Acrylic on canvas – 12 x 12 inch – Unique work

Gigi loves colors. Every color brings back a memory—a memory from childhood, adolescence, her life as a woman, and now, the end of her life.

For some time now, even though she wakes up alert and in a good mood, extreme fatigue hits her first thing in the morning. She struggles to get out of bed and finds it hard to catch her breath; every movement is a torture. She has lost her appetite, too. She used to love cooking herself delicious meals, but now she buys frozen food and simply heats it up in the microwave.

As she dislikes complaining, she didn’t say anything to anyone. Her son suspects something, but he didn’t press the issue. Nor did she mention her fall down the stairs—which, fortunately, left her with nothing more than a few bruises and a lingering fear that she still feels months after the incident.

Today, despite all that, Gigi is on a mission. She is determined to get her hands on a painting she bought ages ago—one that has never left her side. She had taken it down because the nail had fallen out, just like her! Her son, seeing it lying on the floor and realizing she might trip over it, simply put it away somewhere—but where? He assured her he had put it in a safe place, yet he couldn’t remember exactly where.

So there she is, wandering through the basement at first, shifting boxes, scraps of cloth, blankets, old clothes, and decorations that were half-broken—or completely smashed. No, nothing there. She decides to venture into the darker, dimmer area: the cellar. She hates that place. The smell makes her feel sick, the cobwebs repulses her, and the mouse droppings scattered here and there are the last straw! Still, she has no choice; she has to find her favorite painting, whatever it takes.

Just as she is giving up hope, she opens the last door of that old, rickety wardrobe. She catches sight of it. There it is, waiting for her. It is intact. How good that pink and green heart makes her feel. She clasps it in her arms, holding it as tightly as she can. She slowly makes her way back to the living room, settles into her armchair, and gazes at it. She smiles with her whole soul.