The grass around Taby was dead and dry and felt like nails as she sat down on it with her guitar. She strummed it once with her fingers and a few heads turned. They'd recognized her immediately. She was the homeless girl that begged for money every week day in winter and every weekend of every other season.
It was December 27th and people were outside enjoying they're Christmas gifts. Tabytha was given an old worn guitar by a nice man. He had short, curly, dirty blonde hair and blue eyes that shimmered like a pure sapphire diamond. He had a warm smile and a kind heart unlike most of the people she had met. Although, he did seem a little off. He said," with a voice like your's it's a shame you don't share it."
It just didn't make any sense to Taby. How would he know what her voice sounded like? She's never sung before. Heck! She's never even said anything before!
You see, when Tabytha was five years old she was in a car accident, and when she woke up the doctors told her that she had lost her voice. The news made her heart drop. It felt like a greater loss than the loss of her family.
After that she was sent to an orphanage where she was teased and bullied and ran away after only a few days of swearing to the other children that she wasn't joking when she said she would run away. On the streets shed cry herself to sleep with a strong hatred for herself.
She had the perfect little family before the accident! She loved it! So why she didn't morn over them, she didn't understand. Even her hurt from hating herself didn't hurt as bad as knowing she couldn't speak.
For the last eight years she's held a sign that said,"momy dady dide no voys." She hasn't had schooling after all, so you can't expect much. Many people had asked her throughout the years what the sign said and she couldn't answer. The strangers would get frustrated and some even take their money away.
This morning she woke up early and found some card board. She'd asked another homeless man she'd known named Philip for a marker. Today her sign said,"I was told I was mute but someone told me to sing," with the help of Philip who knew how to spell.
She strummed the guitar again and then plucked at a few strings memorizing the sounds they made. Philip was beside her and showed her how to hold the guitar and make it sound different by pressing on strings on the 'handle' of the guitar.
They had walked around the streets of Manhattan and listened for songs she could learn. When she's found one and got it down in her head she and Philip went to the town square.
Philip watched in doubt that she'd be able to just play the song after hearing it a few times outside of a few restaurants and spoke,"maybe you should practice playing the guitar for a few days? Nobody gets it on the first try and that's nothing to be ashamed of," he was slightly nervous because people were already starting to eye them curiously and he was only used to sleeping with a sign and cup next to him.
He never liked attention.
Taby shook her head at him and started playing with the strings and strumming them. After a minute she started playing a tune similar to the song. Philip watched in amazement as she focused on the guitar and finally got the tune correct.
She continued to play until she had pushed aside her squeamish feeling and used her voice for the first time in six years.
"I remember tears streaming down your face
When I said I'd never let you go
When all those shadows almost killed your light"
Her voice was a little quiet and raspy at first but it cleared quickly into an almost exact replica of the singer's voice.
"I remember you said 'don't leave me here alone'
But all that's dead and gone and past tonight"
As she sang she smiled and laughed a little in between verses. Her eyes were wide with amazement and she looked over at Philip. Philip had a wide smile on his face as he watched the young girl sing and his heart filled with joy at the sight of her amazement and pure happiness.
"Just close your eyes
You'll be alright
Come morning light
You and I'll be safe and sound"
As she went on with the song money was thrown to her and people gathered. What nobody had noticed though, was that the once dry grass she sat on was lush and green now.
"Don't you dare look out your window
darling everything's on fire
The war outside our door keeps raging on"
Now Taby was listening to the lyrics and felt the emotions run through her like a stream down a mountain. This song reminded her of her mother.
"Hold on
To this
Lul-la-by
Even
When the
Music's
Gone
Gone"
Tears fell from her eyes and Philip watched as his own eyes filled with tears. He didn't understand why she was crying after such a display of happiness, but he could feel the emotions rolling off of her in waves.
"Just close your eyes
You'll be alright
Come morning light
You and I'll be safe and sound"
She finished and sniffled before hearing the crowd whistle and clap for her. She looked up and smiled at them as Philip wiped her tears and hugged her. From over his shoulder she could see a man.
A man with short, curly, dirty blonde hair, eyes so blue that sapphires in a crystal clear lake couldn't compare, and his warm heart shined through his kind smile.
"How did he know?" She whispered.
Philip pulled away in confusion," what'd you say, Taby?"
She shook her head," nothing. It's nothing."
