The Painter of Time

Don’t ask me when I started to admire him as a protagonist but surely he has a substantial mark on my life’s journey as well.

This story “The Painter of Time” is of an individual whom I met and defined first time as a lean stature of dark complexion; a teacher; a father of three kids; a husband and an ardent self-believer. I met him first time in an art exhibition which was his creation or his world. I submitted one of my paintings on themed exhibition called ‘Deforestation is Death’ containing a tree with single leaf upon a skull with a headline stating- This Could Be the Last Leaf of Hope. Knowing I have interest in paintings; the painter started to admire and shared his work with me to decorate the exhibition which now I am pretty sure was his only solace in this world.

The Painter used to bicycle daily at school with his kids along a long sack of brown colour. I never saw him gossipping with other teachers or spending time at fields but peeked at him while passing to his usual room with stack of notebooks or pencil & papers.

My next interaction with the painter happened when I was at the grounds with friends playing cricket while bunking the science class and was caught to be punished for it. Don’t know whether it’s appropriate for a teacher to punish a student or not but we were of that sort if not beaten could not have learnt a lesson at all. As the science teacher was pleased to beat us with a thin cane to teach a lesson of bunking his class; he passed from us and called upon my name to come after this class. Initially; I was ashamed to meet him as he had seen me at that time but being a normal routine for me of engagements of these sorts; I went to him.

He discussed me about a craft exhibition without uttering a single word about the untoward incident that rarely passed an hour ago. What could be done to make it a success or enlarge its scale to a higher level from last year or how to incorporate new ideas while giving different themes to the craft exhibition?

We chatted for an hour and at last he told me to come to him tomorrow again for further planning of the exhibition. When I was about to depart from there; the science teacher came and then the painter patted at my shoulder to applaud me for whatever we have discussed. Now; I knew his method of solacing students with faith rather publicising it. That year was the last time when I got whichever punishment from any of the teachers and as usual did my best to make the craft exhibition to be a success.  

As of the Painter of Time; I know very well that he passed his legacy to us in myriad ways and painted a world out of his own legacy with efficacy.