Picturesque
The early orange glaze of sunlight gazes on the house, seeping into the white rectangular blinds. It bounces against the marble countertop, strewn with dirty dishes, and against the clock on the wall. The clock chimes as the hour passes, and once more. The wooden bird peeks out of its home in the dainty box, nailed to the wall.
The small shoes and large shoes litter the entranceway, where the sun now aims its gaze. They’re gritty and worn, holes ripped through soles and laces. A pink backpack is tossed against the wall, where situated above is a painting. A child’s hand is illustrated over a much larger hand. The frame is dusty and crooked.
Other pictures line the walls, one, containing the smiling faces of a happy family, a mother, a father, and a little girl, all beaming widely. The girl is missing her front teeth, and the parents hold the girl tightly, as if she meant everything to them.
Beyond the front hall laid the living room, with a well-used coach and the coffee table, where a child’s drawings are shuffled about. A bowl of chocolate sweets are set in the middle, which is chipped in the corner and houses dozens of tiny scratches.
There’s a frame in this room too. It’s a soft, mellow brown, with a date scribbled underneath. The mother is holding a baby tucked in a lilac blanket. She’s happy. Behind her, the father is smiling dearly at the woman, with his hands wrapped around her waist. He’s happy.
Circling the room reveals dozens of pictures. The light touches most memories in the early morning. However, in the corner lies a shadow.
The frame appears rough and ragged, and the glass looks almost shattered. The girl is sitting on top of the father’s shoulder, smiling, but there’s something missing. The mother holds the father’s hand, but her eyes are distracted. A small crack runs down between the daughter and her father from the mother. The park in the background seemed ironic, for it was lively and blooming, but this family did not.
The morning sun travelled across the room, brightening memories and photos of a time in the past. They revealed the lovely family and their care for another. It was picturesque, the peace and calm captured in the photos.
But at the same time, there was something else in this family. It was never said, and never told. It made one think, maybe, just maybe, there were a few memories best kept in the dark.
