Esther sits at the counter just thumbing through a newspaper. Every now and then she would watch her brother. He was looking at something across the street in the park. He would stare at it, observing every detail then he would draw for a minute then stare back at the object.

He would tune the world out around him. It was just him, his pencils and papers and whatever he was drawing. He would bite his bottom lip in total concentration.

Diner owner, Ben Folds, walks up beside Esther, "Well what is our artist drawing for me today?" Ben has a lot of Avi's drawings hanging around the diner.

"I don't know. He keeps looking out toward the park. But you know he won't let anyone see it until it's finished." Esther says with a smile.

"Oh, trust me, I know. I've tried to slip a peek several times." Ben laughs.

"Watch this." Esther says as she fixes a glass of coke, and walk toward where Avi was sitting.

He doesn't pay any attention to her at first, he's leaned over his drawing filling in some minor detail.

"I brought you a fresh coke." Esther says causing Avi to jump and close his tablet.

"Thanks, Sis." He says stretching and straightening his beanie.

"Told ya" Esther says to Ben who was chuckling and shaking his head.

"Hey, you drawing me another picture, Kid? I still have a lot of room on my walls." Ben says.

He had already opened up his tablet and was hard at work.

"Maybe." Avi answers without looking up. "I just hope I can get through before Essy gets off work."

He had already finished the background and the rest he was just using his artistic mind.

**

"Avi, I'll be getting off in about 15 minutes." Esther calls to him.

"That's O.K., cause I just finished." He says signing his name in the corner, something he does to every drawing. His writing is that of a first grader.

He gets up from the booth and walks to the counter handing the drawing to Ben.

"Oh my God! AVI! This is beautiful." Ben says in shock looking at the drawing.

The drawing was of the park bench with the fountain behind it. But on the park bench, he added an old man and laying beside him on the bench was his dog with his head in the old man's lap.

The details of the old man and the dog were mind blowing. Ben just stood and stared at the drawing.

It just amazed him that the young man that just drew the beautiful picture probably could not tell you the answer to four plus four and could barely write his name.

"What if someone wants to buy some of these drawings, Avi? Do you want me to sell them for you? You could probably make some good money." Ben says, hanging up the drawing.

"You think so? We could really use the money." Avi says with a huge smile.

"I might just put a 'For Sale' sign up for them if you want me too." Ben said smiling.

"That would be totally awesome. Thanks, Ben." Avi says turning to Esther smiling.

"You ready to go?" Esther asks and Avi nods.

Avi and Esther walk out of the diner and head to her old truck. Avi throws his backpack in the back then gets in the front with Esther.

They live in a little cabin outside of town, surrounded by woods. It's not much but Avi loves it. He feels safe there. He could spend hours in the woods. It's an artist's dream. You never run out of things to draw or paint and just the right wood for carving things.

They pull up in the yard and Avi sighs with relief. Home.

The small cabin only consists of a small yet cozy living room, a very small kitchen, one bathroom, and one bedroom and a small loft. Avi's room is in the loft, it's not very big at all. Just big enough for a single mattress, a small dresser and a wooden crate with a metal bar run through the top, propped up in the corner that he uses as a closet.

There is an old shed out back where he spends much of his time. That is where he does all his carvings. He has it set up like a workshop.

His sister told him that he could have the old shed because she knew the loft was barely big enough to sleep in much less do all his artistry.

She just wanted her baby brother happy. She knew his life was hard and art was his only escape.

***********

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