Pen and promise, the freelance way

“You’re never gonna guess what happened!”

The older gentleman looks at Harrison intently. There is also a trace of good humor, and excitement. The young woman, is still standing beside Harrison. She hasn’t taken her eyes off of the drawing. Now she quickly looks at Harrison, then back to her drawing. The scene seems to freeze as Harrison watches.

The exuberance of the old gentleman carries in his voice, as he addresses Harrison once again.

“Is there any chance you would have time to talk?” The old gent looks around then back at Harrison, “Perhaps somewhere a little quieter and less crowded?”

As if to accent the point, a loud truck rumbles past. Harrison doesn’t want to leave his stand at the moment. Furthermore, the young lady is lingering because she wants to question Harrison. (She is an undercover police officer after all, as her drawing revealed.) No doubt she wants to discover the source of his insight.

Pen and Promise, the Freelance Way

Harrison makes plans with the older gentleman for later that afternoon. After shaking hands the older gent leaves, and the young woman finally speaks.

“Excuse me but do I know you?” She is shorter than Harrison and stands to his right. Now, as she asks her question, she takes a step sideways so that she is in front of him. Harrison smiles and replies.

“I don’t think so, I’m sure we’ve never met.” He smiles again, and watches her look over the drawing. It is a multi part drawing. In one part she is a cartoon version of a cop. In the drawing she has captured a large group of bad guys. Beside this image is another where she is pushing a baby carriage on a playground.

She looks from the drawing back to Harrison, and speaks again. This time her voice has more authority. She is now speaking as if on the case.

“I’m not planning a family, and how did you know I’m a cop?” She looks at Harrison with even more scrutiny, “Are you sure I don’t know you? Have I arrested you before?”

The Freelance Way

It takes Harrison another ten minutes to convince the young woman that his drawings are random works of art. Even then he isn’t sure she is completely convinced. He smiles a little when he thinks about her skepticism. She was definitely going to make a good mom.

The afternoon passes quickly, and mostly without incident. He does several more drawings, and every person is amazed by the revelations they receive. Especially the reckless young man whose dangerous eyes were shocked when he saw himself as a preacher striving to save souls in a sea of turmoil and strife.

Harrison didn’t tell the pen and paper what to draw. In fact, he felt like a bystander on most occasions. A hapless soul, standing to the side and watching the drawing come into being. Pen and promise. Furthermore, he would find himself just as amazed as the subject on most occasions.

Fortune Teller

Which is why he wasn’t looking forward to the meeting with the, now wealthy, older gentleman. It is certain to be a discussion about money. Although Harrison wants to be polite, he isn’t at all sure the process works any other way. He has never tried to draw for himself. In fact, he has never even thought of such a thing.

With this in mind, it is with some apprehension that he opens the drawing pad for himself. He thinks about his childhood home. Then he focuses on his goals for the day. Then his goals for the week. A moment later he begins to draw. Ten minutes later he sets the pen down and looks over the finished piece. A stone cold shiver runs up his spine, and he sets the drawing aside. Also, the now wealthy old guy, has arrived.

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Pen and promise original story

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