|
Just Hear the Music. ..::An Original Story::.. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gray skies, gloomy days. That's all it had been for Matthew in the past 3 days. The view outside his cracked window was foggy. He could only hear the little drops of water lightly tap his window, following the gentle yet precise beat of a metronome. Matthew's room was a complete mess. Old clothes everywhere, along with dust and dirt. If it got on his shoes, it was soon end up in his room. Matthew's house was old and petite, just like the town it resided in. Long dirt roads and only a few large buildings. The largest was the high school Matthew attended. In the mild summers, travelers would pass through to get to the big cities nearby. Some stayed longer, for they loved the quietness and peace of mind. Most didn't stay very long. The year was 1937, times were hard. And for Matthew, it was nearly impossible.
Matthew was 15 years old. He was short, barely hitting 5 feet in height. He had black messy hair, and anyone could tell he hadn't had a haircut in a while. He was rather skinny, probably from lack of food. Oversized ripped shirts and stained pants were all he wore. His eyes were a light, cloudy gray. At first glance, some would say his eyes were truly remarkable and beautiful. However, it was not a special blessing that caused his eyes to be like this. He was blind. He had been blind since birth. This made things extremely difficult for him. He was incapable of working, which made things even worse during the Great Depression. He was failing all his school work. The disgraceful teachers at his school always picked on him, telling him he's nothing. The kids were awful too. They always taunted him because one of his eyes would look towards the middle of his face, while the other stayed in place. He tried his best to keep his cursed eyes shut, but it hardly worked. If anything, it caused more taunting and discomfort. They would beat him too, outside before and after school. But nothing that came from the halls of Hell could compare to his worst enemy; his father.
His father was a ruthless man. Matthew wanted him dead. He was a big drinker, and Matthew couldn't recall one moment when his dad was sober. He would always whack Matthew with the back side of his hand, telling him he was no good and didn't belong on this earth. He was a very fat, somewhat tall man. He was about 50 years old, give or take a few. He was never home in the morning, and he came home late at night. If Matthew had the misfortune of ever crossing his dad's path, he'd get beat for no reason at all.
"If you ain't gonna work, then you ain't gonna stay here no more!" his dad always roared.
Matthew stayed at the house anyways, so he just tried to avoid the guy.
It was 7:00 in the morning when Matthew woke up. Another day in Hell I suppose, he thought. The bus stop was just outside his house. He stood up, shook his hair a bit, then struggled to put on his old raggedy shoes and left the filthy house. His father wasn't home, like always. This was no surprise to Matthew though. The cool spring air chilled Matthew, and slight breezes froze him as they blew through the wide rips of his shirt. It was now 7:30. The school bus would come in about 15 minutes. He walked in the middle of the road by mistake. He couldn't see the coming car. It flew only an inch away from him.
The angry driver shouted, "Hey watch where you're going you stupid kid!"
Matthew fell back and landed right on the curb. He held his scabbed knees, frightened and alone. He hung his head very low. He started to softly cry.
"What is the matter with me? Why am I so, so stupid?" he cried to himself in a low soft voice. From the small cuts and large bruises on the outside, to the emotional tearing of his fragile heart on the inside, everything in the world seemed to be painful.
"Are you ok there?" a girl spoke in a sympathetic voice.
Matthew just kept on crying. He completely ignored her.
"Why are you crying? Oh my goodness! Look at all those scrapes and bruises! Are you hurt?" she said again.
Matthew just looked up. Tears fell down his pale face like mini rivers. He shook his head.
"Just making sure. You seem really upset. Is there anything I can do to help you?" she asked, very concerned.
"Only if you can change the world to make it that I was never born," Matthew responded, tears still flowing.
"Well, I can't do that. But maybe there's something else I can do for you," she said. She gave him a small smile, but he couldn't tell.
Matthew had a confused look on his face. Why is she being so nice to me? No one's ever been this nice to me before, he thought. At that moment, the school bus arrived. The doors flew open.
"Come on," the girl said excitedly as she grabbed him by the wrist, and pulled him onto the bus.
She held his wrist tight and she led him down the narrow aisle of the bus. Angry eyes were focused on them. Everything was quiet. Matthew couldn't tell what was going on, but the girl could. She just ignored them all. She led him to an empty seat near the back.
"Sit," she said, as she pointed to the seat. She was surprised that he didn't know to sit.
They both sat down. The bus began to move. Matthew was very silent, but that didn't stop the girl from talking away.
"I'm Cassandra by the way," she said, holding out her hand. Matthew didn't notice, so she put awkwardly her hand back on her lap.
Cassandra, that's a pretty name, he thought. She was a little taller than he was, and a year older. She had curly brown hair and dark brown eyes. She wore a yellow dress and a white sweater. She talked to him the entire bus ride. Her parents were both born and raised in Italy, but she was born in America. She had moved to the town recently after her parents decided to move out of their big house in the city. They didn't like all the people near their daughter. They had a nice house that was around the corner from Matthew's. Well, it was as nice as you could get during that time in a town that small. She was very sweet. The kids on the bus wondered why someone like her, would be even talking to a kid like Matthew.
"I'm Matthew," he said.
He was more soft spoken than she was. He was very quiet the rest of the bus ride, but Cassandra continued to hold his trembling hand. She would be attending the same school as Matthew for the rest of the spring.
The bus finally stopped at the school. After all the other kids got out, Cassandra and Matthew were the last ones to leave. Cassandra went out first. Just as Matthew was about to step down, the bus driver pushed him, and Matthew fell flat on his front side on the sidewalk. He stood up and brushed off. He had his head low, and he didn't say a word.
"What was that for you jerk?! He didn't do anything to you! What's your problem?" Cassandra shouted.
"Listen here, little lady. Your friend here isa disruptin my bus. His weird self is distracting, and it makes it hard to drive. I don't like to be distracted. Got it?" the bus driver snarled. He shut the doors, and drove off.
"You didn't have to do that," Matthew said breaking the awkward silence.
"Do what?" Cassandra asked, still a little steamed.
"What you just did. It happens all the time, I'm used to it," he told her.
"Don't worry. I'm not gonna let anyone hurt you. We're friends now. We gotta stick together. For better or worse," she said, smiling.
"I just met you. We aren't getting married," Matthew said laughing.
They both laughed. Matthew had never laughed like that in his life. He had a friend, and that was all he needed.
The rest of the school day was normal. After the bus ride, things were different that day. No one picked on Matthew. Not the teachers or the students. Lunchtime was just as odd.
"Hey did you hear? Matthew's got it good with Mr. Zeoli's daughter. He's one of the richest people in town," one boy whispered to another boy, trying to make it so Matthew or Cassandra wouldn't hear.
"Man, I didn't know he had it in him," the other boy responded.
"She's quite beautiful," an older girl whispered.
Matthew could hear all these conversations as he walked through the courtyard to find a place to sit. I'll just sit on the ground like I normally do, he thought. He sat right in the middle of the dirty ground.
"Why are you sitting there?" Cassandra asked, very puzzled. "Come on," she said, pulling him by the wrist.
She led him to an empty bench. The weather was nice. Blue skies and only a few white puffy clouds. A little chilly, but it got warmer throughout the day. They were the only ones on the bench. All the other kids felt they had to be invited if they wanted to sit with Cassandra. And by the look on her face, she didn't really appreciate that.
"I don't want to sound rude, but what were you doing on the ground in the middle of the courtyard. There were plenty of empty benches around you," Cassandra said.
"Well, I couldn't tell…" Matthew responded. Does she even realize that I'm completely blind? He thought.
"Ok, I'm still a little confused," Cassandra said.
"I'm blind you know," Matthew said. I thought it would be kinda obvious at this point, he thought.
"Oh. I'm sorry I- I had no idea!" Cassandra said in apologetic tone. She was shocked. She didn't even realize it.
"It's ok. I've been blind my whole life. I usually get made fun of and picked on for it, but today seems different. I think it has something to do with you," he whispered so none of the kids would hear.
After lunch, the rest of the school day went on. No one picked on Matthew, and everyone smiled at Cassandra in hopes she would befriend them. After school however, everything was normal.
"Hey Blind-Side, where's your girlfriend? Did she finally pick up enough sense to ditch you? How did a street rat like you get with a rich gal like her anyways," a boy named Thomas sneered. He was about Cassandra's age. Thomas and a few of his bully friends had surrounded Matthew behind the school. They were a rough group, and Matthew thought this would be the end.
"Ok guys, I think it's time we showed this street rat a lesson about the way things work around these parts," Thomas snarled. They started closing in on him. They cracked their knuckles and shook their arms, ready to fight. Matthew stood, held up his hands to try and defend for what would come next.
Out of nowhere Cassandra came over and knocked Thomas right to the ground with the swing of her backpack. He went down like a ton of bricks.
"Aww looky here. Rat boy's girlfriend has come to save the day," one of Thomas's bully friends laughed. Cassandra grabbed Matthew, and they both ran off.
They arrived shortly at Cassandra's house. She unlocked the door, and they both went inside. Her house was beautiful. Paintings everywhere, a fine China set in the dining room, and beautiful furniture in the living room. In the corner of the living room, was a baby grand piano.
"You alright?" Cassandra asked.
"Ya, I'm fine. They didn't hit me or anything," Matthew said relieved.
"Good. Come sit over here, I want to show you something," Cassandra said. She led him over to the piano and they both sat down. She started to play. She played an excerpt from Beethoven's 5th. It was beautiful. Each note was hit with a clear tap of the finger.
"Beethoven's 5th right?" Matthew asked.
"Uh, ya. How did you know?" Cassandra asked.
"I play. Well, I used to anyways. They got rid of the piano at out school long before you showed up. It's been a while," Matthew said.
"Do you remember how to play?" Cassandra asked curiously.
"I think so," Matthew said.
She moved over and let him sit in the middle. She helped him find Middle C. Then, the magic happened. He started to play a piece written by Motzart. It was the most melodious sound that could ever come out of a piano. Each note was even more beautiful than the last. He moved with the music as he played, swaying back and forth. Cassandra's eyes widened, and she actually started to cry. Once Matthew heard Cassandra sniffle a bit, he stopped.
"Are you crying? Did I say something? Am I playing so terrible you are upset with me?" Matthew asked concerned.
"I have never heard anything so pure. I don't want to offend you, but how is it you can play so amazing without being able to see what your doing?" She asked, wiping the tears from her face.
"It's not always about what you see. You have to let yourself flow with the melody. I can't see what I'm playing, so I have to just hear the music. When I do that, it's easier to go along with the piece," Matthew said. Cassandra was quiet. All her life she paid attention to what she saw, more than what she couldn't see.
For the next few weeks, everything was the same. During school Cassandra and Matthew sat together at lunch and talked about anything, really. After school they went to Cassandra's house to play piano, listen to the radio, and just laugh about everything. They were best friends, and nothing would get in their way.
One day, Cassandra was out of school because she got a nasty cold. So, Matthew went straight home. His father was home too.
"Word on the street," his dad said before burping, "is that you hooked up with that rich Italian girl. You're supposed to be workin' for money. Not hanging around with some high class folks from the big city!"
Matthew didn't say anything.
"Now you listen here, boy! You are a worthless, useless, blind thing! You are going to stay that way! If you ever think about goin' to see that girl again, I'll kill ya!" he shrieked. He took a step towards Matthew and wacked him right in the back with a stick. Matthew howled with pain from the mighty blow. He started to cry. His tears fell almost as fast as the rain that came down that same evening.
The next couple weeks, Matthew didn't say a word to Cassandra. He didn't sit with her, and he didn't go with her after school. He was scared. He didn't know if his father was lurking anywhere. Without Cassandra for a guide, everything was harder. Kids started to pick on him at school again. He got beat up again. It seemed as though everything was going back to the way it was. As spring turned to summer, Cassandra showed up less and less, until there would be an entire week she missed school.
School was finally over, and summer vacation would begin. The sun was hot, and there was no wind at all to be felt. Matthew missed Cassandra, and he knew that the summer would be brutal especially without anyone to share the summer with.
"Cassandra!" Matthew called out. "Cassandra, where are you?" he yelled. No one came to him. He hadn't noticed her absences, because he was ignoring her. At that second, a soft cracking voice came out of nowhere.
"Hi Matthew," Cassandra said in a weak voice.
"Cassandra, are you sick? Your voice sounds different," Matthew said. His words were sad, but it was hard for him to contain his joy at the sound of his best friend beside him.
"Yes, a little. But I'm alright. Why haven't you said anything to me? Are you mad at me?" she said. Her words got softer and softer as she said them.
"No I'm not mad at you. I never could be. My dad said if he saw me with you he'd-he'd kill me," Matthew said, as he started to cry. All of these emotions were overwhelming.
"Phew," Cassandra said with relief. "All this time I thought you were mad at me," she said.
"I'm sorry for making you feel that way," he said. She wiped away his tears with her sleeve. He smiled, and although he couldn't see it, she smiled too.
They held hands on the way back to Cassandra's house. She held on to his arm, leaning her head on his shoulders as they walked. They went inside and she led him to the piano. They played together for a little bit, then the clock struck 4:00pm.
"Oh, I have to go to the kitchen for a minute. I need to, uh, do something real quick," and she ran out towards the kitchen. Matthew waited patiently, smiling the entire time. She came back a few minutes later.
"Ok, I'm all set now," said. She coughed a bit.
"You sound like you're sick. Are you sure you're ok?" Matthew asked. He was worried about her.
"I'm fine, just a little cold is all," she said. She coughed again. "Shall we play?"
"Alright," he said. They played together harmoniously. It sounded as if it were being played by Beethoven himself.
The music stopped short. Cassandra collapsed on the floor.
"Cassandra? Cassandra!?" Matthew shouted. No response. She was out cold on the floor. Matthew found his way to the door and ran outside. "Someone help! I think my friend's very sick! She needs help! Please! Anyone!" he cried.
After a few minutes, a few neighbors came by and called a doctor. Cassandra's parents came home early after receiving a call from a friend. Cassandra's father questioned Matthew as her mother cried while speaking to the doctor. It was hard for Matthew to make out the words Mr. Zeoli said due to his heavy Italian accent. Matthew explained as best he could as to what had happened. He told her she had gone into the kitchen, and they played for a little after, then she just went silent.
Cassandra had cancer, and she had it for a while. She tried taking different medicines, but they just harmed her more. She was always lying in bed, and everyday for the rest of that summer, Matthew never left her side. His dad ran off to another city, and left his son behind. Cassandra's parents had the piano moved into her room, and everyday he'd play for her. She always cried at the grace of Matthew's playing. When she slept and no longer could pay attention to Matthew's playing, he held her hand.
It was near the end of August now, and school would be starting in a few weeks.
"Matthew," Cassandra said in a week voice. "Come here."
"Ya?" Matthew said.
"I wanted to tell you that I love you. I always have ever since the first time I met you. You were always special to me. You could see the real me, when you couldn't see me at all," she said, crying.
He leaned in towards her, and they kissed. Their lips touched, and for a moment Matthew was in love.
"You made it sound like you were leaving," Matthew said.
"Matthew, can you do me a favor? Play that song you first played for me. I want to remember this forever," she said, her voice weakening.
Matthew played for her the first song that drew these two friends together. He cried as he played, but he still kept that smooth velvet melody. She closed her eyes as a few tears fell down her pale face, and he slowed his playing. This would be the last time Cassandra cried, and the last time Matthew played.
 ii-VanillaTwilight · Thu Apr 14, 2011 @ 03:24am · 0 Comments |
|
|
|
|
|
