Gemstone Butterfly

Don Kimberly proudly showed Peggy around his apartment, pointing out the framed photos on the wall. “Are these all your work?” she asked. “Every single one,” he said, “I love the dramatic effect of clouds; you can see from these photos that I favor storm clouds over the sea and heavy downpours. Of course, I’ve intentionally dramatized them with a red pen. But you can feel the power, the surge of the storm, the might of nature.” “These are amazing,” she said, “They’re – very believable, very real. In a way, they symbolize life.” “I’m glad you like them. Now, would you like to see the darkroom?” “Of course.” “Let’s look at those films, Peggy.” She handed him the envelope. Ignoring the photos, he carefully examined the negatives. “Oh,” he said, “this girl used a pretty sophisticated camera.” “How do you know without seeing the camera?” “You can tell at a glance from the film,” he said, “These films are very clear. That means she had a coupled rangefinder and a high-quality lens. That’s why I wanted to look at the negatives instead of the photos; the negatives tell everything. Often, cheap lenses can produce decent exposures, but once you start enlarging, the photos get fuzzy. Let’s enlarge a few right away.” “Where’s the darkroom?” she asked. He laughed: “This is a bachelor apartment; there’s a pantry outside the kitchen, much bigger than I need, so I’ve sealed it off and installed running water, turning it into a darkroom. Come on in, I want to show you my studio.” He led Peggy into the darkroom, showing her two enlargers. One used what he called “cold light,” and the other used a condenser to enhance clarity. Kimberly poured some chemicals into a stainless steel tray: “These photos will be enlarged in a snap. What are you thinking, Peggy?” “I want to ask you something, it might not be my business.” “What is it?” “Do you know about Stella’s physical condition?” “I do.” “You,” she said, “that is to say – you -” “You’re asking if I’m the guy?” “Yes.” “No.” He paused for a moment, then continued, “I’ve known Stella for quite some time. I first met her when she was working at a café. She was a pleasant, likable kid. I saw her several times, and then I was appointed to a committee for selecting a ‘Queen’ for a local celebration. Many girls lined up in swimsuits, and I was surprised to see Stella Lin among them. I believe knowing her did not affect my judgment. Anyway, I voted for her, and the other two judges did as well. She was elected the ‘Queen’ of the organization, that was three years ago. Since then, she’s put on weight, but back then – oh, she had a really beautiful figure.”