Music of the Night

Chapter 34

Chapter 34

"So you just want me to give some input on your play?" asked Arthur, who was sitting opposite the red deer in his office. He may not know what it looked like but from the sounds that echoed through the room and his rough clicks for estimation, he figured it's very spacious.

"Yes so I don't want to ask you in school in case others might get suspicious," Louis told him. "Even when you are blind, you are giving quite a reputation to yourself."

Now the bat was confused. "Reputation? What did I do?"

"There's only you on campus," Louis pointed out. "That's one and the fact that you walk funny along with your eyes."

Arthur blinked. No difference in anything at all. "What's wrong with that? We all have different ways of walking. Think of it as you changing roles in your play. The sounds of the steps you make, your voice; even if I may be bold, your eyes."

Now the red deer was caught off-guard by the bat's statement. "What about them? You can't see anything."

"Yes," Arthur nodded. "But you can. Maybe try a different way on how to express yourself? I'm sorry, I'm not the best to ask about acting. But if you want music, I can try. You must have different plots and narratives for your upcoming plays?"

"Sort of," sighed Louis. "Yet, I have a feeling the other students are going to feel bored if we do the same act again and again."

Arthur tapped the arm of the chair he's sitting in. "What about some inspiration from books or other movies? I bet they would love to see you in different roles. I only know some musicals and some Sharkspeare plays. I'm not a big fan of tragedies but their music is on another level."

Louis got up and walked to the bat. He pulled Arthur up to that he could face the bat at eye level.

"Sharkspeare, huh? Care to tell me some of the plays that he has made? And why do you like musicals?"

"The songs of course!" Arthur told him as he moved across the room for some space. "Always interesting and upbeat even if one of the musicals was about every animal dying from forming a revolution. Because they dreamt a dream and hear their friends sing. In a way, musicals are a utopia of what we all want: happiness and a world with friends."

Louis was surprised by Arthur's interpretation of some plays. For a blind bat, he could really understood the plays, especially musicals. He could see why Arthur likes musicals since he's a musician himself after demonstrating his abilities backstage. He can't comprehend how this Honduran white bat is taking everything lightly.

"What's your family like?" 

Arthur smiled, explaining about his relationship with his father, his grandmother and even his old group of friends, especially Sameer. He remembered summer camps, weekend campings with his dad for some of his astronomy research and even get togethers with his friends' families for a meal.

Louis was intrigued that Arthur can get along so well with other animals despite their differences whether herbivore, carnivore or even aquatic animals. It's like his drama club except he brought the team together just like Juno. 

Speaking of which, the red deer noted to schedule a meeting with the grey she-wolf outside of school on of these weekends.

"Alright, that's all I need from you," said Louis with a small smile. "So one of the lions will send you back to the train station and pretend we never talked. Or you knowing about me being the boss of the Shishigumi."

"I understand, Louis," Arthur nodded, the both of them shook hands. "But one of these days, I'll be in the audience to listen to your plays."

"I know you will."