What Really Matters

Chapter 6: Closer

There were no children on Whale Island. It was a town of fishermen and travelers, nothing else. There would be the occasional family that spent a summer or so, but Gon never got to know any of them. That left him with nothing else but Aunt Mito, the woods, the animals, and the piano. Gon often found himself bored. The shops were as desolate as always, the seniors knitting quilts in small social groups and men hurling buckets of fish, but everything changed when Kite showed up.

Gon was strolling casually in the town square, waving to the familiar faces when someone new appeared—busking his guitar with expertise, a small crowd forming a circle, each one of them with joyous smiles. He wore a blue hat and had long white hair, reaching the length of his knees, but his appearances were of the least interest to Gon. His focus of attention was directed on the music alone. His fingers slid down the frets with a precision that had everyone stop and listened.

"No one played like that since Ging Freecss!" A fisherman yelled.

Gon's ears pointed up like a metaphorical dog. Ging played guitar too? He walked up to the mysterious man, pushing the crowd away from him. Gon needed to learn more. Did his dad and this man somehow know each other? After all, it was rare for visitors, especially musicians, to travel to this desolated island—the man's hat filled with countless coins, the copper shining in the reflecting sunlight. There was no way this man was some ol' busker. Gon was sure of it. He cleared his throat and outstretched his twelve-year-old hand. "Who are you, mister?"

The guitarist stopped abruptly, staring at Gon with wide eyes.

   Is something on his face? Gon wondered.

"Ging?" The man whispered to himself so softly that the sound quickly disappeared in the wind.

Gon looked at him with wide-eyes, "That's my dad's name." An ecstatic smile stretched across his face, "I'm Gon. Gon Freecss!"

The man took Gon's hand and shook it accordingly, "Nice to meet you. I'm Kite. Your father, Ging, is the one who taught me to play."

"I didn't know Ging played guitar."

Kite laughed, "Well, he's one of the most talented musicians the world as to offer. He's a professor at Julliard now, in York New City. Its the most rigorous music college on the planet."

Everything in Gon exploded with awe. Not only did Ging play piano, but he was also played guitar along with teaching at one of the best and hardest schools in the world! "Please," Gon bowed, "teach me how to play! I want to become a musician, just like my father!"

~*~

Gon climbed up the rusty old ladder. Cobwebs occupied the corners of walls, and creaks would echo so far down as the eye could see. If anyone fell from this height, they would be a goner. Since the performance was only a few days ago, he and Killua had nothing to practice, but that didn't stop Gon from wanting to hang out with him.

He brushed himself off and set his backpack on the green beanbag. Killua declared the green beanbag is now reserved for Gon whenever he game to visit. Maybe it was just a stupid beanbag, but the thought made Gon's heart leap.

Guitars, violins, cellos, and two Steinway pianos. This room was amazing. Gon noticed they were all coated in a thick sheet of dust except for one silver electric guitar and the pianos, of course. His fingers ran across the steel strings, adjacent to it was a high-quality amp. There were never guitars where he grew up, so he could only practice the basics that Kite taught him; when he left, the guitar left too.