The Perfect Picture
By, Sarah Johnson
Lily was a young photographer just getting started in the world, she had hair like gold and a smile that could make you forget all your worries. Often times people would tell her that she shouldn't be taking the pictures but be the one in them. Lily always answered the same way, she would reply by saying “thank you that’s very sweet of you, but I would rather take pictures of beautiful people like you than have my picture taken.” Lily was too modest to let what people said about her go to her head, she figured that they were just being friendly. Lily was pretty good at staying organized and calm when ‘things got crazy. but when she couldn't take it she knew that Max would always be there too help.
Max, her boyfriend was the kind of man that you knew you could trust with anything. Even if you had only just met. Max had these blue eyes that when you looked into them it was like looking into a sea of stars. His hair was an almost black shade of brown, and he had just enough facial hair to make him insanely hansome. He and Lily had been together since middle school, and not once had they felt like they weren't meant for eachother. Sure they fought sometimes but in the end the always made up. Max and Lily knew each other so well that they could practically read each other’s minds. they were the type of people that believed that they were each other’s other half. the two of them ran a photography shop together, and they lived a pretty normal life until they got the phone call of a lifetime.
“Ring,ring”
“ Good morning, Faith Photography this is Lily”
“ Good morning this is Mr.Baker…”
“ Wait. THE Mr.Baker? Like the millionaire Mr.Baker?” Lily had a tone of excitement and confusion in her voice.
“Yes,that would be me.” Mr,Baker sounded annoyed.
“AAAHHH I’m so sorry I interrupted you. how can I help you sir?
“I have a job for you and your partner Max…”
After almost two hours on the phone with Mr.Baker he and Lily had made all the plans needed to do the job that he wanted done.
‘‘Who was that Babe?”
“ Oh you know just Mr.Baker.” Lily was trying to sound cool but wasn’t very successful.
“Mr.Baker!? Like Mr.Baker, Mr.Baker?!” Max couldn’t believe what he was hearing, this was a dream come true.
“ Yup and Max, you better get packing because we have a job to do and our plane leaves in a week.”
The two of them could barely sleep the nights leading up to the job, they were so excited.And as they were about to board the plane it hit them. they were about to live one of their lifelong dreams, and it was kind of scarry. this job was going to take them two years to complete, and if they failed to do what Mr.baker wanted he could ruin their business. but on the other hand if they did a good job and got the picture that he was looking for it could help their little shop become a big shop. So there was a lot riding on this.
“ There’s no backing down now Maxie, let’s go.”
Max and Lily’s plane landed about eight hours later a small village called Nwkew. they were surprised at the beauty around them, but not nearly as surprised to see a man standing there with a sign that read “Faith photography” the man holding the sign was a darker colored man with short curly hair that was a dark shade of brown. He had a face that was so friendly that when you saw it you knew that he could never hurt anyone.
‘‘Hello my name is Samuel. I am to be your guide on this journey, i hope that we will become the best of friends.”
“ Hey Samuel my name is Max and this is my girlfriend Lily.”
“Oh it is an honor to me the two of you.” based on how excited samuel was they guessed that he hadn't met many new people.
”Well let’s get you two to your hotel room, I’m sure that you are very tired from the plane ride over. And you're going to need your energy, because we will be leaving at daybreak.” For the first time since they got the call it felt like the real deal. As scared Max and Lily were they couldn’t wait to leave in the morning. As morning finally arrived Max and Lily were woken up by Samuel knocking on their door. When Max had finally made his way to the door to let him in. Samuel seemed to be even more excited than they did. He began their morning by telling them their plan for the next two years. It surprised them how hard it was going to be.after they had worked out all the details of ther the plan they were off.
Every thing that Sammy had told them would happen was happening, and Lily was getting pictures of all of it. There were,head hunters, native villages, rock slides, and so so much more happening. There was something else every day. It had almost been a year of hiking, trekking through the jungle, and getting attacked. They were only days away from where they were trying to go, all three of them were getting a little anxious. They weren't even sure if the village they were looking for was even still there. They were running out of time to get the picture. Lily wasn’t taking the pressure to well, she was anxious all the time and was nervous that she was going to find a way to mess it all up. Lily’s stress had gotten so bad that even Max couldn’t calm her down. Both sam and max were getting worried.
“I’ve never seen her like this Sam, I don’t know what to do”
“Just give her some space tonight she’ll be alright. She’s a fighter, I mean she was the one who scared off that baboon the other day that was trying to attack us.”
“You’re right, i guess she just needs some time to relax. what would I do without you Sam.”
“I don’t know get lost? I mean I am kind of your gide.”
“Haha Sam, come on you knuckle head let’s go back to camp.” by the time the guys had made their way back Lily had fallen asleep.
“Thank god she’s getting some sleep. I was afraid that she’d be up all night tossing and turning. Well I guess you and I should take a page from sleeping beauty's book here and hit the hay too. Goodnight sammy.”
“Goodnight Max. Sleep well.”
As morning came and the three of them started to wake up they knew that today was the day that they had been waiting for. today they were going to get the picture that this whole journey revolved around. Lily was the first to wake up, so natural she make breakfast for the boys.and like always when they smelt the food cooking they were up. They finished their food and had packed up within an hour and were ready to go. But for some reason they just stood there for a while in silence, as if they knew that something was wrong. And sure enough when they got to the village to was burnt to the ground. When the first saw what had happened both Samuel and Max looked at Lily to see if she was ok she just stood there staring at the ashes of what was supposed to be the village of Saysee, then something changed.
“We have to find them”
“What! “Lily are you crazy? How could we find them we don’t even know how long ago this happened. For all we know this could have happened years ago. Right Sam?”
“I think we should try and find them I mean how hard could it be? from what I can tell this must have only happened about a week ago.”
“Come on Max if we move fast we can catch them. We owe it to Mr.Baker to at least try and find them, I mean without him we wouldn’t have gotten married in that amazing little village a few months ago. Pleas.As your wife i'm begging you.”
“Ok. But only because you pulled the wife card.”
“Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I love you so much.”
“Come on lovebirds let’s go!’
And so they set off once more to find the lost village of Saysee. Surprisingly it only took them a few days to find it and take the pictures. Lily said that they were even better than she had hoped because even though she wanted to just cry and give up, she kept fighting and got that perfect picture.
