The Last Leaf: A Tale of Hope and Compassion
Once upon a time in Istanbul lived two young women named Sue and Johnsy. They both were aspiring artists, bound by mutual dreams and livelihood, dwelling in an artistic, old neighborhood of the city. Life was vibrant and full of color for them, just like their bold artwork. However, fate was about to test their strength.
While practicing their craft, they found companionship in each other. Their apartment was scanty, but their hopes were high. With ambitions fueled by extraordinary talent and unending support from each other, they were ready to face whatever life threw at them. At least, they thought so.
As winters arrived, the city was swept by a devilish wave of pneumonia, infecting the nearly-abandoned neighborhood's quaint populace. Among the affected was Johnsy. As her condition began to deteriorate, so did her spirit and will to fight. The vitality of her character withered away just like the leaves on the vine creeping into their room's window.
Sue, witnessing her friend's desolation, was disheartened. As days passed, Johnsy's condition rapidly declined, she refused to eat or take her medicine, lying apathetically staring at the vine. She pessimistically linked her survival with the last leaf on the vine, obsessing over its eventual fall as a sign of her impending death.
Desperate, Sue sought help from the sullen, old artist Behrman, living downstairs. He was a stern drinker whose life's ultimate unfinished goal was to paint a masterpiece. The old man had turned into a cynic in the wake of his unfulfilled dreams. He often scoffed at the young artists living upstairs but held a soft spot for them in his hardened heart.
On hearing Johnsy's whimsical dying delusion, he barked angrily, ridiculing her lack of will but was ultimately moved by her condition. He decided that he would make Johnsy want to live, and he knew that art was his only weapon.
One chilling night, as the winds howled, the old painter sneaked into the apartment, taking his brushes and paint. As Sue assisted the poor frail Johnsy to sleep, he stationed himself in front of the window bearing the leafless vine battling against the harsh blizzard. Hours turned into moments as the old man started painting his anticipated masterpiece, a single pristine leaf on the bare vine.
The following morning, Johnsy awoke to the sight that struck her, the last leaf of the vine. It had survived the night's brutal storm. The sight stirred something within her. It summoned something she thought was lost - hope. Johnsy, fascinated by the leaf's resilience, later that day, she asked Sue to serve her some soup, a small sign that she was fighting her illness once again.
Days later, Sue, knocking on Behrman's apartment for thanking him, found it ominously silent. She pushed the door to find the old man lying still on his cold floor; paint-stained hands clenched tightly, a peaceful expression on his frozen face, and his unfinished canvas depicting the most remarkable piece of art, a masterpiece in true senses depicting a leaf.
A doctor later informed Sue how Behrman was found unconscious in his apartment, the last stages of pneumonia, implying he contracted the disease while painting the leaf standing barefoot in the cold night, thus fulfilling his unachieved goal - and saving Johnsy's life.
Johnsy recovered over time, not knowing the story behind the last leaf on the vine. She seasoned into a prominent artist, seldom reminiscing about the leaf that brought her back to life and the silent hero behind it, Behrman, who painted his masterpiece only for it to become a symbol of hope, resilience, and sacrificial love.