A Birth, A Life, A Death

三

17 September 2002, Detroit
Ben and Jon's cafe was known for inviting singers. You could eat and drink and enjoy a représentation at the same time. Because of its excessive prices, only «rich» people would visit it (If we could consider that there were rich people in Detroit). It had a very common architecture: a coffee room and a terrace, except that it also had a stage for the artists that would come and give a representation. A huge black piano was installed, dominating the room with it's imposing volume. The decorations were blue themed, matching the aquarium in the entrance. A little boy left his parents and his dinner to go play with the fishes and maybe grab one, his innocence letting him believe that the animal would still be alive. A huge smile was on his face as he was trying reaching the top of the jar. He was throwing looks to his parents, trying to catch their attention. Unfortunately for him they were really busy, arguing with who the little boy would pass his holidays. The mom was bragging that she already planned a trip to Venise with her new boyfriend so it was impossible for her to take her only son with her. The father was using the fact that he got a very busy program, and he already took him with him last week so it was unfair if he had to stay with him again, as an excuse. « Maybe we can find a colony that would accept him » « I hope we'll do because I already told you that I didn't want him with me. It was your idea of having a baby so you assume it now. » «I never wanted a baby you dumbass ! You got me pregnant and now I have to deal with this thing. Really he is just a problem for us. ». The little kid was still waving to them, thinking what he could offer them for Christmas.
Maria entered the place, heading straight to the coulisses, where she had a meeting with her new manager. Yes Maria was a singer in Ben and Jon's cafe now. After she got the key of her cabin, she sat in front of the piano, and started playing. It was a sad and slow melody. She was translating all her pain through this song. All the guilt she felt, all her sadness and regrets where like written in these few notes. The song itself could make you fly or fall. The melody found a way straight to every person's heart and wouldn't leave it. Its listeners felt like if their souls got out of their body to watch it grow and slowly die, like a beautiful rose, reaching the top of its beauty but then dying slowly. Every cell of their being could feel the melancholy of the song, the pain that was making it's way to the heart. Even Maria could feel it. Alexander woke up, hearing this beautiful melody. He was sleeping on the couch next to the piano. From his place he had a perfect view of Maria playing and devoting her heart to her song. His eyes were glowing with admiration for his mom. The melody made him want to fall asleep in his mom arms, but of course he couldn't understand that. Even a baby like him felt attacked by the slowed air. When she reached the last notes, Maria took a few minutes to stop fixing the piano, as if she needed to realize that she went back to reality after she escaped for a few minutes in her own heaven. When she got out of her trans, she looked at her son with a sincere smile. It was a soft smile, quite sad, but a real one. Seeing him here, with her, reminded her of how she found her interest in music a decade or more ago. She always loved music but the «déclic» came when she first tried playing piano. She felt all the thickness of life going away and her true feelings being amplified so she could feel every single one of them. From that time she started taking courses till she could play a lot of instruments, sing, and even sometimes compose her own songs. She never tried a carrier in music maybe because of her low self esteem and the fear of people judgment. Her grandma teaches her how to play piano and that's why it is and it will always be her favorite instrument. It has a very specific meaning to her, and she hoped one day she could teach Alex how to play an instrument too and maybe pass him on her love for music.
19 September 2002, Detroit Ben and Jon's cafe
Maria was practicing her new song. She decided that she would sing in this one. It was a very different one from the first but at the same time very similar. She was singing and playing piano at the same time, filling the room with all her exploring feelings
Maria : Some mistakes get made that's alright, that's okay, you can think that you are in love when you are rally just in pain... Some mistakes get made that's alright that's okey in the end it's better for me that's the moral of the story....
Obsessed with her tune, she was framed in her dimension, living the song and feeling every single lyric. She didn't notice her son grabbing the guitar next to her until he start trying to play some notes on it. When she turned around to see who disturbed her, she could see her Alex, trying to imitate her with a guitar.
Maria : You love this instrument ? You wanna do like mommy? You wanna sing too?
She smiled as he was laughing out of joy. She stated next to him on the floor and started playing some notes on the guitar, showing him how she would do every single movement.
Maria: and you see darling if you play this string, it makes this sound
Alex:Ma-maaa
Maria: Yes sweetly? You are trying to tell me something ?
Alexander was one year old so he didn't pronounce his first words yet, but Maria was used to him making sounds to express himself. But what was her surprise when she her the word her dear son pronounced.
Alex: Mama. Mama... Mama!! Mama!!
Maria: repeat it my love!
Alex: Mama? Mama!
Maria: Yes! I'm your mama!
She felt proud. She was her son's first word. The first person name he tried to pronounce was her's. She felt euphoric and exited. Her dear son was growing too fast. She hadn't relapsed it till now. She was already imagining herself living with him when he'll be old enough to work in a beautiful house far away from this cursed city, she would do anything so he would have a better life than hers. She didn't want him to ever feel sadness or disgust. She wanted him to have a normal happy life, to travel the world, to study, why not have friends? Fall in love? Maybe get married but she wanted him to be luckier that her. She wanted the best for Alex and she promised herself every day that she will sacrifice her life for him.