Chapter 7 The Pianist Ii

• The Pianist II
• Divina and Marco had continued to get closer each day, and this was nothing new for their co-teachers. They were inseparable. Where there is Marco, Divina is there, and if Divina is not there, Marco isn’t there too. As if a product, already given in a package. Everyone was amused with their closeness because they felt that their friendship contained no malice.
• “Are you hungry? Let’s eat.”, Marco invites Divina.
• “I’ll pass. I don’t have enough money right now. Maybe next time…”, Divina tried to decline even though the truth is she is just saving money for her to send to their province. Her mother and the whole family need it more.
• “Come on. My treat.”, Marco urged and held Divina’s hands to force her to come with him. This is nothing new to them, even though only couples would hold each other’s hands at that time. Marco and Divina are different because they didn’t don’t harbor ill-intentions towards one another but as mere close friends. It’s very rare to find someone of the opposite sex that you are comfortable with if you live in a very conservative era.
• “You make sure of it, okay? You can’t take back your words!”, Divina smiled and happily walked with Marco.
• "Where are we going, SIRE?”, Divina teased, putting emphasis on the word Sire as Marco dislikes her being too formal with him.
• "Well, YOUNG LADY, we’re heading to a restaurant you would truly love.”, Marco answered as he also puts emphasis on the words YOUNG LADY while acting formally with her.
• “If so, then let’s hurry because this beautiful YOUNG LADY beside you is getting hungry already.”, Divina laughed at Marco’s reaction.
• “Beautiful? Where? I don’t see anyone besides me who possessed any beauty here. All I see is someone who has a voracious appetite.”, Marco teases as he laughs too. Divina frowned as she pinched him in his arm again, making Marco laugh even harder.
• “Marco! You’re such a tease!”, Divina complained but still laughed at him.
• “I know, thank you! And you’re such a glutton! Let’s go!”, Marco urges again.
• They had arrived immediately at the place where Marco had told her they were going because it was near the school. The place is familiar because it was the coffee shop where she had taken shelter when she had been caught up by heavy rain. It was exactly this place… where she heard the mysterious pianist with a lovely melody.
• This is where I heard the music that brought comfort to my heart., Divina reminisced as they went inside the coffee shop. Divina was busily observing inside while Marco was busy finding seats for them. Divina just followed where Marco was leading her. Divina passed by the piano, and she was saddened because she could no longer remember what the mysterious pianist looked like, but the music he had brought her had forever etched in her heart.
• “I do hope he’s here…”, Divina blurted out too loudly without realizing it while they were about to sit.
• “Huh? Who?”, Marco wondered.
• “Uh, nothing… nothing. I just remembered that I always went here almost every day. I think it was almost a year ago already. Wow, time does fly fast.”, Divina commented.
• “And what has that got to do with your… I do hope he’s here?”, Marco annoyingly imitated Divina.
• “Cut it out.”, Divina laughed.
• “It’s just that the pathway there is the shortest way to my boarding home. And you know what I only order here every day?”, Divina laughed as she remembered it.
• “What?”, Marco sounded impatient. He wants to know who this 'he' she is talking about already, but Divina is prolonging it.
• “Just a cup of coffee! A cup of coffee for a few hours of stay!”, Divina laughed, Marco laughed as well. He could imagine it because Divina is a natural stingy.
• “You’re such a cheapskate! Don’t worry, eat as many as you can today since it’s my treat.”, Marco said.
• “No, I’m not a cheapskate… I just don’t have enough money for this kind of luxury. The food here is expensive.”, Divina widened her eyes while emphasizing the word expensive.
• “Hey, you’re changing our topic, eh? I clearly heard you say I do hope he’s here. Have you’ve been meeting anyone else here?”, Marco diverted Divina back to his topic of curiosity. Divina laughed at Marco. She wasn’t expecting him not to let go of this topic.
• “And now you’re laughing, huh? Tell me the truth.”, Marco frowned like a child who only made Divina smile even more.
• “Hey, don’t get me wrong. I wasn’t meeting anyone here, so stop frowning like a child.”, Divina smiled.
• “The who is this 'he' that you are talking about then?”, Marco insisted.
• “A pianist.”, Divina answered.
• “A pianist?”, arco asked back when the waitress had arrived to take their orders. Marco became occupied in giving their orders when a man went near the piano. Divina was intently staring at him. After getting their orders, the waitress left immediately.
• “I hope it’s him…”, Divina whispered.
• “Him---?”, Marco blurted loudly and was about to point the man, but Divina hurriedly blocked her finger on his lips to stop him in time.
• “Sssssshh! Just be quiet!”, Divina reprimanded Marco as she continued to block her finger on his lips while her attention was still over that man on the piano who was now beginning to play.
• Marco was stunned when Divina touched his lips, and he stared at her beautiful face and felt the same admiration he had felt when they had a confrontation about the letter. He immediately brushes it off as he also brushes her finger away from his lips.
• “Oh… It's not him.”, Divina sighed in disappointment, still unaware of what she had done with Marco. Marco looked at the pianist playing behind him.
• “What is it? Would you mind telling me what is on your mind, YOUNG LADY?”, Marco putting emphasis on the word young lady once again. At that moment, Marco had successfully diverted Divina’s attention away from the pianist and got it back to him.
• “It’s because there was an excellent pianist here once. He was so good at playing the piano, and his music was exceptional. He is the reason why I go here every day and buy a cup of coffee despite having not enough money at that time. But… it was just once. After that, he no longer plays in here. It’s as if he vanished into thin air.”, Divina sounds sad as she wishes to hear the pianist again. Marco stared intently into Divina; he could really see how determined she was to see the pianist and hear his melody once again.
• “I’m jealous.”, Marco complained, which surprised Divina.
• “You are with me, but your mind is thinking of another stranger. In fact, there’s someone who is better than him… and he’s in front of you already.”, Marco said conceitedly. Divina rolled her eyes and laughed.
• “Don’t laugh too hard. It’s obvious that you don’t believe. I tell you, a fly might enter your mouth if you laugh too hard.”, Marco laughed too as she teased Divina, which in turn had laughed even harder too as he pinched Marco’s arm.
• “Ouch! Hey you, YOUNG LADY who thought she’s pretty, that’s too much already!”, Marco laughed again.
• “It’s because you're bad to me.”, Divina laughed again.
• “Me? No, I’m not. I even treat you out, and if you want, I could play the piano for you too. I’ll play so that you will be able to forget that stranger.”, Marco said as if he was challenging Divina. Divina's eyes widened in shock because right before she was about to answer, she wasn’t able to stop Marco from putting his plan into action. Marco is now walking towards the counter to ask permission and let him play the piano.
• “Heyyy, stop it! You’re embarrassing me!”, Divina tried to complain. She couldn’t imagine the embarrassment they needed to face, but Marco seemed so confident, and he even waved at her happily; it was as if he was trying to annoy her to death. Divina didn’t wave back and just covered her face, acting she didn’t see him. Marco is childish, but this is the worst thing he has ever done with her.
• Just you wait and see, Marco! I’ll definitely pinch your arm a dozen times!, Divina thought while being annoyed with Marco… when suddenly Marco began to play the piano. Divina was surprised when she heard the music. It was the same melody as what the mysterious pianist had played that day.
• Sonata no. 8 in C minor Op. 13 "Pathetique" second movement - Adagio Cantabile, Divina thought as she slowly looked at Marco and caught him staring at her already. He was looking at her intently… Yes, the same familiar eyes! Divina felt as if she was just dreaming or as if she was in a movie.
• It's him! It’s really him! Marco is my mysterious pianist! The one I had been waiting for... for so long!, Divina was so amazed as she watched Marco play the piano passionately.