Singing with the dead

He removed the dust from the old chair. The air was heavy with a moldy smell that made him feel a small short of breath for a second. Taylor sat down on the chair, took the violin from his case, and putting it at his neck prepared to produce the first notes that had been heard from that opera stage for a long time. The bow was gliding slowly on the violin cords producing warm sounds. Memories started to rush through his mind, memories from the times the opera was alive, and concerts were held every weekend.

Taylor meets with his best friend John, as usual, on the way to the opera for the daily practice session. The schedule was very tight, a new concert, Oedipe, practice for Friday and Saturday evening, the usual day in school, and the usual Thursday’s D&D night in Andrew’s basement.

The violin was placed inside the case after the dose of old memories became a little overwhelming. He was missing those days, he was missing his friend, he was missing the taste of milkshakes with M&M’s from Joane’s Dinner that they were getting almost every day. That was the next place to visit. Years passed since Taylor left his hometown for the Big City, searching for a higher wage, a future, and to forget some things that were hunting him.

He didn’t expect to find Joane’s Dinner still there, but it was open and had a few customers, not like the old times but still there was something.

“What can I get you, darling?”

“Two milkshakes with M&M’s please, an apple pie slice for me, and …” he stopped there. Taylor was about to also order a slice of cheesecake … for John, but then suddenly remembered that John was not there with him anymore. A cold shiver passed through his spine.

“And … ?”

“Nothing, that is all, thanks!”

With the milkshake with M&M’s in his hand and the violin in the other hand, Taylor went to the grave with his buddy's name on the gravestone and placed the milkshake with M&M’s next to the stone.

“Hey buddy, got you some milkshake. I already finished mine, it still has the same taste as 20 years ago. I searched for the same milkshake with M&M’s in the Big City but it doesn’t compare with the one Joane does. I came for a few days to see Uncle Ben, do you remember him and all the stories that he used to invent for us when we were children? He is very sick, and it might be the last time I see him alive. I think it would be stupid to ask you, how are you, but if you could tell me, it would make me feel a little bit better. Anyway, it was nice talking to you. Until next time…”

Taylor left the cemetery and started to walk home. He had to pass through the town center, which had not changed very much since he moved to the Big City. Brian’s hardware store was still open, the gas station … but one store was new, at least to Taylor. It was an antique store opened by a man who arrived in Home Town one year ago.

“Good day sir, welcome to Walter’s Antique Store! I’m Walter, do you search for something in particular?”

“Hi. No, not exactly, I just want to take a look.”

“Please, take your time!”

Taylor started to look at old, and very old objects that were on display in the store. Chairs, tables, mirrors, clocks, earrings, watches, stuffed animals, rings, silverware, vases, bracelets and pendants. Nothing raised his interest until, in the corner of the room, he spotted a dusty old case that looked like a violin case. Taylor took the case and removed the dust from preparing to open the case.

“I see you found something. That is a special violin I took from Romania, from a village in Transylvania. I bought it for $1 from a local who had it for generations in his family because he thought it was cursed. He didn’t know how to play the violin so after his father died, he put the violin in the attic. After a while strange things started to happen in the village starting with the house where the violin was resting in the attic and spreading to the whole village.”

Taylor made a little smile and tried not to laugh because he didn’t believe in curses or ghosts and in particular, he couldn’t believe in a cursed violin.

“I see you don’t believe me. The locals told me that the violin was built by the grand-grandfather of the person who gave it to me and it was built with spruce wood from the forest near the village when his daughter passed due to smallpox. The locals thought back then that the spirits of the dead remained trapped in the forest, in the trees during the day, and at night were coming out to search for their loved ones. The man who built the violin sang every night at the edge of the forest hoping that his daughter would come to him so he could see her one more time.”

“That is a very nice story, Walter. It was nice to meet you, but I have to go.”

“Please, take the violin, I don’t know how to play, take it for free!”

Taylor’s dad entered his room. It was Saturday.

“Taylor, wake up, Taylor!”

“What is it Dad?”

“I don’t know how to tell you son … but John has died in an accident this morning while he was heading …”

“… to Big City to buy a new violin …”, said Taylor while tears started to drop.

It was morning again, Taylor woke up and was looking at the old violin case thinking why he took it, he had one, and it was also so old, that he was sure he had to take it to a shop to have it cleaned, to replace the chords and make all the fine adjustments required, he didn’t even opened the case yet to see how the violin was looking. It was the day he would have to leave Home Town and return to Big City but before that, he thought we could give it a try to the “new and cursed” violin at the opera and then go with a milkshake with M&M’s to John’s grave to say goodbye before he was leaving.

In the opera, nothing changed since yesterday. He used the same chair, the one that was cleaned from dust, and took the violin from the case for the first time. Taylor had a small shock because the violin was in perfect shape, and just a little bit dusty. He blew the dust and started to play. Some minor adjustments and the violin was playing like a new one.

The sound was warmer than his violin, which he liked, the notes started to leave the violin one by one, he was singing Oedipe, the last play he did with his buddy, John before he passed in that accident and he couldn’t stop. He was singing and singing, at some point, he didn’t realize yet, that another violin was playing alongside him like he was at the rehearsal 15 years ago. The sound he heard was the sound of John’s part in Oedipe's play. After a few moments, when he realized that, we stopped with a cold shiver passing through his spine and legs.

“This cannot be possible”, he thought, “I’m dreaming”, or maybe he was missing the days when he was on the stage with his friend. After a few deep breaths, he tried again. The sound filled the room, note after note, and the music started to sound like in the old days. Taylor realized that John was accompanying him, but he didn’t stop this time. He continued to play, and the sound filled the stage and the hall even more until the whole concert was live. Taylor moved his eyes towards John’s seat while still playing his old violin, and there was nothing, but he could feel it, he could feel that his friend was there with him, singing.

“Hi Taylor, I’m fine!”