Meeting The Smelly Man

"Okay, let's sign this contract and send it to Mr. Tan."

She specifically checked the value on the contract, 75,000 PHP (around $1600). Not bad. Usually, she only got paid 20 to 30 thousand PHP. Her bonus last was 100,000 PHP (around $2000) since that manga was a hit. She hoped this time would be a hit as well. She was already thinking of her sweet time playing games. She laughed madly of her prospect to splurge in the game.

She checked the documents sent by Mr. Tan.

"Huh? Wait a minute..."

She checked it again. "Are you kidding me?" She was so offended.

[Genre: Ecchi / Romance]

"Where is my damn mobile?" Maria rapidly dialled Mr. Tan's number after grabbing her phone.

"Hello, Maria. What's up?" greeted Mr. Tan.

"Mr. Tan, what is the meaning of this? Why is it Ecchi - Romance?"

"I already said it would be a different genre. Why, didn't you read the contract?" Mr. Tan asked innocently. The details were only sent after Maria signed the contract.

Maria choked. She admitted to herself that she only read the compensation part. (Darn it!) She skipped reading most part of the contract. Was it because of greed? No, it was because he trusted Mr. Tan, but she was tricked by him. "I will not do it," she said adamantly.

"Can you read the part about breaking the contract?"

(What the heck is this? The penalty is two times the amount on the contract? Did it just magically appear here?) Maria was flustered when she read the penalty. (The heck, why were these typed in small fonts?) Scam! The terms and conditions are always written in small fonts! Scam! "Mr. Tan, this-"

"I know you can do it. You are not young anymore to be hung up by this. Okay, bye." He terminated the call right away.

"No, wait!" Her mind was crying. "I don't know anything about romance, lest ecchi!!!"

[Beep]

[By the way, your fans are requesting it, Blumock. Good luck. - Mr. Tan]

"He even sent her this text message. Grrrr..."

***

Blumock. That was the pen name she was using as a manga artist. She started using it after staring at a box of tissue with the design of the animation classics 'Despicable Me'. She was sick during that time and she needed something to cheer her up. She started sketching and signing her creations as Blumock. Only two persons knew that she was Blumock. Mr. Tan and his daughter, Chloe. The latter was Maria's classmate in high school. When they both entered college, they shared the same room in a dormitory. Naturally, Chloe knew about Maria's talent in sketching and she secretly collected Maria's artwork subsequently, showed it to his father. When Maria started working as a part-time manga artist, she was still studying. Therefore, she started as a ghost artist for someone else. During that time, Maria also got hooked into the gaming world. You could guess that all her earnings went to the game, buying premium items.

"I think I am having an artist block." She kept staring at a blank paper for almost an hour. Nothing was coming to her mind.

What is an artist's block? It was a period when an artist could not access their creativity and/or they could not bring themselves to create a new piece of work. They felt like they had run out of things to draw. At this moment, this was Maria was feeling.

"I better go out for some inspiration." She prepared her sketch pads, pens, and idea pad and stepped outside. She mounted her bike and pedalled to the park near the seaside. It was a well-known place for couples. Thinking that this was the best place to get an idea for her next manga, she perched on a bench where she could observe people passing by but secluded enough not to be disturbed. She spent many hours observing.

"Oh well," she lamented. "I know that this is going to be difficult.

Her hand started sketching unconsciously while thinking of a plot, but the sketch came out to be a monster suited for a game.

"This-" a man spoke after peeking on her drawing.

Maria was startled by the sudden intrusion. Someone was behind her and was looking at her sketch. "Do you mind?" she asked, dismayed with his rudeness. She covered the illustration with her hands.

"Not at all." The man sat next to her casually. "Did you just draw it from your imagination?"

"Ew, Mister. You stink. I am not being rude here, but you really reeked of beer. And I do not like the smell of beer." She couldn't hide her dismayed look. She was sensitive to bad odors.

The man shook his head. "So, did you draw this?" asked the person, unperturbed about her comments about his stench.

Maria rolled her eyes. "Do you see anybody else aside from me here? And don't you know it is rude to peek at somebody's paper without permission?"

"Then, did you draw this?" he asked unfazed.

"Oh my gosh, I can't believe this person!" How can a person this thick and persistent? she thought.

"Don't be upset, Miss. I am just curious and being friendly. Did you draw this?" he insisted apologetically.

"If I say yes, will you go away? Please, do not disturb me. Yes! Yes! I drew this. Now, be on your way."

"What was your inspiration?"

"Huh?" Maria was taken aback. Why was this person even asking about her inspiration? Naturally, she got irritated with the question. "What do you care? Please, I need to be alone. I am lacking inspiration right now."

"Then, are you saying you drew this without inspiration?" The person snatched her drawing pad and studied the monster she drew. "But this monster looks familiar."

"Hey, bastard!" She tried to claim back her sketch pad from the person sitting next to her. "That is mine!"

"I know. I am just appreciating it. You are talented. What more if you are inspired? I couldn't fathom what the outcome would be." The tone of the speaker was sincere.

Maria felt the sincerity, so she toned down a little. "I just sketched it in random while thinking of something else. Please, may I have my drawing pad back?"

"What were you thinking about?" he ignored the girl's request to hand the drawing pad over.

Maria looked at the man. She's really getting angry, but she was holding it back. "I-I was thinking about a plot for my work."

"A plot? Are you a writer?"

"Are you drunk?"

"I am sober. I just smell bad. So, are you a writer?"

"Something like that."

"But you said you were lacking inspiration; can I safely say that the plot should be different from what you were sketching?"

(Hmm...this man seemed rational.) She nodded nonchalantly.

"Looks like you are having an artist block," he guessed aloud. "Do you want me to help you?"

Maria chuckled. "You? I appreciate your offer, but it looks like you needed more help than I do." She glanced at the man's getup. It could be a homeless person. "Do you live here in the park? Are you hungry?" She suddenly felt compassion for the smelly guy if he really was homeless. But on a second thought he maybe just a drunkard.

"Yeah, I am hungry. But that is beside the point." He returned the sketch pad back to the owner.

"Here," Maria provided him a sandwich, she packed extra for this outing. "You eat this."

"Thank you. Umm...what is in this sandwich?" asked the man carefully.

Honestly? "Are you still being picky?"

"No. Just allergic to some food."

Maria was caught surprised. He's not a homeless guy if he knew his food allergies, she thought. "It is just an egg sandwich."

"Then I gratefully accept this food. Thanks for your charity."

She stared at the man again and nodded. She began to become inquisitive. "I heard you said I am having an artist block, are you perhaps an artist too to know this?"

"Somehow. But not really."

"Oh." Very vague answer. (Should I ask for more information? No?) Maria chose not to press for more details. It was best not to prolong this conversation, she decided. She flipped a new page of her sketch pad. She became silent and started thinking of a plot for her new manga again. She disregarded the man sitting next to him and tried to contemplate.

"That monster that you drew, it looks like a monster from a game. Are you a gamer?" the man asked after finishing off his sandwich.

"Ha?" Maria was drawn back from her reverie and flipped the page back to the sketch the man was referring to. She really didn't pay attention to it earlier. She studied it and was astonished as well. "It looks like the monster from that game. I didn't know I sketched a mob boss that I failed to kill in the game," she mumbled.

"You were killing that boss monster? Are you perhaps playing The Legend of Arcadia?" he beamed.

"You knew?" She was surprised.

The man noticed her reaction. He smiled. "I know a trick to kill that boss."

"H-how?"

He explained the way to slay the boss as Maria was listening intently. She also asked few questions and the man answered in detail.

Maria smiled from ear to ear. "Thank you. I will try to win tonight!"

"You are welcome. He smiled, his perfect set of teeth showing.

Maria looked at her wristwatch. "It is getting late. It is a wrap for today." Nothing was going to be created today, she regretted. Ecchi/Romance was dead in her dictionary. She stood up. But she's happy because of the tip she received to kill the boss mob. She was hiding her excitement.

"Are you coming here again tomorrow?" asked the man.

"Perhaps." She was not sure.

"Then, I am going to give you something tomorrow. See you by then."

"Who told you--" she was about to contradict but changed her mind. "Alright. Looks like I am going to pack an extra sandwich tomorrow," she conceded casually. "Don't forget to take a bath coz I am really sensitive to bad smell. It's a curse!"

The man watched her as she rode her bike away from the park. He smiled warmly while sending her off.