A Rhapsody on a Theme of Lorenzo

Rhapsody on a Theme of Lorenzo

Staring straight to his own predicament in front of the mirror, Lorenzo was able to appreciate every single one of the fresh scratches, and the old scars too.

Now it was ideal time to wash off the blood and the dirt that were starting to stick to his wrists and knuckles, barely leaving any space for his actual fingers. After a good fifteen-minute session of persnickety business, he bandaged his left hand with such ability, and got himself out of the bathroom. Looking for a pair of clean socks, he tried to jump around the half-empty, half- full apartment: half-empty of furniture and half-full of big, brown dusty boxes. He managed to get to the piano seat, and then he was all over his unfinished sheets, scribbling a little this, a little that, so after a few minutes just like a master, he turned on the mini-recorder that was lying on the floor with his left big toe. He started playing random and rather dissonant notes, in search for something that was missing the last time: he goes from E minor, to G sharp, B minor, D flat; his pinky and middle finger on continuous staccato, rising with very much expected crescendo, all the way into fortissimo only for two small seconds, until he was soothing already soothing himself on molto dolce. And that was when he stopped playing and stopped the recorder as well. He noticed the recorder had also small red blood stains, but cared little, because he had yet to meet Ulysses, so he would give him feedback on this new rhapsody. He meant to propose a few names, maybe La Piazzola Andante or Rhapsody on a theme of Lorenzo whichever sounded less snobbish would be just fine. He lost any recollection of his way to Ulysses' place, as was per usual and actually entered the building without noticing there was a young woman at the DVD's and magazines' section. He went behind the counter and turned around so he was finally able to see the whole picture, and that was when he took notice of the woman. He forgot about Ulysses and decided he would put on the tape on the record-player right then and there. He could not have told if she was underage, because she seemed really young, fresh and a little mortified. Looking for nothing and anything at the same time, he knew she was either really bored or curious. Either way she turned around at the sound of music and so, he offered her a smile from behing the counter. Seconds later, he was only few steps from her, so he handed her the latestMen's Health, and said his name was Lorenzo and if he could be of any help, he would be rightthere. She smiled in turn, seemingly nervous and grateful at the same time, she took the magazine and said her name was Mandy. He checked her out and while doing that, she felt like she must have asked what they were listening, so he showed her the old sheet notepad and said he actually did not work there but that his best fellow owned the place and let him sell some of his stuff there. He gave her the tape, but only after making her promise she would go on a date with him. He started planning everything out on the back of his hand, since he had disposed his notepad, and at the end of the evening, he was already taking out his multi-tool so he could take out the White Grand Essex that have been shining new on the display window a couple of months ago. When he finally located it, he could not take a single glimpse of the precious beast without feeling overwhelmed. He entered the fauces of the beast. He stopped trying to dismantle it, and rather started feeling every texture, smelling every inch of it until he thought he was filled with an ever continuous succession of E minor, G sharp, B minor, and D flat. It really was something.

Days went by and Lorenzo never came back. He decided to stay inside the White Grand Essex, since the fauces, or rather, the case just would not open up, and anyway, he was too gratified with all the different sensations of that night that he could not have told it was mainly dust and dirt what got into his lungs, and not a bunch of dissonant notes.