INSANE DRAWING

by Neil Urian Secretaria Mabulay 

               My pencil suddenly fell on the floor as my eyes were blinded by the rays of sunlight. It was when I realized that the time was running out. The clock continued to tick and the time continued to run. I made a series of sharp picking up the pencil under my seat. I swiped my hand on the paper without looking. I never knew what I have exactly drawn but I’m very sure it was a curve. The bell rang and I passed my paper with a quivering heart.

               February the 20th 1991, I was born in the hospital near our village. My father was a driver and my mother was an accounting clerk. Since I was young, my parents knew that I have an eye for art so they brought me to a painting school. Like my mentor, I am also left handed. I was six years old when I won my first painting contest. That was the first time that I joined a competition and I won a gold medal. It was an immense victory knowing that my opponents were graders.

               Now I am here in a painting contest, sitting inattentively and having no idea what to draw. I looked at the other contestants and they were busy rubbing their paper with a wet brush. I placed my right hand under my cheek and took a deep sigh. The clock continued to tick and the time continued to run. By that moment I knew that I have no chance of winning. I nearly lost my hope but I never gave up. I transferred on the next seat near the window, I tried to think several times but still I have no idea what to draw.

            My pencil suddenly fell on the floor as my eyes were blinded by the rays of sunlight. It was when I realized that the time was running out. The clock continued to tick and the time continued to run. I made a series of sharp picking up the pencil under my seat. I swiped my hand on the paper without looking. I never knew what I have exactly drawn but I’m very sure it was a curve. The bell rang and I passed my paper with a quivering heart.

            I felt a deep shame when I noticed that the judges were tittering at my insanity. I felt a strange feeling towards myself for being that careless. Everyone was silent when I went downstairs with teary eyes. But as I took the last step, I suddenly heard a loud voice saying that the entry number–seven is excellent and the crowd began to clap. I was stunned of what I have heard knowing that the entry was mine. I ran upstairs with embarrassment. I asked them why it was excellent and they answered me, “We measured it thoroughly and proved it. What you have drawn was a perfect circle! It is excellent because no one can ever draw a perfect circle in freehand; but you did it as if it was very easy for you. This is a phenomenon and therefore you are amazing.”

              I took my insane drawing and saw it. I faced the crowd with humbleness and said; “Ladies and gentlemen, this circle was insanely and accidentally drawn. Honestly I had no idea what to draw until I ran out of time. But I kept on thinking; I would rather lose than to give up. My optimism brought me this victory. I never neglected any trivial possibility of winning; because there might be a lot of difficult things in this world. But nothing is impossible.” That day, I learned a lesson.