The Girl with a shark tattoo

My name is Paul Brush. I am a celebrated artist the world over. Though I have experience in many different types of art, I specialize in realistic paintings. I have been ever since I was a kid. When I was 6, I had found that I had enjoyed doing it. By the time I was 10, I realized that I wanted to pursue the arts for a living. My parents (though they had loved me a great deal) believed that this may not the best venue for my future career and should just be seen as a hobby. They say this because there is going to be a lot of competition for this career and no guarantee that I will have anything to show for my endeavors. As stubborn as I was (and still am), I had decided to pursue this as my career.

When I was 11, I had decided to get a part time job as a newspaper boy. The money I made (as meager as it was) was for art school. I had also decided to start recycling cans and bottles for extra money. I had also saved the money I had received from family members from birthdays. Slowly but surely, my funds were increasing. By the time I was 17, I almost had enough for art school. I was a few grand short. It was also around that time, I met the first love of my life. Her name was Yuina Hinami.

She was a new student, so naturally, she didn't have many friends. She seemed a bit reclusive, but that didn't stop me from wanting to be with her. At first, what I had felt for her was nothing but lust. As a teenage boy, that only seemed natural.

Eventually as I had gotten to know her however, it was love. I had decided to officially introduce myself the second day she was here. It was lunch time where I had first spoken to her. I had asked her if I could join her for lunch. She just shrugged, so I sat down next to her. I had pulled out my lunch. It was nothing fancy, just a peanut butter and banana sandwich. She had a small box which had some triangle shaped food. Of course now, I know it's onigiri (or rice balls). At the time however, it was nothing like I had ever seen.

I took a look at it and asked her what it was. She responded: "It's a jelly donut. What's it look like?" I then said: "That's a nice attitude you have there. Does it work on all of your friends?" She then sighed and apologized and said that her parents had told to be very wary of the boys in this school. They heard about the teenage pregnancies that have been happening in the states.

I then said, that's understandable. I also told her that I'm having difficulties with my parents as well. I then told her that I wanted to be an artist for a living and that they didn't fully support me in my ambition to do so.

After that lunch, we continued spending more time together. After a month, we had decided to officially become a couple. The love I had for her, was greater than my desire to become an artist.

On my 18th birthday, Yuina had told me she had a surprise for me. She told me she would swing by my place after dinner with her family. She had arrived at 730 at my place in her Honda CRX. She showed up with a paint brush, an easel, some paint and a drawing board.

We went to my room and she took off her clothes. She wanted to serve as my muse. I remembered her body perfectly. Her measurements were 34 by 23 by 34. Of course, I never measured them, but as an artist, I had developed the skill of getting a measurement for something just by looking at it. However, that was not the most interesting part of her body. It was the tattoo of the tiger shark, that had rested on her hip.

As I was painting, I had asked her about the tattoo. She said she had gotten it on her 18th birthday. She also told me that she identified with sharks a great deal. Much like herself, many people had judged her before they had the chance to get to know her.

She talked about how when people first see her, they just see her as another woman of Japanese decent. While it's true that she was, there was much more to her than that. She had a great appreciation for marine life and had dreams of becoming a Marine biologist.

It took roughly an hour, but I had finished the painting to completion. Afterwards, we had made passionate love. It was the first time for the both of us, so we wanted to make sure that we did it just right. While it's true that practice makes perfect, the first time also tends to be the charm.

After our passionate love making we decided to shower together before her departure. Due to the fact that it was a school night, her parents wanted her home before midnight.

After our shower, we dried off, put our clothes on and I walked her to the car. We promised to see each other tomorrow. Unfortunately, for the both of us, promises don't always work out as they intended.

The next morning, we had received word from our teacher, that Vanessa had died on the way back to her house. She was killed by a drunk driver. I bolted out of the classroom in tears and cried in the hall.

I had attended her funeral the later that week. It was also the first time that I had met her parents, which was awkward in every sense of the word. I slowly approached them and introduced myself. I also apologized for what had happened to their daughter and that I feel partially at fault for what happened.

They did not see it that way. If anything, they were glad to meet me. They told me ever since the two of them had met, they have noticed that their daughter was the happiest she has ever been. They told me that she wouldn't stop thinking or talking about me as well as my ambitions to become an artist.

At which point, the handed me an envelope. It was filled with a couple thousand dollars. I asked them what it was for. They told me that it was the money from Yuina's bank account. They had decided that I should have it in order to pursue my career as an artist.

With the money I saved (plus the money Yuina's parents had given me) I could afford to go to art school. I had enrolled the first September after I graduated from High School.

After 4 years, I had graduated with a Master's degree in art. After which, I had my pieces in art shows, local museums and private galleries. During which, I had met my wife, Haruna. She had reminded me of Vanessa in so many ways.

Five years later, we were wed. A year after that, we were blessed with twins. A boy and a girl. The boy we had decided to name Ren (after Haruna's grandfather) and the girl we decided to name Yuina.

When we had the baptism ceremony, we had decided to have Yuina's parents to be their Godparents. Since they had lost their only daughter and had given me the money to pursue my dream, it was the least I could do for them.

Looking back at my life, I have to say, that I was really glad that I had met Yuina and that I miss her everyday. Not only that, she was my muse. In every sense of the word.