Nothing much happened, except for the fact that the kids danced even harder to match the crazy tempo of the music.
Something, however, was working!
While still blitzing through the chords, Abel's thoughts drifted back to the system notification. He recalled that the app had emphasized stage presence, not guitar skills and prowess. In fact, his previous thought of "What the hell would they do to me?" was misinformed.
These people, even though they didn't know it, held the key to his dreams in their hands. That thought wasn't comforting, especially since it was only when he didn't care about them that he seemed to muster some courage.
Thinking about the crowd, however, brought him back to the moment.
All this while, Abel had been playing from that deep, dark corner in his mind where he could easily shut everyone out. In turn, the crowd had been detached from his performance, just like he had detached himself from them. Now that he had brought his thoughts back, Abel realized how terrible his performance was.
It wasn't even because of his playing; in fact, his guitar skills were good enough that a few were actually watching admiringly, even if they didn't enjoy the song. It was because the music he was playing was completely out of sync with the atmosphere around the subway station.
Just as he had observed earlier, most people here were either engaged in chilled conversation, scrolling through their phones, or simply lost in their own thoughts. His loud punk music was almost an insult in such an environment. In fact, Abel was surprised no one had approached him to ask him to stop playing altogether.
'I need to connect with them,' Abel thought as his strumming slowed.
This time, it came to a complete stop. What he needed was a song that would blend with this kind of atmosphere, a song that would cut across and resonate with almost everyone in his audience. And he knew just where to start.
Abel's voice began softly, almost as if he were sharing a secret with the crowd.
"When I find myself in times of trouble, Mother Mary comes to me
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be..."
The familiar tune of "Let It Be" by The Beatles floated through the air, and heads turned toward him in recognition.
The simple yet powerful chords of C and G blended seamlessly with his voice, creating a soothing atmosphere that contrasted sharply with the harsh punk rhythms he'd played earlier.
"And in my hour of darkness, she is standing right in front of me
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be..."
Abel could feel the shift in the crowd as they began to connect with the song. They were no longer just curious onlookers but a fully invested audience.
"Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be...
Whisper words of wisdom, let it be..."
Abel's voice grew stronger, more confident, as the lyrics flowed from his thoughts to his mouth. It was like he had thought. The beauty of this song was that its simple words resonated deeply with everyone around him, creating a bridge between individual worlds where they could all meet and connect for the moment.
Looking at the surprised look on Ben's face, Abel smiled as he continued strumming.
His friend was clearly having problems believing that the voice he was hearing was from the mate he knew.
Ben was not shocked... not at all. He was simply flabbergasted.
If he was not seeing this in person, he might have thought it was John Lennon who was singing and not the friend they had spent countless hours trying to beat Sandman in video games.
Hilsa, on her part, was a better reflection of the crowd. She had no long-term experience to judge his new friend, so like the crowd, she embraced the music warmly, albeit with a little surprise at the sudden change.
"And when the broken-hearted people living in the world agree
There will be an answer, let it be..."
"For though they may be parted, there is still a chance that they will see
There will be an answer, let it be..."
Let it...
a familiar voice stole the lyrics from his voice, and Abel was surprised to see his mother appear next to Hilsa.
He could not tell whether she had been somewhere in the crowd all along or if she had just arrived. He hoped it was the latter.
Her rich smile, however, pumped warmth into him as she watched her begin to clap to the simple melody of the song. Suddenly, almost all the weary commuters and travelers took up the cue.
"Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be...
There will be an answer, let it be..."
By now, almost everyone in the waiting area had gathered around him. The crowd had filled the entire waiting area, and more kept coming. Some had to tear themselves from the performance as they suddenly recalled they had a train to catch. He saw a pang of sadness on their faces and It was clear they were sad to go.
Abel felt his heart swell with joy. He had done it. He had reached them. He had stirred that nerve that only music can touch.
His eyes traveled to where his mother and friends were standing at the front of the crowd, their faces showing honest joy and pride at his success. He could never ask for more.
Suddenly, a man disengaged himself from the crowd and approached him. Abel felt his heart skip a beat or two, but he forced himself to continue singing. God, don't let it be a request, he prayed inwardly, ironically contradicting the very words of the song he was singing.
He couldn't afford to take requests now—God knew he was not prepared for that.
His wishes appeared to have been heard.
The man did not ask for a request; instead, he did something even more astounding to Abel.
Reaching where he had carelessly left his guitar bag open in his tension, the man tossed in a hundred-dollar bill.
Abel was caught off guard. He wanted to call out to the man, kindly thank him, and turn down the donation. Looking at where his mother stood, her face a mixture of surprise and encouragement, Abel knew it was what she wanted him to do.
But it was too late for that.
The crowd seemed to have been waiting for this cue.
One by one, they shuffled forward, tossing all manner of bills into the bag. Abel turned and gave his mother a helpless look. I mean, what could he do? He couldn't suddenly stop and tell everyone, "Hey, I really appreciate it, but I won't accept your donations—please take all your money back!"