Thirty Four

Thirty Four

She rocked him back and forth and wiped his tears. It seemed as if he didn't know someone was with him. He laid his head on the table beside the organ, but Juana lifted it up slowly and hugged it. After an hour, he stopped yelling and crying. He got up slowly and she let him. He was going towards the end of the room

 She watched him. It was like what was written in novels, the way he did. He opened a cubicle which she had not noticed there earlier. The cubicle was full of new musical instruments. It looked so beautifully magical that she opened her mouth and could not close it. He picked a red guitar and shut the cubicle. Then he went towards the window and played and sang. The song sounded familiar to her ears and she tried to remember where she heard it but she did not. He sang and played, completely forgetting about her, or so it seemed. While he did that, Juana looked around the room, walked and touched every object. It was magical

 He had a stage where he sang, he had not less than twenty different musical instruments-the organ, many guitars, set of drums, tambourine, violin, keyboard, saxophones, flutes etc. He was a saxophonist, keyboardist, violinist, guitarist, he was a complete musician. There was no instrument he couldn't play. He was indeed a talented person. Juana carefully picked up a guitar and played it. She could not play as perfect as he could, but she tried playing the same tune he was playing. She wanted to let him know he wasn't alone, that she was there with him, because he acted like he didn't know. Maybe he's processed his brain to believe he'd forever be alone, even if someone was there. Juana stood before the standing microphone and sang, playing the guitar along. She sang the same song he was singing by the window, then she suddenly realized where she first heard it. Yes! Now I remember, she screamed in her thoughts. It was the same song that captivated her on one of her pleasure rides. She remembered sitting on a rock close to the house so she could feed her ears with the beautiful sound. She had heard him before knowing him. Only different thing was the house where the beautiful sound had been coming from looked nothing like the paradise here.She closed her eyes and kept singing the lyrics, whether she was completely correct or not, she didn't care. She felt on top of the world, and so she did not know he had stopped singing and was watching her until she opened her eyes. She did not open her eyes until she ended the song. He was smiling and clapping for her.

"Bravo!" He said.

Juana dropped the guitar back to its place and smiled back: "You have a magical studio" she said

"Thanks" she was happy to see him smile.

"And you are a very talented musician" she added. He walked over to a seat and sat on it.

"I just complimented you" Juana said in case he did not hear.

"You alone see it that way. Dad doesn't. Mom would say the same thing you said but she's not alive to see me build this studio, that's why I dedicated it to her. You know dad, he thinks I'm good-for-nothing and useless and I think he's right" he sighed

"Why would you say that? You can show him this place and sing for him, play for him, and let him watch you do it. Then he'll know that you're not useless" 

"I am a criminal. A wanted criminal. That changes everything" he said, then quickly added, "Thanks for coming, I really appreciate. I could have cut, if you weren't here" Juana nodded. She could see the cuts on his wrists. They were not fresh but they looked fresh. 

"I'm depressed" he sang these words instead of saying it.

"Talking will help. I'm here for that"

"Let's go to the living room" he said and stood up.

"No I want to stay here. Pleeeasse" Juana pleaded. He laughed and was quiet for a moment, before saying:

"You're just like her, just a little older than she was, in her lifetime"

"How old was she?" Juana sat beside him and stared at him. She was glad he was not covering his face.

"Eleven"

"Jason, I want you to tell me about your music career" she said eagerly. He looked out the window without saying a word.

"Jason?" 

"I'm not Jason" he whispered. Then he faced her. "I'm not Jason" he repeated. "My name is Michael" he added

"Are you crazy?" Juana screamed but he quickly covered her mouth

"I'm serious. My real name is Michael" he whispered. Juana was shocked.

"I'm disappointed in you. What more are you hiding? What's your identity. Maybe you don't even own this place. I mean..." 

"There we go. You're talking like my father"

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to. Why did you change your name?"

"Because I don't want anyone to know me. You have to keep calling me Jason if you want my safety" he said.

"Are you wearing a mask too? Maybe this is not your real face" Juana touched his face, and underneath his neck to check, but it was all flesh. He laughed.

"I'm not wearing any mask, that's why I cover my face. I don't need a mask because I mostly stay indoors. I'm always here, except at night when I take a ride" he said smiling. He was obviously wondering why someone would sit comfortably with a person who identified himself as a criminal and who had been using a fake name.

"You have a bike?" 

"A car. A sports car"

"Wow where is it?" She asked. He did not answer. Instead he pulled her up and touched her hair. She wondered why he did that. He carefully took something out of it and showed her. It was a little camera. Juana didn't know it had been there.

"What?"

"You're a spy" he said. "You want to hand me over to them" he said with a sad tone.

"What are you talking about? I don't know anything about this camera" she said frightened. He looked angry now.

Then he did something that she didn't expect. He hugged her tight and cried, "please don't hand me over to the police. I know nothing about her death, I couldn't have killed her- I loved her so much". Juana didn't know what to say. He was squeezing her. She could hardly breathe.

"I am not going to do that. I didn't know... I.." He suddenly freed her and watched him drop the camera on the floor and smash it with all his power. Then he started shouting around his studio, throwing chairs and tables, acting like he was mad. Juana was so terrified that she made for the door and ran out of the house. She knew who put the camera in her hair, but she didn't know when. It was no other person than Colin. She was very angry. She was going to confront him and tell him everything. Whatever happened, she didn't care. She was going to need him to support her, in saving Jason-no, Michael. He needed someone to believe him, and she was going to be there for him. Juana's instincts never lied-Jason-sorry, Michael was not Helen's killer.