Let the Music Play

Prologue

Believe in yourself - and your passions

Adam Phua. The quintessential student. And like the perfect student, he achieved grades that were the stuff of dreams of most young people his age. Of course, he was the pride and joy of his parents, Alfred and Lisa Phua, both renowned practitioners in the legal field. 

What stood out most about  Adam was that Providence had blessed him with partial blindness. Without the periphery of his vision, Adam found his way about with his trusty guide dog, Bolt. The young man received the expected praise for his brilliance, despite his lack of sight.

Over the years, Adam built a stellar career as a lawyer, working for a company that received, and rejected, job applications from well-honed government scholars. The Mount Everest-like achievements still failed to fill the void in his heart. 

There was one thing Adam knew - he loved his guitar. Like most perfect students, he was able to play the piano like Kitaro. He spent every free moment he had doing just that. 

 Part 1

On a weekend of hard-earned leave from the law practice where he worked, Adam strolled through a popular shopping district, Bolt walking by his side. The glitzy lights illuminating the signboards of shops, largely selling branded goods, practically blinded him. 

As he walked along a pavement with throngs of weekend revellers, an unmistakable female voice rang in his ears. A small crowd had gathered around the brave busker, whose fingers confidently caressed the strings of her guitar. Eyes closed, her voice conveyed the strength of the spirit within her. To the side, a young man, whom he assumed was either her brother or boyfriend, videographed the concert dutifully. 

Something tugged at Adam's heartstrings. The passion her voice carried and the engaged faces of the audience told him what he had to do. 

Part 2

Adam's knife nearly slipped as he tried to cut through the tender ribeye steak in front of him. Even Bolt shifted uncomfortably under his feet. It wasn't that his knife was missing the steak because of his limited vision. His hands trembled nervously under the table. 

"Mum, Dad," he finally mustered the courage to address Alfred and Lisa. "I've resigned from the law practice." 

Alfred continues cutting his steak impassively, without saying a word. The tender steak, covered with cayenne pepper and oregano, gave way a little to easily under the pressure of his knife. Lisa was noticeably silent; she was usually giving their live-in helper continuous instructions during dinner. 

She looked up after a while. "Adam," her concerned voice pierced through the otherwise palpable silence. "What are you going to do? You're almost -" She gestured to Bolt, sitting up straight by Adam's side. 

Adam swallowed hard as he said his next words. "I'm going to busk." 

"You're going to what!!" Alfred exploded. No one dared to speak for a while. After some time, he finally spoke. "If this is the decision you're going to make," he was almost intimidating, " you'll have to leave home. No son of mine is going to be caught begging."

Newfound confidence abruptly filled Adam. "I'd anticipated that you'd say that," He grabbed his nearby bag pack. "I've some bags packed and ready in a small apartment. You don't need to know where it is. I'm an adult anyway."

With that, he and Bolt left through the kitchen door of their semi-detached townhouse, not looking back. Alfred's mouth hung open, his nonplussed face looking as if it had just been slapped. Lisa broke into tears.

Part 3

After a few days practicing new tunes on his guitar in his rented apartment, Adam prepared for his first performance, shakily but stoically fixing his amplifier and microphone in an unobstructed corner of a pavement in a popular shopping district. 

After he was done with that, he sat on the portable stool he had brought with him and introduced himself. 

"I'm Adam. I......I hope you'll enjoy the tunes I'm about to bring you. They're simple, but I've put quite a bit of effort into rehearsing. them. 

No one seemed to respond. Adam's face was coloured by disappointment. Bolt seemed to sense his angst and sat up, whining a little. 

But perhaps it was his earnestness. Perhaps it was his compelling voice. A small group of people gathered by his side, placing a few notes in his guitar case, curious about the new kid on the pavement. 

As Adam crooned a few sentimental tunes, bigger notes appeared in the case. Comments covered the sounds of his guitar strings. 

"Hey! He can't see!"

"Yeah, but his voice is good!"

Bolt silently, but with contentment, puts his paws between his feet. 

Part 4

Adam's busking endeavors progressed well over time, and the money in his guitar case increased. Bolt was always with him by his amplifier. He had become a feature of Adam's small performances. 

A creative spark hit him. "Does anyone want to join me up here? We can give a small concert together. Let your voices shine!"

A few brave teens and young ladies came up for duets. Adam nodded his head at the harmonies they produced.  And to his surprise -

It was the girl with the dulcet voice. "I'm Marianne," she introduced herself shyly. "You're good. Can I sing with you?" 

"Sure! Why not. So are you. I heard you and that's why-" He motioned to his amplifier. 

"Ah. Let's get to it then. I happen to have a guitar with me too." She released the case she was carrying, took it out, and began to strum a few notes. Adam quickly followed with an accompaniment. 

They sang a few duets, and the crowd grew...and grew. Their guitar cases became heavier. 

Someone came up and left a $50 note in Adam's case. Adam strained to see him as he continued to strum his guitar. 

It was his father, Alfred. Adam could not see him as he quietly moved through the crowd. 

After his mini-concert, he felt a tap on his shoulder. Lisa, his mother, stood awkwardly before him. "You play well. Quite a fan club here," She noted the crowd. 

"Where's dad? He came up earlier and disappeared." Adam's voice was tinged with a little disappointment. 

"Oh, he left for one of his usual meetings. Didn't you hear him? He was probably the loudest in the audience!"

Bolt came up  to Adam and picked the $50 note from Adam's case. He offered it to Adam. Adam took the note and nodded. No words needed to be said.