Music

Once upon a time, both of them were strangers, until they found each other in a music competition. The lady, Clora searched high and low for a seat to enjoy the night, but there wasn't a seat at her sight. A kind gentleman saw her. He saw a rose amongst the bushes, the bright star in the night sky, the sun that warmed his heart. Henry stood up, with his top hat on his arm, he took her hand and invited her to sit with him. Clora blushed, and sat down. Both of them were music lovers. To them, nothing matters most but music. They express their love for music deeply and passionately to each other. Before they know it, romance started blooming between them.

The couple had a very unique way of expressing each other. No words could express their inner feelings, but only music could. Henry plays the piano. When he's happy, he would play the piano cheerfully with a smile across his face, when he's sad and blue, he would play softly and tears would moist at the corners at his eyes, when he's furious, his fingers would dance angrily on the piano, playing the piano loudly even the metronome couldn't keep up. For Clora, she plays the violin. When she's happy, she would play the violin at a happy tone and even Henry's feet would start dancing around. When she's sad, the whole house would be filled with melancholy music notes. When she's angry, the strings of her violin would vibrate violently. Music brought them together, and their love for each other grew stronger day by day.

Being a music lover, Henry often performs for the people in London. The people in London loved his music performance. His life was perfect. He got the woman of his life, he got the adoring crowd. One day, he was offered to go on an European tour to perform to the people in Europe. After having to receive this remarkable news, he darted off and told Clora. At daybreak, after Henry packed his bags, he was more than ready for the opportunity of his lifetime. Clora wished she could come along, but she had too many things to do and she couldn't leave just like that. All Clora could do is wish him the best of luck. After kissing him goodbye, she saw the man of her life slowly descending from her sight, and walking into stardom.

Henry was a huge hit. He was all over the news, the papers, the media is a total buzz about Henry's performance. Clora couldn't feel any happier for him. She wished she could be there to see Henry's great performance. Everyday of her life, she always wished that Henry would come back to her, into her arms, but she know Henry has far more better things to focus on. She would stand by the window, looking out for him. The days would turn to months, and months would turn to years. Everyday when the paperboy delivers the paper, Clora would see Henry's face on the front page. At times when Clora felt sad, she would start playing her violin at a desolate tune. People who passed by Clora's house would feel sad for her, they couldn't do anything much but only hoping for Henry's return.

Clora's hope is crushed. Her thoughts would run miles ahead of her, and thinking of the worse of her relationship with Henry. She was worried that Henry would never come back for her and moved on. She broke down into tears and at moments like this she wished Henry was by her side comforting her with his cheerful music. Henry's grand piano stood at the middle of the living room, he wanted it to be the centrepiece of the living room. Clora left the piano the way it is since Henry left. Dust started to gather on the surface of the keys and the dust started to gather in layers. Clora would sit on the piano chair, placed her fingers onto the keys, she could still feel Henry's fingers on the piano, dancing away creating symphony for the entire neighbourhood. Just by thinking about him, it made Clora missed him more.

One day, the doorbell rang and it startled Clora. It was a pleasant visit from Mr Parker, Henry's close friend. Mr Parker drew a desolate sigh, and told Clora about the grieving news. Henry was back in town, but he wasn't in good shape. Parker told Clora about the incident starting from when Henry was out one night with a couple of friends, but then the driver was drunk and they met with an accident. The driver didn't survive the accident, Henry was lucky enough to have survived it, but he was in a deep comma. After hearing this, Clora couldn't stop hearing her heart shattering, her whole body was weak that she collapsed to the ground. Parker helped Clora up and brought her to the hospital to see Henry.

Arriving at the hospital, Clora couldn't imagine the sight she was about to witness behind the door of Henry's room. Clora opened the door slowly, the door creaked and all she could see was Henry, lying helplessly on the bed with only the support of a life machine. Clora walked slowly towards him as she saw the man she loved slowly dying away from her sight. She hold his hands, hoping Henry would grip her hand tightly. Minutes turned to hours, hours turned to days, days turned to weeks, Clora wouldn't give up hope, she knows that Henry would be back if she waits. The doctors looked at Henry and shooked their heads, they sighed and said he couldn't last for a week. Clora wouldn't give up hope, she still believes that everything would turn out to be alright. The next day, the doctors told Clora it was time to switch off Henry's life support machine. She knew that Henry wasn't there anymore, it's the machine keeping his body alive. Clora took a deep breath, reached for the machine switch and turned it off. She placed her warm

hands on Henry's cold cheek, kissed his lips and said goodbye. She was happy at first, after knowing that all his sufferings are gone, but then she felt glum because she knows that Henry would never be back. But she knows that one day, Henry would be waiting patiently for her, just like how she waited for Henry's return.

It was a drizzling, grim morning. The flowers that once bloomed lowered their heads, the birds that once chirped sang a sad song. It was the day of Henry's funeral. People from all over the continent came to Henry's funeral. Everybody mourned and grieved for a great performer who once brought life to the streets of London and Europe, have become part of their distant memories. Clora played her violin sadly. For Clora, music was the one that brought Henry and herself together, and that would be the way how Clora would want to send Henry off. Clora knows that Henry no longer will be by her side, but she knows that he'll always be at her heart, and waiting for her at the gates of heaven.