Paintings
A short story
The fishermen’s settlement seemed to be the last place until the end of the world. A pile of collapsed stone over the edge of the sea.
People were pulling poverty from the seashore to their homes and back. Or what was left of their homes that had been hit by an earthquake two years ago. All the houses had cracked walls, and some of them had no roofs. People were in the wind, rain, frost, and heavenly mercy.
Maria was a frail and silent girl.
Her parents had disappeared with a fishing boat during a storm.
She works on repairing fishing nets, cleaning boats, and other utensils needed by fishermen. For this, she receives food, fish, and sometimes a few pennies.
Her passion was drawing, and she dreamed that she could paint on canvas. The first drawing paper and pencils for drawing were bought from a locality four hours away on foot. She asked the seller if there was a place where drawings could be sold. That was the city, could find out more if she read a newspaper. Also had money to buy a newspaper and a book for learning to read.
After more than a year, she arrived in the city, sold almost twenty drawings, bought everything she needed to be able to paint, ate a cake and ice cream for the first time in her life.
