Works of Art

Date/Timing: 21 September 2006
Setting: art classroom, Bastien & Anaïs' school; Berlin, Germany
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Bastien tilts his head left.
Anaïs' brush goes /shiff against her painting.
He tilts right.
She swishes the brush in the cleaning solution.
He glowers, growls.
„What's wrong?“ she asks.
«My painting /sucks.» Frustrated gesture. «This looks /nothing like our back garden.»
She peers over his shoulder. „Is that a shed?“
«It's supposed to be a /tree!» Drags a hand over his face, wails, «I /suck at art!»
„But your drawings are so pretty!“
Bastien scoffs.
„They really are!“ Smiles. „That bird's really cute, too.“
«What bird?»
„That one.“ Anaïs points.
«That's a bird/house!» Sulks, mutters, «I should just give up painting before I make an idiot of myself.»
„I'm sure you'll get better with more practice.“
Bastien sighs spectacularly.
„Would you look at mine and tell me what you think?“
«Sure.» He shuffles over, looks—double-takes, stares open-mouthed. 
„What's wrong? Is it awful?“
«It's beautiful!»
„Really?“
«It's a work of /Art! It belongs in a /museum!»
„Don't tease me, Bunny,“ she scolds, poking his side.
«I'm not!» Waves his arms. «It's really, really cool!»
She ducks her head, says quietly, „Thank you.“
«This place look familiar, though.» Squints harder. «Is it somewhere famous?»
„I don't think so? It's Grandfather's house at the sea.“
«I /swear I've seen it before.»
„There are a /lot of houses like it, I guess.“
«Yea, but ... that corner—» Points to the spot where the stone wall meets the bluff. «—the wind kinda swirls around and makes a curvy little dune, right?»
Anaïs narrows her eyes. „How do you know that?“
«I just—» Shrugs. «—do?»
They stare at her painting for a while.
„Maybe ....“ Anaïs takes a deep breath. „Maybe we have the same grandfather?“
«I doubt it. My grandfather who's alive is this big guy who laughs a lot and can't speak French.»
Anaïs slumps a bit. „That doesn't sound at all like mine.“ Fiddles with the end of her braid. „Grandfather rarely laughs.“
Bastien edges closer, whispers, «Are you scared of him?»
„A little.“ Shifts her feet. „He's very important and it's /very /important we make him happy.“
«Sounds like my father,» snickers Bastien.
Anaïs smiles, shyly. „He sort of does, doesn't he?“
«Oh my God! What if my father and your grandfather are /the /same /person!»
„I've never seen your father ....“
«And I haven't seen your grandfather ....»
They exchange a look.
«It can't be.»
„But what if it is?“
«We'd be family,» grins Bastien.
Anaïs beams.
Category:Ficlet
Category:Berlin (setting)
Category:Bastien
Category:Bastien's POV
Category:Bastien (ficlet)
Category:Anais
Category:Anais (ficlet)
Category:Langlais (mention)
Category:Klaus (mention)
Category:Lars (mention)
Category:Ficlets with images
Category:Langlais villa