The next morning the doctor gave the child a checkup. When he peeled off the bandages, his heart sank, and tears sprang instantly to his eyes. He covered the wound up, and told the child, "Your... fine." His eyes sank to the white tiled linoleum floor.
"Doctor, don't lie to me." The child said. The doctor raised his eyes up and met Chan's. His deep-brown eyes held no tears. Instead, they held strength. The doctor grabbed Chan's hand, and squeezed it firmly, but lovingly.
"Chan," He paused to wiped a tear. "I don't think you're going to make it. You've gotten an infection. Any infection that comes this fast....after the cleaning you've received.....is often hard to get rid of. You're so weak already, and your body most likely isn't strong enough to fight an infection as strong as thing one." He trailed off, staring again at the white tiled floor.
"I understand." Chan said bravely. He started to pick at the clean white paper beneath him. "If I’m going to die, I want to perform tonight. Can you help me get ready?"
The doctor inhaled sharply, and let it out slowly. He brought his salty face up and his watery eyes met Chan's freshly wet eyes. The doctor tried to speak, but his voice was gone. He closed his lips, and simply nodded, with a vague smile of pain.
~~~~~
The stage was lit completely up at the music hall. They had found it just an hour away from their hometown, and even with the short notice they were willing to lend the stage. Chan had been escorted there with ambulances, in case there was a severe emergency.
As people filed into their designated seats in the audience, T.V. crews were setting up their cameras to show this performance live around the world. Some of the most famous musicians were informed that they needed to be at this performance, or at least to watch it. All musical eyes were turned on this petite, grand hall to watch this performance.
Chan stood in the wings grasping onto the crutches for his life. He refused to let someone wheel him out in a wheelchair. He wanted to walk this himself. He had to.
He peeked around the curtain, and saw his cello lying on it's side next to a simple, plastic chair. There was no music stand because Chan has his whole repertoire memorized. His bow was lying on top of his glistening cello. It shone beautifully with all of the stage lights focused on that one area.
The doctor grasped Chan's shoulder. "You're a very strong boy Chan. I will be right here for you if you need me, okay?" Chan simply nodded in understandment. He was too astonished at the beauty of his cello to carry on a conversation.
After a while the lights dimmed, and the audience hushed. The doctor gave Chan an assuring pat on his shoulder, and he sat in his chair in the wing.
The matron, Mr. Ly, and Sovann all sat in the front row, accompanied by all of the orphans at the orphanage. They were all beaming with excitement to see their new friend perform.
When the moment felt right, Chan started out onto the stage. His clunking crutches, missing leg and pale complexion stunned the entire audience.
When he reached the chair, he gently lowered himself into it, placed the crutches behind his chair, and positioned himself with the cello. He had issues positioning the cello without his leg, but he eventually angled the cello so all o He took the heavy bow off of his lap, and placed it onto the G string.
He closed his eyes, inhaled deeply, and smiled. As he exhaled, he started his first piece.
It was called The Swan by Saint-Saëns. It was a gorgeous piece that accurately took a swan's movement and placed it into musical terms. He gracefully flowed through the piece, soaring through the music like a swan through the air. He swayed back and forth to it, really getting into it.
When he finished that, he moved onto the next piece, gesturing for the applause to wait. He then transferred into his next piece: the Bach Cello Suite No.1 Prelude, the first piece he had played for Sovann at his lesson. He played through that as beautifully as he did the day at his lesson.
When he finished the last chord of the cello suite, he moved onto his next piece. It was Rococo Variations by Tchaikovsky. This was a happy, challenging piece. The corners of his lips turned up as he played through this piece. When he got to the most challenging parts, he would smile brilliantly, and would jump through them as if they were simply scales.
He then skipped into the Dvorak Concerto, the first movement. This piece is where he left his anger come out. He played the instrument with such intensity it frightened the audience. The piece is beautiful, but somber, with a heavy touch of anger. And Chan put all of that into his cello playing. He had mastered in a few short days what many cellists had spent their entire lives trying to master. Everyone knew this, and fully appreciated his art of playing.
Next, he played another piece by Tchaikovsky. He played the beautiful, flowing Swan Lake. He sang through that just like the others. Since this was created for a ballet, he played it, impersonating a dancing ballerina. He twirled, jumped and soared along with her.
He then performed Gabriel's Oboe by Ennio Morricone. This piece was originally created to be played by an oboe, but had been transposed for cello, which was just as equally beautiful. He sang through every note, and held on to each as if it were the last note he'd ever play; he knew they were some of the last notes he'd ever play, so he brought them out and sang them as wholeheartedly as he possibly could.
When the time came for his final piece, he blinked gently, and started it. It was a very somber tune. It was The Theme from Schindler's list, written by John Williams. This dark piece was written about the Holocaust, a subject that was never looked at with a bright side.
As Chan glided through the beautiful heart-wrenching notes, he began to cry. It was a gentle cry; an all-knowing cry. He knew he was going to die. This song was about death, and it sang out from his soul more truthfully than any other artist could ever do, or imagine to do. As the tears streamed down his face, he crescendo-ed to a complete graceful triple forte. He then glided slowly and gently through the last few notes, ending his piece, and his life, with a beautiful, amazing high A.
When the vibrato of his last note ceased, the audience erupted into applause, and everyone was giving him a standing ovation. They all had tears streaming down their faces, and every single one of them had their heart and soul filled with Chan's magical voice.
Chan stood on his one weak, surviving leg, and shakily bowed to his audience. He was crying heavily, but his joy was unmistakable. His entire being radiated with it. Behind his joy-filled face and dripping tears, his life was quickly slipping away. He knew it, and he smiled, while holding his cello close for support.
He was going to live his last minutes to the fullest, and with the ones he loved. He beckoned his new father, the matron, and Sovann all up to the stage to be with him. The matron had cared for him through everything, the doctor had loved him and card for him and was now his father, and Sovann had taught him all that he could in the few short days to bring him as far as he could.
Chan couldn't be any happier than he was at that moment. He took one last long look at all of the smiling, cheering faces that he had caused, and he closed his eyes, remembering that scene. Suddenly he collapsed, causing the three around him to lunge to catch him.
They beckoned for the curtains to shut. When the stage crew had done this, they layed down Chan gently on the ground. his chest heaved up and down. His eyes remained closed, but he could open them if he wanted.
He eventually did open them, and he saw the three kneeling over him, faces filled with worry and sadness. Chan smiled up at them. "Don't worry. I'm as happy as I ever will be. Don't cry for me. I'm at peace." He continued to smile up at them. "Thank you." He said after struggling to breathe. "You have helped me do what I could never imagine...and I love you all for all of that. You are my new family. You've replaced the one I have lost."
He looked into his new father's eyes for the last time. "I love you dad." He said with a smile. Then he gave in to his dying heart, and his eyes slowly sank shut. His chest stopped moving, and his heart stopped beating. He died with a cello bow in one hand, and his father's hand in the other.
