The End of the Littlest One [Completed]

5. Which key was it again?

Warm air entered the room thanks to the fireplace. The curtains hung still from their rods connected to the ceiling. The entire floor was covered by a light green carpet. The white walls were covered in numerous paintings.

Paintings of houses. Paintings of dogs. Paintings of family members.

Bookcases full of sheet music and musician's biographies stood against the wall. Next to the door, against the opposite wall from the windows, stood a large, moss green sofa.

The crown jewel of the room, a black grand piano, stood in the middle of the room. A crown jewel for the eyes. However, for the ears... Not today.

'Wrong note, Benny,' Thomas noticed. 'Again.'

Benjamin stopped playing. He had started the same piece over three times already. It was hopeless. He was hopeless. He laid his hands on his knees and looked towards his brother sitting on the sofa.

'Just tell me which key to hit,' Benjamin said.

'You won't learn if I just tell you.'

'I won't learn if I don't get it explained first.'

What kind of logic would that be? Benjamin thought. He didn't say a word.

'Can I at least see the sheet music then?'

'No.'

Neither of the men talked to one another. The sky outside was turning yellow slowly, starting from the horizon. Clouds would soon be turning pink at the bottom. Black silhouettes flew around from tree to tree and further.

'I give up,' Benjamin stated.

'Give up what?'

'The piano. It's useless to me. I don't see why I'm supposed to be able to play it.'

'Personal development maybe?'

'I won't have any then.'

Silence. Thomas realized he never actually talked to his younger brother. He wasn't quite sure what to talk about. What would he be into? I thought piano was his thing.

'What did you do before this?' Thomas asked.

Benjamin looked over at him.

'Before this? In my past lives or something? Probably something bad, hence my current situation.'

'No, I mean before you came here.'

'Why do you want to know? What did you do before this?'

'I was just showing interest in my own brother, I'm sorry. I realized recently I have no idea what you do when I'm not around. I thought it was playing piano, but apparently not. You gave up too easily to be passionate about it.'

Benjamin nodded unconsciously.

'I guess we don't talk that much. Isn't that just the type of relationship we have?'

Thomas relocated his gaze to his shoes on the ground. He had been meaning to get closer to his brother for a while now, but he couldn't. He'd been trying to go out together, or to talk about a common interest. The problem however: he didn't know what they had in common.

'Again, I'm sorry if I invaded some kind of personal space.'

'I forgive you.'

After a short pause Benjamin continued.

'What did you do before this?' he asked.

'I asked you first.'

'I'm not answering until you do.'

'Fine, dear brother,' Thomas started on with a certain tone in his voice. Benjamin didn't like the tone. It was a little condescending. 'I'll tell you what I was up to. I was taking Carmen on a date.'

'Carmen? The doctor's daughter?'

'I like to refer to her as just Carmen. Doesn't matter what her dad does. She's a nice girl, and one of the few decent single women left in our region.'

'She must be single for a reason. Did you think about that?'

Thomas gave Benjamin a disapproving look.

'It's because her dad has a lot of high standards for his future son in law. It doesn't have anything to do with Carmen herself.'

'And you think you'll meet all his standards? Sure. Keep telling yourself that.'

'Shut up. She's a nice woman.'

'How long have you known her?'

'Well, I've known of her existence at least twenty years.'

'Let me rephrase; how long have you been talking to her?'

'About a week and a half.'

'Which means you don't know her. Which means anything could happen. Do tell me when she does something weird. I'd like to know why a woman of such respectable background is still unmarried.'

'I won't.'

'Fine.'

Thomas put his hands on his knees and stood up from the sofa. It was getting late, which meant it was time for dinner. He walked over to the coatrack next to the door.

'What are you doing?'

'Do you want to grab some dinner?' Thomas asked.

Benjamin liked the idea of eating dinner. His stomach rumbled as a response to Thomas' suggestion. Also, it would be a nice way to divert the free-time-question.

Benjamin stood up as well. He walked towards his brother at the coatrack. He saw Thomas had already put his coat on and walked back to the sofa. He picked up a book he had been reading off and on during the afternoon. While Thomas put it back in one of the bookcases, Benjamin got his jacket.

'Are you sure you don't want to put on a scarf?' Benjamin asked him.

'I didn't bring one.'

'Oh.'

A short silence.

'Shall we?' Thomas asked.

'We shall.'

Thomas pushed down the door handle and opened the door. He let Benjamin through and closed the door behind them.

'We weren't done talking, by the way,' Thomas said. 'What did you do before coming here?'

'I'll tell you once I have some food in front of me.'