A street artist who adamantly refuses to draw a young couple ultimately gives in to their requests—but after their sudden death, it becomes clear that his refusal was no accident.
JASMINE AND KALEB
ARTIST
Appears to be 40 years old. Lives alone, collecting old vinyl records and feeding the stray cats in the neighborhood. He is meticulous and reserved in conversation, values his free time, prides himself on his craftsmanship, and finds external chaos taxing.
A pleasant October day. Caleb and Jasmine emerge from a new coffee shop. The venue had already become tiresome for the guy even before his first visit: he had heard numerous accounts of the delicious and unique cheesecake served there. The man, however, did not agree. To his palate, the dessert tasted entirely ordinary, no better than what was available at the grocery store across from his house. But what could he do? He genuinely wanted to delight his girlfriend—after all, they had been together for a whole year, and going to a new place with the one he loved was no big deal. Not counting the $20 for two coffees and two slices of cake.
Standing on the street, Jasmine holds out her phone, and the guy leans in, trying to get in the shot.
Click
They are looking at the result: the girl is smiling. Only the chin and a piece of the nose are visible from the guy.
— You’re quite the photographer. It’s actually our anniversary too!
A young woman is laughing while handing him her phone.
— Come on, go for it! Your arms are longer anyway.
He takes and raises the phone higher. Now both of them fit in the frame.
Click
In the photograph, a girl has her eyes closed.
— Ah, now that’s different.
— Are you serious?
— I turned out well. Didn’t I?
She tries to grab the phone. He raises it high above his head. Jasmine shoves him with her shoulder.
— Give that back! That’s my phone!
Smiling, he hands over the phone. The girl prepares to take another photo, but lowers her hand.
— We still have cheesecake left.
— The cheesecake will last until evening, right before it ends up in our stomachs. But I’m talking about something memorable!
— That’s true.
A young woman smiles sadly. A young man takes her hand and leads her deeper into the alleyways.
— We will figure something out.
The girl grips his hand tighter.
Walking through the small streets, the girl’s attention is drawn to drawings displayed on a small stand. She stops, gently pulling the guy along.
On one caricature, there is a fisherman with a giant fish in a tiny boat. On another, a cyclist racing down a steep slope.
The girl examines the faces, shifting her gaze from one drawing to the next.
— Look how cool this is!
— Yeah, it looks really fun.
A painter sits next to the stand. He meticulously puts the pencils into his pencil case.
The young woman turns toward the man.
— Why don’t they draw us!
He looks at the drawings, then at her.
— Why not.
They approach the artist. The girl is curious:
— Hello. Can we order a portrait?
The artist closes the pencil case without looking up at the couple.
— My day is finished for today.
— Absolutely not? I’m willing to offer you double the price if you dedicate some time to us! — the guy persuades.
— No.
— Please, today is our anniversary; put yourself in our shoes, — she explains. — We want something special. We already have plenty of photos.
— I can only wish you a happy celebration.
The artist replies coolly, putting the drawings into a folder.
