Monique

Even engaged in their on-going playful argument, Monique found herself looking past Sara. Something drew her eyes to the couple a few tables away. She had the urge to study them closely. She knew she would paint this scene later … it was already forming in her mind. Yet, there was something more to her interest in them – something she was missing, but couldn’t quite place. Whatever it was, she felt it would add a special nuance to the painting.

Sara’s familiar ending argument brought her back, “You have to paint with abandon to truly capture the essence. The more you study, the more you lose the essence – the magic.” With this final playful stab, Monique gave her friend her own familiar ending argument. “That’s why artists sketch … to capture the essence, Sara”, Monique smiled and followed with her infamous argument ending expression for Sara – sticking her tongue out. Sara couldn’t keep herself from laughing – it worked every time, Monique observed.

Still smiling, Monique’s attention was once again pulled to the couple – what was it that drew her so strongly to them she wondered? Adding to the puzzling thoughts in her mind, she noticed a vaguely familiar shaped shadow moving over them – looking up she saw Jenny in motion. Sara must have noticed as well – as she heard Sara call out, “Jenny, time for a drink?”

Then she felt it – the way the man locked onto Jenny … the essence.

Jenny was heading towards them, when she abruptly stopped … at the couple’s table … and now she was waving Sara and her over to join them. Monique didn’t know how to feel. She was much more comfortable observing, but not actually engaging – she couldn’t even look at the man. She awkwardly accompanied Sara to their table.

Noticing that the table was short one chair, Monique watched as Sara effortlessly pulled a chair from an adjoining table – so easy for her to engage. They sat near the woman, Angela as Jenny had introduced them – and an artist as well. This made Monique relax just a bit – but she let Sara do the talking. Of course, Sara relished in diving into another familiar argument – now that there was another participant.

Always the observer, Monique watched Angela intently through the sides of her eyes – all the while engaged in the familiar give and take with Sara. For some unknown reason, she instantly liked Angela – she realized that the man, whom Jenny forgot to introduce to them, and Angela were not a couple after all. But, she sensed confusion in Angela, a distracted introspective look in her eyes – something Monique could relate to given her current situation.

The words “Van Gogh” brought Angela into their conversation … and into Monique’s life…

Artist: Vincent Van Gogh; Author: Mike Evans