Chapter Five

A SENSE OF DÉJÀ VU

Having tidied his clothes and packed some belongings, the man departed his apartment.

Never one with a fixed job, he would occasionally take on temporary work at a rose garden near the small town. When there was no work to be done at the rose garden, he would set up a stall at the town’s street market and paint portraits for visiting tourists.

Today, he made his way to the market.

As it was a holiday, the market was more crowded than usual. Despite this, business appeared slow for the man.

“I’m used to this. Luck never seems to be on my side.” The man sat down on the little wooden stool in his stall, feeling disheartened.

Before long, a woman was jostled by the bustling crowd and almost stumbled onto the man’s easel. Just as the man wanted to call out to the woman, he could only watch as she turned her back and slowly walked away.

The man gazed into the distance as the woman disappeared into the crowd, a sense of deja vu stirring within him.