Chapter 1 - "The Painting" According to Girl

The Painting according to Girl: One of my favorite all time movies, the one that makes you laugh and cry at the same time, the remake of Love Affair (starring Annette Bening and Warren Beatty). The pivotal clue that pulls the story together is the picture. It is a painting done by him of her. They had pledged to meet in six months from the time they fell in love on the cruise ship. The meeting place was to be the Empire State Building. Unfortunately, as Terry McKay was crossing the street on her way to keep the date, she was hit by a car, and rushed to the hospital.

Mike Gambril could only assume that his love must have forgotten, or simply decided she did not really love him.

Of course, the story did not end there. A year or so later they were again brought together. This time their love was sealed. It was the painting that he had done of her that brought them back together, unfolding the final love scenes, and bringing out the tissue boxes.

Yes, I am a sucker for happy endings.

This painting (The Painting) above the fireplace was one of those peaceful settings of river, cottage and warmth that captures the soul. Paintings can do that to you. They can draw you inside their story. It was rather Monet-esque with soft colors, green and yellow hues. When Monet visited the Louvre, he witnessed other artists copying the old masters. He, however, chose to sit by the window, in the Louvre, painting what he saw. He painted landscapes, seascapes, his gardens, ponds and bridges. During World War One, he painted a number of pictures (the Weeping Willow Series) in tribute to the French fallen soldiers. Some of his paintings are now sold for over eighty million dollars.

Mike was living in Springfield (Missouri) when he bought The Painting for his parents. He knew his mother would especially love it. She was refined, reflective and loved gardens and flowers. When the cancer progressed, when she could no longer pull weeds, go for car rides on Sundays, bake cookies, or play on the floor with grandkids, she would put her red sweater on, with a little matching lipstick, sit in her rocking chair, and enjoy the fireplace picture.

Tot (Mike’s sister) lives there now. I am not sure where The Painting is.

I do know that if I made a promise to meet Mike at the Empire State Building, I would be there. Yes, I might also get hit by a car. I might end up with a dent in my leg (oops yes, did that).

It wouldn’t matter how long the line might be, even if it was lined up around the block and halfway to Madison Square Garden, I would pay the forty dollars for the "Express Tour" and head up to the viewing area. I would wait, in the sunny corner until it became dark, cold and rainy. I would wait until the guard came to send me away. I would give him twenty bucks for ten more minutes. I would do these things because I knew Mike would somehow get there. And when he did, he would find me waiting.

After all, Terry did say that the Empire State Building is the closest thing to heaven in New York City.

The real skinny (according to Boy): Evie is right—she would have crawled on hands and knees to get to the top of the Empire State Building. If the elevators were broken, she would have used the stairs. She has never let me down since the day I first met her. Besides, Evie knows firsthand what it is like to tangle with a car. When she was still a teenager, she was struck by a car when she was crossing the street. She still has a bruise on her leg show for it.

It is obvious from her description of The Painting that she had a pretty good understanding of its significance. It is reasonable that she thought I had bought it for my mother—Evie and I never hung it on one of our walls.