Kazu

A young man sits in a chair looking out the window. "These eyes" is playing on the radio. He sighs and turns around, getting up from his chair.  

I keep my glance firm on the digital box before me. The days keep coming back to my mind, the time I fooled around so much in that darkroom, getting my projects finished, always anxious to know where all the hard work put into each of my small frames of life have led me yet again. I will never forget every little detail of my magical handheld mechanism, the smoothness of it, the clarity of the world through it's shiny lenses.
I look at my watch. 8:15. A student should be coming soon. I have these things scheduled. I'm responsible for a school's graduation pictures. What a repetitive process, with all those fake smiles the kids have to put on. I still remember my days; I couldn't wait until they finish with my picture. All the formal dressing, fixing of hair, smoothing of clothes. What a commotion graduate pictures always bring! And for what? For simply two seconds of looking prettily into the camera. It's different from what I do personally. I take photographs of natural moments of life. This...what I am doing now, it lacks feeling. I'm already running out of jokes that put on kid's natural smiles. Oh well, I'm doing this simply for experience. This is my last day after all.

Two students arrive laughing about something they seemed to have found pretty hilarious. Wait till they hear the sound of my sarcasm. That'll kill them! I can crack people up pretty well.
"Please, don't keep the camera waiting any more. It has been sitting here lonely all morning with no one to stare at. Yes, please, sit here. "
One of them rolls her eyes and sits aside on a chair. The girl before me lets out a short giggle and flips her long brown hair back. She sits down on the stool. Looks up on me with a questioning glance, That look in her eyes, it is so different. It is as if I'm looking into two clear drops of ocean water.
"Don't be looking so gloomy hon, you'll cry when you see how your picture turned out. Why don't you put a little smile on, were're not here to execute you. There, that's all the better."
Her smile gets wider. I step forward and look into the camera. I'm not sure of what I'm seeing. My heart skips a beat. I take some time and observe the slender body that girl has, notice the softness of her skin. From the lense I can even see her friend smiling at this pretty face. This will truly be a fascinating picture.
I step away from the camera, to see if it is giving me illusions. I glance back at her with my own set of eyes. There she still is , looking a little worried. Girls, always so worried about their image. And yet it is so unnecessary here, she's a natural. That beauty could get her into modeling. Strange, how could someone look so intense and innocent at the same time?
"Is anything wrong? Am I not sitting right?"
"Oh no, not at all. I have a good feeling about this one. It'll turn out great, trust me. Lean a little closer. That's perfect! Smile again".
The flash shoots into her.
"Pretty good!"I say satifyingly. And I really mean it.
"Thank you sir,"she replies as she looks at the screen image of herself.
"No problem at all."
They gather up and make their way toward the exit.
Brilliant smile she has. I'll never forget it. Now that's a sight.