Melodies that Last Forever (Part 2)
TOMORROW morning, Anna’s apartment in Queens, New York City, looked warm and calm at the same time. The sunlight infiltrated the room. Today is Saturday, a great day to start the weekend by refreshing your mind and body after a full-busy-crowded weekday before.
In one of the rooms inside Anna’s apartment, Ryan sleeps in peace after his head got struck by the sad reality about Sarah last night. He believed after that night, the Ride or Die Bar would not be the same anymore.
Ryan and Sarah became a couple in their 20s five years ago. They went to college and graduated together at Juilliard, a prestigious university in performing arts located in New York City. Their first met was in a music studio inside the campus, when Ryan tried to finish one of his songs for the final exam, and then — just like what happened at Ride or Die Bar last night, Sarah came in unexpectedly and helped him to finish his song by singing the lyric.
They started to look together on another day. Wherever they were, they always seemed together. At the park, at the cafeteria, at the studio, at the library — even in the music store nearby the campus. A month later, they started dating as they shared their first kiss.
‘Five years and still counting!’ they both declared once.
Yes, who knows three days ago would stop their togetherness after all?
Ryan’s room inside Anna’s apartment was full of memories of him and Sarah. A picture of when they went on their first date, their first watched concert, their anniversaries throughout the five-damn-years, and other stuff that you could name about a couple.
Ryan always misses Sarah. Just like Sarah missed him.
Having a career as a musician, they often had a busy life either as a couple or as humans themselves. Having mostly different tight schedules day by day often made it difficult for them to meet or just say hello on the phone, but they always made it to meet up when it comes to music.
Ryan on his piano, and Sarah as Ryan’s vocalist.
During their time, they also often made songs and then published them on social media. Started a year ago — do believe it, they had their own channel — a YouTube channel, named Ryan&Sarah, and uploaded their videos and music together frequently. People love them. Audiences became more curious about Ryan and Sarah themselves, or they were as a musician couple.
And, just like that, their subscribers hit 500k in their first month on YouTube.
Now? Their popularity became sturdier at the peak and reached the same popularity among other YouTubers and musicians. That was the one that caused Ryan’s first concert as a solo pianist the next week.
Ryan suddenly opened up his eyes this morning, and then groaned as his eyes caught the sunlight that already flooded the room. He lifted his head slowly, looking around, and then realized that he made it to come back to his sister’s apartment after visiting the Ride or Die Bar last night.
‘Sarah already died three days ago, Ryan. Wake up!’
Ryan’s eyes were now completely open. His hand reached his head as if it became hurt even more because of the reality. He knew it. Sarah died three days ago, he knew it. Ryan’s eyes moved up and found their picture together that was taken two months ago on a snowy December at Central Park. Ryan remembered they had their ice skating at that time.
Tried hard to move on, Ryan got up and walked out of the room. He stared at a hot tea placed on the bar table, and realized that was Anna’s deed during his sleep. He sat on the sofa and took a sip of his hot tea to reduce the hangover.
His memories about Sarah began to crawl inside his head as he remembered they had their problem before her death.
A producer emailed him two months ago, and invited him to meet up at a café in Queens. This producer contacted him because he watched the Ryan&Sarah YouTube channel and was interested in how deeply and graceful the melody that was made by Ryan’s fingers on piano tuts. Of course, Ryan agreed to meet him — and because the producer said he watched their channel, he decided to invite Sarah too.
The producer felt surprised in the first place. He saw this incredibly talented musician couple in front of him, and with an apologetic face, he had to say that he only wanted Ryan to be in the concert.
That was the cause.
Ryan did not immediately accept the offer. He and Sarah had their debate about this, and Sarah said that she always — like, always — supported him no matter what. Ryan’s career was more important than hers. Besides, she always knew from the first place that Ryan’s dream was to be a solo pianist who has his concert someday.
And the offer had come, why would she make Ryan deny it to keep her feelings?
After thinking a lot about that offer for one full day, Ryan finally accepted the offer and began practicing his concert week after week. He became busier, and the Ryan&Sarah channel did not upload new videos for more than two weeks.
Sarah also keeping her time busier. She did not want to interrupt Ryan’s training while she admitted it inside her heart; she wanted it too.
She also wanted a solo concert of her own.
Just like that, Ryan knew there was something wrong between him and Sarah. They were barely talking and meeting each other. On the phone, Sarah became quieter. She only spoke as necessary. Ryan who knew that was his fault for being too busy prepping his concert which was only ten days away at that time — began to try to make it right for him and Sarah.
‘Meet me at Cardis. I’ll see you at seven.’ Ryan said on the phone without any chit-chat, as usual, successful in making Sarah confused.
Ryan remembered, he arrived at Cardi’s at 7 pm that evening and waited for Sarah to come on the corner chair. He looked out the outside window, the snow began falling again in this mid-February. As he realized the woman who crossed the street to reach out Cardis was Sarah, he smiled. Everything about Sarah always excites him.
All of sudden, Sarah’s steps stopped. A car crashed her without mercy with a sudden squeak of brakes due to the slippery road caused by the snow, throwing her body one meter far.
Ryan’s heartbeat felt like stopped when he saw that. He even still remembered the pain now. After that accident, all the things that he knew were Sarah’s body was too weak to live. She was unconscious until she was pronounced dead the next day.
Mourning, Ryan spoke no single words that day. He could not play the piano and almost canceled his concert the minute after, before the police who investigated the car crash and Sarah’s death called him. They said that the police team found the flash disk inside Sarah’s coat which they knew Ryan would want to have.
The flash disk, that Ryan has right now and he never opened this up because he was too scared — and, of course, still mourned.
But, he decided to see it now. Whatever it takes. Ryan walked to his room, and took his laptop and the flash disk to the living room. The laptop was up and he put in the flash disk. He almost lost his breath when he watched his laptop display.
“Hey, pianist guy, how are you?” Sarah smiled on the video while Ryan tried so hard to hold his tears. “I am really sorry for not being the good girl when you need support for your upcoming concert.”
“But, you know I always support you, right? I always do.” Sarah’s brown eyes sparkled and her face blushed when she said that. “So, for cheering you up — my pianist guy — I made a song for you. Ah, sorry, I meant for us.” she chuckled, and Ryan put a thin smile on his face.
Sarah seemed prepared to sing. “Before I sing it, I’m sorry if you don’t like it. I’ve tried my best, really. So… yeah.” then, she started singing after clearing her throat several times.
Ryan was frozen watching the video. Sarah’s soft voice sounded real, just like the last night in the Ride or Die Bar. He really does love everything about Sarah. She was so charming in her own way, even her voice said so.
Three minutes after Sarah has done singing the song, Ryan clapped his hands quietly just like he was in the real concert. “I hope you like it, Ryan. My pianist guy. Good luck with your concert. I know you’re gonna killed it.” Sarah laughed and made Ryan’s hand reach his laptop display to stroke Sarah’s blushing cheek.
“I miss you.” whispered Ryan after the video ended.
Anna who listened and watched quietly behind Ryan now felt sadness fill up her heart. She now heard Ryan’s sob and immediately hugged him.
For the first time after Sarah’s gone, Ryan cried really hard.
February 14th, Valentine’s Day, Manhattan, New York City.
Ryan smiled after he played the piano one of the latest songs for the concert. The audience gave him a standing ovation. Everyone was thinking that he was a musical genius who could create and play the piano really well which made most of them in tears.
Nobody did not know yet that he made the song with Sarah in the Ride or Die Bar that night.
Nobody until now.
“The previous song that I played before was created by me and my girlfriend, Sarah.” Ryan smiled softly to his audience, making most of them gasp as they knew Sarah’s death a week ago. “I know. Bless her. Amazing soul, amazing woman, amazing voice, and amazing talent.”
The audience listened to him solemnly.
“The next song is created by Sarah. She said that this song is about us, so I decided to play it now as a tribute for her in my first concert here in Manhattan.” Ryan smiled softly and turned his face to his left and he saw Sarah smiling at him. Stared at him with a stare full of compassion.
Ryan knew he will make it, because of Sarah.
“Everyone, here you go, ‘Dear Us’.” he finished his speech and started playing the piano. He lifted his head and found Sarah joining him by singing the song that he played.
Dear You, Sarah, thank you for always keeping up with me.
Thank you, for everything.
I love you, forever and always.
We will be together again, someday.
