D. visited this afternoon. I first met him in 2003, when he was a helper at Fernando B. Sena's art classes at The Saturday Art Group gallery and workshop in Ali Mall. He now works as a janitor at a call center building but continues to pursue his interest in art. After his father passed away he was able to put together some money and bought his own little house and lot in ______, where he and his mother now live. He is currently enrolled in an P11,000, two-year diploma course in painting, which he attends on weekends.

D. used to visit me a lot in 2003. He modeled for a nude sketch that I included in my _The Figure in Art_ exhibit at De La Salle University. He text-messaged me last week to ask whether I had any art books that I was willing to dispose of. I selected three for him. Apparently, however, he remembered one particular book that he saw on one of my shelves 13 years ago. There'd been a last copy in a book store that he kept coming back to and saving up for, but, by the time he could afford to buy it, it was no longer there.

I asked D. to look through my shelves and see if he could find the book. He did. I decided to give that one to him as well. One man's long-forgotten book on a shelf is another man's treasure.

We had a snack at M.'s cafe afterward. I am glad that I was able to give him what his little heart desired all these 13 years.