me his card which read FELIX BONNEVILLE with an address in Grenoble. I thanked him.

 He said with a laugh “Of course you don’t recognize me! It doesn’t matter. But what do you do may I ask?”

“I’m Sophiya and I’m a housewife. My hobby is painting. I’ve a small studio at home where I work. I’m only a self-taught painter.”

“Nice to hear it as I also paint. Have you exhibited any?”

“I’ve made almost a dozen canvases but have none competent to correct or judge.”

I was surprised when he said “May I’ve a look at your work?”

I hesitated to reply as I wondered about carrying all my work to his place. He correctly guessed my hesitation and said “Can I have a look at them in your house?”

“You’ll be most welcome. Tell me where you’ll be staying and I’ll pick you up and drop you.”

He brought out his mobile and showed me the name of the hotel. I said I knew the place. He again consulted his phone and said “!0 AM tomorrow would be fine. Please put your address on my phone” which I did.

I agreed to pick him up the next day. The plane landed and we parted.

At exactly 10 next day I picked up Felix who came with a bag in hand and drove into our spacious house. I took Felix in and introduced him to my husband.

I said “Mr.Felix, this is my husband who is a businessman.”

My husband greeted him and welcomed him. I then took Felix to my studio. There stood on an easel a painting which I had begun but hadn’t progressed. Felix stood looking at the unfinished painting for a wḥile.

I said “I had seen a pond which had a lotus plant in it. I had wanted to show the wrinkles in the leaves in my painting. But my efforts were to avail.”

Then he said “May I work on this?”

I said “Sure.”

“He said “Then let me have the palette and the brushes.”

 I saw Felix work with feverish activity. In a few moments the painting had been transformed by his deft strokes. In fact it had come so to say, come alive. I was stupefied.

Watching me he smiled and said “If properly trained I feel you could be a good painter. You’ve the how do I say it the métier.”

“That painting modified by you needs your signature.”

He laughed and said “I’ll sign it.” He did it prominently.

I showed him another painting I had made of a waterfall.

He looked at a long while and said “You’ve arrested the water. There appears no flow. Motion has to be reflected in paintings. I made a painting of a river and called it “Limitless Sound” as the color sequence showed the water coursing through the bed. It is only a painting but it needs to reflect motion. You can do it only if you’re properly trained."

Then I showed him the painting of a plant which bloomed only at night. It showed copious efflorescence. I paused and said pointing “Mr.Felix, just give me a minute. Please be seated.”

In a moment I located my photo album and turned to a page. I said “Mr.Felix please see this photo. This was the scene I copied.”

He looked at it a long while and said “The photo shows the many large flowers and the green foliage. In your painting the foliage is almost hidden.”

I said “May I explain? The large flower bloom once at nightfall and then fades out whereas the foliage is permanent. To help me continue painting I made the photograph.”

He looked at the photo again. I said “Please go with me for a moment.”

He followed me to my garden where I showed him the creeper but without blooms.

I said “Thank you Mr.Felix.” We went back to my studio and the painting.

He said “Madam you haven’t chosen the proper green shade to contrast with the flower’s startling white.”

I said “I’ll show you just one more painting and also the photo of it.”

The painting was of lichen on a wall. He said “Your painting shows the entrapment of the lichen by mesh on the wall. That shouldn’t be highlighted. Lichen grows in various colors. You must choose a better color than grey.”

I said “I’ve taken much of your time.”

“No madam. There is hour for me before I go to the city hall.”

“I can take you there.”

“No need. I’ve asked the official car to report here.”

I led him to our living room where we treated him to tea and cake followed by ice cream. Then he opened his bag and brought out something wrapped in brown paper. Opening it he presented it to me saying “This is a souvenir for you.”

I looked at it and asked “What is this painting?”

“This is a painting I made of sea anemones, plants which even eat fish. Colorful isn’t it as they are in efflorescence?”

I said “It is fantastic.”

A car now came for Felix and he said “I’ve to leave. I’ll sometime send you a book on painting to help you improve.”

He said “Au revoir” French on parting and was gone.

It was only later that night after hearing the news that Felix was an internationally famed painter and one of his recent paintings was auctioned for $3 million I realized how close I had got to an international celebrity! I treasure his paintings.

END