Chapter 1
I was listening to every word she was saying. The electric current’s buzzing on the telephone line and the sound of every breath she was making irritated every hair in my right ear canal. My grip tightened around the telephone, and I’m sure that I was standing on that thin facade of blatant deed that I witnessed in a scenario of a normal human being’s humane legislation. It’s beyond cruel. It’s beyond criminal. I’m done!
“You don’t understand. I have so much to think about, and it’s more than just my senior year and my piano.” I couldn’t believe I was yelling at her. “I’m sorry, but I quit. I can’t continue working with you.” She still had something to say, but I dropped the call.
I’m tired. And I’m so lost these days. It’s beyond reasonable to continue and objectify all this rubbish I’ve been receiving for the past two months. All the red flags were explicitly shown in front of my face, and I’m so dumb not to realize it. I should’ve listened to my mum and never gone here and wasted my time.
I took a deep breath and inhaled the cold breeze of the brewing thunderstorm. Everyone is rushing to take shelter while I am not giving a single damn care. I then realized it’s been a long time since I had gone out alone to have tea and stared into nothingness.
I took the shortest way to the nearest Starbucks, and was lucky enough to get to my favourite spot in the café after ordering a cup of tea. As an English person, a cup of tea is all I need on a rubbish day.
The glass walls of Starbucks were all fogged up, and I was glad about the scenery. I couldn’t see what was happening outside, and that allowed me to focus on my tea.
I took my phone out and browsed a little on my Facebook account, ads everywhere. I’m sick of this. I was about to close it when a sudden ad came, and it caught my interest—an eye app for blind people.
The first 10,000 people to sign will receive a £10 bonus and become a permanent eye for blind people!
Brilliant! I signed up for this eye app and waited 20 minutes to reload and sign up again because of this stupid, slow Starbucks Internet.
Great, I’m the 17,896th signee. Whatever! Finding a job with an eye app to help blind people is a total scam. Who would be up for this kind of stuff anyway? I could find a real job, like a postman, lorry driver, or street sweeper. At least then I could have a decent income, more decent than both this scam and being a piano tutor while having a nagging, unsupportive girlfriend.
I was about to close the app when suddenly a notification showed up on what’s supposed to be my “dashboard.” A blind person pinging me for help. I felt uninterested and was about to close the eye app, but then it occurred to me: I don’t think that giving this eye app one try would be that bad.
And so, I clicked “Accept” and suddenly a tidy room showed up.
Basically, this app opens the camera of the blind person in need and shows you his surroundings. On your end, you become the good Samaritan and help them find their stuff. You can’t fool around because it’s a government-regulated device. So, the police could easily track you if you try to take advantage of the blind people. Right, I know I called this eye app a scam, but yeah, I was just pissed off.
“I couldn’t find my violin bow. I’m sure I placed it here, but I couldn’t find it anywhere. Please help me,” the man said.
“Oh, uh, It’s right there under your bed. It’s halfway under, so you could easily–yes, right there. Move right, yes, a little more. There you go.” This wasn’t bad.
“Thank you so much! Wait, I’ll just– “he flipped his camera, and now I could see his face.
His face. His face. He is so…
He’s so beautiful.
Chapter 2
“I don’t know why you’re doing this, but I want you to know that my brother’s mood lit up when you called,” Adam’s sister told me.
“Just go home, Comet. I heard that, Gina. And my mood certainly didn’t light up when he called,” he protested. His sister laughed and then winked at me.
“Bye, Comet.” She waved at me. Adam turned away, heading back to his room.
“Bye, Gina.”
“Aren’t you going to say goodbye to Comet?”
“No. We’re going to see each other tomorrow anyway. So, there’s no point,” Adam said.
Gina sighed with a smile on her face, then looked at me. “He’s always like that,” she mouthed. I smiled.
“Bye, Adam. See you tomorrow.” I tried my luck.
“Whatever, bye,” he said. Hearing him say goodbye was enough.
I know he didn’t want me to leave yet, but I don’t want to stay longer because I don’t have a place to sleep in their house.
***
The following day, when I was on my way to their house, Gina called me. She said she has some important stuff to take care of at work and wanted to entrust her brother with me. She even asked me to sleep over because she needed to stay overnight at her job, which I gladly accepted.
Ever since that day, when I helped him look for his violin bow, I couldn’t stop thinking of him. It took me several days to finally reach him again and be his “eye” through that eye app. I learned that his name was Adam, and he loved playing the violin so much. I did my best to befriend him despite his cold, moody personality. And I found it cute when he frowned.
Several months passed, and I offered him my talent. I tutored and helped him play his violin. He told me he wanted to go to Juilliard and get a scholarship despite being blind. I admired him for that.
***
That night, Adam was playing the violin pretty hard. He told me that he joined a violin-playing competition in London, which will be held in Piccadilly Circus. The prize would be enough to cover at least half of the application fee at Julliard.
“What piece is that? I’ve never heard it before.”
“It’s the second movement of Tchaikovsky’s violin concerto op. 35,” Adam answered. “You’ve never heard of this? Really? Well, no surprise to a rookie like you.”
I choked on my saliva. “Well, yeah. Maybe. But can you play it like this?” I snatched the violin away from his hands. I positioned my hands, and I asked him to listen carefully.
***
“You said you do not know about it.” He scratched his chin. “You played it a little better, but not as good as me, to be honest.”
I chuckled. “Yeah. When is this thing? The violin competition? Why didn’t you tell me about it sooner?”
“It’s actually none of your business. But then I thought you deserved to know because you’re my fri– “he stopped “– my teacher.”
“What? Why did you cut it? Were you about to say that I’m you’re – “
“I don’t have friends.” He finished. “And no one would like to be my friend. Not to a cold, blind lad like me.”
I did not answer him. I just stared at his blank face. “That day, when I helped you find your violin bow through the eye app, I quit my only job.”
Adam seemed confused.
“I had this girl who hired me as her tutor, exactly like this. Except that she plays the piano instead of the violin.”
“Why are you telling me this?”
“I had a crush on her,” I said. Adam’s expression curled. “She knew about it, and she thought she could do anything just because I liked her.”
“Why are you telling me this?! I am not interested in your– “
“And then she sexually assaulted me.” I took a deep breath. “She thought I was that kind of guy who would take advantage of it. I pushed her and immediately left. I also broke up with my girlfriend who wasn’t supportive at all. So, you can say that I was a bit of a messed-up lad.”
“I-I’m sorry.”
“I’m telling you this because I don’t understand why you would isolate and call yourself unworthy of any friendship just because you’re a cold, snob-arse, blind lad.” I exhaled. “I’m problematic, and my family’s business is about to go bankrupt. I’m here because I don’t want them to worry about me. I want to be independent.”
Adam stood and slowly sat beside me, leaving his violin on the carpet.
“So, please let me be your friend. You’re the only reason why I’m still here. Just say that I’m your friend, and that would be enough–”
He pulled and hugged me tightly. I was absolutely astounded.
“I’m sorry, Comet.” He began to cry. “I’m sorry if I’m such a pain in the arse. I always thought that the world hated me for being blind. But I didn’t realize that there are people out there, like you, who are going through so much. I’m sorry.”
I smiled. I can finally say that I’m in love with this guy.
Then a sudden knot in my stomach formed, and my heart started beating so fast that I thought it would explode.
Have you ever had that feeling of blood rushing through your veins, wanting to do something but couldn’t because you were afraid it wouldn’t turn out good? Well, I conquered that feeling. I took Adam’s embrace away from me, held his arms, then cupped his cheeks and tried to kiss him. I thought he would pull away and walk out. But he returned the kiss.
Chapter 3
Everything was a turn of events. Our business began to recover right after Adam won the Piccadilly Circus Violin Playing Competition. One of the judges there was from The Julliard School of Music. She told us that she was deeply touched and impressed by how Adam played the piece, gave us her contact number, and told us to keep in touch to help Adam enrol at Julliard for free. Her name was Mrs. Christina Dawson, the head violin professor in the Faculty of Music. She said that she was on a hunt for a musical instrument prodigy, and that she had finally found the right kid – Adam, my boyfriend.
We both arrived in New York safely. Everything looked different, but it was okay. If he’s with me, I’m great.
“You’re finally a student at Julliard,” I told him. “Make sure that you have fun there.”
“Will you stay in London after I leave?” He asked.
“I’ll probably continue working as a piano tutor around Northallerton. My church was also in need of a pianist. I’ll take my first steps as a musical prodigy like you,” I joked. Then I hugged him tightly.
Then a sudden ringing on the phone interrupted us. It was my mum.
“What did she say?” Adam asked.
I took a deep breath. For the first time in my life, I’ve felt so much happiness.
I hugged Adam so tightly, I could cry.
“My mum…”
“What?”
“She told me she’d buy us a bigger flat so I could stay with you until you graduate and continue being your eyes.
-END-