Down the Alleyway

Chapter 15

Sina

"So, what did you say?" Mr. Wae asked.

I told him what Mr. Fred had asked me last night and he's been patiently listening this whole time. I know I've asked him to be my audience but I could tell that I'm slowly turning him into my very own psychiatrist. This is embarassing, he should be listening to my songs, not my woes.

I hope he won't get irritated.

"Nothing, really."

"And why is that?" he asked gently, just like what a physician would do.

"Maybe it's because I'm scared with crowds?" My face sunk deeper into my scarf.

"But how about your songs? Are you really okay that I'm the only one who gets to hear it?"

"Y-yes." I nodded.

"But isn't music meant to be heard by everyone?"

I didn't answer.

Mr. Wae let out a sigh and stood up, his smile dissapeared and looked at me with melancholy in his eyes.

"Miss Sina..." he called and I looked up at him from my chair, his stature colossal from my position.

"If I asked you to stay here with me... would you do it?" he asked, his hands behind his back. His expression began to look strain, like his anticipating what my answer will be.

What a strange thing to ask but--

"Of course I would!" I said as a smile crept onto my face.

Nobody will care if I'm gone anyways.

There's a pause.

He didn't say anything for a while then finally came up to me, ruffling my hair. He walked past me, his posture is a little hunched, not like his usual properness.

My brows creased.

Did I say something wrong?

"Come on." He finally looked back, his slight smile looks like it's hiding something underneath. "You should go home now. I'll walk you back to the entrance."

But I was the one who gets to decide whether to go home or not. Why is he the one doing it now?

Before I could even get up he was already walking away. I looked at his back as he leads the way.

I already watched too many people walked away from my life. And their backs were the most painful things to watch. I hope this new person ahead of me won't do the same.

Just a few steps after, we were finally at the mouth of the alley.

I was about to step out when Mr. Wae finally said something.

"Miss Sina."

I turned towards him.

His smile is back to normal and he bended his knees just to match my eye level.

"Do you really enjoy me listening to your songs?" He tilted his head.

"Yes, I do! I've had so much fun playing you my songs."

He let out a small laugh, his hand modestly covered his mouth.

"I do too but--" His smile faded."I only exists right here, you're merely playing to guy whose existance is erased as soon as you steppped out this alley. So that means; you're technically playing to no one. Your songs never made it out into the world, it's stuck here, in the darkness."