Lost Together

Chapter 4 - Eight Months Past

The Musician

"When are you going to get a job?" she asked abrasively. He looked up from his writing and slowly looked at her, noticing more about her mood than most men. Her eyebrows were slightly lowered, causing her forehead to get those worry lines that always seemed to deepen as days went by. Her lovely brown eyes narrowed in irritation. Her lips tightened, waiting for him to respond so they could open once more and thrown him down with angry words. She waited. He watched as her hand finally reached up and pulled through her straight blond hair in impatience. "Hello?" She snapped her fingers in his face, trying to get him out into the world and out of his head. He submitted.

"I have a job." he told her once more. She let out a quick, mocking laugh.

"I mean a real job. Music is a nice hobby and all, and you're not too bad at it, but it's not a career." He paused before answering, noticing how her voice has already begun to escalate in volume. Bad news.

"I've been getting hired for a lot more gigs lately, I'm making pretty good money. If this keeps up, I'll be making a good income. Then hopefully I can get back into an academy for music." he responded softly, reaching for his violin, needing it's soft humming strings to fill the cold silence of the room.

"Eldric. I'm serious. How do you expect to prepare for the future? Do you really think we could buy a house, provide for kids, with you playing music? You need to go into something that will helps us become more financially secure. You know my father would love to help train you in accounting, he could really use someone like you." Why does she always try to insist that he gives up his life? His dreams? Her voice was softer, now pleading.

"Music is my life, Jan. You know it would kill me to give it up. If I worked for your father... I wouldn't be me. I'd rather have my music than the perfect life you want. I'm sorry." She began to cry. He hated it. But he understood finally that she's always used tears as a means to get what she wants. But he couldn't give this to her.

"Goddamn it, Eldric! I can't be with someone like you. After all we've been through, you don't even care. You spend all your time day dreaming, lost in some musical world. Well wake up. This is real life. Your music is going to get you nowhere. And I'm not going to be there to watch you fail. I give up." Her hair is a mess. She ouldn't help but play with it. Her tears were real as she stared at him. She got up to go, he stared silently at his violin, lightly running his fingers across the intricate patterns in the bow. His grandfather made it. It was his first instrument, even though he had never used it back then.

"Jan..." he began to whisper as she waited at the door, still. She didn't turn around. She only waited. He coughed. "Jan, I'm sorry. Have a good life." She left.

He watched her leave for the last time.