Something Special

もうすぐ３月も終わり。ここシドニーは日に日に朝晩は肌寒くなってきてはいるものの、今日は最後の夏を惜しむかのように青空が広がる良い天気でした。
It's almost April!! Although It's getting cold here day by day, the blue sky extended as far as the eye could see today. It was lovely day.

取り急ぎ、溜まり気味のアサイメントを少し終らせてから午後３時過ぎ、本と水を片手にテクテクとバルモラルビーチへ降りて行きました。バルモラルビーチへの散歩&読書は毎週末恒例の日課。天気が良ければだけど。。。。。
I just needed to speed up my assignment 'cause I am 5 or 6 behind with my assignment. Of course I couldn't finish all of them but could a little bit. So it's time to go down hills!! I grabbed a book & bottle of water, then took a walk to the Balmoral beach. It's a kind of my routine to take a walk & read books there on weekends if the weather is nice........

この数ヶ月、ビーチへ行く度に、いつも決まった場所で１人絵を描いている男性が居て、見た目は６５歳くらいかな？いつもは通りすがりにどんな絵を描いてるんだろう・・・？と思いながらも近寄って見ることはしなかったけど、今日に限ってはおじいちゃんの方から二コリと笑いかけられたので思わず近寄って話しかけてみました。
Every time I went to the beach, there was an old man, looks like over 65yo, drawing picture at the same place. I always went past him even I was very curious to have a look his pictures. I'm too shy to see close at hand:) But today was different. The old man smiled me when I was passing through so that I came to him and start chatting.

おじいちゃんの名前はTony, 普段はアートスクールで絵を教えているらしく、彼も毎週末天気が良ければここへ来て絵を描いてると言っていて、今日も既に5枚の絵を描き終えていました。私には絵を描くというセンスが全く持ってないから、絵を描く人は私にとっては別世界の人の様に映ってしまう。
His name is Tony, he told me that he teaches at an Art school for kids and adults, also comes to the beach to draw every weekends if the weather is nice. He already drew 5 pictures on the spot today. I have no sense of drawing so that I think Artists are person who live in another world!!

かれこれ２０分ほど色んなことを話した後、彼が書いた絵の中で何か見覚えのある景色の絵があって、それは私のアパートのリビングルームから見える景色と同じ絵。
After our chatting for about 20 minutes, I noticed one his picture was very familiar to me because it was exactly the same picture which I could see from the window of my living room.

思わず、『これって売ってもらえますか？』と、とっさに聞いてしまったほど親近感のある絵で、おじいちゃんは『もちろん！気に入ってくれて嬉しいよ！』とニッコリ笑って答えてました。
I've found something congenial in that picture so that I asked him if I could buy it instantly. He said "Of course! I'm glad you like it!" with his smile.

私はその絵を買って、最後に『もしおじいちゃんのギャラリーがあるなら行きたいんだけど・・・・』って聞いたら、『僕のギャラリーはここ、青空の下だよ！』とニッコリ笑って言ってました。
So I bought the picture and I asked him if he had his own gallery near by. Because I would like to go. He said "Here is my gallery as you know! Under the blue sky!" with his cute smile.

きっと素敵なおじいちゃんなんだろうな。
He is such a lovely grandpa :)