The Spectator

        He never expected the crowd to be that big. He thought that it would just be some friends and supporters but the whole town gathered before him and his colleagues, cheering, shouting their names and applauding his song that keep them awake while braving the night. It felt like heaven.

        He felt a lump in his throat as he struggled to hold back his  tears. He desperately fought the emotion deep in his heart. It was a show of support. It made him feel good, somehow. The journey has been too hard for him to bear, much more to his family and the people who believed in his cause. It was a difficult, uphill battle. He was up against a formidable foe and he nearly lost his life fighting for what was just and right.

        Under the moonlit skies, he would face the crowd  one last time before they cast the verdict on his lifetime dream to serve the people. He is no more happy with the way things are. He wanted  change and he risked everything for that dream. He even put his heart and what was in it, on the line.

        Amidst the chaos and bantering here and there, one soul anchored the ship and remained calm through the storm. It was the kind of peace and quiet that keep him going. She was his strength and guiding force. They were miles apart, yet,  it felt like  home just thinking of her. He searched for her smile in the crowd. There was no sign of her. But of course, he thought, she was with someone else.

        As he surveyed the ecstatic faces that were waiting for his declaration of change and a promise of a better  life for everyone, his eyes rested on a familiar sight, glowing with pride. The one  he is  constantly with, everyday of his life, the one he promised to be with, until the end. He felt gladness when he saw her, but he was missing something or was it someone else? There was something inside him that yearns for the memory of the one that wasn't in the crowd.

      She promised she'd call or maybe she forgot. He had no right to demand for her time. They’ve known each other from way back but ended up pursuing their  lives  separately. Their dreams kept them apart. They feel deeply for each other but destiny failed them. They  keep in touch, one way or another , but nobody, not even fate, gave him the right to ask for her attention. He would probably go on with the big night without the one he was longing to share it with. The one who encouraged him not to give up the fight and  prayed for his safety, night after night.

      He readied himself for his last song before the big moment when his phone rang. He put it in his shirt's pocket near his heart. He jolted with glee and he smiled to himself while the crowd drowned the place with deafening applause.
He answered the phone while ignoring the questioning look of the woman in the crowd. It didn't matter anymore. What mattered most was the one on the other end of the line.

      It was almost midnight, and a faint hello was all that he heard. Her voice,  soft and gentle as the evening breeze. She wished him well and told him to focus on the crowd and speak from his heart. He felt happiness beyond explanation. She always surprises him with her wisdom. No one knew him any better, than her.

      He needs to win the crowd, but it will not kill him anymore if he failed. The one who was truly with him every step of the way, even in sadness and hopelessness, even just in thought,  is on the other end of the line, eager to hear him sing. He knew too well that she will always be there for him even if nobody cared anymore, even if they are miles away, even if time and  distance continue to rip them apart, even if  they are living separate lives, even if there is no 'them' to hope for in their lifetime. Their friendship, so extraordinary, has weathered the test of time.

      His guitar will play just for her tonight. He will make the strings wail with longing. He will make her feel his regrets for the times spent without her. His music will assure her of his unspoken passion. He will make his guitar thank her for being there for him, all her life. For a moment, he’ll forget everything-the woman in the crowd, the noise, the evening chill, himself.

      The song, the melody, the moonlit skies and the voice on the line are all that matter, NOW.