Tea time with graph (2)
Starting with the portrait of the Bellunite couple, three harmonious people were inscribed. The center also featured a young Vincent.
Paula clicked her tongue as she looked at the cute child with a bright smile.
[How did this happen? What a pity..."]
People say it only takes a moment to change. She could not imagine that little Vincent, standing in this frame, would lose his sight and be locked in his room.
Paula took a quick look around the building, then walked out the back door and took a leisurely stroll through the garden. It was an outbuilding hidden behind the largest and most luxurious mansion, but there was also a garden. If you go out the back door you will see a small garden, and if you go back to the front there will be a larger garden.
She saw the garden for the first time. It was nice to look at the well-groomed trees and flowers. It was wonderful, as if even the trampled weeds were managed. Paula felt the sincere hands of the gardeners.
The weather today was very good.
It was almost too good.
[The weather is nice now, so how about tea in the garden?]
Returning from a walk in the garden, Paula smiled widely as she read the letter in gold letters that arrived today. This is it!
- How about having tea in the garden today?
So Paula proposed to him over lunch. However, Vincent immediately frowned.
- What nonsense.
She thought it was a good suggestion, but he apparently didn't like it. But today the weather was very good. The sun rarely broke through the clouds, and warm air floated around. Being stuck inside on a day like today was poison.
- They say that sometimes it’s good to go outside.
- Nobody should see me.
“Wouldn’t it be a big deal if it was only for a short time?”
Moreover, Paula could not see any of the servants either in the garden or in this annex. There were no people around. It seemed that the outbuildings and garden were deliberately blocking the servants' access. So there will be no risk of someone watching.
- How to get there?
- I'll take you there!
When Paula screamed energetically, his face scrunched up in displeasure. Despite this, she helped him prepare to leave. It was easy to find clothes for him to wear because she had prepared them in advance. Of course, Vincent refused, but she really wanted to take him to the garden today.
It was very difficult to take every step. He gritted his teeth and gathered strength into his legs.
- I'll fall along the way.
- In that case, I will take you there well.
Even his voice trembled when he spoke. Holding both hands tightly, she took another step. A sigh was heard from behind.
“I couldn’t serve you well enough that your feet are dragging.”
Paula carried him, half asleep, with her back half bent. It was natural for his long legs to drag along the floor since he was taller than her. His body was full, even after taking up all the space on her back. Besides, it was quite heavy. So it was an inevitable situation.
She had to endure many hardships to walk with him on her back. She was thin and was taken by surprise.
- Now go back to my room.
- Mister, I don't want to. Ah, ha, please move your legs a little. Hah, please be patient. Please.
Paula insisted on his excuse. She really wanted to take him outside. She could have supported his decision and carried him away, but she decided to carry him because she was afraid that he would not leave. She grabbed his dangling arms tightly and took a step forward with all her might.
She managed to reach the garden, although she walked with difficulty, supporting the weight from above. Meanwhile, her whole body was covered in sweat, but she was proud that he was sitting on a chair in the garden. She smiled widely and wiped the sweat from her face.
A light breeze blew his golden hair. His face moved in the wind.
- Where are we?
- This is the garden behind the outbuilding. It's not that far, but I brought us here because there is a table here and it would be nice to sit and enjoy tea here. I think this is a place that even workers don't pass by.
So, everything was poorly organized and chaotic, but she did it in a primitive way. She often noticed this table whenever she looked out the window. She thought it was very strange that it was placed in the garden behind the outbuilding, but she had never thought that it could be used in this way. No one passed by the outbuilding, so naturally there were no people nearby.
Vincent didn't ask for more. He just felt the wind. Seeing his slightly relaxed face, she concluded that he didn't seem to hate it. Paula thought he was going to tell her to come back, but luckily he didn't.
Paula smiled and placed the prepared foods on the table in order. She then took his hand and made him grab the handle of the cup. Then she poured hot tea there. This was the tea he drank the other day.
He must have really enjoyed drinking Nobel black tea, and the tea leaves she received as a gift quickly ran out. She asked the golden letters where she could buy them, and they sent her three new ones.
[Tell me if you need more.]
Paula has been feeling good lately, the golden letters seem to belong to a really good person.
“Be sure to write a response with words of gratitude.”
- It's delicious.
- You had it last time.
- I know. It tastes different.
He looked relaxed as he sipped his tea. He really liked it. Because of this, Paula had often served him tea lately. It was especially good to use it for calming purposes when there were signs of aggression.
- I would like to read a book here today.
- Another boring book.
- No. This is an adventure novel. Sir Chris - no, I heard you like it.
Paula was about to mention Ethan, but quickly cut herself off. Now this name was taboo for him. Somehow it all worked out that way. She grabbed the book she had hidden under her side and sat down on the chair opposite.
She opened the book, cleared her throat and slowly opened her mouth.
The pace was slow, with a feel that gave him plenty of time to imagine, the pronunciation was clear, and she made sure to breathe between them. Paula read the book, remembering in her mind the places that Vincent had pointed out.
Her voice became smoother than before as she read the book. Even thinking about it, she was quite satisfied. Moreover, this time there was no criticism from Vincent. It was at that moment that she realized this and was happy inside.
- How do you look?
(r.p.: don’t forget that he is blind)
An unexpected question came out of his mouth. Paula stopped reading and looked up. He put the cup on the table and looked at it. As soon as she met those emerald eyes, her mind went blank. That's why she couldn't tell right away.
She never thought he would ask her this question.
- Um, why are you interested in this?
- Because I'm curious. I want to know what your shameless face looks like.
- I will read the next sentence.
Ignoring his words, Paula lowered her head back to the book. She thought about turning the conversation in a different direction.
But suddenly the long tip of a finger touched her bangs. It was a light touch. It was so insignificant that it could hardly be called contact. But Paula jumped up from her seat in surprise, as if he had just touched her face.
Behind her came the sound of a chair tipping over. She managed to hold on to the shaking table from the sudden rebound. The book rolled on the floor. Raising his hands up, Vincent opened his eyes wide. It was a surprised face.
The wind blew and blew.
- Oh, here... Oh, you suddenly tried to touch my face... Sorry.
Paula pulled the table over and put the chair back. She picked up the book that had fallen on the floor and put it on the table.
He said with a calm face.
- Why are you so surprised? I said I want to know what you look like.
“Then why are you trying to touch my face?”
- I can't see it, so I need to touch it to find out.
Paula sat down on a chair and looked at him. Her opponent couldn't see her. So unless someone tells him what her face looks like, he'll never know. And now when he asks like that, it seems like no one told him.
- How do you look?
- I look fine.
- How?
Paula couldn't tell what people were pointing at that face. She bit her lip and wondered how to distract his attention.
- What does it look like?
- I'll tell you later. First I'll read the book.
“When you hide it like that, it makes me even more curious.”
-...
But it didn't work. He moved his fingers as if he was going to reach out again. Paula looked at his fingertips with concern.
- I'm a little short of height.
- I know that. Something different.
-...My hair reaches my chest.
- Final length?
- No... I cut them off some time ago.
Paula didn't know because she didn't look in the mirror, but before she knew it, her hair had grown to the point where it was annoying. So a few days ago she cut it off with scissors to the top of her breasts.
In fact, long hair was burdensome. Her unkempt hair was curly, and the back of her head was useless, even if it was long. It also made it difficult for her to work, so she had to tie them at the back. However, the fact that she didn't interrupt it was her last straw of pride. Even if her hair were short, there would be nothing feminine left in her body.
- Do you have curly hair? I have straight and curly hair.
- Me too... A little.
- Hmm...
He groaned briefly, thought about something for a moment, and then extended his hand again. For a moment, her body tensed, thinking that the fingertips would point towards her face again.
But this time he did not turn to face her. It was her hair that an outstretched hand carefully touched, as if searching for something, stirring the air.
He grabbed the tip of her wavy hair and touched it.
- Really. The ends are bent.
-...
Touching the tip of her curled hair with his thumb, he smiled softly. Paula looked at his hand playfully touching the top of her head.
- AND?
- And... and... What are you interested in?
- All. Tell me in detail.
Give him any idea, he wants it himself.
Paula muttered something, but she had a hard time getting the words out. She never used language to describe what she looked like. She didn't like it and it wasn't worth it.
-Are you thin?
“Yes, I’m too thin, to the point that I look ugly.”
She had already gained some weight, but until she came here, she was considered too thin, and she grew up hearing that she looked like a corpse when she moved.
- I'm normal.
- Do you have big eyes?
- They're big. When I was young, I often heard that you can only notice me by my eyes.
- What's wrong with your nose?
- This…
When she tried to answer his rapidly flowing questions, all that came out was a lie. Except for the length of her hair and the size of her eyes, everything she said was not true. And these lies came together to create one man. Oddly enough, it was Alicia who completed her description.
“Unlike me, my sister is so beautiful.”