Klara and the Sun(59)

‘This will be totally relaxed,’ Mr Capaldi said. He had a balding head, and a beard that almost hid his mouth. I estimated fifty-two years old. His face was constantly on the brink of smiling. ‘Nothing strenuous. So if Josie’s ready, let’s maybe get started. Josie, if you’d care to come this way?’

‘Henry, wait,’ the Mother said, her voice echoing in the space. ‘I was hoping to see the portrait first. What you’ve done so far.’

‘Of course,’ Mr Capaldi said. ‘Though you must understand, it’s still work in progress. And it’s not always easy for a layperson to understand the way these things slowly take shape.’

‘I’d like to take a look all the same.’

‘I’ll take you up. In fact, Chrissie, you know you don’t need my permission. You’re the boss here.’

‘It’s kind of scary,’ Josie said, ‘but I’d like to take a peek too.’

‘Uh uh, honey. I promised Mr Capaldi you wouldn’t see anything yet.’

‘I tend to agree,’ Mr Capaldi said. ‘If you don’t mind, Josie. In my experience, if the subject sees a portrait too early, things get messy. I need you to remain totally unselfconscious.’



‘Unselfconscious about what exactly?’ the Father asked, his voice loud and echoing. He’d kept on his raincoat, even though Mr Capaldi had twice invited him to hang it on one of the pegs inside the entrance. He had now drifted towards the charts and was studying them with a frown.

‘What I mean, Paul, is that if the subject, in this case Josie, becomes too selfconscious, she may start posing unnaturally. That’s all I was meaning.’

The Father kept staring at the wall charts. Then he shook his head in the same way he had in the car.

‘Henry?’ the Mother said. ‘May I go now to your studio? See what you’ve been doing?’

‘Of course. Follow me.’

Mr Capaldi led the Mother over to a metal staircase rising to a balcony. I watched their ascending feet through the gaps between the steps. Arriving on the balcony, Mr Capaldi pressed a keypad beside a purple door, there was a short hum, and they both went in.

The Purple Door closed behind them, and I went to the black sofa where Josie was sitting. I wanted to make a humorous remark to relax her, but the Father spoke first from the illuminated corner.

‘I guess the idea, animal, is that you get photographed over and over in front of these charts.’ He stepped in closer. ‘See this. Measurements marked along every line.’

‘You know, Dad,’ Josie said. ‘Mom told us you were cool about coming today. But maybe it wasn’t such a great idea. We could have met up somewhere else. Done something different.’

‘Don’t worry, we’ll do something else later. Something better than this.’ Then he turned and smiled at her gently. ‘This portrait. Let’s say it gets finished. What bothers me is that I won’t get to have it with me. Because your mom will want it with her.’



‘You could come see it any time,’ Josie said. ‘It could be like your excuse. To come more often.’

‘Look, Josie, I’m sorry. The way everything’s turned out. I wish I could be with you more. A lot more.’

‘That’s okay, Dad. It’s all working out now. Hey, Klara. What do you think of my dad here? Not such a crazy, huh?’

‘It’s been a great pleasure to meet Mr Paul.’

The Father went on looking at the charts as though I hadn’t spoken, making a pointing gesture towards a detail. When at last he turned to face me, his eyes had lost their smiling folds.

‘Pleasure to meet you too, Klara,’ he said. Then he looked at Josie. ‘Tell you what, animal. Let’s get done with all of this quickly. Then just the two of us, we can go somewhere, get something to eat. There’s a place I’m thinking you’d like.’

‘Yeah, sure. If that’s okay with Mom and Klara.’

She turned to look over her shoulder, and just at that moment, up on the balcony, the Purple Door opened and Mr Capaldi came out. He called back into his studio through the doorway:

‘You’re welcome to stay in there as long as you want. I’d better go and see to Josie.’

I heard the Mother’s voice say something, then she too came out onto the balcony. She had lost her usual straight-backed posture and Mr Capaldi extended a hand, as though ready to catch her if she fell over.

‘You okay there, Chrissie?’

The Mother pushed past Mr Capaldi and started down the steps, holding onto the rail. Midway down, she paused to push back her hair, then she came down the rest of the way.

‘So what do you think?’ Josie asked with anxious eyes.



‘It’s okay,’ the Mother said. ‘It’ll be okay. Paul, you want to see it, go ahead.’

‘Maybe in just a minute,’ the Father said. ‘Capaldi, I’d appreciate you getting finished with us quickly today. I want to take Josie out for a coffee and cake.’

‘That’s okay, Paul. We have everything under control. You sure you’re okay there, Chrissie?’

‘I’m fine,’ the Mother said, but she hurried to reach the black sofa.

‘Josie,’ Mr Capaldi said. ‘Just before we do this, what I’d really like is for Klara here to do me a little favor. I have a small assignment for her. I was thinking maybe she could be getting on with it while we took our photos. That okay?’