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Chapter 23 – Winfred’s Song

“What are you thinking?” Leon gazed at me as his delicate fingers ran fluidly on the keys of the Fazioli Pianoforte. 

“What are you playing?” I closed my eyes, feeling his nearness beside me. He played a light, blissful song; mellow yet layering my heart with an overwhelming uncertainty. As though I could be overjoyed and miserable. Like I could laugh and cry, and be full and empty at the same time.

“A new composition,” he lifted his gaze for a while but his hands continued to trail on the array of exquisite black and white keys.

“Hmm… So you compose your own songs,” I commented as the notes quickened.

He gave me a frown-smile combination. My heart raced frantically. I didn’t know the combination could ever look so splendid. “As a matter of fact, I do but only when I have the inspiration. I thought you’ve seen the CDs I gave you.”

“I’ve seen the video. I haven’t got the time to listen to the other one,” I smiled wryly.

“I thought you’ve got lots of free time.” He sniggered. “I composed that one when you used to ignore me.”

My eyes narrowed. “I used to ignore you? You started it. All those times you’ve acted like I was invisible or something.”

He seemed to ponder for a while. “I was… dead scared. Remember the first time I drove you home? I was trying so hard to talk to you but you looked so much like you couldn’t care less, I didn’t want to try again.”

“The one after you kidnapped me? Yeah,” I interjected with a hint of sarcasm.

“I thought you didn’t want anything to do with me, hated me even.” His face stiffened.

I thought about it. I knew that I could be so overwhelmingly dimwitted at times and the memory made me want to strangle myself. Blame it on my poor social skills.

“Yeah, maybe I did hate you a little, at first.”

“A little? You poured stinky water all over my face in biology.” He shuddered.

“That was an accident! Plus you were being kind of a jerk… Maybe I did hate you a lot,” I replied in defense which he rebutted with a melodious chuckle. “I’m sorry though.”

Leon continued playing with an amused expression about him. I kept my mouth shut and listened as the refrain came again. His room was scrupulously clean, minimalistic but overly organized. I should be ashamed the next time he decided to play Romeo again and raid my chamber. 

I ran my hand on the sleek frame of the piano. It felt silky against my hand, giving me a cozy feeling, almost wistful.

“You like it? I mean the piano,” Leon whispered as his hand caught mine and put it on his cheeks.

I hesitated then nodded. “Yes and no.”

He threw me a bewildered look and it burned into my memory just like every other emotion he displayed. “What do you mean?”

“I like it. I’ve never seen anything like this before. It’s so…”

“Smooth and light, right?” He spoke my words for me. “It’s custom made, from ox bones and horns, I think. It explains the speckled white finish.”

Almost instinctively, I withdrew my hand from the keys. Ox bones?!

“Hey! At least that saved some elephants,” he smiled in response to my averted reaction.

“Oh, right.” How perfect can he be? And eco-friendly too.

“And the no part?”

“Did I tell you that my Dad is... was a composer?” I cleared my throat. I’ve never talked about Winfred to anyone outside therapy. Not even Mom. So it surprised me how easy I was able to open this up to Leon.

“No.” Hesitation filled his voice. “I’m sorry, I asked.”

I shook my head. “That was a long time. I was five. He really loved his piano.” A smile trailed mindlessly on my lips as I struck a sol-ti-do on the last octave. “But Emma sold it after he left us. Said she didn’t want any reminders of him lying around. I could’ve stopped her of course, but I was… too distraught to comprehend anything.”

“Do you know a piece?” A smile lit his face, like that time when Arthur let him drive the R8. I didn’t like whatever he was thinking.

I creased my forehead. “A couple, but I hadn’t played for ten years.”

“I’d like to hear it.” He motioned his hand on the key board and stood leaning on the body of the piano and gazed keenly on me with that perfect smile that fool-proofed any form of resistance.

“Only if you tell me everything.” My fingers twitched into an imaginary tremor. 

His full concentration and curiosity towards my incompetent ability wasn’t helping either. But I wasn’t making a fool of myself without getting any compensation in return.

“Define everything,” he replied with an awkward tone.

“Everything,” I filled my lungs. “Why you’re here, what you did in L.A., what happened to Larkin… everything.”

A brief pause signaled me that he was deliberating about it. I was afraid my mediocre skills wouldn’t be worthy enough for him to consider, but then he nodded with a grave façade.

“Everything,” echoed he.

I took a few deep breaths and tested a do-mi-sol-do. As if the instrument could sound any better with me as the pianist. Closing my eyes, I stretched my fingers, concentrating on my father’s favorite piece, hoping the notes would come rushing to me at once.

My fingers started hitting a few keys with an awkward start, my feet fumbling with the pedals painstakingly as I did. I wondered if Leon was able to recognize whatever it is that I was trying to play. The melody started to sink in and swayed my emotions with every rich note. Out of the blue, I was again the five-year old Sarah, sitting beside the bulky, dark-haired man with light silvery-blue eyes.

I gazed at the man through the haze and shook my head. “No. You play first, Daddy.”

The man smiled, making the laugh lines slightly visible on the sides of his eyes and then ruffled my dark hair. “Anything for my princess,” then he closed his eyes and started playing the intro for our favorite song.

My fingers danced gracefully on every key, as though this was something I’ve been doing on a daily basis, though I doubt it was as good as Leon’s playing. I started humming the melody of the song and I could almost hear Winfred’s husky but melodious voice inside my head. And I was singing with him.

It’s a little bit funny, this feeling inside

Not one of those we can easily hide

I continued singing with Winfred from my memory and paused for a while when I heard Leon hum with an encouraging smile for me to continue. Then he sang with the Winfred in my head until it faded and all I could hear was Leon’s soothing, velvety voice.

My gift is my song and this one’s for you

And you can tell everybody, this is your song,

It might be quite simple but now that it’s done

I hope you don’t mind, I hope you don’t mind

That I put down in words

How wonderful life is, when you’re in the world

I passed over to the finale, ending the song into a soft, almost inaudible note. Winfred slowly faded away from my side as I blinked my way back to reality, only to find Leon’s tranquil eyes and perfect smile waiting for me. The calm in my heart faltered a little but retraced its rhythm at once.

“That was…” His smile faded as his eyes narrowed then darted to me just to touch my face. He brushed his thumb against the trail of warm liquid on my cheek. “I’m sorry.”

I hadn’t realized that I was crying. I shook my head and smiled my best smile.

“You really love him, don’t you?” He pulled me to his chest. I could clearly hear every beat of his heart and was glad that somehow, I have some intangible claim on it.

I nodded.

“Hmm…” There was a brief pause then he chuckled lightheartedly. His laugh sounded more musical than the piano.

“What’s the secret punch line?” I mused still listening to his placid heart, leaning against his delicately chiseled chest that whiffed of pine cones with the tiniest hint of vanilla. 

“I’m wondering if I should get jealous.” He was fighting back a smile. 

My cheeks burned all of a sudden. “I wouldn’t count on it.”

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If you're reading this, then *hugs* Thank you so much! *tears of joy* We finally entered the second half of the novel and I'm so glad you're still with me through it all... I'm really happy. --- ^____^