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THE PIANOIST (CHAPTER II)

Billy "the ferocious" was barking his head off and my alarm was buzzing a sharp reminder that I had reality to confront. I had a magical moment at the Expo center, Eko hotel yesterday and I had not fully recovered from my epiphany. My phone was ringing.
"Joseph the dreamer hope you slept well and did not spend all your night meditating" came Larry's voice, laughing.
"I did and how was your night?"
"Refreshing. I was wondering if me and Lynn can come over for a chat. There is an issue we'd like your input."
"And what could this be about? I querried.
"It's from yesterday night. Lynn's been talking funny ever since." Of course I knew what he meant by talking funny especially since he referred to yesterday's event.
"Hmmm, odviously, you are not seeing reasons with her plus you are now confused" came my reply. He laughed ruefully. "I don't know how you guys see the things you see in every thing, I've tried hard to see like you guys but the world to me is just black and white. I feel I'm stupid" he said, with a tone of regret. I felt his pain. He was completely disconsolate now. "Bro, there are times when I feel lost too. Sometimes it's like I'm trying to navigate a labrynth without a guide so I know what you are feeling right now."
"You do? But you carry on with the air of someone who's got life figured out."
"Come to my place." I said half  begging, my passion for councelling getting the better of me. "We can put heads together and help you."

I was not having appetite for something elaborate so I ate a few slices of plain bread and flushed it down with a glass of milk. I was with my bible, meditating on Habbakuk 2:1-2. I know I have a mental picture of a desirable future, I thought to myself, but how many times have I put my life in perspective and howmany times have I checked to see if my decisions aligned with the vision?
I have built my life on certain values, deductions from my education and environment but I realised that at this point in my life, I was taking a detour, I was not sticking to the plan. This is the realisation that brought me to tears yesterday as that man played... That man. I could still see the expression on his face as he artfully delivered his concerto. Now the feelings were comming back and I was beginning to feel dizzy from it. I had just appeared before a judgement seat as it were, and my life had just been played out before my very eyes. I saw what lay at the end of the path I'm presently on and what could have been. I saw where I had missed it, that point when I changed paradigm from the character paradigm. I was all gleaming and polished on the outside but decaying on the inside. My emphasis had shifted from growing within to learning and I stupidly thought they were thesame!
Now Larry's in a dilema. I could not imagine that he'd be touched by yesterday's event. He was aloof, his sweet non-challant self. I was going to talk to him and try to help him. I do this for people all the time but now I was feeling like an hypocrite. I had not removed the beam from my eyes and I was hoping to remove the mote in Larry's .

"I both love and hate what that man did to me" Lynn was reflective as she said this.
"He's such a genius and he played a fine tune, better than the others I might add" came Larry's reply.
"Yeah, I know but this has nothing to do with his skill."
"You and that Bosun guy are such kill joy". Lamented Larry. "You guys tend to see things that are not there. The old guy gave his heart out. Instead of appreciating his work, you are whinning about what he did and did not do to you."
"My love, it's not that I do not appreciate his work. You know better than to judge me like that."
"I did not mean to judge" he was appologetic, "you guys just confuse me. Look at the way Bosun was weeping lika a baby and there were no words in the song. What could have stired such emotion?
"I know you and it's sweet of you to see life so simply.." Lynn began to explain.
"You wanna subtly attack my simplicity. Go on outright and say I'm dumb." He was smothering.
"Oh Larry love, I don't wanna fight. How could I? I just wanted to explain to you the effect the song had on me and the probable cause of Bosun's reaction."
"I envy you guys, sometimes I feel so inadequate being in your midst." Larry said with a sigh.
Lynn felt sorry for him. She loved him- simpleton or not, he was the most important person in her life and he had come to her when she thought her world was spiralling into oblivion.
"I love you for who you are,you are strong and daring. We are not all thesame, we are the product of different experiences and because we are different,we see life differently. We are outside, who we are inside."
"You guys have said this many times and I wonder how it came to be that you believe alike."
"We have our differences" Lynn argued. "I know that too." Larry concurred, "but they are less then the similarities you share."
"I know where you sweet head is drifting to but opposites attract and there is nothing we can do about it." Lynn repied preempting his supposition.
"You know Larry, that guy brought a mirror before me and I was evaluating myself as I saw myself in that mirror. Did you not see that man and how he looked?
"I saw him. He looked like he had been struggling all his life yet he had this regalness about him."
"That's my point! It was not just the music, it was the person playing it and the music. They both combined to produce a stunning effect. I guess this is what Bosun experienced."
Larry sighed heavily.
"You perceptive people are paranoid. Sometimes it serves you."
"What's that Larry?" Lynn asked amused by the finality of Larry's statement.
"It's my friend Nath form school days. He used to say that. He's right isn't he?"
"Perception is what gives meaning to life. He's right about the paranoia but wrong about what it does for the perceptive mind. I believe though, that it  is better to be considered paranoid than to be blind."
"What has blindness got to do with it? Larry asked. "Perception is seeing with the inner eye." Lynn replied.
Larry had never been so confused in his life. Here he was driving with the woman he loves and listening to her as she mounted affectionate assult on his belief system.

Heve you enjoyed your reading so far? keep an eye out for the continuation of this insightful story. Thanks.

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