Surprisingly, I realized that I had already come to like Aster’s judgments.I liked when he told me what was wrong and where I needed to improve.Every word from him became a truth, a binding statement that would bring me success if I listened—and I couldn’t help but listen.
Then we crossed the hall to the modest bathroom, a dark room by comparison with little to show.Aster picked up the china doll and turned her over in his hands.I like this.Is it yours?he asked idly.
I blushed.“Oh, no.The doll came with the house.”
I see.
“I mean, I like it too,” I corrected, wondering why I found it so difficult to keep up with him.“It’s beautiful.A nice piece of work.Old, too.”
How old?
“I don’t know.”
It appears you didn’t bring much with you when you came, and you haven’t touched much of what was provided to you.
“I’m only trying to be frugal,” I said, blushing at the desperation that had grown apparent in my voice.“Besides, I have much more going on in my head than out here.I like it all.I do.I just wanted to focus on more important things and not ruin anything by my touch.”
Aster now smiled deviously.Who told you that you needed to touch something to ruin it?Stella, you could destroy anything you wanted in a single glance.
He turned around and left the bathroom, abandoning me to interpret what I could of his cryptic comment.I could destroy anything I wanted… but I didn’t want to destroy.I wanted to build, to create.
I turned and faced my pale reflection in the mirror.I tucked some hair behind my ear and repeated Aster’s phrase half out loud to see if I could make any sense of it.Already I had the feeling that his vision stretched deeper into the weave of the universe than my own.Not everything he told me could make sense to me—but that fact did nothing to quell my desire to know more about what he meant to say.
Given the silence that filled the house now, I could have believed that I was here alone.Aster made no sound when he moved, and even when he was in the same room I felt that I could close my eyes and forget all about his presence.I wondered where he was—the kitchen, the living room—and hurried away from the bathroom mirror to catch up with him.
When I found Aster, he was at the base of the stairs, now intently looking at the shipwreck cross on the wall like he wanted to take it apart and put it back together again.He didn’t see me at first, so I swished my skirt and stomped down the last few steps to catch his attention as I joined him.
“So what do you think?”I asked.
Aster’s eyes moved slowly from the cross back to me.He stepped away from the stairs to the kitchen counter, and I followed him like a schoolgirl waiting for direction on a class project.Then he leaned forward, resting his arms on the counter while I walked into the kitchen behind him.
“It’s a nice place, a lot of historical value,” I added.
I didn’t know if Aster was smiling at me gently or if the expression came from the way the light fell on his face from the kitchen window.I never would have guessed.
“But why not?The tower’s over there.You can see this place is old…”
And old is always better than new, do you think?
I caught my breath.Talking to this man was like playing a game, and even if I couldn’t win, I wanted at least to score enough points to feel satisfied.
Aster continued.But of course, you’re too sophisticated to care either way.Old, new, valuable or mundane.That’s how other people would categorize it.How often do you climb up the tower?
This round of the game had already gone to him.I didn’t say anything but swallowed while my stomach shrank to the size of a tightly squeezed fist.
There’s a beach outside.Do you ever visit it?
“I told you, I’ve been busy,” I said.“I only just arrived a little while ago.I was going to visit the beach after I got started with things, after everything was underway.”
Now Aster straightened and pronounced his own victory.Stella, you promised me you would do anything I asked of you.That you would withhold nothing.Is that still the case?
I nodded tightly.
Then smile for me.
“Smile?”I frowned instead, and the irony was not lost on me while I waited for him to explain.
You are the artist, the commander of this endeavor.Everything you wish has already been granted to you.If you wish to work with me, then smile, and you and I will spend a day out on the beach.
