Doubt & Hope | The Saga of Antique Yao Paintings

Ever had the dreaded feeling that some precious thing was lost forever?

I’d been living with that feeling for over a year now!

After the ‘Vanishing Cultures’ Exhibition [click to view pics of the exhibition] closed last year, the tear down was hectic and worse still was putting everything away carefully back in its place at home. The time passed like a storm and it was hardly possible to note every single detail – leave alone memorise the details!

And so months later, when I sought out two antique paintings and could not locate them my heart became heavy. I thought maybe I had left it behind in the hired transport or at the location itself. Then as the dread got its grip on me, I put off checking every single box thoroughly for fear that I would be forced to face the reality that could prove to be brutal.

And so about a year later, I still had the sword of doubt hanging over my head and that same sword, until it fell, also flashed and gave off rays of hope.

Although I now subscribe to the policy of a cynic and think that baseless hope does more damage than good, I had held on, simply for lack of conclusive proof. Proof that could only be had through a 100% check.

The day had come when I saw the futility of being in denial and the absurdity of running away from the exercise of ‘finding out’.

So armed with rationality and with the courage of a suicidal person, I decided to kill both the doubt and the hope in one swift move.

I began to look through my boxes & storage units.

And this time, in the 100% check, I found them tucked away between two large photograph prints.

***

Yes I cannot stop gazing at the pieces. And am so glad that these irreplaceable works are still safe. I have scolded myself enough – so now I am only creating a process to ensure that this situation never repeats itself in the future.  Am happy.

***

But what I am enjoying equally or perhaps more –  is the relief of having settled the question once and for all.

The torture of doubt & torment of hope are both finally over.

And I am breathing lighter again! No more stress!

This freedom from doubt and freedom from hope is very welcome.

And this freedom is the end of the story and  “she lived happily ever after”!

jm

April 2015