Music that warms a heart

Tony was awaken by the vibration of his cellphone. Krrrrrrg! Krrrrrg! He took his cellphone under his pillow and operated it. It was a message from his girl bestfriend, Alex. “Sleepy head! Wake up! It’s already six o’clock! If you don’t get up now you’ll be late!” After reading the message, he closed his eyes and dozed off. Thirty minutes after the six a.m., he got up and did his morning routine. Everyday his bestfriend would text him when it is about six a.m., but he’ll just ignore it and sleep for a few more minutes before officially starting his day.

Tony and Alex are classmates but were separated because of Tony’s “class problem”. He would just careless about his studies and let Alex do everything for him. But he’s not dumb. He’s just not in the mood for studying. He has very good exam results especially those that involve numbers. But satisfactory grades in art related classes. Alex on the other hand, was just a normal student, although not very active in class, she has very satisfactory grades, and was active in extra-curricular activities.

Although, they might seem totally different, something in them clicked that’s why they became bestfriends. They are both musically inclined. Tony plays the guitar while Alex plays the piano. Both are really happy playing together.

One day, the school organization that they both joined had a general assembly where all the other members will attend. At the assembly, Tony met Tina. Tina was one of the newly elected persons of the organization. It’s as if some unknown force was pulling them in, Tony and Tina talked, and that was a start of a really good relationship. Their relationship grew from being friends to being lovers.

Before Tony and Tina became lovers, Alex already knew that Tony loves Tina. She was hurt, because unknown to Tony, she loves him, not as a bestfriend but as a man. She was always hesitant to tell him because she was scared to be rejected. Not only that, she was also scared that things might change between Tony and her if she tell him. She just remained silent of her feelings and did everything that her besrtfriend asked of her.

When the day came that Tony and Tina were officially on, Alex decided that she would just be quiet and try to move on with her life. But she was wrong.

“Best!,” Tony called Alex. “I haven’t seen you for a while. Where have you been?”

“Well I am busy with my orgs and I’m writing some stories and poetry for my class.” Alex replied coldly while she passed by where Tony stood. She didn’t even look at him.

Tony sensing there is something wrong, just fell silent. He was always like that. He just doesn’t have the courage to talk to the person that is mad at him. He let Alex passed him by without even asking what’s wrong.

After arriving home after the incident, Alex went up to her room, dropped her things and cried in her bed. She knew she might have hurt Tony but it was more painful to her than to him. She was trying to be brave, trying to show that she’s ok. But in truth she’s being shattered inside. She felt alone. She felt cold. And then she saw her piano. She approached it and played it. But the more she played the more tears fell from her eyes because she remembers Tony. The times they were together. The times they both played their instruments. She was contented then. But now everything’s changed. Tony was happy without her. It’s as if she ran out of role to play because someone else was playing her role. She played her piano, more tears fell. She stopped for a while and wrote something on a piece of paper. Ending it with “=D”. She went back to the things she dropped before and took out something. She went back to her piano, took out her wallet, looked at her bestfriend, smiled, and said “Goodbye… I love you Tony…”

The next day, Tony finally had accumulated the guts to talk to Alex. He called her cell but failed. So he decided to go to her house. To his surprise, there were many people on her house. “Someone is dead” he thought because he saw familiar flowers and lights from his aunt’s wake. He was about to enter the door when Alex’s mother went out.

“Tita! Ummmm…” Tony was broken when Alex’s mother started to cry.

“Tita! Where’s Alex? I need to talk to her”

“Tony, you don’t know?” Alex’s mother replied as a tear fell from her eye.

“Know what?”

“Come with me inside.”

He was brought inside and to his surprise a big picture with a big caption “In memoriam: Alessandra”. “NOOOO!!!” he couldn’t believe what he is seeing. But Alex’s mother signalled him to come closer to the tabernacle. He took deep breaths before he had the courage to walk closer. Each step seems to burden him more. When he finally stood in front of the coffin, his heart erupted. He saw the face of the person who had always supported him, cared for him, and had been there for him. Flashes of memories came rushing back to his mind. The girl, the girl, this person, no!!! “Alex!” Tony exclaimed, tears rushing down his cheeks. He just stood there, crying. He was unable to speak anymore, unable to ask why. His bestfriend is dead.

At the ceremony before Alex body is to buried, Alex’s mother was asked to deliver some words about Alex.

“She was a very bright girl, very caring, thoughtful and sweet. It is a mystery to me and to all of us here why she did it. This,” raising up a yellow paper, “This is the last thing that Alessandra wrote and it reads:”

I know people love me but I love someone

I know people support me but I support someone

I know people cares for me but I care for someone

I know people will cry if I die but I will die because I cry

I love you mom, dad, my friends.

And especially my bestfriend, Tony.

Alex’s body was buried, and Tony went home. He sat down his bed and tried to assess the book that Alex’s mother gave him before he left. She said, “Alex wanted you to have this, I don’t know how to open it, I don’t want to destroy it, and there was a note at the back that you’re the only one who can open it.” He took the book and read the back cover. The only one who can open this diary is Tony and me. Only He and I have the key to open this. He remembered his last birthday that the bag that she made for him has a keychain. So he took the bag and looked for the key in the keychain that might match the lock on the diary. He saw it and opened the diary. He was anxious and nervous at the same time. He opened it and a paper fell from it. It was a musical sheet. It has the title, “Tony and me”. She was writing songs, I didn’t know that. She placed the sheet on the table and proceeded to read the diary, he opened the diary to November 20, It read:

Dear diary,

Today I received a text message from Tony, he said “Happy Birthday Bestfriend! Sorry I don’t have a gift because I don’t have money! But I really do wish you a happy birthday.” I don’t need any gift just the thought that he remembered my birthday made my day.

He smiled and read on to other pages.

On the 7th day of August

Dear Diary

This is the first time that I felt cold in my life. Today Tony met Tina. I know that he has a thing for Tina already even though they just met and vice versa. I want to tell him how I feel. I want to tell him I love him not as a bestfriend but as a man. But I’m afraid that he would just let me down. But I know I have to tell him one way or another.

He was shocked of the revelation, and he flipped the pages, he stopped at the 15th day of January.

Dear Diary,

Today I cried a lot, I cried so hard that I think my eyes are already dry. Tony and Tina are officially on today. He told me everything very sarcastically. I just acted that I’m happy for them but in truth I’m really hurt. I wanted to tell him again earlier but I guess I’m a coward…

He didn’t know what he would feel. Alex was in love with him and he didn’t even felt it. He didn’t have the guts to look at her now. All their memories are inside her diary all the suffering, the sacrifices, the tears, the joy, and the happy time they shared. He remembered the song that Alex wrote. He took his guitar and played the song according to the chords of the music sheet. He was playing it while tears are falling from his eyes. The sound of his guitar echoing to the emptiness that he felt. He felt guilty of what happened. His guitar and Alex’s piano, seems to play the song together and left him alone crying in his room for the losing of his bestfriend.