Fragile
an excerpt

A youth of remarkably good looks stepped up beside them and squinted at the painting. “So what’s the name of this?” he asked, writing-pad and pen in hand.
“Why are you taking notes?” Ambula asked. “This painting is no good. You’re already better than this-“ she leaned over to look at the label herself, “Prucha. Even the name is unpronounceable.”
“Prucha, I see,” Yaník repeated and jotted it down.
“What are you doing?” Ambula asked again.
“You were the one who told my father this was a studious expedition.”
“It is. You have seen more arts in the past four days than the past sixteen years. The architecture, the landscape, the play we saw last night, not to speak of all the galleries.”
“But my father will never believe it until he has tested me.”
“Tested you?”
“Yes.” Yaník considered this all the answer required and Ambula bit her lip as she watched him scribble.
“So what are you writing down?”
“Everything. I don’t know what he’s going to ask me.”
When Yaník had finished his notes on the painting, the doctor put a hand to his shoulder and said, “Come with me. I want to show you something.”
Reluctantly Yaník followed him through the next room and Ambula was left behind with Rachel, who came sauntering over from a mural of the divine Raha.
“I could have looked at that all day,” she sighed.
“It is beautiful,” Ambula agreed. “You should have said that to Yaník. I’m sure he could make you a copy. He’s never actually done a mural, I think, but how marvelous would that look on the side of the little manor!”
Rachel smiled, but then her expression grew a little wistful as she glanced in the direction where Yaník had vanished. “He is so worried about what his father is going to ask him that he barely takes time to enjoy the art itself. I mean, that Raha-painting, for example. He admired it, he said it was a very interesting technique. And then he suddenly shook his head, as though he was awaking from a dream and said he had to move on.”
“Perhaps he is mistaking the definition of education.”
“It’s his father who is mistaking things,” Rachel said with regret.
“Because he thinks this is nothing more than an opportunity for his son to spend some time with his girlfriend?”
Rachel looked down and said nothing.
“Why did you think we took you?”
The girl’s head snapped back up. “You said it was education.”
Ambula smiled. “Of course it is education. But either one of you could have made this journey on your own or with a youth group. In my days every young ladies’ school offered those trips and I am sure the Naval Academy organizes them too. But isn’t it much more fun to share these experiences with someone you love?”
Rachel shrugged.
“When you remember the wonders you have seen here these past days, you will always remember that Yaník was by your side. You will remember how you discussed paintings and explored the sacred woods together. I am certain the experience would have been a different one, if you had done that with a bunch of tattling girls.”
“I’m sure it would,” Rachel smiled. “Are you speaking from experience, then?”
“Oh, I do. I was sixteen, I believe, when I first came here. And it was with one of those abhorrent young-ladies-tours. I had to share a carriage with twin sisters, the most vain and annoying girl I had ever met twice.”
Rachel giggled, her spirits lifting up.
“I was exhausted by the time we go here and spent the rest of the night pleading with the overseer that I didn’t have to share a room with them. To no avail, sadly.”
“What did you do?”
“I didn’t go to bed. I sneaked out the back door and – well. The twins, however, realized I hadn’t slept in the room and told on me. The bad thing was, I had to share with the overseer herself for the next nights. But the good thing was I had gotten rid of the twins.”
“And what about the arts. Did you enjoy them, or was the trip ruined by company?”
“I did enjoy them. But I was not overwhelmed. You know, I sort of asked myself what the purpose was.”
“Do you feel differently now?”
“Very much so. Actually, I already felt differently about four years ago.”
“You were here before? I mean after that youth tour?”
“Yes. For my honeymoon.”
Rachel stared. “You never told me that! I thought you had your honeymoon at sea!”
“Yeah, I think so too. But once we had come back to Equia, there were certain society people who insisted we act like a genuine newly-wed couple and go up here to have a proper honeymoon. As much as I was opposed on principle, I did want to see the town again and I tell you, it was a completely different experience. Not only because I was in love, but to actually have someone with whom I could discuss everything I saw… I would have loved to come here with Felíp even before I was in love with him, I tell you!”
“He can be very insightful,” Rachel agreed. She had never become very warm with Dr. Malány. He was friendly enough to her and she did have the feeling to belong to the family, but there was always something about him that kept her at a distance. Yet, she had great respect for him and his opinions and these past four days they would all sit together at night and discuss what they had seen that day. Not that they didn’t do that in Pontíga sometimes, but there usually wasn’t anything deep to discover in Pontíga.
Rachel threw a last glance over her shoulder towards the Raha-mural and then they moved through to the next room.
“Oh, look!” Ambula gasped as they entered the Sculpture Gallery – One: Males. She steered straight towards a marble man posing in the center of the room. “Oh, he is beautiful!”
Rachel grinned and followed her with lightly reddened cheeks.
“Oh,” Ambula sighed again, moving around the statue, regarding it from all angles. Then she looked around, checking whether anybody was watching them. As there were only three elderly women in the room, who gathered around a torso in the far corner, Ambula slowly reached out her hand and touched it to the marble hips. “Beautiful,” she whispered although it had not been intended to be audible at all.
Rachel stared open mouthed, not at the statue, but at the woman who was her guardian.
“What do you think you are doing?” the doctor asked as he and Yaník suddenly appeared behind them.
Both Rachel and Ambula whirled around in surprise and bit their lips.
Yaník grinned and observed, “I thought you were not supposed to touch.”
“But how could I resist! Look at him! He’s perfect!”
Yaník squinted as his eyes moved along the sculptured body, from his head downward, and downward, and, “A bit unnatural, don’t you think?”
Ambula gaped.
“I realize it’s been some time since you shared your bedroom with three dozen men, but from what I have seen of the male population, this is extremely exaggerated.”
Eyes growing ever wider, Ambula shook her head. “I liked it better when you were still a boy.” Then turning back to the marble man, she tilted her head and squinted too.
Rachel flushed a deep red as she followed their glances.
“I would not say unnatural. Uncommon, maybe. Besides, I was not referring to… I was admiring the whole package. He’s perfect, don’t you think?” She turned, giving the doctor an inquiring look.
“I think perfection is in the eye of the beholder,” he said.
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“Perfect means faultless. I am certain some woman would find fault with him.”
“But look at him!” Ambula sounded incredulous. “The pretty face –“
“Some women may prefer rugged.”
“the… size…”
“Might be too big.”
“But look at those hips,” she attempted to touch them again but was held back by the doctor. “Fine,” she said, turning back to face him. “Then let’s proceed to the female gallery and see what you consider perfect.”
The doctor raised one eyebrow. “I need look no further.”
She grinned sheepishly and lowered her head. Then, looking back up, she declared, “Well, if you had said anything else you would have been in trouble.”
“I know I would,” replied the doctor and kissed her.
“Ugh,” said Yaník and turned away. “It would be alright if they were kidding, but they are serious!”
“You mean you don’t believe in love like this?” Ambula asked (after letting go of her beloved).
“I do,” said Yaník, “but you are married! You should be sick of each other by now.”
“Give us a couple more years, will you.”
“But only if you stop doing those things in public.”