Khanyi quietly absorbed everything, sweeping the wood shavings from the studio. No one here could speak with more authority on the inhumanity of the Nazis than she could. The naked model, Irina, posed elegantly on the still-life table, her blue eyes occasionally blinking like a plaster statue.
The soft light illuminated her full, white breasts, revealing enchanting shadows and curves. Khanyi looked at the trained, motionless woman and felt a burning pain in her left chest and shoulder. She pressed her hand against her left chest, feeling her heart beating beneath her palm, where a black wolf totem lay beneath her thin sweater.
The day’s classes ended, and in the early evening, Professor Brown first left the classroom, followed closely by the model Irina. The students hummed as they packed their art supplies, seemingly forgetting the earlier discussions. They left the studio in small groups… everyone returned to their own lives, leaving only Khanyi behind to handle the final cleanup. She closed the window, drew the heavy, light-blocking curtains, and locked the classroom door.
She paced in front of a floor-to-ceiling mirror in the studio, unbuttoning her blouse one by one, looking at herself in the reflection. The studio had a dedicated spotlight on, casting a dim yellow light on her. Her body had beautiful curves, but on her chest was a palm-sized black tattoo, a glaring wolf totem.
She had tried many methods to scrub it off with a brush dipped in soap, even drawing blood from her skin, but it wouldn’t come off. She had heard students mention shops that could “remove” tattoos, but she dared not go there, for these two marks were something she could never let anyone see.
She had tried her best to avoid recalling those experiences. More than two months had passed, and the scars on her body were slowly healing, but these two tattoos were indelible marks. No, not two; she looked down at her feet clad in black stockings, where his name was also tattooed on her ankle.
“My God!” A deep sigh echoed behind her.
Khanyi turned around abruptly to find Professor Brown standing before her, the frail old man in his sixties, who had left but for some reason returned. His eyes were fiery red as he stepped closer to her. “My God, what are these?”
Khanyi felt extremely embarrassed, and in her panic, she instinctively tried to cover her chest. “Professor… I…”
But it was too late; he had not only seen the wolf totem on her chest but also the lightning cross on her back. Her skin was as white as porcelain, and the tattoos were so conspicuous. “Are these the marks of the Nazis? Gianna, how could you have these on you?”
“I’m sorry, Professor Brown, I lied. I’m not a refugee; I was once imprisoned in a concentration camp…”
“You were imprisoned in a concentration camp? Oh my God, this can’t be true…”
“It is absolutely true, Professor Brown. I was forced to get these devilish symbols; I had no choice and could not resist. They made me drink a sedative… and when I woke up, I had these on my chest and back…” As she spoke, her voice choked. In truth, she had only recounted part of her ordeal; the rest was something she would never wish to mention again.
“Poor child… If it weren’t for these, what a pure and lovely body it would be!” As a painter and art teacher, Professor Brown couldn’t help but feel the urge to depict her beautiful form. He had the keen eyes of an artist; from the first day this girl came to work at the school, he seemed to see through her gray sweater and long skirt to her enchanting body. He could guarantee that she was far more captivating than the model on the still life table.
But he noticed her fear, and at this moment, he should do his utmost to comfort her. His hand rested on her frail shoulder. “I’m very sorry to have learned your secret inadvertently. I just came to retrieve my pen, and seeing the classroom dark, I used my key to open the door. But don’t worry, child, I swear I won’t tell anyone about this.”
“Thank you,” Khanyi nodded, shaking her head vigorously. “I… don’t know how to remove them.”
The hand on her shoulder pressed down harder. “Child, there’s no need to worry about these, because you are beautiful, even with them, you are still beautiful.”
Khanyi looked up into Professor Brown’s eyes. She couldn’t bear to hear any praise for the tattoos, but his gaze was so pure and calm. “Don’t hesitate or misunderstand, child, because I see in you the resilience and courage of life. Isn’t that the most beautiful and moving thing?”
