Moving always displeased him. Everything was new and he had to adapt to lots of things, but he needed to find a place closer to work, so he could perform better.
Having finished arranging the furniture and decorating, he lounged himself on the couch to rest. He reached for the remote but was interrupted by the sudden sound of a piano. There was no melody though, only wild notes. The sound was coming from a neighbour, most probably the one living in the apartment on the inferior floor. “A beginner” he thought. He pictured a boy, with raven hair and brown eyes. He had no idea of the player’s identity, but this image just seemed right. He reached for the remote again and opened to a news channel, only to fall asleep ten minutes later.
“Yes…Of course…I’ll have it done by tomorrow…Yes…Goodbye.” A sigh came out of the man’s mouth. Another project was thrown at him because someone else was unable to do it. He opened his computer and started typing. He had to work even harder because the deadline was approaching. The curses that went through his mind dissipated at the sound of the piano. “This kid again. You have no deadlines, do you?” With the accompaniment of repeated sequences and mistakes in the trial to get the notes right, the man continued to work.
“You have to find a good wife.” “You have to be more careful with your spending.” “You have to clean more often. That bookshelf is full of dust.” “Where is the toilet?……You should clean the toilet, too.” As much as he loved his parents, their nagging always made him feel bad and embarassed. “Oh, do you hear this? Someone is playing the piano! They are good! Maybe you should pick up a hobby, too.” said the mother before leaving. The smooth melody slowly turned into a mess as the rhythm dissapeared and the notes became uncertain. “You only learned the first part, didn’t you? Now you’re showing your true colors, kid.” the man said while searching for the vacuum cleaner.
He threw his keys on the table and put the umbrella away. The phone kept doing its job, annoyingly reminding him of the things he had to do and requesting communication with the people that called and messaged him in need of something, only to be thrown violently on the bed in a fit of rage. Why can’t his coworkers do their job properly? Why can’t his parents leave him alone? Why is it raining? Why is the elevator not working? Why is the milk expired? And why is he annoyed by everything? This irrational anger annoyed him.
He just noticed he had background music. An angry-sounding melody could be heard from the piano. It slowly became calmer and then angry again and then calm again. Sol finally got in the way, creating the inevitable mistake that woke the man up. He has been still for the last few minutes, drowned in the music. He laughed.
“Good job, kid. You only have a little bit left to go.”
The phone shyly demanded attention. He had a deadline the next day.
The man started running. He didn’t want to be late, but his boss called him to his office to congratulate him on the success of the project and to talk about a promotion. He kept checking his clock and was starting to worry. He entered the building at full speed. Thankfully, the elevator was working. He opened the door and closed it in a rush. He sat on the couch. This was the best spot. Faithfully, the piano started playing. The melody was familiar as he heard it many times, through mistakes and repetitions. After so much time, the song was finally played entirely and flawlessly. The uncertain hands of the piano player became confident and were skillfully dancing with the rhythm. A proud smile appeared on the man’s face, as if it was his own accomplishment.
Fixing his tie, the man looked in the mirror. “Oh, so that was it.” He was amused as he combed his fingers through his own raven hair, lights twinkling in his brown eyes. He took his jacket and exited through the door as a new song was being clumsily played.