Purple Royal Poinciana Sky

After a tiring and stressful math lesson, the drum sounded “Tung! tung! tung!...”. Recess time began. In the school yard, students were running, playing, and laughing. While everyone was happy, I was worried because the next class was art, a subject that I didn’t like and was a bit weaker than my friends. What worried me was that I still couldn’t finish the landscape drawing assignment the teacher gave me.

The sound of the bell ringing to start the class made my heart pound. The new class had begun. We entered the classroom and sat down, put our books on the table, and waited for the teacher to come in. Many students brought their drawings to show off, and I remained silent in growing fear. Teacher Luc walked into the classroom with a serious face. Today, he wore a pair of dress pants combined with a blue shirt, looking very polite. He smiled and greeted the whole class, then said: "Today, we will learn to draw about the topic of your school, do you like it?". The whole class said loudly in unison: "Yes!". "Then the whole class will go out to the schoolyard to observe and draw!".

We all held papers and colored pencils, eagerly lining up to go to the school yard. Our friends spread out across the yard to observe. Many of us went to the flower garden to draw beautifully. I sat under the tree on a stone bench with my friends but was still worried because I was afraid I wouldn't have any homework to submit to the teacher, and then there was this drawing. What if the paper I submitted was all white? The teacher would be disappointed and the laughter of my friends would make me feel embarrassed. While I was thinking about something and still didn't know which scene to draw, Mr. Luc came to me: "Khanh, are you still thinking but haven't drawn it yet?". I was confused: "Yes, I don't know where to start...". He looked at me affectionately: "Always start with what is closest to us."

The teacher looked up at the canopy: “Oh, the purple phoenix flower tree bloomed so early. Don’t you think it’s beautiful?”. I tilted my head to look up at the green canopy. The purple phoenix flower had bloomed five clusters, the clusters were so gentle and dreamy. I had seen many red phoenix flowers, but this was the first time I saw purple phoenix flowers right in my school yard. So beautiful and strange. “Do you know why our school has this phoenix tree?”. “No!”. “The teachers once visited Da Lat, the old principal bought the phoenix tree to plant. At that time, this place was still being leveled. It’s been twelve years. All the trees are tall now.” “But I thought the trees in the school yard must be decades old. Every tree is green and spreads shade across the school yard.” Teacher Luc looked at me: “So have you chosen a subject to draw?”. An idea flashed through my mind, I nodded immediately: “Yes, I have.” So I looked at the canopy of leaves, the purple phoenix flower canopy and put my pen on the paper. The morning sunlight danced across the page I was drawing.

After class, I brought my painting to the teacher. He looked at it and smiled: “Your purple phoenix flower sky looks so lovely. The colors are so bright. You drew very well!” I really didn’t expect that my heart was like a phoenix flower blooming one petal at a time.

From that day on, I loved drawing class more. Learning to draw is not difficult when you love it and know how to observe. Mr. Luc always taught us that. I also often go to the school yard to play rather than sitting in class. In the school yard, I can see many trees blooming with beautiful flowers. I can see the dreamy purple phoenix flower sky to love my school more. I silently thank Mr. Luc, thank his outdoor class for helping me change my attitude towards studying art. So that I know there are shy purple phoenix flowers in the school yard.