Chapter 22 — When Canvas Speaks
The cock crowed thrice before Esi finally stirred. She turned on her side, still tangled in dreams and thoughts from the night before. It was almost 9 a.m. when she finally sat up, rubbing sleep from her eyes.
She moved quickly—brushing her teeth, freshening up, and pulling on a simple skirt and a tucked-in top. Her cornrows were still fresh, so she wrapped them neatly in a soft scarf. She had work to do.
When she came downstairs, she paused.
The materials were already in the hall — three different sets of acrylic paints, new brushes, and more canvas than she had expected. She blinked, stunned.
"Who brought all these?" she asked one of the maids.
"Boss say make we bring them here before you wake up," the maid replied with a teasing smile. "He say tell you — if you don't eat before painting, he's watching you."
Esi laughed softly, heart warming. "This man paa…"
She went to the kitchen, grabbed a slice of bread and tea, and returned to the hallway. There, sunlight streamed through the large windows — the perfect light for her task.
She positioned the canvas, placed her sketch beside her for reference, and sat down quietly. She needed silence.
By noon, the house was still. She started with the base — blending gentle browns and caramels to reflect his skin tone. She added strokes for the eyebrows, softened the jawline, detailed the cheekbones, then stopped for water. Her hands were quick but careful.
The layers built up like poetry.
By the time the sun shifted west, Esi stood back from the canvas.
It was done.
She wiped sweat from her temple and stared at it. There he was — Kwabena — calm, composed, elegant… almost like a man trapped between duty and desire.
She let it dry for another hour. When it was safe to move, she picked it up — slowly, gently — and walked to the large wall in the middle of the hallway.
Without asking anyone, she hung it. Right there.
Bold. Big. Beautiful.
And for a moment, Esi stood still, hands on her hips, heart beating.
Her voice had finally spoken —
not through words, but through colour.