It was a silent melody. The harsh droplets poured over the man, as the rain splashed against the mudded dirt. The metallic drumming continued as the rain kept beating the old car chassis. But even so, it was silent to the man. The air felt dense as his nostrils flared with the smell of stagnant musk. But even so, he didn’t care for his surroundings as his laughter echoed in the empty lot.

          Suddenly pausing from his laughter he looked down, finding his fine leather shoes covered in mud. “...Why!” The man asked, kicking over a can on the ground as it trudged slowly towards other piles of garbage.

          The rain continued pouring over him as he looked at his shaking cold hands, he was still wearing their wedding ring. “Anna…!” He shakily groaned out as he collapsed on the mud, a rain forming inside of his silence masking the truth from reality. His tears dripped down his face, the tears obscured by the drips of rain.

          “I’m going to be a father, that’s what I thought. I had so much planned…!” He lamented as he kept crouched on the mud, unable to support his great grief with his feet. The wedding ring shone with a warm light, letting the tears flow out mercilessly.

◈ ◈ ◈

          Wearing her patient gown, she was admitted to surgery. The doctor said that the umbilical cord was wrapped around my son’s neck but he said that everything would be fine. Taking a seat in the waiting room, I found myself darting my eyes aimlessly. A second turned to two, a third, and a fourth as I restlessly cradle my leg. I didn’t know where to place my hands, as I kept thinking of what I should name my son.

          His name should be... David! That boy will grow up to be a fine man, surviving in this huge world we live in. The world throws many problems throughout our lives, but David will overcome them no matter how small he feels in this big big world. Because I will be there to hold his right hand, with my own left hand.

          I couldn’t keep my excitement to myself, as I found myself pacing in the hallway no longer in my seat. But then again, who could control such desires? I definitely couldn’t. I gazed hopeful eyes on every single nurse that exited the room, but to no avail. I continued waiting for what seemed to be days, until I finally saw the doc.

          “Doc! How’s Anna!” I said, dying of anticipation. “Ah…! Mr. Ludwig Klavir.” Dr. Lek said, shaking my hand.

          “How is she? You know, I still can’t decide on a name but I think David is a great name! I don’t really know how I can even be considered a father yet, but hey I’m willing to learn. After all, I can’t be prepared for everything right. And then there’s Anna’s work, I wonder if she’s even going to be able toー,” I kept ecstatically chatting, not even giving Dr. Lek the time to answer my question.

          He silently patted me on the shoulder as he bowed his head. “...” He couldn’t even look at me, or perhaps I couldn’t look him in the eyes. I couldn’t read his expression, was he sad, guilty, did he feel pity? I couldn’t know. His face was all I needed to understand what happened to Anna.

          “Wha…ーt?” I tried to groan out a question, but I found stones in my lungs. It was hard to breathe and my mouth felt dry. Just as suddenly as I had croaked my question, the surgery room blasted open as a stretcher was hurriedly being wheeled through the hallway. Anna was on it.

          “The baby died of asphyxiation…” Dr. Lek whispered, as I violently turned towards him. What did he say? His wife died of shock? “...My condolences Dr. Lek,” I said, patting him on the shoulder.

          “But I didn’t know you were a father Dr. Lek,” I continued the small talk. “These are hard times indeed, I didn’t expect a doctor like you to have an unhealthy family. What a strange twist indeed!”

          “No…” The man tried to wake me up from reality as he sways my hand away from his shoulder. “Your… family… died,” the man cried in front of me.

          “What do you know?! How dare you cry for me! I can fix her myself, she’s still alive!” I said, as I chased after the stroller. Pushing away the nurses, I exclaimed. “See?! She’s just sleeping!” Picking up various medical tools that I didn’t even know how to use as I tried to stitch her together.

          It was wet and squelchy, as I looked inside her inner cavities. Her flesh was red and swollen, oozing with blood. “See? She has blood, she’s alive!” What did they tell me? Get away from the body? Security? It doesn’t matter… I can fix her up! “I’m a pianist, I have steady hands!”

          Something was pulling on me, blue sleeved maniacs preventing me from saving my wife. “Let go of me!” I shrieked as I continued holding onto the railing of her cart. Suddenly, she fell down on the floor with a wet thud. Leaving a bloody mess. She must have been so tired after my surgery that she couldn’t even stand up. But that’s fine, I did well. She’s all good now.

◈ ◈ ◈

          The torrent continued, soaking the pianist to his bones as he shivered in the cold. He pounded on the mud as it stuck to his hand, spilling on his black suit. “I didn’t even have enough time…!” Lud pleaded with gritted teeth.

          “I spent my life…! Working. Working. Working. And. Working! For what did I even work for?! Why the hell did it come to this?! I couldn’t hug her! I couldn’t kiss her! I couldn’t… I miss her! David, why did you have to be born?!”

          Lud opened his red swollen eyes, as he trudged towards the shivering cold and into his life’s work. He sat upon its ebony seat, placing his hands on its majestic ivory. With each key he pressed he felt at peace. Even without its strings and hammers, for him it made melodies without compare.

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

          He continued dancing with his life’s work, listening to its tune. Through it all, he fell in love again. Music was his passion and his life’s work. He didn’t know anything else except playing music. “It’s quite a mystery really… How can you fall in love with a man that only knows how to play the piano…?” The man asked chuckling, as he played his 9th symphony, laughing into the night.

          His hands were shivering from the cold as they numbed. But he continued playing. The heavy clouds soon disappeared, revealing the golden sun. But he continued playing. His clothes stiffened after drying, making it hard to play. But he continued playing. He felt his body giving out from exhaustion, as he struggled to gasp for breaths. But he still continued playing.

◈ ◈ ◈

          Walking Daisy for her daily morning walks, I found a ragged young man that seemed as if he performed magic tricks in the ferry. “My oh my!” I looked at the sun high above us, Daisy barked in question. Borf?

          I hurriedly approached the young man as I picked up Daisy. Just as soon as we approached him, Daisy started growling. Grr… “My oh me oh my! The boy reeks of trash and mud!” Worf borf! Daisy barked twice, as if I were stating the obvious. Finding pity in my heart, I unclip the locket of my shawl as I drape it over him.

◈ ◈ ◈

          I was laying down on the piano’s keys. I felt dryness in my bones, and a weakness to my body, looking around with dead fish eyes. “My oh my! The boy had awoken Daisy!” The old woman dressed in exorbitant clothing exclaimed, with her dog barking a reply. Borf! “Ah… hi… ah is this? Sorry sorry, I’ll get it cleaned,” I say, scratching my neck, noticing the expensive-looking purple cape with ornate weaving wrapped around me.

          “No need boy,” she replied with a bright smile with no regard for my personal space. Rather than smiling, it would be more accurate to say that she’s showing me her teeth. It was a rather awkward sight, not much for her but for me. “Ah… I’m already married.”

          “So? You’re but a boy to me no?” She said, finally hiding her white teeth under her dry lips as she furrowed a brow. “Now tell me of this curiosity, for what reason have you slumbered in this shabby a place?”

          “Ah.. I suppose… many reaーerr… many a reason?” I replied, subconsciously intoxicated with her weird manner of speaking. “I suppose it all started with the piano…”

          “That piano?” Borf? The dog barked, as if he was asking a question.

          “No, my mother’s piano. She introduced me to music and, well, there we go I guess. I got pulled into my work so much… so much so that it’s all I’ve ever known.”

          “But that’s no reason to sleep in filth boy!” Worf!

          “Haha… maybe not. I became a father.”

          “My oh my! Truly a wonderful occasion no? There is no reason to run away from responsibilities young man,” she says with a judgemental look. Borf borf. Daisy replied as well, as if it was obvious that I shouldn’t run away from responsibility.

          “Look lady, you got it all wrong. I didn’t run awaーy,” I raised my voice in annoyance until she cut me off by placing a hand on my mouth.

          “Clara dear, Clara Smrtka,” the old woman says, introducing herself with a curtsy. The sight of it was stunning. Not very much because of her beauty, but because of how awkward it felt to look at. I found myself at a loss for words as I replied, “I-I… see… very well Clara.”

          “Ms. Clara,” she emphasized. Borf!

          “Ms. Clara. My wife and child died just yesterday,” I sighed deeply, feeling relieved that I finally got it out. No matter how weird of a listener she may be, having someone there that listens was quite satisfying.

          “It was around noon, I went hysterical. I found Anna’s body. Anna got a C-section. David’s neck. Anna died. She… let me start again,” I said sadly weeping as I mustered my courage to collect the painful memories. The old woman, Ms.Clara, wrapped her hands around me as she gently patted my back as she silently listened.

          “I worked too much. I never got to see my Anna, I was always performing for the crowd. Always missing our dates. And the day of David’s birth, I got permission to be with her. The one time I was there for her, was her… funeral.”

          “And its neck?”

          “Ah… the doctor said that the umbilical cord was wrapped around the baby’s… David’s neck. Anna couldn’t birth him normally or he would choke to death. She had to have a C-section. But she… She died of shock…!”

          “In other words, a stranger you nary met ruined Anna’s life,” I wasn’t sure of what she had said. But I felt rage bubbling inside of me, wanting to lash out. “You didn’t know of that thing’s person did you not?”

          “What are you getting at here?”

          “I am saying, you know not of the baby’s personality. Of what it likes. Of what its favorite food. Of what it loves. Can you truly consider such your spawn?”

          “...Excuse me?” Feeling the wrath dissipate, I was left confused.

          “You need not care of a stranger,” she sighs. “Especially of one who murdered a beloved.”

          “...”

          “Complicated beings we truly are. Humans cannot truly understand each other no? Do you understand why I am saying this? I assure you not.”

          “You’re talking nonsense…”

          “Ah but you don’t understand what I’m saying… Precisely so. Humans don’t understand each other. Everyone is a stranger to strangers. Even I am a stranger to myself. What do I want to do? What do I want to eat today? What should I wear? Full of uncertainties, I very much do not know who I am.”

          I sigh, frustrated of the old woman’s chattering as I turn my heel to leave.

          “Emotions and regret only limit us. Do not be controlled young man. Lamenting is a waste of time, humanity’s focus should be the present. Control yourself and push through the uncertainties, forget your child, forget your wife, forget this life. Go wild… and live! Life shouldn’t be wasted on the dead, so continue forward and move ahead!”

          As I continue walking away, the old woman’s cape billows behind my back as her chattering becomes more and more inaudible. “Sure Clara… I will live, but I won’t forget the fuel that drives me forward.”