Fantasia

LXI

It only took them a few minutes to find the red lit bridge-like construction, where Eddy had last found several thousand tiny pieces of heavy paper which had once displayed beautiful music.

"What the...", Eddy made. Being the one in front, he immediately saw that something was profoundly different.
"What?", Brett asked from behind, trying to take a glimpse of what had dumbfounded Eddy.

The pile of shreds was gone. Instead, scores with blue covers were scattered on the ground, just like before Brett's furious, destructive outburst.

Brett's mouth fell open. "Huh?"
"Did you do this?", Eddy asked bluntly and pointed at the music sheets.
"No! How would I?"
"Then, who..." With careful steps, Eddy took the last few meters and came to a stop right in front of the scores. He crouched down, his gaze scanning the area for one particular edition with the title "Bach".
"Found it!", he mumbled, more to himself than to Brett next to him, picked it up and pulled out just that one thing he was really looking for: the empty book.

"This was exactly were it had been before", Eddy stated, gently waving it in front of Brett.
"But, I've teared it apart. Like all the other sheet music! How is it possible?"
"Well, a lot of stuff doesn't really make sense in this world, does it?", Eddy remarked with a small smile, "I guess, someone is giving you, or us, a second chance."
Brett's big, wondrous eyes found Eddy's. "You really think so?"
"Why else would all this be restored again?", Eddy said and motioned towards all the masterworks on the floor.
"Wow...", Brett made, his eyes showing unfiltered how moved he was.
"Yeah, so let's not waste this opportunity. We might not get another one."
"Got it! No tearing stuff apart."
Eddy laughed. "Exactly!"

"So..." Brett took the blank softback out of Eddy's hand. "We should write a piece, you said?"
"Based on your theme, yes", Eddy confirmed, "Unless you have another idea for what it could be or how we should proceed?"
"It's worth a shot", Brett said in his simple, "let's-just-try"-manner.
"Is there a pen somewhere?"
Brett furrowed his brows and Eddy's did so soon after. A pen. Where the hell should they acquire a pen here?
"I've never seen one lying around...", the smaller said, his hands starting to lift up some of the books to see if something could be found underneath.
Eddy couldn't believe it. Was that really what would prevent them from finding a solution to this damned situation? The lack of a fucking pen?

"You know what?", Brett suddenly called out, causing Eddy to jump, "we'll just play and compose something along the way. See what comes out and memorize it."
"Sure that'll be enough?", Eddy questioned, his expression dispalying doubt.
"You have a better idea?" Brett eyed him. Eddy didn't, so he shook his head, took the empty score and got up. "How do you wanna start?"
Brett bit his lower lip, wipped his bow lightly back and forth and carried a frown between his brows.

"It's about finding our hearts, right?", he mumbled.
"That's what she said."
Brett looked at Eddy.
"And we already established that it probably has something to do with us finding our ways in life. What we really wanna do, where we belong to."
"Don't we have to figure that out before we can compose a piece about it?"
"Nah", Brett stated, slowly turning his head left and right, "finding one's heart is a process, and so is composing a piece. I reckon, if we start writing music, we'll get closer to the answers we are looking for."

Eddy couldn't help but blankly stare at his best friend.
"What?", Brett huffed nervously when he noticed Eddy's gawk.
"Dude..."
"What?", he asked again, when Eddy didn't finish his sentence.
"Who are you? Like an old wise man people ask for life advice or something?" Eddy knew that Brett was smart, proven by the almost countless times he'd spoken into Eddy's life. However, he hadn't realized in what depths Brett's wisdom ran.
Brett laughed and threw his head back. "Old wise man? Well, thanks mate. Do I live on a mountain too? Secluded and all lonely?"
"You know what I mean! How can you just say stuff like that out of nowhere?"
"I'm stuck here and I have a lot of time to think. After all, I AM the concertmaster of the SSO for a reason, right?", Brett winked.
Eddy smiled. The slight smugness, the self-confidence that radiated out of him like he was the sun, illuminating his personal solar system around him, held together by his gravitational field, that was so much like the Brett Eddy knew back in their teenage years. The brokenness, the uncertainty of what was going on with him and his life now a mere shadow. Still there, but not defining Brett's actions and thoughts anymore. It was amazing, really, how fast Brett had recovered from regaining his memory.

Had playing his piece with Eddy something to do with this? Was that why he was so sure of their plan?

"Anyway, you're down with trying it out?", Brett asked.
"How can I say no to a wise old man's advice?"
"Careful!" Brett bumped Eddy's shoulders with his, his chuckle barely contained, "You're not much younger, are you?"
"A year, which is heaps in terms of wisdom, apparently."
Brett snorted. "Oh my God, you're down or not?"
"Of course!", Eddy smiled, "Let's do this!"

They agreed on just sitting down on the music score covered floor, right where they were, to do the task. Being surrounded by great music might help them to get some inspiration or look stuff or parts up if needed. Brett suggested they'd play his piece one more time and start composing the new one right after, but just when they wanted to draw their bows over the strings, Eddy inhaled sharply.
"Bro! There is something I need to tell you!"
"Huh?", Brett made, lowering his instrument again.
"I'm flying to Sydney tomorrow. I'm gonna go see you, Brett."
The shine in Brett's eyes got brighter with every second as he processed what Eddy'd just revealed.
"Eddy...", he gulped, a single tear appearing and rolling down his cheeks fast. What? Brett was crying? Why?
"Eddy... really? You're not joking, right?" Brett's voice broke at the last syllable. Eddy was by his side immediately, grabbing Brett's shoulder with his free hand.
"Bro, of course not! I'm really going down there. My boss allowed me to take a two week short notice holiday, which is really a gift from heaven, if I'm being honest. I told him you were in a coma and that I'm going down to see you. That helped, I guess. I didn't quit my job, don't worry."
"You...", Brett hiccuped, "you're really doing this..." Eddy felt his own eyes starting to burn, gently wiped at Brett's tears and took a deep breath.
"I should have way earlier. This is the only right thing! I just hope I'll be able to actually find you, that your family doesn't forbid me to see you or something."
Brett shook his head wildly. "I never told them what happened. They don't know it was you who broke off contact with me."
Now, there really were tears blurrying Eddy's vision. Brett had kept it to himself? All this pain?
"You never told them?", he pressed out, almost inaudibly.
"Nah. They asked of course. I just said we still meet each other, but less, because we both had to study so much. And when you finished highschool, no one mentioned you anymore."
"Brett, I'm so-"
"Stop, Eddy", Brett interrupted, a bit calmer now, "I said I forgive you and we've been over this. How I dealt with it is not on you. It felt wrong to say anything bad about you, because as I've told you, I thought it was my fault anyway. And now", his gaze on Eddy was so, so very soft, "you're even looking for me in the real world."
"I don't know if it'll help. But at least we'll know what's really going on with you", Eddy sniffed and rubbed his eyes. Hard.
Brett dried the remaining droplets on his face with the sleeve of his shirt.
"Damn! I thought I was done crying!"
A half laugh, half sob escaped Eddy. "Me too. Jesus..."
"But my family shouldn't be a problem. They don't have any reason to keep you from visiting my hospital bed."
"Good! Because, Brett..." Eddy put down his instrument, so he could hold both of Brett's shoulders. Warm, firm.
"I promise, I will do everything in my power to finally meet you again. Not just here, but out there!"