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it a comfortable modern vibe.
    After David had wandered through the Metropolitan Museum of
Art a couple of weeks ago, a visit he made whenever he could, he had met a
young woman outside selling her art to anyone she could. David had struck up a
conversation with her and was truly interested in her work. She painted with
oils, not at all unique, but her images were soulful, interesting and she
obviously had an amazing talent. He had given her his card and she had given
him her name and phone number. Now, as David stood looking at the bare brick
walls, he envisioned her art hanging before him.
    Lou, as she called herself, was self-taught. Her nose and
lip held gold rings and both ears had many holes poked through them. Her hair
was short and blue and David had thought she looked like a jewelry-clad smurf.
But oh how she was talented. Most of her pieces were of people, faces mainly.
She captured such emotion; her paintings were a window to the soul. He would
bet she wasn’t any older than about twenty one or twenty-two, but she painted
with a deep maturity he had rarely seen. Her work would be perfect for the
unveiling of the new gallery.
    “What are you staring at?” Audrey asked him.
    “I am picturing what should be hanging on this wall.”
    “And do you know what it is?”
    David nodded and grinned. “I believe I do.”
    *****
    Later in the morning, David’s mother, Maureen, arrived at
the gallery with lunch for her son. She brought him food regularly, not because
he was too poor to buy his own lunch, or too inept, but to ease her guilt.
    “I did you boys a great disservice,” she’d said on many an
occasion. “I took care of you and waited on you hand and foot, thinking I was
being the best mother I could be. And now look at some of you! You can’t sew on
a button or make yourself a sandwich! Matthew would throw out a shirt before he
would replace a button, and my David? He’s going to starve to death. I just
know it!”
    “Hi Mom,” David smiled. He kissed his mother’s cheek and
took the brown bag she offered.
    “I’m on my way to see Janie and the children,” she said. “So
I thought I’d bring you lunch.”
    “You know you’re just enabling him,” Audrey chuckled as she
came to say hello.
    “Good morning Audrey. You look lovely, dear. How are you?”
    “Fine, thank you,” Audrey smiled.
    “How’s the renovation coming along?” Maureen asked.
    “Brilliantly!” Audrey beamed. “David’s ideas were spot on
and I’m anxiously awaiting the opening in a few weeks.”
    “Which artist are you showcasing?” Maureen was curious.
    “I’m in the middle of securing that,” David replied. “I hope
to have her locked in by the end of the week.”
    “Anyone I know?” Maureen asked.
    “Nope.”
    “Oooh, I’m intrigued,” his mother said.
    “Me too,” grinned Audrey. “But I completely trust you David.
You haven’t let us down yet.”
    *****
    David had left Lou several messages on her phone but she
hadn’t returned any of his calls, so after he’d closed up the gallery one
evening he headed uptown to see if she was in her usual spot in front of the
museum. As the days got longer, the artists stayed later, giving them more
opportunity to try and make a meager living. He only had an hour or so ‘til
sunset so he needed to find her quickly.
    She wasn’t where he had found her before. David wandered
around and asked a few of the other vendors if they’d seen her. He finally
found a man who knew her.
    “Lou’s dad got really sick and I haven’t seen her since he
went to the hospital a few days ago,” he told David.
    “Which hospital?”
    “Metropolitan.”
    “Thanks,” David said and went to hail a cab.
    As he walked into the hospital a few minutes later, David
wondered what he was doing. This girl’s dad was ill and he was tracking her all
over the city to talk to her about a gallery opening?
    “Can I help you?” the receptionist asked.
    “Um…yes…I’m looking for a Mr.