- Aiman Zahid
- November 27, 2024
- 5:23 pm
- No Comments
The Dreamer and the Ancient Guitar
I would play songs that had gotten ingrained in my soul on my old Gibson Les Paul every evening while I sat on my veranda. All I had left of my music store, which had once been my pride and joy, was the guitar. However, I felt as though I had closed off a piece of myself when the store closed. All I had once hoped for and all I had lost were silently seen by the guitar.
I was playing away one evening when I saw a little person standing by the fence. A boy, maybe eleven years old, was observing me with a look of both interest and hesitancy. I knew him right away. He was Tommy, the quiet boy who lived next door and was frequently spotted with Jason, his older brother. As a child compelled to take on the role of father following the death of their parents, Jason was a severe, uncompromising figure in Tommy’s life.
I paused my music and gestured for him to come closer, and he did so after a brief pause. He was enthralled with the guitar since his eyes were riveted on it.
“You enjoy listening to music?” I nodded at the instrument as I asked.
Yes, I do. Always desired to learn,” he whispered, apprehensively averting his gaze. However, Jason advises me to stop wasting time on noise and instead concentrate on my actual work.
I gave a quiet smile. “Music isn’t useless. It allows you to be yourself and escape, even for a few moments.
My remarks caused his eyes to light up, and I could see a spark of something within him—a dream that needed to be nourished.
He said, just above a whisper, “Could you… teach me?”
I gave him the guitar in response and said, “Only if you’re serious about it.” “Learning requires effort, but we can begin if you’re prepared.”
As Tommy cautiously picked up the guitar, his tiny fingertips grazing the strings, a smile spread across his face. He gave me a somewhat astonished look.
“It’s more difficult than it appears,” he said.
“At first,” I said with a laugh. But you’ll learn how to do it. We’ll begin tomorrow if you stop by.
The Hopeful Music
Tommy was keen to learn and visited every evening after that day. The air between us was filled with the sound of his tentative strums, each note a bit less timid than the one before. Despite his shyness and modest demeanor, he had a natural skill. I had previously taught a lot of people, but Tommy was unique. His commitment to learning was evident, and he never wavered.
Tommy then showed up on my porch one afternoon carrying a glass jar, its contents rattling with each step. Excited, his cheeks glowing, he held it out to me.
“I’m saving money,” he declared. In a month, there will be a talent show. I can practice and possibly play anything there if I can buy a guitar.
After carefully twisting the lid of the jar, he spilt a tiny pile of crumpled notes and coins onto the floor. I observed him counting as his tiny fingers arranged the money into tidy stacks and straightened each note.
He looked up at me and murmured, “Forty dollars.” “I’ll keep saving even though it’s not enough. Maybe I’ll have enough by the following month.
The sight of those forty bucks made my heart tighten. It was more than simply the cash; it was the unadulterated resolve in Tommy’s eyes and the glimpse of a dream he was frantically clinging to. In that instant, I realized I had to assist.
A Present of Faith
Despite the lump in my throat, I said, “Tommy, wait here for a minute,” in a firm voice.
I went inside and found my savings in the old tin box. Even though it was only a small sum of money that I had been saving for a rainy day, I knew what I had to do. Dreams sometimes require more than just perseverance. Someone who had faith in them was what they needed.
I got him a decent guitar that was well-made and durable, though it wasn’t brand new. It was an investment in a future I felt was worth fighting for, not a gift. His jaw dropped open in shock as I gave it to him, and his eyes grew wide.
“For myself?” he muttered.
“For you,” I said, nodding. It’s more than just a present, though. I want you to put in a lot of effort, practice, and prove yourself to the world. Do you believe you can handle it?
He gave a forceful nod. “I swear, Sam. I will not squander it. I’m going to practice daily. I’ll bring you pride.
I could tell by the resolve in his eyes that he was no longer merely having fun. Something greater, something worth battling for, was what he was playing for.
The Tipping Point
However, I saw a shift in Tommy after that day. He avoided me or kept his head down anytime I saw him after our lessons ended. I couldn’t figure out why, but it pained me to watch him go.
Then one afternoon, with tears streaming down his cheeks, Tommy ran up my steps. I knelt to his level since I was so heartbroken to see him.
“Son, what’s wrong?” Gently, I inquired.
“It’s Jason,” he stifled. “He no longer wants me to play the guitar.”
He explained, and I listened. In his life, his older brother Jason had always held the reins of power. After their parents passed away, he had reared Tommy, but his affection had restrictions. Tommy’s love of music was incomprehensible to Jason, who viewed my influence as a danger to the order he worked so hard to uphold.
Jason advises me not to look up to an elderly man. He claims that all you’re doing is giving me unrealistic expectations. He no longer wants me to visit him.
My heart twisted. I was aware that this was about control and the brother’s inability to let go, not just about the guitar.
I tried to soothe Tommy by saying, “I’ll talk to Jason.” “Perhaps he will realize how much this means to you.”
We walked together to Tommy’s house, but as soon as we entered, I noticed Jason with his arms crossed and resting against the doorframe. His demeanour was impenetrable, and his stare was icy.
“Why is he in this place?” Jason’s voice was rough as he demanded.
Trying not to lose my cool, I continued, “Jason, I just wanted to talk.” “Tommy has discovered something that he finds meaningful. He does it well. He is deserving of your backing.
“Help?” Jason laughed. “You believe that this child needs your ambitions and your old guitar? He has me. All he needs is me.
Jason quickly snatched up the guitar and slammed it to the ground before I could react. Tommy sank to his knees, shaking as he collected the guitar’s broken fragments as the room echoed with the sound of wood shattering.
“No! Please don’t! His voice broke as he sobbed.
Jason’s expression was unreadable as he stood motionless.
“Jason, you didn’t just break a guitar,” I muttered, my chest heaving with rage. “You destroyed your brother’s hope.”
The Last Present
I didn’t see Tommy for days. I could feel the weight of his sorrow in every part of my house, and the silence was intolerable. However, one day I discovered him in his room, surrounded by the guitar’s shattered fragments.
“Tommy,” I whispered as I knelt next to him. “Things break occasionally, but it doesn’t mean we have to remain broken. Whatever happens, I’m always here for you. Come on. I have something I would want to show you.
After guiding him to my living room, I opened the wardrobe. I reached inside and took out my vintage Gibson Les Paul.
His gaze expanded. “Mr. Bailey… You have that guitar.
I softly corrected, “It was mine.” However, it is now yours.
Tommy’s fingers delicately touched the strings as he clutched it as if it were the most valuable item in the world. “I’m grateful.”
A Dream Accomplished
Tommy was anxious and trembling while he played the guitar on the day of the talent exhibition. I reassured him, however, that the music would do the talking.
I held my breath when he took the stage. He gave every note his all as he played with exquisite beauty. I noticed Jason in the back, looking carefully as the crowd burst into cheers.
When Jason came up to Tommy after the show, I noticed a change in him for the first time.
“What if we played together?” Jason held out his guitar and asked. “That song is familiar to me.”
Tommy’s face brightened. “You mean it?”
Indeed. Let’s demonstrate the proper way to do things.
They walked side by side back onstage together. And while they performed, I came to the realization that the fragments of the past had at last been put back together. The cheers were thunderous.
Tommy then received a trophy and a scholarship to a music school, marking the beginning of the aspirations he had worked so hard to achieve.
I could tell by watching him that Tommy was prepared to face whatever was ahead, his path now clear and his heart full of song.
