The Piano Knows Something I Don't Know

What is philosophy anyways?

What is philosophy anyways?

Not long after finals, Professor Caldwell told me that the student body of Kale University had chosen my motto to become the official Kale motto. Once I heard the news, I knew what I had to do. I rushed to the Kale University bookstore, and when I got there, I saw that there were huge stacks of red and black T-shirts for sale. I found a T-shirt that read "The piano knows something I don't know," and purchased it.

Perhaps it was a little bit egotistical to buy a T-shirt with my own motto on it, but was there really any harm in it? If anything, I was only fitting in with the rest of the school. Even as I bought the shirt, there were two girls in line with me who were buying T-shirts that were identical to mine. It seemed that I had started a trend.

I thought of all of the high school seniors who had just decided to attend Kale University. If they were anything like me, all of them had just bought a red and black T-shirt with the words "The piano knows something I don't know" on it. I remembered back to the previous year, when I had just been accepted to Kale. I hadn't imagined all of the craziness that had happened to me during my freshman year - it was something that I could have never predicted.

I threw my new T-shirt on and took a quick walk around campus. Everywhere I went, I saw other people wearing my black and red T-shirt. When I reached the statue of M.C. Moneybags, I stopped to appreciate whoever had created a crown of kale and placed it on his head. Where did creativity like this come from? I never would have thought of all of Kale University's traditions, but they were some of my favorite parts of attending Kale. Then again, what didn't I love about Kale?

The university itself hadn't been the paradise that I had dreamed of in high school. There was no such thing as a perfect school, yet even after losing Brendon and despite the school's imperfections, I loved Kale. Why did I love Kale so much? Most of it was the people in Old Haven. Both in and out of the classroom, I had found true friends. Even though Brendon was gone now, he had been one of those true friends, and at that moment, I didn't regret a single moment of our relationship.

I sat on a bench next to the statue for a little while, watching Kale students pass by. Kale wasn't perfect, but that didn't mean that it wasn't beautiful, just like my relationship with Brendon. As I sat there, I realized just how little time I had in Old Haven. I would have to leave for Las Vegas in two days, and I wouldn't see the Kale campus again until fall arrived. I reminded myself to stay in touch with the friends that I had made at Kale.

That evening, Spencer and I played our last show at the Aubergine for the school year. My voice still wasn't as gorgeous as Brendon's, but Spencer and I still sounded fine. We played through the set, and for the first time, I let myself have a little bit of fun at the Aubergine. The bar would never be quite the same without Brendon, but it was still a charming little hangout, even without anyone to share it with.

As the final piano chord resonated in my ears, I wondered if there were any more secrets left for the piano to share with me. Of course there are, I thought. There are always more questions to ask, and there are always more answers to find. That was the whole point of philosophy, after all. Why would I major in philosophy if I didn't want to uncover the many mysteries of human nature? The answers were up there somewhere, and it was up to all of us to find them.

I said goodbye to Spencer after the show was over. He wrapped me in a tight hug and then asked, "You're coming back next year, right?"

"Yes, I think so," I said.

"Great," Spencer said. "It's been a crazy year, but we both made it through."

"Thanks for all of your support, by the way," I said. "I don't think I would have made it through Brendon's death without you." I still wished that Brendon was there, having that conversation with us, but all of my hopes and prayers were useless. I couldn't change the past, no matter how much I wanted to.