The sweet, yet melancholic tune filled the room. It wasnβt loud; it just had an intense and emotional presence. The sun was barely starting to make its beams radiate over the horizon, and the world was still bleak and silent. Wonderfully so. Zero croaked calmly from his aquarium. He was sitting on his branch, looking at Jay with his almost shining yellow eyes. Jay walked over to him, greeting him and handing him breakfast. Zero croaked as if in response, and Jay felt a warmth spread through him.
He went into the kitchen and made his own breakfast, and brought it to bed. Small, triangular sandwiches with cream cheese and cucumber. Eaten deliberately in the same pattern as for years, the same bread, the same cream cheese. Familiarity, safety, Happiness? Yes. Yes, happiness.
He sits in bed listening to Chopin, chewing slowly and contentedly as he occasionally looks over to Zero to talk to him. Zero had his eyes closed, but croaked occasionally back at Jay. It turned out to be a sunny and pleasant morning. Perfect weather to bike to work in.
He made his way through the mostly quiet town – it was still too early for most people to be out, but a few souls were shuffling quietly and slowly towards their goals. They all had a hollow, lonely stare, Jay thought to himself. They mostly ignored him as he rode down the streets, but at the stop lights, it felt as if they all started to turn towards him and stare at him. Were they judging him? Thinking funny things about him? Looking at his yellow helmet?
The light turned green, and he hurried on, away from the peeping crowd. At work, he felt better. He had his own little cubicle, his own little space. Here he would go mostly undisturbed and would be left alone with his sheets, numbers, statistics and graphs. He was thrilled at the thought of it all.
Lisa from three cubicles down came over. She didnβt understand this one graph and needed some explanation. He gladly helped her and explained every piece slowly and knowingly. He felt almost a passion as he spoke about the numbers and statistics. Only when Lisa said that she understood it now and thanked him for the help, did he stop. He realised he smiled broadly and said he was happy to help. This couldnβt be truer.
After safely home again, he replies to a text from Kai. Heβs known Kai since they were kids, and heβs his best friend. They donβt talk every day or meet every week, but thereβs a familiarity and comfort in Kai. They make a plan to get together for the weekend and are going to watch old movies, eat frozen pizza and pretend like theyβre 9 years old again. A time when life was simpler.
Zero croaks comforting along with the delicate and sorrowful Chopin tune thatβs playing softly in the living room. Is it more sorrowful because of memories, or is it what he actually feels from the music? He could have been a very good pianist. He had the talent, but he didnβt dare to perform. Not even for himself. The smell of clean bedsheets and a dawn to look forward to are the final thoughts as Jay drifts off to sleep.
