‭The Apple Painting‬

T‭ here‬‭it‬‭was,‬‭standing‬‭straight‬‭up‬‭against‬‭the‬‭blistering‬‭wall.‬‭A‬‭plain‬‭yet‬
‭ostentatious‬ ‭picture‬ ‭of‬ ‭a‬ ‭monochrome‬ ‭apple.‬ ‭Although‬ ‭it‬ ‭had‬ ‭been‬
‭inanimate‬‭and‬‭stationary,‬‭it‬‭had‬‭seen‬‭all‬‭and‬‭more‬‭than‬‭one‬‭could‬‭in‬‭a‬
‭lifetime,‬ ‭from‬ ‭senseless‬ ‭contretemps‬ ‭to‬ ‭heartwarming‬ ‭and‬ ‭joyous‬
‭family dinners, however we hardly are even a family anymore.‬

T‭ his‬ ‭seemingly‬ ‭simple‬ ‭portrait’s‬ ‭story‬ ‭begins‬ ‭back‬ ‭in‬ ‭the‬ ‭summer‬ ‭of‬
‭1939.‬‭It‬‭was‬‭a‬‭disconsolate‬‭and‬‭weary‬‭morning,‬‭my‬‭brother‬‭had‬‭loaded‬
‭his‬ ‭large‬ ‭duffle‬ ‭bags‬ ‭with‬ ‭clothes‬ ‭and‬ ‭essentials‬ ‭which‬ ‭would‬
‭theoretically‬‭last‬‭him‬‭months.‬‭He‬‭rested‬‭them‬‭both‬‭at‬‭the‬‭ends‬‭of‬‭the‬
‭chipping‬‭stairs.‬‭One‬‭by‬‭one‬‭we‬‭all‬‭began‬‭gathering‬‭around‬‭my‬‭brother‬
‭like‬ ‭bees‬ ‭crowding‬ ‭around‬ ‭a‬ ‭hive‬ ‭drawn‬ ‭together‬ ‭by‬ ‭a‬ ‭common‬
‭purpose.‬‭Even‬‭when‬‭I‬‭was‬‭young,‬‭I‬‭could‬‭understand‬‭the‬‭sorrow‬‭etched‬
‭on‬‭the‬‭faces‬‭of‬‭my‬‭relatives‬‭except‬‭the‬‭same‬‭could‬‭not‬‭be‬‭said‬‭for‬‭my‬
‭parents,‬ ‭despite‬ ‭that‬ ‭the‬‭undeniable‬‭and‬‭apparent‬‭confusion‬‭on‬‭mine‬
‭forced‬‭my‬‭brother‬‭to‬‭push‬‭forth‬‭the‬‭suffocating‬‭crowd‬‭and‬‭kneel‬‭down,‬
‭his face levelling to mine.‬

“‭ Take‬‭care‬‭of‬‭Ma‬‭and‬‭Pa‬‭for‬‭me‬‭lizzy.”‬‭He‬‭spoke‬‭with‬‭a‬‭soft‬‭voice‬‭that‬
‭could melt anyone. I looked up at his lachrymose face.‬

“‭ Why‬‭do‬‭you‬‭cry?”‬‭Innocence‬‭radiated‬‭from‬‭my‬‭straightforward‬‭query,‬
‭compelling him to ease his face.‬
 “‭ Here,‬ ‭I’ve‬ ‭painted‬ ‭this.‬ ‭For‬ ‭you.”‬ ‭He‬ ‭reveals‬ ‭a‬ ‭painting,‬ ‭one‬ ‭I‬ ‭hadn’t‬
‭seen‬ ‭yet.‬ ‭I‬ ‭had‬ ‭been‬ ‭accustomed‬ ‭to‬ ‭watching‬ ‭my‬ ‭brother‬ ‭paint‬ ‭for‬
‭hours‬‭on‬‭end,‬‭capturing‬‭and‬‭delineating‬‭every‬‭small‬‭detail‬‭of‬‭nature‬‭so‬
‭much‬‭so‬‭that‬‭if‬‭you‬‭were‬‭to‬‭draw‬‭only‬‭a‬‭line‬‭on‬‭a‬‭canvas,‬‭he’d‬‭use‬‭his‬
‭emotions‬ ‭and‬ ‭imagination‬ ‭to‬ ‭recreate‬ ‭mother‬ ‭nature‬ ‭herself.‬ ‭He‬‭held‬
‭out‬‭the‬‭painting‬‭in‬‭front‬‭of‬‭me,‬‭signalling‬‭me‬‭to‬‭take‬‭it.‬‭I‬‭did‬‭so,‬‭taking‬‭it‬
‭from‬‭his‬‭hands‬‭and‬‭into‬‭mine‬‭to‬‭examine‬‭it,‬‭of‬‭course‬‭it‬‭was‬‭no‬‭doubt‬
‭The Apple painting.‬

“‭ Why‬ ‭have‬ ‭you‬ ‭given‬ ‭me‬ ‭this‬ ‭picture,‬‭brother?”‬‭I‬‭stared‬‭into‬‭his‬‭eyes‬

‭confused,‬ ‭it‬ ‭looked‬ ‭as‬ ‭if‬ ‭he‬ ‭couldn’t‬ ‭hold‬ ‭it‬ ‭in‬‭him,‬‭he‬‭broke‬‭down‬‭in‬
‭tears,‬‭water‬‭flowing‬‭down‬‭his‬‭rosy‬‭cheeks,‬‭amidst‬‭the‬‭chaos‬‭of‬‭his‬‭sobs,‬
‭I could hear his dismantled voice begging not to leave.‬

‭Two marine officers dragged him from our house that fateful day.‬

E‭ very‬‭morning‬‭following‬‭the‬‭incident,‬‭I’d‬‭wake‬‭up‬‭early‬‭at‬‭the‬‭crack‬‭of‬
‭dawn‬‭only‬‭to‬‭run‬‭to‬‭our‬‭mailbox‬‭in‬‭the‬‭cold‬‭morning‬‭and‬‭search‬‭for‬‭his‬
‭letters.‬‭He‬‭would‬‭relay‬‭to‬‭me‬‭on‬‭the‬‭war,‬‭the‬‭status‬‭of‬‭his‬‭troops,‬‭how‬
‭he‬‭was‬‭and‬‭the‬‭day‬‭he’d‬‭finally‬‭come‬‭home.‬‭This‬‭had‬‭been‬‭a‬‭daily‬‭part‬
‭of‬‭my‬‭routine,‬‭it‬‭was‬‭as‬‭if‬‭the‬‭excitement‬‭of‬‭only‬‭seeing‬‭that‬‭shrivelled‬
‭paper‬ ‭encased‬ ‭in‬ ‭a‬ ‭soiled‬ ‭envelope‬‭was‬‭the‬‭reason‬‭I’d‬‭leave‬‭from‬‭the‬
‭comfort‬ ‭of‬ ‭my‬ ‭bed.‬ ‭This‬ ‭sustained‬ ‭up‬ ‭and‬ ‭until‬ ‭I‬ ‭began‬ ‭noticing‬ ‭a‬
‭common‬ ‭recurrence.‬ ‭His‬ ‭words‬ ‭sounded‬ ‭-less‬‭optimistic,‬‭less‬‭content,‬
‭less‬ ‭inspired-‬ ‭and‬ ‭even‬ ‭so‬ ‭I‬ ‭couldn’t‬ ‭see‬ ‭him‬ ‭and‬ ‭those‬ ‭decent‬ ‭eyes,‬
‭there‬‭was‬‭no‬‭doubt‬‭fear‬‭in‬‭his‬‭mind,‬‭fear‬‭of‬‭losing‬‭the‬‭battle.‬‭Soon‬‭to‬
‭my‬ ‭horror‬ ‭the‬ ‭letters‬ ‭had‬‭come‬‭to‬‭an‬‭abrupt‬‭halt,‬‭his‬‭last‬‭message‬‭to‬
‭me‬‭was‬‭only‬‭the‬‭words‬‭“the‬‭apple‬‭painting.”‬‭He‬‭deduced‬‭this‬‭to‬‭me‬‭as‬‭if‬
 ‭ e’d‬‭known‬‭his‬‭destiny,‬‭as‬‭if‬‭it‬‭was‬‭all‬‭clear‬‭to‬‭him‬‭how‬‭his‬‭story‬‭would‬
h
‭conclude.‬

T‭ he‬ ‭war‬ ‭ended‬ ‭in‬ ‭1945.‬ ‭We‬ ‭had‬ ‭finally‬ ‭gotten‬ ‭the‬ ‭message‬ ‭that‬‭he’d‬
‭passed‬ ‭bravely‬‭fighting‬‭for‬‭our‬‭country.‬‭Upon‬‭hearing‬‭this,‬‭my‬‭mother‬
‭broke down much like my brother had, anger spewing from her voice.‬

“‭ Our‬ ‭boy‬ ‭is‬ ‭gone‬ ‭because‬ ‭of‬ ‭you‬ ‭Henry!”‬ ‭The‬ ‭scream‬ ‭of‬ ‭my‬ ‭mother‬
‭shook‬ ‭the‬ ‭entire‬ ‭house.‬ ‭I‬ ‭ran‬ ‭to‬ ‭my‬ ‭room‬ ‭to‬ ‭hide‬ ‭under‬ ‭my‬‭bed,‬‭the‬
‭deafening‬‭shouting‬‭below‬‭accompanied‬‭with‬‭the‬‭loss‬‭of‬‭my‬‭brother‬‭had‬
‭pressured me to mourn for hours.‬

T‭ he‬‭sun‬‭had‬‭set‬‭and‬‭the‬‭moon‬‭rose,‬‭with‬‭confidence‬‭I‬‭could‬‭say‬‭I’d‬‭lost‬
‭track‬ ‭of‬‭time.‬‭The‬‭persisting‬‭growl‬‭in‬‭my‬‭stomach‬‭had‬‭finally‬‭risen‬‭me‬
‭from‬ ‭underneath‬ ‭my‬ ‭bed,‬ ‭as‬ ‭I‬‭headed‬‭down‬‭I‬‭expected‬‭nothing‬‭more‬
‭than‬ ‭the‬ ‭usual,‬ ‭gathering‬ ‭for‬ ‭dinner‬ ‭and‬ ‭saying‬ ‭grace,‬‭in‬‭spite‬‭of‬‭that‬
‭when‬ ‭reaching‬ ‭the‬ ‭dining‬ ‭room,‬ ‭all‬ ‭that‬ ‭was‬ ‭present‬ ‭was‬ ‭an‬ ‭empty‬
‭table‬‭and‬‭a‬‭plate‬‭of‬‭soulless‬‭food‬‭awaiting‬‭me.‬‭Where‬‭joyous‬‭laughter‬
‭and‬‭tenderness‬‭once‬‭resonated,‬‭had‬‭now‬‭been‬‭replaced‬‭by‬‭only‬‭silence‬
‭and sorrow leaving the house feeling cold and depressed.‬

‭ s‬‭I‬‭look‬‭back‬‭at‬‭this‬‭painting‬‭once‬‭more,‬‭I‬‭can’t‬‭help‬‭but‬‭be‬‭haunted‬‭by‬
A
‭those‬ ‭daunting‬ ‭memories.‬ ‭Taking‬ ‭the‬ ‭painting‬ ‭off‬ ‭the‬ ‭same‬ ‭blistering‬
‭wall,‬ ‭I‬ ‭walked‬ ‭out‬ ‭of‬ ‭the‬‭house‬‭to‬‭approach‬‭the‬‭huddled‬‭chit-chatting‬
‭men in orange vests.‬

“‭ You‬ ‭can‬ ‭begin‬ ‭the‬ ‭demolition‬ ‭process,‬ ‭ladies!”‬ ‭I‬ ‭signalled‬ ‭to‬ ‭them‬
‭before taking one last look at the old withering house and driving away.‬
‭Annotations:‬

‭ n‬ ‭interesting,‬ ‭engaging‬ ‭narrative.‬ ‭However,‬ ‭you‬ ‭can‬ ‭include‬ ‭more‬

A
‭images,‬‭descriptions,‬‭precise,‬‭ambitious‬‭words‬‭for‬‭dramatic‬‭effect.‬‭Just‬
‭check‬ ‭whether‬ ‭you‬ ‭can‬ ‭replace‬ ‭certain‬ ‭simple‬ ‭words‬ ‭with‬ ‭their‬
‭powerful,‬ ‭precise‬ ‭and‬ ‭strong‬ ‭synonyms‬ ‭for‬ ‭deliberate‬ ‭effect.‬ ‭You‬‭may‬
‭vary‬ ‭the‬ ‭sentence‬ ‭types‬ ‭for‬ ‭deliberate‬ ‭effect.‬ ‭You‬ ‭may‬ ‭use‬ ‭more‬ ‭of‬‭a‬
‭creative‬ ‭language,‬ ‭bringing‬ ‭out‬ ‭the‬ ‭personalities‬ ‭of‬ ‭the‬ ‭characters‬
‭involved.‬ ‭More‬ ‭descriptive‬ ‭details/‬ ‭sensory‬ ‭words‬ ‭could‬ ‭be‬ ‭used‬
‭effectively‬ ‭to‬ ‭enhance‬ ‭the‬ ‭effect‬ ‭of‬ ‭your‬ ‭narrative‬ ‭and‬ ‭bring‬‭it‬‭to‬‭life.‬
‭Slightly add to the content for drama.‬
‭Make‬ ‭your‬ ‭story‬ ‭resonate‬ ‭by‬ ‭pulling‬ ‭on‬ ‭emotions.‬ ‭Trigger‬ ‭continued‬
‭interest‬‭with‬‭surprise.‬‭Just‬‭refer‬‭to‬‭the‬‭link‬‭below‬‭to‬‭see‬‭if‬‭it‬‭helps‬‭you‬
‭to‬‭enhance‬‭the‬‭quality‬‭of‬‭your‬‭essay.‬‭The‬‭content‬‭is‬‭good,‬‭however,‬‭you‬
‭need to enhance the effect.‬

‭https://miamioh.edu/hcwe/handouts/narrative-essays/index.html‬