As we drank whiskey and wrote haikus about the events happening around us, my train of thought was suddenly shattered by a knocking on the window. Yankee, someone I believe to be either homeless or doing a fantastic job at creating the false image that he's homeless, knocks consistently until he has my undivided attention. He holds up a piece of cardboard. On the piece of cardboard it says, "Will draw your entire group for any donation." In my current enebriated state, I nod approvingly and give him the thumbs-up.
He takes a moment to study our facial features and retreats back to the sidewalk to begin his work. I decide that it would be fitting for me to join him outside and ask him for a quick run-through of his process, in case I ever feel the need to draw group portraits of my own some day. Very little was learned about his technique other than the fact that he really likes the way orange chalk looks on cardboard. And he's right. I never really took the time to think about it, but it ends up looking wonderful. As he touched up the portrait by adding fire-red colors to the lips of the women, he told me that his wife, who lives alone in Louisiana, is pregnant and that he needs as much money as I can possibly string together for him...
After the exchange of twenty dollars for a fantastic piece now sitting atop my living room mantle, Yankee and I are no longer able to control our cheerfulness. We hug and rejoice, as seen above.
