It was Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor, op. 11 the Allegro Maestoso. Initially made for Chopin's debut as a conductor for a whole orchestra. At reception, many praised the performance as well as the underlying emotions felt by both Chopin and the players. Yet mistakes became prevalent over time. Toward the end of the movement an absence of trumpets and the orchestra in full was noticed with only the piano continuing throughout. The instruments were lost along with the accompaniment. It was a common mistake for beginners; one made mention time and again during his first pieces.
These imperfections were what inclined Kage toward the sounds produced by this composer. The absence of critical talent but relying on the emotions that may seep out from the page of notes into the hearts of the audience. Chopin knew his faults and that he possessed an inability to adhere to the established norms, so he threw open his soul for all to see.
In order to correctly play a piece as opening as this one, Kage must also address his mistakes, his scars.
He relaxed in the seat, loosening his body, wavering between consciousness and a deep slumber. Then the moment had struck as the chime of the church bells rang overhead.
Kage pressed downward on the first key.
Not ending, he moved forward having met the criteria for how he wished for the piece to begin. All the while, Claire grew comfortable with the sounds, planning her own set of movements to emphasize the parts of Kage's playing. She noticed Kage had lightly stroked the keys and the once forceful, demeaning expression from his face fled post haste. His feet stuck to the pedals not willing to waver in hesitation. To Claire it seemed she was in the presence of a professional, but Kage knew his frustration mounted with the lack of tempo and the small errors he made to Chopin's glorious piece.
Claire removed her shoes and jacket, performing a dance that felt both smooth and sickly. At points the playing would become sporadic and so did she. Their combination of movements and playing left each in a world away from the rest. This candlelit cathedral was all that was in their minds. But their perception could not have been different.
Where Claire pictured, with her eyes shut and a ruby red smile, a captive audience with only Kage and herself to enamor them, Kage found himself pressured under a heat of raw ambition. He played to the hundreds, no... thousands, guiding a song to their ears forcing emotion from them. The orchestra had appeared at long last fourteen minutes into conduction. The rub of string on string making the song ever so pleasing to the masses persevered Kage to sweat harder which stoked a roaring flame in Claire's heart.
Kage wavered from key to key from pedal to pedal with his utmost attention on his performance. Then, out of the corner of his eye he saw the flicker of a hand, the conductor. He guided the rest of them on this journey, but the hands of this person were familiar to Kage. The conductor was kept out of sight leaving a question in Kage's mind.
'This man's control is on point and the orchestra has a clear respect for him. Who is he?'
Now, at the end, both Kage and the orchestra ramped up their struggle. It was the bolstering joy Chopin felt and knew he needed to get the audience on his side, to leave a lasting impression unlike any they had heard before. But, just as that cacophony threatened to run amuck it was cut short, naturally falling back to a bittersweet tone ending the piece.
Kage turned growing pale as he recognized the one who had conducted them.
"Good job all around folks, especially you Kage. Never knew you would be so good. Even surpassing me on the piano, my old friend that is! Should come by and play some more isn't that right fellas."
"Sure, is sir!"
"Yeah, Kagey boy is such a darling on the thing. Can't believe you kept him away for so long."
"Ya can say that again. Boy has immense talent."
"Oh, he certainly does, that's why I brought him today. Been locked up in his room far too long and it seemed he had a knack for Chopin. So, I taught him a few things. Can't believe he's grown up so fast when I wasn't looking…
So, Kage. Have anything to say before we take off for the day."
The man's thin pencil-like lips were topped with a black bristly mustache that remained straight from end to end. His sideburns fell to below his earlobes and his hair, in general, was finely combed to the side. Only a few specks of gray could be seen at the roots. Wrinkles from both laughing too heartily too often and of worry paraded about his face carving it out like a jack-o-lantern.
The man's right hand rose to his mustache and picked at it while smoothing the top. "Ya got something to say, son?" The man had asked, revealing the dark red eyes he possessed. Eyes dimmed ever so slightly by the rounded spectacles that glinted in the candlelight.
A hand touched Kage on the shoulder, "You ok, Kage?"
Turning around, Kage saw Claire then looked back only to see that the members and the man were gone. A cold sweat flooded his forehead. "Yes, you were beautiful while dancing Claire… It really… was dazzling." Kage had barely seen her dance too enveloped in his own playing to pay much mind. She had simply disappeared from him in the moment.
She blushed once more which made Kage get that all too familiar tingle. "Oh, don't say such embarrassing things. You were the standout. How you touched those keys and played such a tune. It almost made me cry while performing. How stupid would that be?" She said with a jab at herself. Something that made Kage's stomach wheeze.
Reaching out Kage touched Claire's cheek forcing her gaze back to him, "Don't put yourself down so hard. My playing wasn't all that great as well, we simply just need to practice and get better. You didn't slow my pace and neither did I slow yours… hopefully."
"Ha!" Claire laughed at his response bringing both hands up to her mouth like a kitten when rolled up onto its back.
'Her smile is so pretty. Her lips look so warm and inviting. The skin to her face, although ripped, is comforting. What must I do to get closer to it? To be one with it?'
His face had moved forward without his volition.
It was instinct.
When he noticed her silent stare, her lips came closer all the same. But distinct fear crept up. A mighty revulsion that was unknown in his experience. Just as his lust nearly took control that revulsion sought the ugliness to her visage. Eyes, the hue of gilded eyes came abruptly forcing him to recount proper cognitive thoughts. The consequences, the heartbreak, the lies to be told. What would become of an incident where he just took another three inches of space? Could he, do it? Just before he could push forward a flood of images fell over his eyes.
Gan's words of encouragement and wisdom, the blood, sweat and tears shed on those hot summer days when he first came to Petell Academy. How Gan had been the one to help Lisa and him move into their apartment. Gan was there when his pills had gone missing or when they had been beaten to pulps on their vigilante outings. It was Gan who despite the times or situation had gone to be of aid.
How could someone throw that away so fervently?
It would be a betrayal, something Kage couldn't do.
Something he wouldn't do.
Kage reluctantly backed away, shaking his hair away from his eyes. He could bleed from the confused wrath that Claire gave him. They bore down like a stampede of rhinoceroses. In an attempt to assuage the moment, Kage spoke up, "That was a piece by Chopin. He struggled near his entire life to express human emotions through his music. Once, he had said in relation to how he saw his music that Bach is an astronomer, discovering the marvelous stars, Beethoven challenges the universe. While he tries to express the heart and soul of man. I believe what he was trying to say is that as people we don't need to have everything, we don't even need anything, but someone in order to survive must have a desire, a dream they wish to set out and demonstrate to others."
Kage turned his gaze back to Claire. "I don't need everything I want, just as you don't as well. It's good to sometimes let go for the better." He got up from his seat, slinging his bag over a shoulder, just as his jacket was back on. He suddenly felt a blast of wind as Claire dashed ahead of him stumbling from the Cathedral then down the street to her home. Kage swore he saw tears in her eyes just as he felt them building up on his own. He sniffled and coughed while walking far away from those pointed crosses, completely unaware of the other watching them.
Sophie's mousy hair was tied up as she hid below one of the many windows giving her sight of Kage and Claire during their intimate time together but was blocked by a stone pillar unable to see that Claire's lips had never reached the lips of the other. A rage had sustained itself as she felt an almost indescribable urge to destroy. She picked up a garbage can then kicked and kicked again and again until the metal had split in half; its contents spilled over the street. She saw her foot and the bruises and blood manifested from her unfiltered anger. "Fuck. Fuck! FUCK! That bitch. Bitch. Fucking bitch." She repeated to herself on her way separate from the others.
Kage was left with a thought as he strode through the shallow cold.
'Music is truly the pinnacle of mankind.'