Untitled Melody Finale

Continuation of : Untitled Melody

I was lying on my couch with the TV turned on, I can't even understand what I am watching because I'm busy with my fingers on the keyboard of my laptop lining up on a document what the man said. I decided to organize his tale so I can relive the song that is stuck in my head until now.

The night passed like it was just three-seconds long. I found myself looking at the window of my apartment humming the tune of my mysterious guy. I shook my head and got ready for work. 

I compiled every single topic that I can be interested in into one folder on my desktop, I named it 'Topics' I don't like to be subtle you know. The day went by with me picking up topics that people might wanna see on a glossy print and looking forward to my afternoon rendezvous. The clock hit the 5 o'clock mark and I was quick on my feet, waving to Lucy who's still absorbed with picking the lay outs for the next issue. 

I grabbed two bagels on the way and gave the other one to the old man who was now finished playing his afternoon concerto with just one piece of music.

“Oh it's you again.”

“Ah yes, we were kind of interrupted yesterday.”

“Indeed, indeed.” he paused and looked like he was in deep thoughts. “So where were we again?” 

It was really a good thing that I jotted down in notes what he said yesterday for I had to recount everything he said so we could continue where we left off. 

“I was sitting across the road anxiously waiting for her to come out. I consumed at least 6 sticks of cigarette while awaiting for her appearance. After a while she presented herself with her guitar on her back. I got up in an instant and when I started walking towards her, a man walked up to her and she leaped into his arms and gave him a warm kiss.

Her arms wrapped around the back of his head while they were kissing passionately in front of me. And what did I do? Nothing. I was stunned, and stood there lifelessly. I walked home with my head held down. The scene repeated countless times in my head that it gave me no sleep at all. Even though I know her situation it didn't keep me away from hearing her angelic voice, so I kept coming back to the bar. “ 

“After few months patiently waiting for her and spending all my small royalty from writing music on that bar and following her around, my luck changed with the strike of fate. I was walking towards home when I saw a familiar face near a store. He was making out on the streets with a girl.

And yes, that's him. Her boyfriend or so I thought. I hid behind another parked car and watched them go. From the other side of the street I saw her walking towards the same store. The surprised faces on each of them turned into a heated argument driving the guy and the girl away. She sat there on the corner of the street sobbing".

" I swallowed up all my nerves and got up, I walked up to her and sat down beside her. Without saying a word I handed her my handkerchief. I wanted to say something but I don't know what to say. She looked up and looked at me, I was nervous and avoided eye contact.

She took the hanky and thanked me after she used it. 'I'm sorry about that. My name is John. I...' and then she interrupted me.

'I know you. So John's your name. I always see you at the bar, I asked the owner if you worked there but you didn't. Thank you for always listening to me. I bet you're tired.'

The first time we talked. She knew me, I was ecstatic, I was excited. I was a mess. I stuttered. Which was a good thing then for I made her laugh with my clumsiness. She was even the one who suggested we should get coffee and relax.” 

 “Over coffee we talked just about everything. We laughed, she smiled though I can see the occasional slip of pain and heartache on her face.

'I'm actually a composer. I have written songs that I think you can sing.' her eyes widened in surprise and excitement. She lit up like a neon light on the spot.

'Really? That's amazing. Okay, meet me at the club at this time. We'll give it a shot.' she said. And then I have to say goodbye to my goodnight sleep for there's no way I can sleep with that much of a rush.” 

The little girl came in again unexpectedly and took away her grandfather. I waved at the two of them and over to the lake. I stared down my own face on the surface of the water. I smiled as the stars shined brightly against the lake, signaling me to go home and get some sleep. 

I grabbed a beer from the fridge and settled down on the couch typing away with the keys of my laptop. I converted his words to letters on screen and made it into a story. 

I was frantically waiting for 5:00 to come and was basically sprinting when it was time to go. I reached the bench in no time and the usual company was there. I’ve waited for him to finish before I sat down with him. And without further ado he continued, well at least this time he remembered. 

“Days passed into weeks and she was singing my words, she’s giving life to my songs for her. To watch her perform what I made for her is the greatest pleasure I had.

The nightly sessions for the arrangement and everything else turned to making out and hot sex, but it took us a while to be in a relationship formally. Her ex would sometimes show up and mess with us but we were inseparable." 

"One summer night when we were performing on stage I surprised her. I stopped playing the piano in the middle of a song and the crowd went into chattering and confused state.

She looked at me worried and walked up to me. I stood up with tears in my eyes. She hugged me, but I pulled away. I looked her in the eyes with a firm look. I dropped down in one knee and presented her a silver ring. Right there and then I asked her if she could marry me. Luckily she said yes and I can’t forget how the audience went wild for us."

"Cheers of love and praises were in the air. That was the greatest show we had done together. Later that night I received a greater surprise than mine. She told me she was pregnant. I didn’t know what to say so I just hugged her tightly. I was the happiest man on earth that day.”

“Weeks passed and the trouble came upon us. We went to the doctor for her regular check up but we found out some complications with her pregnancy.

We can still try to deliver the child but it will be extremely dangerous for her. I tried to talk her about abortion but she stood her ground of having the baby. I couldn’t argue with that and all I could do was be with her all the time and take care of her.

I didn’t let her see me crying every single night while waiting for a disaster to happen.”

“One night I was writing a new song for her on the balcony of our small house, I was distracted by her piercing shrieks of pain from the bed room so I ran as fast as I could to get to her.

I called for help to get her to the hospital. I waited in agony when they were in the emergency room. And the next words were devastating for a lonely guy like me. ‘Sorry, we couldn’t save your wife.’ I was down on my knees crying, shouting I don’t even know what it is."

"After I calmed down they let me see her, and the other news of the doctor came, the baby is safe and she’s a healthy baby girl. Somehow life pumped into my system again. I stayed with her body for as long as I could before they took her away.”

“I went home that night alone for Melody, I named her Melody, needs to be incubated. On the porch I saw papers, parts of my composition. I stared blankly at them and that was the last time I held a composition. That song is this song. I wasn’t able to finish it for I have to work day jobs to take care of Melody. I never quite got the motivation back to continue and finish it.” 

His granddaughter came to pick him up again. I watched them walked away from me as I sat there with mixed emotions for the man. Maybe until now he isn’t able to move on.

Writing music is the connection he has to his wife, or maybe he wants to preserve the memory of her through the last song he made for her. The reason why he can’t finish is still not clear to me. 

I finished my story without knowing what the ending really is supposed to be. But surely it is a sad one. 

I submitted the story to Lucy and she was in tears after reading the entire interview. She gave me a hug for a job well done. Now I’m motivated to write more articles like that one. Maybe I can end up dating her. Why not, right? 

I walked up to the bench, for our usual rendezvous but the old guy is nowhere to be seen. His granddaughter is there sitting on the bench alone. I sat beside her quietly. She gave me an envelope and told me that her grandpa just passed away that morning. I was shocked, saddened and was struck down with her news.

“He wanted me to give that to you.” The girl then stood up and went away. 

I opened the envelope and it was a music sheet. It was untitled and I can’t even read a single note. And there is one person I know who could, Lucy.

I called her and she gladly went to my place to look into the mysterious sheet. She brought a flute with her and played the piece to translate it for me. It was the sheet for the old man’s music but this time, it was complete.

I can see that there are newly added notes at the end of the sheet. For the reason why it is now completed, I have no idea what it is. But maybe it is better that way. Thank you old man. 

Hey there!!!

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