Colorless Sound

Chapter 1 - Blur

Most people are born blessed. Enough money, enough food, a good education, some amazing talents and skills, healthy, and loved. But there are also those who aren't so lucky and don't have at least one of those blessings. I'm one of those people.

Have you ever heard of the saying "the loss of one sense heightens the other senses"? Do you believe it to be true? Let me prove my point. Let's say you are told to put on a blindfold and put your hands on the shoulders of your so-called guide. You're more sensitive to the sounds you hear because your sense of sight is invalidated.

My life is always under a blindfold. That's right ladies, gentlemen and everyone in-between, I'm blind. I wasn't born like this, though. My eyesight started to deteriorate by the time I was around nine, and there is around 15% of my vision right now. Interesting isn't it?

What's more, is that I am I very talented violinist. I've won multiple classical music competitions worldwide and made my mark as the 'most talented disabled violinist'. I shouldn't be bragging about my multiple achievements though. You may get bored and that's the last thing I want from the readers.

"Sebastian Eluard Fürst!" I hear my mother's voice from downstairs boom. "Get down here for your violin practice! Lehrer is already here!"

I'm half German, from my father, and a mix of English, Spanish and Filipino on my mother's side. Though I can't speak fluent German like my father, I can perfectly understand my father when he speaks to me in German. English was my first language and I just got a taste of the other ethnicities from my mother's side and was fully engrossed in the German language.

"Ich komme, madre!" I reply, mixing German and Spanish.

I got my violin from the corner near my door and took off. My family is pretty wealthy and they certainly have no shame in showing it. I live in this 4-story mansion with a pool, gym, small garden, and my own private room for violin lessons. My memories of them are faint and I know they probably don't look like they did six years ago. I carefully went down the stairs, holding the handrail and was met by my mother and my butler. How did I know that you ask? Mother never let's me go anywhere, except to my room, by myself.

"Sebastian! Lehrer is waiting for you in the music room. Sergio, please escort my son to-"

"That will not be necessary mother." I raised my free hand. "I know where the room is. I've been there various times."

"Anak, it would be dangerous if you got lost. I know you don't like being escorted by Sergio but-"

"It's alright mother, I know where I'm going. The braille on the walls are enough." I dismissed her and skimmed my hand on a nearby wall.

The braille on the walls always directed me to where I was going and how far it was. The wall my hand was on read 'music room to the right end of this wall'. I turned to my right and walked slowly, putting my hands on the railings my parents had installed. In no time, I felt a corner of the wall and felt its braille. 'Turn left for the guest washroom, turn right for the music room'.

I turned right and placed my hand on the right wall this time, knowing full-well that the music room was on the right side of the hallway. Before I knew it, I reached the end of the hallway, the braille reading 'music room'. A little further down, I felt the doorknob. I grasped it and I twisted it open.

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"Sebastian!" I heard my teacher's voice. "Let me help you with that. Here, grab my hand."

"Mister Freudenberger, I know where everything is, it's fine." I dismissed him. I hate it when people think I'm some helpless blind man. "I got it, I got it."