Art Trade/Contest: The Summer of Starving Artists

                “You’re taking the starving artist thing too seriously, aren’t you?”

                Aya looked at Icarus as he wolfed down the bowl of food she prepared for him. She looked intently at his eyes as they widened.

                “F—food!” Icarus shouted in between bites.

                “Calm down, you wanna wake the whole neighborhood up?” Aya laughed.

                “Achoo!” Icarus sneezed as he covered his mouth; bits of food came out.

                “It’s summer, why are you having a cold?” Aya frowned.

                “I don’t know,” Icarus said, wiping his mouth with a napkin before finishing his food.

                “It can’t be helped. Anyways, you really should buy some food with your commission fees.”

                “I told you, I don’t have any more money on me.”

                “Why? You said you just made fifty bucks at that last convention!”

                “…I ran out of copic markers.”

                Aya slammed her hands on the table. “What? Don’t tell me… Ugh, you’re so hard!”

                Aya frowned as she looked out the window of her apartment. “Alright, look, there’s going to be a summer festival; I’m supposed to work the fruit stand there in a few hours, but I’ll tell my boss that I have a friend that needs a few bucks. You in?”

                Icarus nodded as Aya looked at his face.

                “Look, I know you’re a troll and everything, but can we cover your horns?” Aya asked.

                “Um, if you had a hat…”

***

                “…This looks stupid.”

                Icarus fiddled with a cornucopia shaped hat as Aya called for random strangers to purchase food.

                “Get your fresh fruit kabobs here! Two bucks!” Aya shouted.

                “Is this really necessary? This hat weighs a ton!” Icarus complained.

                “Relax, you’ll be fine,” Aya reassured him, “Look, your first customer!”

                A small girl approached the stand and looked at Icarus. She stared at him before screaming to her mom.

                “Mommy! It’s a devil!” The little girl screamed.

                “I’m not…” Icarus whispered.

                “Oh no little missy,” Aya reassured the girl, “It’s just a little promotion for our stand! He’s a purple… uh, lion!”

                The girl started to calm down as Icarus stared violently at Aya.

                “Oh, okay!” The girl cheered up. “Could I get a kabob?”

                “Sure!” Icarus said, handing the girl her fruit. “That’ll be two dollars!”

                The little girl handed Icarus the money and laughed.

                “What’s that on your head mister?” The girl asked.

                “Uh…” Icarus blushed. Before he could reply, the girl quickly left.

                “Nice job,” Aya smiled, “Your first sale, and it only took three hours!”

                “Ugh!”  Icarus grumbled.

                “Don’t worry,” Aya laughed, “In a couple of hours you’ll be done.”

                “Ugh, can I take a break?” Icarus took off the cornucopia hat.

                “Alright, fine,” Aya said, “But you’ll need to be back in ten minutes. The parade is starting soon, and there’ll be lots of little kids who want some of these kabobs.”

                Icaryus gave the hat to Aya as he walked around the festival. It was scorching, but he didn’t mind; he was wearing a light purple shirt with faded brown shorts. As he walked across the boardwalk of the festival, he could see throngs of people enjoying themselves.

                “It’s been a while since I’ve had fun,” Icarus sighed.

                Oh, I wish she were here in my arms

                My long lost lover from ages ago

                I’d be seduced by her charms

                And wouldn’t be depressed and low

                Icarus tearfully sang as he remembered the person he loved decades ago; he remembered the sweet aroma she brought when they kissed, and every moment with her seemed like forever.

                Alas, time is a cruel friend

                And death is ever so near

                I wish that your life didn’t end

                Or the reasons you died were clear

                Icarus looked out at the boardwalk as he continued to sing. It was a solemn song, something he sketched after a few gigs in a jazz lounge. He missed her dearly, but never found out why she died; it haunted him to this day. He kept singing as the crowds around him started to notice. People started to take videos and deposited some money in an empty can that was next to him.

                But then again your kin was generous enough

                To grant me a place to stay

                And even though these times are tough

                A multitude of thanks I have to say

                It was because of Aya that he had the apartment in the city; they shared rent after his lover died. It was then he opened his eyes and realized that everyone was applauding him, dropping coins and bills into the now occupied can. He picked it up and smiled as he walked back to the fruit stand.

                “Look Aya!” Icarus smiled. “I finally got some money!”

                “That’s great!” Aya said, handing another kid a kabob. “Now I have some good news and some bad news…”

                “Um, good news?” Icarus said.

                “Good news is that I sold all our kabobs!” Aya looked at the can. “Bad news is my boss just took all the money and said I need to purchase more. I don’t have any more money on me, so…”

                “Oh, come on!”