The Statue - Part II

The Statue

Part II

Written by Cassia Sherrill

Chelsea and Zoe arrived at their subway stop and walked up the block to where the statue was located. The area around the statue was filled with tourists of all ages who were taking pictures and videos with it.

The statue itself was made of copper, but it had been weathered over time. It depicted a man and a woman about four feet apart from one another. The two people in the artwork had their arms outstretched towards one another as if they were just about to shake hands.

Zoe was clearly excited about seeing the statue, and she quickly fell in line with all the other tourists. Chelsea walked up to the foot of the statue, which stood about five feet above her, and she didn’t quite get it. Am I just missing it or what is the actual point of this statue? She walked over to the plaque explaining the statue and its history. Might as well learn something from this shenanigan, I guess. The plaque went over how the artist was trying to depict the moment where two soulmates meet for the first time, and she rolled her eyes. I cannot believe people actually flock to see this.

Zoe interrupted her thoughts as she came over and grabbed her. “Chelsea, okay, now is the big moment. I have to touch the hand of the guy, and we will see if he turns into my soulmate.”

Chelsea couldn’t help but laugh as she found all of this incredibly ridiculous.

“Can you video me touching the statue?” Zoe asked.

“Sure.” Chelsea grabbed the phone and pointed it towards her friend.

To the camera, Zoe explained with a laugh, “Okay, I am about to touch hands with the statue. Now is the moment of truth!” She dramatically reached up and placed her hand on the outstretched hand of the man in the statue. Nothing happened. “Boo! I guess I am not his soulmate, but Chels, can you grab my picture too?”

Chelsea began taking a few pictures, but her pictures were quickly ruined by other girls getting up on the statue’s platform to touch it as well. “Zoe, I took a few, but those girls kind of got in the background of your photos.”

Hopping down from the statue’s platform, she responded, “Aw, that’s okay as long as I have a few to work with.”

“Here check them out and see if you like them before we leave.”

“Oh, these are perfect,” she exclaimed as she scrolled through the photos. “Okay, now it’s your turn!”

“No way! I have no desire to get up there and do any of that.”

“Come on! You have got to at least try it. Just go up and touch his hand like I did.”

“No, this is so stupid!” Zoe kept nudging Chelsea towards the statue until Chelsea finally relented. “Fine. I will go and touch his hand but then we are leaving.”

“Yay! And hey, you never know this could be the love of your life!”

I highly doubt that, she thought as she made her way up the statue’s platform. The group of girls from earlier were still flocking around the statue as they each were attempting to grab individual shots with the art piece.

“Okay, guys, Chelsea is about to touch the statue as well,” Zoe narrated to her camera as she began filming her friend.

Chelsea cut a swift look at her. “Dude, you really don’t have to film me doing this.”

“I want to. It could be a very momentous occasion!”

She sighed as she turned back towards the statue. “I am just going to touch the side of his arm,” she yelled back at her friend. She reached up and just barely touched the outstretched forearm of the man. Oh, I am thoroughly embarrassed. This has to be the dumbest thing I have ever done.

She turned back towards Zoe as she hopped down from the statue’s platform. “There...are you happy now? Please do not share the video of me touching that with anyone or better yet let’s just delete it.”

Chelsea was saying this as she walked up to Zoe; however, she said nothing back. She was standing there still holding the camera towards the statue with a very surprised look on her face.

“Okay, I know it is surprising that I actually did it, but I didn’t think you would be-” Chelsea’s words were interrupted.

A man’s voice called out, “Excuse me, miss?”

Chelsea’s eyes widened as she turned back towards the direction of the statue. To her disbelief, a man now stood where the man in the statue had stood moments before. She didn’t believe what she was seeing so she blinked very rapidly but nothing changed. The guy looked just like the man in the statue with all of his same features and looks. What the…

All the tourists around the statue had all paused in their tracks as the man also made his way down the statue’s platform. He was walking towards Chelsea and Zoe. Both of the girls stood in shock as he approached them.