Her Music

Her dark hair was a curtain over her face as she gently brushed her hands along the smooth black and white keys. The wistful look on her face was apparent, as she nudged the pedals with her shoed foot. Big, brown eyes gleaming, she smiled as she unconsciously sat down onto the piano stool.

Shutting out the rest of the world, she closed her chocolate eyes, tucked her billowing hair behind her ear and began to play. Ever so softly, her angelic, sweet voice started to sing. It was beautiful. The delicate and soulful sound filled the whole edifice. The people in it, though used to her tender sorrow were still moved, almost to tears.

Realising what she had been doing, she abruptly stopped, bitter tears rolling down her pink cheeks. She angrily let them fall, knowing that no one would notice her. Pulling her wobbly knees to her chest, she cried. This was the first time that she had broken her sweet, happy and kind charade in a public place. Every smile was forced, every compliment through gritted teeth, she was unhappy.

To everyone, she was just the girl who hid in the music department. She knew the old building inside and out. She also knew that if she hid, no one would ever tease her again. But what she did not know was that someone had been watching her, listening to her, admiring her and before she could stop it, she was embraced into a big hug.

Shocked, she pulled away, immediately bending her head down to let her hair drape over her sniffling face. The hand tenderly tilted her wet face up to look into the eyes of, a young man, about the same age as her. His shocking sky blue eyes were crinkled with concern, but it was his truly bright and happy smile that pulled her out of her frozen state.

He said something but she did not hear it. She was looking at his thin lips, with a frown of concentration. She realised that he had been talking to her before, but she had not heard him. She had not heard anything. That was when he knew she was deaf.

***

They were laying in a luscious green field, where bright pops of blue swayed in the slight breeze. Hand in hand, they watched the clouds go by on the lovely day. When she looked over at him, they shared a genuine smile. Both grinning, they sighed and went back to enjoying the wondrous weather.

He suddenly sat up, pulling her upright with him. His hands struggled to form some shapes, as she giggled at his inadequates. She reached over and guided his wide, firm hands into the forms he wanted. Looking over at her beautiful, beaming face, he chuckled sheepishly.

Laughing, he gently picked a few of the shining blue daisies and slowly joined them together. Curiously, she peered over his shoulder and hugged him while he worked. The flowers from the picturesque field came to become a delicate daisy chain. Gazing into the eyes of his best friend, he slipped the thin bracelet on to her tanned wrist.

She gasped in awe, tears threatening to fall. No one had ever been so sweet to her before. To thank him, she softly began to sing. Though she could not tell what her voice was like or if she was in key, she was, for once, genuinely happy. It was all thanks to him, her best friend.

Her tears did come then. Pulling her petite body into his lap, he squeezed her in comfort. Smiling gratefully, she returned the embrace. The best friends were each others' life, comfort and happiness. Without him, she would still be spending her days next to a piano she longed to play, wallowing in her sorrows. Without her, he would be as lost as ever.

***

Walking to buy her groceries, she whistled quietly. She had never been so confident in a long while. Smiling to herself, she texted him, that she would drop by his house after buying her few needs.

***

Knowing that his best friend was an extremely efficient shopper, he anxiously waited. He decided that today would be the day that he fixed everything for her. Everything that was wrong, bad and scary in her life. He was going to confess his love for her. Pacing around his apartment, he ran the moment through his mind and he waited. And waited. And waited, but she did not come.

Being the caring person he was, he went to check on her.

***

Smoke filled her lungs as she desperately sought an escape. Crawling on her knees, she could not see nor smell anything but smoke. She had nothing to rely on to get out of the burning supermarket before it crumbled. This was really a bad time to be deaf. If only she could hear the smoke alarms, the yells of the firemen or just anything. She screamed, not knowing if anyone could hear her. It did not matter, because right at that moment someone scooped her frail, quivering body and ran. Then she blacked out.

He gently lay her down. Trying to stay strong, he held back the tears in the corners of his eyes. He had to stay strong, if not for himself, for her. His breathing became more and more ragged with every passing moment that he waited for the paramedics to arrive.

They finally came to his aid, but he refused them. The love of his life was dying in his arms and they wanted to attend to him. That was when her heart stopped.

Screaming, the tears he had suppressed started to flow but he did not care. Knowing that she wished she wasn't deaf, he sang to her. His husky, soft and compassionate voice touched everyone around the blackened, charred but still salvageable chain outlet. They all joined in, the music dedicated to her, soared over the horrific scene. It had been her favourite song before she had become deaf.

Every year on the anniversary of the abhorrent day, the people that knew and loved her gathered outside of the, once unassuming supermarket. In memory of her adoring and beautiful heart, they sang. They sang for all the times, she could not. They sang for all the times she could not listen. They sang for her.

***