It was one of the coldest nights in Newcastle. Not record breaking, but enough to go out with a few pounds worth of clothes. Coats, scarves, mitts, beanies, earmuffs. There was not a person who wasn't wearing all those clothes.
That didn't prevent the fans from watching the match of their home team, Newcastle, against another team in the Premier League.
The chanting, the screams, the whistles and the beer were common in St. James stadium as the fans were celebrating the win of their team.
The revelry lasted from the beginning to the end of the match, and continued even afterwards, with the fans filled with extreme joy. It was common for many to remain in the compound, cheering for the players even when that meant leaving the place late at night.
This group of friends were one of the many that stayed behind; until the last minute of the celebration. It was close to midnight, and the alcohol in their bodies was starting to make effect, together with the desired effect of keeping them a bit warm as the weather was really cold.
Though with their thick coats, that helped them fend off all cold wins, and the joy of victory, they were far from feeling cold. As they walked on the pleasantly illuminated sidewalk, they were excitedly chatting over what happened in the game.
This group of friends was no more than 26 years old, the youngest being 22. All studying at the same university and the same career.
Music.
The University of Newcastle was re-known for being one of the most famous in England, so the plan of studies in it was really strict. That didn't stop many youngsters, like them, to enjoy their youth. And supporting the city's team was one of the few distractions they allowed themselves in their life full of responsibilities to come, or already present.
Each of these five youngsters came from a family in which music is everything to them. So, it became some sort of tradition in their households. And, as the next generation, they weren't exempt of this tradition. They all had the same fate.
Four of them got on the bus they had been waiting for to take them near the apartment they were renting while leaving the last one alone to walk back to his room in the campus.
Seeing his friends leave, still in that boisterous mood, he sighed in envy. How he wished to live in an apartment with his friends. Share more of their time together. Get to know each other even a bit more. They were his friends, yes, but he felt they weren't too close to him as they were between themselves.
There was nothing he could do. His family didn't approve of anything that would result in a distraction for his studies. Apparently having friends was a distraction. At his twenty-two years, he hadn't even had a girlfriend. And not because he had never liked someone. It was forbidden by his parents!
He sighed for the last time and began his way back. It was a fortune he didn't have classes the following day as all he wanted to do was sleep until late.
Glancing at one of the entrances of Leazes Park, his body decided it was not too tired. His feet immediately took him to the park for a late walk. The university was not that far, anyway. He could reward himself with visiting Leazes.
He really loved that park. It was a complete fantasy during each season. The thousands of flowers blooming in Spring, the many people doing countless activities in Summer, the typical yellow and brown colors of the leaves in Autumn and the white landscape in Winter were just a few of the reasons he loved it.
Every thing in it was as if taken out of a fairy tale. Even the daily rains couldn't cloak the beauty of the Park. The best part of it was that it was open at all times, and it was safe. So, he could take walks whenever he wanted to without the fear of something bad happening to him.
When he first visited that park, he had been bursting in joy from having the fortune of getting a scholarship in the prestigious Newcastle University. That joy was slowly grated the more he was exposed to the reality of his situation until he only felt the burden of studying in that university.
Not only he had to graduate with the highest honors in the University to make his family, full of famous musicians, proud. He had to graduate from the university his parents had attended. To follow their footsteps.
Because of that, as soon as he set foot in that place, everybody already knew him, creating high expectations he needed to fulfill. Not only to his teachers, but to the students who knew the work of his parents, and just wanted to hang out with him by convenience.
Again, all the good disposition with which he had entered the university disappeared when he was swallowed in that endless pit. Every day was full of stress, eyes on him, expectations, and even boot-licking. That made his career so unpleasant that there were times he just wanted to give up and begin anew.
Music had always been his passion. Not only because of his parents' influence, he also thought it was the most sublime way to convey feelings.
And because of his parents, it wasn't surprising to know he preferred classical music, and that his favorite instrument to hear was the cello; though he played the piano. He liked the combination between the changing melodies and sounds of the piano and the deep and soulful strings of the cello.
Since that was not a secret, many of his classmates who played the cello, would frequently ask him to make a duet. He accepted with a smile and finished the practice with a smile; but in his heart, it wasn't it.
He was looking for a cello that didn't follow any sheet music. A cello that truly felt. That was what he yearned for. He knew the day he found that person would be the day he would exploit all his talent. Talent that many praise with empty words and fake smiles. He was talented, yes, but his full potential hadn't been reached.
As he walked in the park, he decided to take a look at the lake. Since it was winter, the snow was piled up on the road, and the lake had a thin layer of ice that sparkled with the moonlight or the lights from the lampposts.
When he was about to reach the path that would take him to the lake, he heard a pleasant sound. A very familiar sound. He was immediately attracted to it, and the idea of going to the lake faded away as soon as that sound reached his ears. When he arrived at the place the sound came from, he stood there mesmerized.
The graceful moves of the bow on the strings made his eyes follow it. It moved in a delicate yet firm way, with a cadence that could only be called perfection in itself. The fingers went up and down and twisted with such ease that the notes and chords yearned for them to be played.
The result of that combination made a masterpiece, something beyond human to be created. Or, more like, something that hadn't been created yet. Because those notes and chords were unknown to him. He didn't want to brag, but at that point, he must have known all the classical pieces out there.
That melodious sound transported him to a far away place where he felt exposed. He felt himself float in his purest state, able to feel everything around him: the wind drifting away a leaf, the ice becoming thicker, a brave bird who wanted to fight against the chilling weather, the gentle breeze everywhere.
His very own soul had been touched. All he wanted was to leave his imperfect body and join the sounds like a vital stream, ready to collapse in the universe and become one with it.
The whole universe flowed in his surroundings while he just stood there, not moving an inch so he wouldn't disrupt the requiem of his rebirth. At that moment, he was reborn as the musician he wanted to be.
He had found it.
When the music stopped, he opened the eyes he had closed unconsciously and looked at the source of such rhapsody. That was an apt name for what he went through; every note and chord were played with such feeling that he felt as a mere mortal before an exalted divine figure.
Before her.