Chapter 5: Hard Drive and the Guitar.

(SEAN)

The night already conquered the day and I’m still wide awake, typing something in my laptop, the only source of light besides of the bed lamp in my bedroom and a glass of whiskey in my hand. I still have lots of work to do and the most important thing was lost.

Suddenly there’s a beep in my phone telling that someone texted me. I open my phone and read Matt’s message.

“Boss, I know it’s too late but I already send to your email the basic information about that woman.”

I went directly to my mail and saw the one that Matt’s send. As I clicked it I saw again the face of the woman, the one I’ve seen in the mall.

Her name is Tanya Rose Santiago, twenty two years old. So she’s younger than me, only child of David and Clair Santiago, who owns the Clair’s Instrument. Her mother died on a car accident when she was ten years old leaving her and his Dad alone. She has a best friend name Olivia Marie Smith. She’s the one with Tanya on the mall. She is also twenty two years old. And some more basic information like where they live, their nationality, where the last school she attended and some more. I also found that she only finished high school compared to her best friend who graduated college with a course of fine arts.

So this is the Tanya Rose, the woman who got my hard drive. Now I wonder what kind of woman is she.

***

(TANYA)

It’s a wonderful day again and here I am cleaning the grand piano that we displayed in the shop. Mom and I used to play it all the time and the shop was full of customers because of that but when she died the music also died. I sometimes play it even though I can’t see I still can remember the keys, the chords that my Mom taught me but I only play when I like it and that is seldom.

I pressed a note and a tone escape from the piano then I pressed another one. I can remember that Mom used to tell me “Instruments create wonderful music that makes people happy. So, if you know how to play, play it with your heart.” And I always smile to that.

Out of the blue the bell chimes.

“Good morning,” I greeted when I got to the counter. There was no answer but I felt some presence, “Good morning?” I repeated.

“Good morning, Miss,” I heard a man answer, “I’m Tomas and this is Sir Sean,” he introduced.

“Is Sir Sean actually your name?” I asked curiously.

“No it’s not,” the other man answered. His voice is quite familiar.

“Oh,” so he’s rich, “I’m Tanya and may I help you?” I asked politely.

“Yes it’s about wh----,” Tomas was interrupted.

“We are looking for a guitar,” Sean continued.

“Guitar, what kind of guitar?” I inquired.

“Acoustic,” he simply answered.

“Follow me please,” I started to walk to the string section. The string section is where you can find string instruments like guitars and violins. I walked twenty five steps from the first shelf to reach the guitars.

“You can try them if you want,” I offered.

Then I felt a movement then after a few minutes I heard that there’s a few strumming. So he’s playing it. “You like it?” I asked.

“It’s good,” his short reply.

“Are you going to buy it?”

“Si,” he answered.

“See?” I asked dumbfounded.

“It’s a yes in Italian,” Tomas answered.

“Oh,” I feel so dumb, “Then let’s go to the counter.” I walked again counting twenty five steps in silence to reach the first shelf then counted again fifteen steps to reach the counter.

“You’re counting,” Sean stated the fact as he placed the guitar on the counter.

I carefully took it and placed it in its case, “I need to count so that I will not be lost,”

“Lost to where?”

I faced his direction by following where his voice is, “I’m blind, I cannot see anything,” I gave him a faint smile. I’m not really fond of telling people my disability.

And there goes the silence. I sighed and turned back to packing his guitar. “The amount is on the cash register,” I instructed.

“Don’t you worry that I might take advantage of you?” he asked calmly.

“Whether you do that to me or not, it’s a choice that you made. So, it’s your choice if you will take advantage of a blind woman,” I answered.

He hand me the money and I think that it’s pretty plenty. “Keep the change.”

“Is this the way how you take advantage of me by giving me more than the price of the guitar?”

“No but I----,”

“Please, I don’t want to be rude or something but it seems that the actions you were showing to me is sympathy and to be honest with my feelings I don’t like it,” I calmly and politely said. “So could you please take the excess money?”

I felt his hands touched with mine as he took some of the money. Something’s familiar. “Thank you,” I handed him the guitar which he took.

“Is that would be all?”

“Si,” he replied.

“We’ll be going then, Miss Tanya,” Tomas said and I heard their footsteps as they started to walk away.

***

(SEAN)

My car parked outside the Clair’s Instruments for a few minutes. They have a nice place. A two storey house but the other part is their shop. Tomas opened the car door for me and we went inside the instruments shop. As I open the door the bell chimes, there are no customers in the shop. We walked to the counter and saw a woman who just arrived there. It was her, Tanya Rose Santiago.

“Good morning,” she greeted. I never thought that she’s more beautiful if you really look at her. “Good morning?” she repeated.

“Good morning, Miss,” Tomas answered in my behalf, “I’m Tomas and this is Sir Sean,” he pointed his palm in my direction.

“Is Sir Sean actually your name?” she asked curiously. Tomas couldn’t call me without a Sir, it’s his own policy.

“No it’s not,” I smiled finding her question kind of humorous.

“Oh, I’m Tanya and may I help you?” she asked politely. Of course, I already know your name and some things about you.

“Yes it’s about wh---,” I interrupted Tomas by placing my hand in front of him stopping him.

“We are looking for a guitar,” I answered.

“Guitar, what kind of guitar?” she inquired. I’m not really into music but I knew how to play some instruments.

“Acoustic,” that is the first thing that comes into my mind.

“Follow me please,” she said and started to walk. Tomas and I followed her and she leads us at the string section as the sign said above. I was observing her and noticed that she is silently counting. “You can try them if you want,” she offered.

I slowly took the nearest guitar which is colour brown from its stand and strummed it a little. “You like it?” she suddenly asked.

“It’s good,”

“Are you going to buy it?” she asked.

“Si,” I answered.

“See?” sometimes I can’t help to talk in Italian because I am used to be surrounded by people who can understand and talk my language. That’s why I forgot that most of the people here in America can’t understand me.

“It’s a yes in Italian,” Tomas answered.

“Oh, Then let’s go to the counter,” we followed her once again and she did the same thing she did.

“You’re counting,” it wasn’t a question because it’s obvious. I placed the guitar in the counter table.

“I need to count so that I will not be lost.”

“Lost to where?” I questioned. This shop is not a big place and you couldn’t get lost here easily.

She faced me with a faint smile and answered an important thing that Matt forgot to inform me, “I’m blind I cannot see anything.”

I stared at her then looked at Tomas who seemed to be surprised too, “The amount is on the cash register,” she instructed me.

I took my wallet from inside of my coat, “Don’t you worry that I might take advantage of you?”

“Whether you do that to me or not, it’s a choice that you made. So, it’s your choice if you will take advantage of a blind woman,” I made a small smile to her confident answer.

I gave to her the money which is more than the exact price, “Keep the change,” I told her.

“Is this the way how you take advantage of me by giving me more than the price of the guitar?” I think she got a little offended.

“No but I----,” I was interrupted by her.

“Please, I don’t want to be rude or something but it seems that the actions you were showing to me is sympathy and to be honest with my feelings I don’t like it,” she calmly and politely said. “So could you please take the excess money?”

I think my actions really did offend her. I admit that part of me pities her but it seems that pity is the last thing she wanted. I took the excess money and she said, “Thank you.”

She gave me the guitar but it was Tomas who took it.

“Is that would be all?”

“Si,” I replied and I started to walk.

“We’ll be going then, Miss Tanya,” Tomas said and followed behind me.

“Wait!” she suddenly called us and we turned around to face her.

“Yes, Miss Tanya?” Tomas asked.

“Is that would be really all? Did you forget anything?” she asked with a puzzled look.

Tomas looked at me and I shook my head while turning my heels away, “Yes that would be all,” he answered and followed me outside.

He opened the door for me, “Sir, what about the hard drive?” he asked as he placed the guitar in the front seat and started the engine.

“Not now Tomas, maybe next time,” I simply answered.

***

Beware: Grammar may be bad.

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