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- 08/12/2022
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Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you.
ARROW - 64. Chapter 64
Saturday morning, after breakfast, we went shopping., we had a son to clothe. Colin and I had a great time, under wear, pants, shirts, new shoes, socks, a jacket and a cap. Lunch was pizza, dressed in new clothes, we headed to the gallery to show grandmother.
When we arrived, Thomas went to where his painting was hung. It wasn’t there. Walking into the office, Thomas was crying.
“What’s wrong?”
“His painting is gone.”
“Yes, the artist sold it to an older couple.”
“Thomas, I’m sorry.”
“Dad, the painting reminded me of my mother and dad. When I sat there, it reminded me of them.”
“Do you have a picture of your mom and dad?”
“Yes, but it is all wrinkled.”
“Let me see it.”
He pulled a photo out of his pocket. He was right, it was difficult to even make out who was who.
Colin looked at me, I knew what he told me to do without saying a word. I would paint a portrait of his mother and father. It will hang here in the gallery.
When we took Thomas back to the orphanage on Sunday evening, I asked for his parents name and if the had a photo of them. They had their name, but no photos.
That evening the apartment felt empty. “Colin, I need a picture of his parents in order to paint them.”
“I’ll call my friend at the newspaper and see if he can find a photo. Do you have a date when Thomas entered the orphanage?”
“No, but I can get it tomorrow.”
“Call me if you have it. I’ll start preparing the canvas and I’ll see what I can get from his photo. I’d like to have it finished for this week-end.”
Monday morning I went to the Orphanage and asked about a photo of Thomas’s mom and dad. That, they didn’t have but they did have the date when Thomas came to Orphanage. I asked would it be possible for him to arrive the same time as his parents death. “Thomas has a photo but it is in bad shape. I want to paint a portrait of his parents for him. He use to come to my gallery and sit in front of a painting of a man and woman. He said it reminded him of his mother and father. The painting was sold, and I want to paint one of his parents.”
“Are you planning on adopting him.”
“Yes, but there is some things that need to be done before I’ll be in a position to start the adoption process. In the mean time, I need to give him a painting to remind him of his birth parents.”
“I’m sorry, we don’t have a photo.”
Leaving, I phone Colin and gave him the information I received at the orphanage.
“Do they have any idea of when the accident occurred.”
“No we have nothing except the date he was enrolled.”
“Okay, I’ll see what I can find out. What is his last name?”
“Wait, his last name is Chase.”
“Okay. I’ll give you call when I get the info.”
I went home and started to prepare a canvas for painting.
Colin came home but didn’t have the information, he said his friend at the paper said it would take a while to go through the back log.
“I wonder if the library would have old copies of the paper.”
“You can check that out tomorrow.”
In the morning after Colin left for work, I headed to the local library. Arriving, I told the woman at the desk what I was looking for. She sent me to a desk with microfiche reader.
I had used one at Yale, so I wasn’t completely ignorant but I needed help. I went and asked her to help me. She wanted to know exactly what I was looking for, I told her. She came to my desk and soon I had copies of the local paper starting at the year that Thomas went to the orphanage. Watching her, I was able to move the time frame to an earlier date. I estimated that the accident must have occurred within a month before Thomas was admitted to the orphanage.
Leafing through the paper, page by page, was slow work. I had to read each line, look at every photo. The first two weeks, nothing, then I saw a head line about an accident involving a car and a semi on Interstate 95. According to the article, the semi was pulling over into the right lane and didn’t see the car driven by Mr. Thomas Chase. Mr and Mrs Chase was killed and a young boy sleeping in the back seat wasn’t hurt. This was the accident that killed Thomas parents. Now for a picture.
I asked the librarian if I could print off the article. She came over and pressed a few buttons. “The photo copy you can pick up at the desk.”
I continued to scan the paper and now I had to include the obituaries. I found out the name of the mortuary that handled the burial. I had the librarian print that page off. I continued to read but there was no more information.
Going to the desk for the copies, I knew I had to pay something, it was 2 dollars. I gave her 20 and told her to add the change to their collection box.
As soon as I got home I called Colin and told him what I found. I put another coating of sealant one the canvas and the left to go to the mortuary and see if they had a photo of Mr.and Mrs. Chase.
I knew some Mortuary’s took a photo of the individual so that they can make the individual appear normal. I wasn’t sure they did that with accident victims.
Arriving at the mortuary, I went to the office. I had my photo copies with me.
Knocking on the office door, a young lady open the door. I introduced myself and asked to see the director. She said he wasn’t in could she help. I showed her a copy of the newspaper stating that the Chases were sent to this mortuary for burial. I further explained that their son was in an orphanage and wanted a picture of his parents.
She went to a book, looked up the date and name.
“Yes, we did do the interment.”
“Do you have photos?”
“I need to check the files which are in the basement.” I had Thomas’s photo so I could make a judgement call.
I waited about 30 minutes when she came back. “These are the only photos we have of Mr. and Mrs. Chase. It was a closed casket.”
I looked at the photos she had, I pulled Thomas’s photo and made a comparison. With the two, I had a good idea of what they looked like.
With the photos she had and Thomas’s photo, I thought I could paint a likeness that would satisfy Thomas.
“Can you give me a copy of these photos?”
“You can have these.”
“Thank you. If you would like to see a final painting of this couple, go to the gallery across from Yale. You can’t miss it.”
Now I had everything I needed to start painting.
Colin came home, “The paper didn’t have anything but I had some names of their friends. He said when the accident was reported, people called when they heard who was involved.”
“I have these photos from the mortuary who was responsible for their interment.”
“Is that enough?”
“To start yes. I think with his photo, I can come fairly close.”
I put another coat of white paint on the canvas. Tomorrow I’ll start painting.
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Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you.
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