Free An Uncommon Family by Christa Polkinhorn

revolutions. Later it was taken over by an increasingly unsavory crowd of drug users. It was finally converted into a modern cafeteria. What remained were the photos on the wall, the memories, and the excellent coffee.
    Anna and Karla walked up the steep road in the Niederdorf, the old part on the hillside above the river. Karla rang the bell to Jonas’s apartment and they both laughed at the horrible shrieking sound it made. According to Jonas, a couple of older people lived in the building who were hard of hearing. He suspected that they had removed the filter from the bell. A slightly more pleasant buzzing sound erupted and Anna pushed the door open. They walked the four floors to the top, since Anna hated the old, rickety elevator.
    Jonas had left the door to his apartment open. As Anna and Karla entered, a whiff of paint and lacquer greeted them. Anna liked the simple elegance of the place, the light wooden furniture, and the subtle colors.
    Usually, Anna dropped Karla off for her lesson and went bookstore hunting. She visited the owners of a few of the bookstores in the city, with whom she got together occasionally. They exchanged ideas about new authors, new books, and the struggle of maintaining small, independent bookstores. Sometimes, Anna visited a museum or gallery or went shopping.
    Today, she had brought a book with her. It was a detective novel she hadn’t read yet. She had started it the evening before and couldn’t wait to get back to it. Settling into a comfortable chair in the alcove of the living room, she started to read. She took an occasional sip of the freshly brewed coffee Jonas had offered her. Before she knew it, an hour had passed and she heard a child laugh.
     “Anna, look.” Karla stepped out of Jonas’s studio, holding up her newest picture. It was a landscape, very much like the one Anna and Karla could see from their home. It depicted the pond and a blooming canola field next to it. The yellow and gold of the field created a beautiful contrast to the shades of green and blue of the pond and the trees and bushes bordering it.
    “These were difficult to paint.” Karla pointed at the patch of reeds in the pond. “The stems always came out too thick. Saint Nicholas had to help me.”
    “That’s a very good painting. But Karla, you shouldn’t call Mr. Bergman ‘Saint Nicholas,’” Anna said. “It’s not polite.”
    “Oh, I don’t mind. I actually like my new name. It’s kind of mysterious.” Jonas lowered his voice to make it sound like Santa Claus.
    “I think Karla is ready for her first exhibition,” he added.
    “Already?” Anna asked.
    Karla was almost eight. She had been taking lessons for close to two years. Her drawing and painting had improved considerably and so had her state of mind. The frequency of her nightmares had decreased and she seemed happier. She had become quite close to Jonas and looked forward to her lessons all week.
    “Well, it’s a special exhibition for the children. We host it at the art store.” Jonas turned to Karla. “Why don’t you get the pictures we picked?”
    Karla skipped next door. Anna looked after her. “She’s doing much better all around, thanks to your help.”
    “She’s doing very well with her painting. I think she’ll like the exhibition. We started it a few years ago. It’s fun for the children and it boosts their self-esteem. Each child can display several paintings or drawings. They’re priced at five francs each. And we make sure that everybody sells at least one picture.”
    “How do you do this?”
    Jonas winked at her. “I have a purchase team. The owner of the art store and the staff take care of it. They buy the paintings.” Jonas laughed. “They have a whole collection of children’s art at home.”
    Anna smiled. “You’re spoiling them, but I think it’s a great idea. It gives them a taste of the art world.”
    “Most of the kids I teach are probably not going to be artists. You know, it’s like