Charlie the Artist

By Angie Bromeland

Charlie pulled at the drawer. It was squeaky and difficult to open. The handle wobbled, and Charlie told himself to remind his dad it needed to be screwed in tighter. Finally, the drawer slid out with a loud “Screech!” It was Charlie’s favorite drawer: the junk drawer. It was the place where every odd and end came to be. Nubby pencils, heart shaped erasers, paperclips, and scraps of paper were strewed about the drawer. He saw a picture of his dog that he drew when he was 4. Charlie smiled. The drawing wasn’t good, but it wasn’t awful, either. Now, Charlie couldn’t even remember what he had opened the drawer to get! Instead, he had a new idea. He hadn’t drawn in ages, and now he wanted to.

Charlie scanned the drawer again and withdrew the sharpest pencil and the piece of paper with the fewest scribbles on it. Now, the question was, what to draw? Charlie walked through his house thoughtfully. He could draw Scruff, the dog, again. Or he could try Meow, the cat. “Nah,” Charlie thought to himself. He wanted something better. His eyes looked over the piano, the family portrait on the wall, and the fireplace. Then, they landed on the perfect thing. It was a strange statue his dad had bought at a pawn shop when Charlie was a baby. His mom still rolled her eyes when she looked at it. It was odd. An animal that was half lion and half eagle. The creature’s clawed feet always sent a chill down Charlie’s spine. But now, Charlie knew he had found the perfect inspiration for his drawing. He pulled a big book out of the shelf, sat himself down in front of the statue, and began to draw. Hours passed before he finished, but when he looked down at his drawing, Charlie felt proud.