The Melody of Us

When Clara spotted Elias for the first time he stayed dry under the rain holding his violin case as protection. She removed flour marks from her hands as she dealt with dough until the shop doorbell announced a visitor. He didn’t come in. He stood motionless in front of the tarts while his long wet hair fell onto the entry mat until he spotted the raspberry tarts he admired from afar.

As she rushed for an apology she blurted out the truth.

His eyes turned up from his scrutiny and revealed droplets on his eyelashes. “Do you ever give them away?”

Clara blinked. “What?”

“The imperfect ones.” He gave the attention to a damaged cherry pie. “The ones nobody wants.”

She laughed, surprised. Please provide me with your performance.

He allowed himself into her house without showing any expression.

With every note that left his instrument Elias poured parts of his spirit. A note that Clara found intense emerged from the violin while Elias performed in an empty bakery space. She passed the tart to him with a hard time swallowing. “Why the sad song?”

He set down his bow. “It’s the only one I know.”

He came back the next day. And the next. Clara found out that as a car accident took his hearing in one ear the man composed music. Drake arrived in Willowbrook to find silence for his ears according to him though Clara believed he searched for a place to hide himself.

While working alone she made the backdoor accessible for his music sessions when she stopped work at twilight. After creating his new tune he began in minor key yet shifted it strongly toward optimism. Clara selected D Major for the title because she named the song Raspberry Tart.

He frowned at her naming idea but kept writing on his sheet music.

Elias embraced her with his lips during the sunset overhead. He held her tenderly with a soft kiss since he liked the blend of coffee and her apricot jam. The breadcrumbs from baking covered her shaking hands against his chest as he waited before their kiss.

His head turned towards hers as he whispered "I can't do this well".

“At what?”

“Staying.”

He kissed her in a way that extended past the previous brief moment. “Then practice.”

During these three months they lived in a thin protected space that would not last long. He played piano with his pointed ear pointed towards the keyboard at the bakery. She prepared crescent moon croissants for him and enjoyed listening to his poor music while making bread. Between tables they practiced waltzing and he smiled at her when sugar hurt his feet. She showed him how to grin without being hurt by kitchen mishaps.

On the very start of autumn Elias did not show up.

The first morning light revealed a note waiting for Clara under her room door.

I’m sorry. The silence is getting louder.She followed him one hour north to the edge of a cliff where he lived at a small beachside home. He remained on the porch as music sheets drifted like injured birds past his sides.

She told him forcefully through her tears not to abandon her again. “Not without me.”

Elias’s eyes were red-rimmed. My second ear is fading away Clara. Over the next six months I will not be able to listen to the ocean sounds. Or your laugh. Or my own music.”

She took one stride forward while putting her palms around his face. “Then play now. Write a symphony with me. My role will replace your weakened hearing senses.

The couple lived in their cottage during winter season. Because Hans' hand shaking made it difficult to write Clara documented the songs he sang by hand. He placed his palm on her throat to detect her voice singing but reacted sadly when she failed at the Polish composer's piece. During his bad days with memory loss he composed the song title directly onto her body.

When the doctors predicted he would lose hearing at noon that day Clara found him seated at the piano still with his head down.

“It’s quiet,” he whispered.

She placed herself next to him with her head on his back. “I’m here.”

He played his final song as only they could understand each other through their shared key. Clara learned the harmony structure and felt his deep breaths at each part. After playing, he kissed her earlobe as his voice disappeared in the background.

“I love you. I love you. I love you.”

Elias always remained without a response after he expressed his love. Every day Clara demonstrated her love by offering him tea while holding his hands firmly during rainstorms. She became skilled at writing these three words to him.

He died resting his head in her lap while she relaxed her fingers through his hair and sang Raspberry Tart in D Major.

The community members detected psychological changes in Clara following this incident. She spent her time baking while smiling less as she remained open late for no customers. During summer nights you could remain near her window to hear an ongoing violin piano performance.