章 11: 11. Daniel
Friday had arrived and instead of the usual classes, the school's main square was filled with students and booths promoting their extracurricular clubs. David was excited to explore all the options, while I had no interest in joining any additional clubs. However, David managed to convince me to walk among the booths.
"Come on, Daniel, we're just taking a look around," David told me with an infectious smile.
As we got deeper into the hustle and bustle of the fair, my attention was diverted to the various booths. The drama club was one of the first we visited. Its members, dressed in extravagant costumes, greeted us enthusiastically.
"Looking like that you could be the lead in our next play!" one of them exclaimed, looking me over from head to toe. I blushed as I remembered that the last thing I wanted was to draw attention to myself.
"Thanks, but I'm not interested," I replied with a forced smile, avoiding his gaze and quickly walking away from the booth.
We continued our tour, passing by the cooking club, where students offered samples of their culinary creations, and the gardening club, whose members proudly displayed their plants and flowers. Despite the temptation to try a bite, I decided against it, as I didn't want to commit to participating in any extra activities.
"So none of them catch your eye?" asked David, visibly disappointed.
"Sorry, buddy, but I really don't want to join any clubs. I'd rather stay out of it," I explained sincerely.
David sighed and nodded with resignation. Although he understood my motives, he could not help but feel some regret that we could not spend more time together in an activity outside of school hours. Nevertheless, we continued walking among the stands, enjoying the energy and enthusiasm emanating from our schoolmates.
After walking away from the garden club, we came to the area where the sports clubs were located. Although I was not good at sports like soccer or basketball, because I had never tried them, the athletic club caught my attention. I approached the stand and asked for information about their activities.
"Are you joining a sports club?" asked David with some annoyance in his voice.
"Maybe I could give it a try," I replied without much assurance.
"I thought you weren't joining any clubs," David replied, frowning. "I thought we'd be in this together."
"You can always sign up yourself too and learn to run," I suggested, trying to encourage him, though my words of sarcasm were reaching.
David decided to ignore my words and asked me to join him for a moment. We headed towards another booth, the music club booth. David seemed excited, so he decided to ask for information. The members of the club told us that they were meeting that night to play something and that we could join them if we wanted to. David readily agreed, saying we would be there.
"Really, David?", I demanded in a low voice. "My plans for tonight were to have dinner, watch my novel, and sleep."
"Come on, Daniel, just for tonight," David insisted with a smile. "After that I won't bother you with clubs anymore."
Although I didn't quite trust his words, I decided to give in and nodded with resignation.
That night, I prepared for the music club meeting with some trepidation. I wasn't sure what to expect, but at least I knew I would be accompanied by David in this new experience. With that in mind, I headed to the agreed-upon location with him, ready to face the unknown.
We continued walking between the aisles of the booths, I couldn't help but look for April with my eyes, even though I knew it was almost impossible to find her. She would probably never join an extracurricular club, after all, she must be busy murdering people at night. The thought caused me to shiver and I focused on what was in front of me.
"What are you thinking about so much?" asked David, interrupting my thoughts.
"Not at all," I replied, trying to take my mind off April and her nightly activities.
Finally, we arrived at the cafeteria to grab a bite to eat before the music club meeting began. We sat down and immediately several classmates approached us, curious to know which club we had decided to join.
"It's a secret," said David, smiling mysteriously.
"Thank you," I murmured.
"I bet it's the music club," said one of our classmates, winking at us. "I hear David has talent."
"Really?", I asked in surprise. David simply smiled and said nothing, leaving me even more intrigued.
As night fell, David put on a trench coat to protect himself from the cold, while I opted for a denim jacket. Together we walked along the school's pathways, lit by streetlights that cast our elongated shadows on the pavement, until we reached building H. The classroom lights were on and, as we peeked through the door, we were surprised to see the number of classmates gathered there.
"Wow, looks like there are more people than I thought," I muttered, feeling a knot form in my stomach.
"Relax, it's just an introduction" David replied calmly, giving me encouragement before entering the classroom.
Once inside, we sat in a corner, from where we could watch the students play different songs on guitars, pianos and other instruments. Some sang with melodious voices, while others gave less impressive performances. I couldn't remember the last time I had heard actual music; the only things that came to mind were the songs from an old decade I used to listen to with Liam and the music my mother played.
"What do you think?", David asked me, seeing how I was paying attention to the performances.
"It's interesting" I admitted, although I actually felt a little out of place. "The truth is, I'm not very familiar with the music right now."
"You'll get used to it," assured David with a smile.
As the performances continued, I couldn't help but wonder if David would get a chance to showcase his talent that night, and how I would react to hearing it. I knew my friend was multifaceted, but I had never seen him in a musical setting.
As the night wore on, I became immersed in my thoughts, remembering the old tunes I used to listen to with Liam and how they helped us momentarily forget our troubles. While those songs were nostalgic, they also represented a time when we still had hope and dreamed of a better future.
After having witnessed several performances by my colleagues in the music club, they began to ask the new members to show their talent. David didn't hesitate for a second and stood up enthusiastically. I was surprised to see him so determined and confident.
"Can I borrow a guitar?" asked David with a friendly smile. The club members handed him one and he took it carefully, as if he were holding something precious.
David settled on the stage and began to sing a song I had never heard before. His sweet voice filled the room, echoing off the walls and reaching straight to my heart. I couldn't help but be moved by his performance. Each note seemed to come straight from her soul and made me forget, at least for a moment, all the pain I carried inside.
As David sang, other students began to perform. Some did well, but none could capture the magic that David had shown in his performance. I was proud to be his friend and admired his passion for music.
"What about you, Daniel, aren't you going to participate?" asked the club members when they noticed that I remained in my seat doing nothing.
"The truth is, I don't have any talent" I replied, trying to evade the situation. But as I remembered David's presentation, something in me changed and I felt a slight tingle of jealousy. I wanted to prove that I could do something special too.
I got up and went to the piano, an instrument I had not played since my childhood. As I sat down in front of the keys, memories of those times when my mother taught me to play some simple songs began to flood back. I closed my eyes for a moment, trying to evoke the special connection we had when we shared those moments together.
"Okay" I finally said, opening my eyes and looking at the club members.
"I'm going to try" And so, with a mixture of fear and excitement, I began to play the piano, letting myself be carried away by the memories and emotions that welled up in my heart, somehow, as if I were hypnotized.
My fingers began to press the piano keys, following chords my mother had taught me so long ago. I remembered how she sat beside me, patient and loving, as she showed me how to play each note. My mother was a professional pianist, but she made a mistake when she fell in love with my father, an unscrupulous mobster.
Together, my mother and I lived in seclusion in a mansion, trapped by my father's power over us. We had no one else; we only had each other. Despite our circumstances, my mother always found solace in music, and she tried to pass that same passion on to me.
My body was already reacting to the memories, sweating and shaking as I played the piano rapidly. My vision became blurred and all I could hear were the sounds the keys made as they were pressed, reminding me more and more of my mother and our life together before the assassins took her from me.
"Bravo! That was amazing!" exclaimed someone in the room, snapping me out of my reverie as I hit the last note. I opened my eyes to see the club members applauding enthusiastically. I hadn't realized I had finished the song.
I felt the tears threatening to spill over. I knew I couldn't stay there, somehow I stopped pretending I was a simple peasant as the emotions of my mother's death began to overwhelm me.
. "I'm sorry" I said, quickly getting up from the piano bench. "I have to go" And without giving them time to respond, I ran out of the room.
"Daniel, wait!" I heard David shout behind me, but I was already too far away. It had been a mistake to come to the music club. A mistake that had reminded me of the painful past I was always trying to run away from.
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