The Forty-Ninth Night

 

When Nick arrived for our weekly meeting at my place, I said to him:

— You know Georges missed you when you didn’t come last week?

— What? That green critter missed me?

Georges was watching us with his sharp little eyes as he heard his name.

— Am I lying, Georges?

— That parrot can’t stand me!

— He’s grown used to your presence.

Nick stepped closer to Georges’s perch and asked him:

— So, you finally figured out my charm is irresistible, huh, Georges?

In reply, the bird spread his wings and ruffled his feathers, as if ready to strike.

— I’m telling you, my friend, that bird hates me.

— Well, last week, during dinner, he kept flying from the window to your place at the table, tapping his beak against the spot where you usually sit. Maybe he knows better than to get too friendly.

— What do you mean, not get too friendly? I’m totally trustworthy, you little bird from hell!

And we laughed hard, looking at Georges, who seemed to laugh back at us with a few cheerful squawks.

Nick then turned to me, more serious now, and said:

— So this really is your last week at the hotel?

— Yes. As promised.

— And you’re sticking to your plan of selling your work to galleries in the States?

— Yes. I’ve already started producing pieces so I’ll have something to offer. But I’m giving myself another couple of months to build it all up.

— You gonna do a lot?

— Not much in terms of volume. Oil paintings and ceramics take time, you know.

— And then you’ll need an agent?

— Maybe I already do.

— Last time we talked about this… you were thinking about me, right?

— I still am. I’ve been researching a few galleries, and I’ve also been thinking about a website. Who knows? I’m putting together a portfolio with some of my earlier work, but I want to round it out with these new pieces coming out. In a few weeks, I’ll really need you.

Nick’s eyes were shining with excitement, and I think mine were too.

Showing my work to the public feels like stripping naked in the middle of the street — but 2026 is right around the corner, and there’s the scent of change in the air.