City of Love [Zaintsee]

Prologue

The sun shone bright, behind was a wishing fountain, whose ever flowing and never ending clattering sound of water resounded. Which interfered with the sound of music, the sound of a cello playing the Maria Theresia von Paradis: Sicilienne in the streets of Paris.

Saint played the cello while he sat in front of the wishing fountain, on the ground laid his cello case wide open and in which there were few coins scattered and two euro bills lying in it, one was completely crumpled up.

Unlike any other street performer or unlike any other time, today Saint wasn't crowded by a mob of tourists who would take a few seconds to appreciate his talent and give him money. Today even the streets were empty and only a couple of tourists were in sight. Yet Saint continued as always and gave his best.

His only audience today was the old beggar dressed in old patched clothes which smelled like cabbage. He was sitting by the fountain to seek shade, but he also had a paper cup right in front of him in which there were lesser coins compared to Saint's cello case and no euro bills at all.

Saint had completed his studies in music and would only get to work if he was offered some jobs like recording for some music production company. He was 23 years old and single. Paris... the city of love is where Saint lived but never did he find love. Saint did not join any orchestra, he preferred to play alone and he was rather good at it.

He was offered many jobs but he rejected most of it and took some of it which allowed him to not travel outside the city. He never left Paris from the time he was born, his mother and father loved each other and eloped from Thailand and reached Paris when his father's art works were recognised here in Paris.

Since Saint was born here he was a citizen of this country and a few years later his parents were citizens too, they made the decision to never go back to Thailand as they had some very cruel relatives there who would never let them lead a peaceful life.

Unfortunately Saint's father died when Saint was in high school, he died of heart attack, and on the funeral day, when everyone was dressed in black and holding black umbrellas while burying his father, he too decided to never leave the country because his mother need him here and the few relatives who flew to Paris for the funeral showed little to no respect to his father's dead body or even his weeping mother.

They acted as if his father deserved the death because he abandoned them, they did not encourage his father's painting career as they thought he was chasing behind clouds and going no where but when they saw that his life was better than any of theirs, the jealousy, hatred, envy, ego and all the evil side of them were seen. Saint witnessed all that in person.

Saint's mother worked as a private detective, she just had to spy on people and give the information to whoever assigned the task. It was not a reliable job, but it paid well and to bare the expenses. Saint's father had already settled his family's life so Saint did not have trouble pursuing his dream. His father did not leave them with nothing, they had a fortune. But both Saint and his Mother spent each cent with caution, as it was his hard earned money.

Saint was so engrossed with the music he had his eyes closed the whole while, when he hit the last note on his cello he opened his eyes and saw literally no one in front of him. He wasn't disappointed, yet he just felt bad for all those people who had missed out on the beautiful piece of music. He played on the streets most of the time just to pass the time.

He collected all the coins and bills, put it in his pocket and packed up his stuff. He went to the fountain and wished, "I wish I could find true love at least this year... I'm 23 now, help me out here" he said and opened his eyes to see someone's reflection on the water. He would have just brushed past that person if it was some other time, but he had just wished for true love and like the heavens gave him some sign. This man was standing opposite to him on the other side of the fountain while he spoke on his phone.

The man was dressed in a white suit, the white shirt was unbuttoned a few buttons from the top revealing his chest a little, he had dark hair and thick eyebrows. He looked like a tourist but the way he moved around speaking fluent french made him look like a local. Saint was dumbfounded by this beauty in front of him, he just stood there without blinking, his heart was beating like never before.

The other person did not even notice him and he started walking towards the crowded street while talking on his phone. Saint stood there for a second, his gaze following the man wherever he was going. Then he realised that he might lose the man forever if he did not show up in front of him and make a move.

He ran with his cello case in his hand and tried to find the man in white in the crowded street, he tried to push past a couple of the tourists but it was of no use as the man had already disappeared. Saint pitied himself, he shook his head "huh... You had one chance, and I guess now it is gone as well. Nevermind Saint, guess it is you and mom forever." He spoke to himself.

He walked back to the fountain, and tossed a coin into it, his wish almost came true. "I guess I did not give you money sooner, and that's why you gave me what I wanted and snatched it back from me because I was too late" he spoke to the fountain. He again shook his head and smiled to himself that now he had started talking even to an inanimate structure.

He walked to the beggar and asked in French "did you enjoy what I played?"

The beggar nodded and gave Saint a thumbs up with a wide smile, noticeably a tooth was missing. Saint smiled at the beggar just thinking to himself about how happy he was at the moment. He bent down and grabbed the paper cup of the beggar, he shoved his hand into his pocket, grabbed all that he had earned today and filled the cup and to add to it, he took out his wallet from his back pocket and grabbed a bill worth 2€, folded it and put it in the cup and handed it over to the beggar.

Saint played on the streets most of the time, but never once he had kept the money he earned to himself, he'd rather donate it to someone like this. Or help the homeless children in his neighbourhood by buying them food and clothes. He picked that particular spot today because he wanted to help the old man, and so he did.