Esther*

She’s a natural leader, gorgeous and gifted. Everyone can see it but her.

Esther is beautiful. Inside and out. Period.

She has this unique, understated presence. What does that mean? It’s difficult to describe. She’s not the type you’ll notice straight away when she walks into a room. She doesn’t bound into it and into your face. Rather by the end of the night you’ll remember her for her insight, depth of personality and authenticity. She is naturally beautiful being statuesque and ethereal with high cheek-bones and soul-searching eyes. She reminds me of a hybrid between the elves Arwen and Galadriel in the Lord of the Rings. I asked a friend if she remembered Esther from a night out for my birthday? Her response: ‘Yes, she made an impression on me’. A pensive comment from someone not usually that way inclined. There is just something about her, but I can’t put my finger on it. She has this magnetic personality that draws you in and envelopes you.

I write with this piece with trepidation as Esther is an English teacher, and a brilliant one at that. I’m a little nervous about all the grammatical errors she’ll find. One of her pet hates is the placing of an apostrophe between ‘it’ and ’s’ when it’s (ironically) not required. It ranks top 5 among my common mistakes.

Esther was inspired to teach by Louise, another teacher, who is now one of her good friends. By every account, Louise sounds like a wonderful human being. Like Esther, Louise is a strong woman who encouraged and nurtured Esther’s gravitation towards teaching, to educating young minds and making a difference in the world. Her influence on Esther is so significant that Esther recalls speaking in front of a group of parents and feeling incredibly nervous because she knew that Louise was present and wanted to do a good job.

Despite her conscious decision to enter teaching, Esther feels like she ‘inherited’ the profession. Both her parents are teachers and it was probably instinctive that she follow in their footsteps. The thing is I get the sense she’s still searching for her ‘thing’. I don’t know what that is, whether it’s profession, passion, soulmate, niche in life or all the above. What I do know is that whatever ‘it’ is is just around the corner. I can feel the stars aligning and the universe’s lips forming a smile.

Smile is something Esther does every Tuesday night. We have a trivia team called the Quislings. The joy trivia brings to one’s wellbeing cannot be underestimated. It is the highlight of my week. So much so in Rainwoman fashion I’ve even started swotting the title, artist and year of music from the 70s, 80s and 90s. Esther is indisputably the genius of the group. the one everyone looks to when a curly question arises. You can almost see the cogs in her brain ticking over. As a group we have been known to muse over pre-trivia dingbats (puzzles) for what seems like an eternity awaiting Esther’s arrival. Only for her to turn up, take a glance and solve the puzzle within an instant, much to the chagrin of her teammates.

As you’ve probably established, she’s smart. Smart as paint some would say (though I’ve never quite understood that saying). The description presents a nice segue as she’s also a formidable artist. She has a love of birds and paints them often. To understand the root of this fascination you need to observe the interaction between the two species. One particularly memorable photo is of Esther sitting in Centennial Park engulfed by a swarm of cockatoos and laughing helplessly as each compete for a free limb on which to hover. It’s like both parties share a sacred bond of which no sapien can begin to understand or enter. Esther’s notable portraits to date include Percy, a regal looking white duck who has a mischievous twinkle in the eye and Georgie, a cheeky galah with pink plumes. I think if Georgie were human she’d be fun to go out for a drink with the girls, with prosecco being the drink of choice.

Despite these exceptional paintings however, I believe her real talent lies in her drawings. She uses her drawings to express her feelings and emotions. Her latest is a suite is about a little bird whom I’ve named Dorrit. I don’t know why but the naming was instinctive, an impulsive reaction to this inquisitive little creature. Think Angelina Ballerina and you’ll have an idea of the style. Esther and Dorrit have enormous potential, I believe, from a branding and commercial perspective. The drawings are unique because they’re simultaneously innocent, yet raw and expose a level of the artist’s vulnerability. Esther and I walked around a design market just recently and while there were many creative, beautiful objects on display, it became apparent there was an unwritten code of style among purveyors. After a while everything seemed similar, felt safe. I sense a tentativeness in Esther in letting Dorrit go, because if she does, there’s a part of her that will be revealed to others.

A former colleague once proffered some advice his parents shared with him. 1. There is nothing people haven't seen at the beach before (a fan favourite of yours truly) and 2. Water finds its level. If his parents received commission for this advice then I would forever be in their debt.

Esther is travelling on a remarkable journey, literally and figuratively. She’s walked the Camino and she’s made good friends on her travels (that includes on ferries in NZ). These friendships she cherishes and nurtures. She’s the type that both instigates and is open to spontaneous discussion.

Unfortunately however, despite her solid group of amazing friends, her trust has been abused by someone she once considered a soulmate. To that individual I say water finds its level.

When I think of Dorrit I think of Esther and her journey. Walking, sometimes stumbling, through a forest with a sense of adventure and discovery to emerge in a wide open spacing enabling her to absorb the beauty of her surroundings. She notices the details, the small things, often missed by others along the way. Sherlock would acknowledge her capacity to see and observe.

Spread your wings Esther. This is your moment. There’s an enormous world out there and it’s yours for the taking. You’re beautiful, intelligent and gorgeous.

Soar and soar on.

*Not her real name.