The model
A thinly veiled piece of autobiographical writing.
Enchanting. ‘Think ethereal’, he says. Oh gawd. What? Yeah, ethereal, I can do that. Hmm. Look vacantly into the distance. ‘Yes! That’s good! That’s good’. They both laugh, sharing the joke. ‘ Now, do that again and hold it ’. Fifteen seconds of extra long ethereal later she breaks the pose. ‘Can I’ve a look?’ He nods. She tiptoes through the darkened studio to peer into the tiny viewfinder. Ah yes, there it is! ethereal
Amanda had a good idea what the photographer wanted. He was good at getting something classic, something more mature and earthly into the vision in a way she had never been able to. It was a lot of fun. Stand, lights flash, change props, do it again. Addictive.
A lot like pac man. It was a secret obsession, fixation, pass time. It was meant to be deleted during a computer clean up. Now, with hours at her disposal and nothing official she was ‘supposed’ to be doing, why not? The game was a challenge, an addiction, a guilt pleasure. Not ethereal. Not really real anyways.
The cough she had was real. Dry. Hack. Cough-hack, hack, hack. All sorts of ‘you deserve it’ kind of statements banter around her head. It is a custom to blame the sick. You are sick because…because you don’t eat enough healthy food. (Not true). Because you feel helpless right now. (A bit true).
More likely because she had looked after sick children the last two weekends. (Tick-real truth). One who had also been awake at night with a dry hacking cough. Poor dear. She had held the little girl in her arms while she coughed in the night. Her eyes rolling back in her head, delirious. She had given her medicine and tucked her back in. Mum and Dad did the rest, the rest of the week.
People love being sick. Haha. Gives them something to talk about, to focus on. An excuse not to do other things. And excuse not to do as much, An excuse to avoid something. What a price to pay. Alright if someone looks after you.
The photographer hesitated while she coughed up a lung. ‘Are you ok?’
The model smiled. She felt ethereal. She floated above the burning pain in her chest. Eyes watering. Click. And hold that…
It was the best photo yet.
michael51
Nice writing sunset is this going to be a novel??
Samantha Van S... replied
well, it has been on my mind I perhaps will write for publication. It’s not the best paying profession in the world though!
michael51
yes its also like that with most of the arts I have been trying for 35 years in music and art thats why I am a nurse to earn money haha
Samantha Van S... replied
argh! I do earn some money doing it, but yes, gotta be a balance, doesn’t it!
michael51
you can that again haha
Lisa Jewell
I really enjoyed reading this….........fantastic writing, Sunset…
Samantha Van S... replied
thanks Lisa! fun to write.
not autobiographical either, hahaha. (sure!)