Chương 21: Unfinished Sculpture

"This was supposed to be a gift to my late father. Unfortunately, the artist already passed away before he even finished it, before I was born even! So it's been sitting in the basement of his family for more than sixty years now," explained the President as he stood beside Richard while staring at the projected image of an unfinished wooden sculpture.

By approximate, the block of wood shaped into a man stood about two meters. Its head already had a defined feature, akin to a long-haired man during the precolonial period. Its lower half, admittedly, still needed a lot of work to do.

"You know, if this is the work of a national artist, we could just let it stay like that, but it isn't. The family didn't have interest in it. They wanted to dispose of it, but I said no," Mr. President continued. "I want to see its finished product, so I've been looking for a someone here in Baguio who can finish it."

Although he wasn't much of a fan of wooden arts, Richard gave a passionate nod, so the President would think he's as enthusiastic as he was. "Well, that would be interesting. We have a lot of young talents nowadays, so I'm sure you'll find an eligible artist who'll get the job done."

"With all due respect, Mr. President," butted in the historian apprentice guy with a man-bun sitting atop his head. "I'm proud to say that there are lots of amazing woodcarvers here in Baguio, especially in the Itogon Wood Carver's Village."

Richard watched Timothy go around the projector to zoom in the image, particularly on the statue's head part, then went to the whiteboard the image was being projected at.

"But this isn't the kind of wood art that we do. This is not to say that we can't." Timothy pointed at the face of the sculpture. "You see, the intricacy and details that the artist wanted to accomplish leans more toward realism, like the kind of wooden sculptures you'd see in a lot of Catholic churches, Mr. President."

The explanation elicited an amused expression from the President.

'What a showoff,' Richard thought.

For some reason, just by looking at the young man's face annoyed him. Timothy was, by far, not an unattractive person. He was tall, at around 5'10 in height, but Richard was definitely taller because he was 6'1. A rich shade of tan colored his skin; a contrast to Richard's rose beige complexion.

The overall air around Timothy exuded boyfriend material, but there was something about him that Richard couldn't shake off. He just couldn't pin-point what it was.

Oh, and he was young too.

Richard couldn't help but picture a certain bespectacled man raving over his looks, which further ticked him off. Hopefully, they didn't know each other. But Yves was loyal to his boyfriend, so Timothy was the least of his concern.

"So, I think this kind of realistic wood art is more suitable for the woodcarvers in Paete, Laguna—the Carving Capital of the Philippines," Timothy finished explaining, pulling Richard out of his spiteful thoughts.

The look on the President's face was no doubt the expression of an impressed old man. He smiled in approval, walking forward to pat Timothy on the shoulder. "I see you've done your research, young man. You are, as Aurora said, detail-oriented and passionate."

Timothy's cheeks tinged with a bashful blush. "I'm not sure what Mrs. Aurora told you about me, but I'm honored by your praises, Mr. President."

"Oh, she actually told me a lot. Like how good you are at woodcarving. She even showed me photos of your craft, and I must say I'm impressed."

"That was just a hobby I developed after watching my father. He's the great woodcarver, not me. I am more interested in exploring the rich culture of our history. That's why I am working as a researcher under Mrs. Aurora."

"I see, I see. Then, would your father be interested to take on this little project?" the President asked.

Timothy's eyes widened at the offer and stuttered a reply. "I-I think he would be honored, b-but he's also running his own shop. And like I said, this isn't the type of wood art that we usually do."

"That's a no, then? It's not like I would ask him to do it for free."

"N-No!" Timothy panicked even more at the President's expectant gaze. "I-I'm sorry. I'm just a little overwhelmed right now. And I don't think I should be the one to decide on that. S-Should I call my father? I can give my father a call. H-Hold on."

The President put a hand on Timothy's trembling arm to stop him from taking a phone call. "It's alright, young man. Please, calm down. Ah, you said I should bring this to Paete, right?"

Timothy shoved his phone back in his jean's pocket and gave a nod. "Yes, Mr. President. I'm not sure where this unfinished sculpture is located right now, but if it's in Manila, it would be more convenient to bring it to Paete because it's a lot closer compared to Baguio."

"You are right. But you see, I already did," the President revealed. "In fact, the house of the artist's family is located in Paete. The unfinished sculpture is in Paete."

Timothy frowned, confused. "T-Then... why?"

The President strode back towards Richard and faced a shelf containing a memorabilia of previous presidents. "It's not the first time I asked someone to finish the sculpture. I'm not even a president yet when I did. But almost all the woodcarvers I contracted backed out. They said there's a problem with the wood."

"Problem?" Richard echoed, tired of being an outsider in the whole ordeal. "What seems to be the problem?"

"Maybe because the wood is already old that it had become brittle," Timothy said. "It's been more than sixty years, right?"

"That could be the reason, but previous contractors were able to make progress, albeit very little, so I think it's still viable." The President turned around with a smile on his aging face. "Would you like to give it a try, young man?"

Timothy gaped. "M-Me? Mr. President, I—!"

"I'll make sure you are paid handsomely. You will be provided with the finest tools you need."

"Even so. I don't think—"

"And if it's history you're interested in, I can give you special access to the Presidential Museum and Library," the President offered. Even Richard was taken by surprise. "Most of it is in the internet archive, but you may also find something not accessible to the public."

The mini-museum of The Mansion fell in a state of utter silence. No matter what angle Richard tried to look at it, he couldn't decipher the mind of the respectable man beside him. Was the unfinished sculpture that important for him to offer an exclusive privilege to a no-name woodcarver hobbyist? It didn't make any sense.

"I..." Timothy began, breaking the silence, almost at a loss for breath. "I don't know if I can live up to your high expectations, Mr. President, but I feel like I'd regret this if I say no."

The President smiled, satisfied with the answer. But for some reason, Richard felt there's something more to this than an unhealthy obsession with an unfinished sculpture. He needed to keep an eye on this.