Sister Floriana

The Drawing

There was a knock on the cottage door.

"Yes?" Floriana called.

She opened the door to find Sister Diana there. She immediately searched her conscience, but she couldn't figure out any reason why she should be in trouble. 

Diana wasn't angry or cross in the slightest.

"Sister Floriana? I just needed your help with something. I was working in the gardens when I found- I'm sorry, what on Earth is this? Why are there so many ducks in here?"

"Well Pablo wouldn't come in here without a few friends," said Eulalia, holding one of the four ducks in the room in her hands.

"Which one even is Pablo?"

Floriana and Eulalia spoke at the same time:

"I have no idea."

"That one!"

She pointed at the one in her bed. 

"And what did you need Pablo for?"

"Oh! We're making a portrait of him!"

Floriana gestured at the easel she'd set up. Around her room were other works of art, ranging from notepad sketches, to framed portraits. Most of them, Diana hadn't even seen before.

"Is this all... you?" she asked.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean you made all these drawings?"

"Of course! I mean, Pacifica helped on some of them..."

Diana frowned at the most recent one, a framed full-color drawing of the one she'd made of Carmen and Pacifica when they'd lost that bet back in June. It looked almost just like the two girls, except for the flower somehow sprouting from Carmen's head. 

"You did this all in pencil?"

"Yeah."

She sighed and shook her head. "I'm impressed. I never understood how painters get all those little details in. How do you know where to draw all the small lines?"

Floriana laughed. "They had to stand still for a while! You have to look really closely at where the shadows are, how their clothing wrinkles..."

"I can't even manage three dimensions," Diana said. 

"Want me to show you?" 

"No, no," she replied, "I really just need help in the gardens-"

But Floriana was beaming, having that particular look in her eye. She took Diana by the hand, led her to the easel, and handed her a pencil.

"Come on! It's easy!"

"Sister Floriana-" 

"Eula! Assume the position!"

"I'm sorry just what does that-"

Apparently, it meant for Eulalia to pose with one hand on her hip, holding the duck in her hands high aloft with the other. She stayed absolutely still, and so did the duck. It was well-trained. Meanwhile, Pablo was busy nestling himself deeper under Floriana's covers.

"I'll help you draw Sister Eulalia and Ferdinand the Seventh, and then we'll hang it up someplace!"

"How long will this take?"

"Shouldn't take long. Why? What did you find in the gardens?"

In truth, some of the frogs from the pool out by the piney woods had infested the gardens, and had begun to mate. But when she stopped to think about it, did she really have to, right that moment, take Floriana out to the gardens to help her get rid of them, and watch her run around naming each frog, and cry at the thought of taking them down to the pond?

The frogs could wait a few minutes.

Eulalia watched as Sister Diana hesitantly began to sketch lines on the page, knowing she was trying to capture her likeness. Floriana would chime in with a pointer from time to time, handing her an eraser every time she messed up. 

"This is a good eraser," Diana remarked. "I don't think I've ever had one like it."

"It's an artist's eraser," Floriana told her. 

The session went on. The three began to enjoy themselves. Diana's mood got better over time, and she began to get excited over her drawing. She couldn't believe it, but she was happy to be spending time with Sister Floriana!

Eulalia's arm tired, but luckily the portrait was almost done. Floriana and Diana stepped back admiring it.

"So, how's it look?" said Eula, finally putting Ferdinand the Seventh down. 

"How about you see?"

Eulalia came to the other side of the easel and did a double take. 

"It's my first drawing, I know," said Diana.

"You can say that again," said Eulalia.

"Well don't be mean! I said we're gonna hang it up on the wall, and that's what we're gonna do!"

"Surely not our wall?" said Eula. 

"I was thinking more like the hallway," said Floriana, taking the drawing and grabbing some tape. 

"Wait are you sure-" said Diana. 

But Floriana was already out the door with the "masterpiece." Eulalia and Diana looked at each other.

"Better let her down easy," said Eulalia. 

Diana sighed. 

"I need a lot more practice."

"Yeah. You know, when you really think about it, no matter how talented you are, teaching is a talent in itself."

"You're saying I just need a better teacher?"

"Yeah!" said Eula, encouraging her. 

She shrugged. 

"Huh, maybe someday. In the meantime, I need help getting those frogs out of the garden."

"Oh ew!"

"I'm just glad Floriana's out, so she doesn't know about it. Mother Superior said if we can't keep them away, we'll have to destroy them next time."

"Oh no," she replied.

"No use loitering any longer," said Diana. "Only thing to do is to get it done."

"Let's."