Hues of an Abstract Mind (Arte del Amor #4)

Chapter 13

"What am I looking at?" seryosong tanong ni Ambrose habang pinagmamasdan ang pinapakita ko sa kaniyang painting sa cellphone ko. Galing kami sa canteen at paakyat kami ngayon sa classroom nila.

We took the stairs, but don't worry, I prayed for my life.

Inayos ko ang pagkakahawak ko sa cellphone para mas pagtuonan niya 'yon nang pansin, pero syempre ay binigyan ko siya ng view para makaakyat pa siya sa hagdanan nang maayos.

Laking pasasalamat ko na nga at napatingin ko siya rito habang nagbabasa siya ng libro niya.

It's the trashy digital art that I did after so many attempts. "I made that, and I need your honest opinion. Emphasis on the honest."

We finally reached their floor and we moved aside to not block the stairwell.

He grabbed my phone along with my hand that was holding it, and moved it closer to his eyes. Dangerously close. "I have bad eyesight, due for a change of lens," he reminded me.

I can see that.

"Is it good?" tanong ko dahil ang tagal niya nang nakatingin doon.

"I am no artist. Everything is good to me--" he said, and that is most definitely not true. He is very critical when he has to analyze things. The pieces of literature they read for school aren't safe from his critiques either.

And somehow, his opinion matters to me.

"Don't lie to me just because I am your friend!"

I need an honest opinion here, alright. If I ask my family, they would tell me the same thing over and over again, they'll say that it is beautiful. They say it instinctively so I won't have to ask them thousands of times.

Point is, I hear that thing too much and I'm starting to not believe it.

He exhaled through his mouth. "You have to give me a basis here, Pierre. What is good and what is not?"

"Okay," I started thinking about what he could compare it to. "Remember the displays back in the student center one time when the art department had an exhibit? 'Yung mga tinuro ko sa'yo noon. Ang mga 'yon."

He looked at me, "I think these are not yet up to par."

Ouch.

Okay, I asked for his honest opinion.

"But that doesn't mean it ends here. You're great at what you do. This new thing that you're trying is good, and I don't doubt that you'll be better at it anytime soon."

Ang galing niyang mambola o manuyo o kung ano man 'to. Alam niya ba 'yon?

"Normally, magtatampo ako sa'yo dahil sinabi mo na hindi pa masyadong maganda ang gawa ko," panimula ko. Ambang magsasalita siya pero inunahan ko siya, "but this is what I needed."

He smiled a little, "Now, do you want to know what I think if you hadn't asked me for a technical opinion?"

"Fire away,"

"I think it's good. Not everyone could do that."

It was his turn to make me smile. "Mind if I show it to Kaius?" tanong niya.

Not at all, I shook my head.

Nabigla ako nang nakita niya na palang paparating si Kaius kaya niya tinanong 'yon. Ambrose grabbed him by the shoulder and forcefully made him look at my phone.

"Wow, ang ganda! Gawa mo, Montagna?"

Ambrose shot me a look, then pushed Kaius away. The poor guy seemed totally confused with what had just happened but had no choice but to turn away.