# Touch: Chapter 14



## Huilunsoittaja (Apr 6, 2010)

It was a stormy Wednesday evening in early July, but it was a wonderful night for Andrei and Nadia. They had accomplished the hardest part of the last movement, and Andrei guessed that it would take only one more day of hard work for it to be done completely. No longer did Nadia feel an impersonal power in this composition, but felt like it was her very own music.

On the spur of the moment, 30 minutes past 9, Andrei cut the work short.

"We have done enough, and what we have left should be done in one sitting."

"Oh Andrei, I still can't fathom how you seem to compose out of thin air when you dictate to me!"

"Hah! It's never quite like that, because I spend all the rest of the day thinking about the music, putting it together in my mind, before you come."

"Only geniuses do that. Believe me, I'm not flattering you."

"Thank you... now, I have a proposition for you Nadia," he began, changing the subject. "Is it light outside?"

"Yes it is, the rain is gone, but the sun hasn't set yet."

"That's good. I have a favor to ask of you. Would you... take me to St. Ilya's Cathedral tonight?"

Nadia was surprised. "Why do you want to go there?"

"I will tell you when we get there. Will you take me? And can we walk there? It's only a few blocks."

"Are you sure? Very well," Nadia was still puzzled at this request, but decided it was best to do what he wished.

His face lightened up. "Good! Let's go now then."

When they started walking, many people were still on the streets, mostly leisure walking. The air was crisp, as the storm had washed everything away. Lanterns reflected off the wet ground and puddles.

"Will you be my eyes, Nadia?"

"Your eyes? Like describe things too you?"

"Yes, if you will."

"Alright... well, we are now walking on the left side of the road, on the sidewalk. Some carriages are driving by, which you probably hear. [He nodded] I see... an old couple come toward us now, passing us on our left... they smiled at us. We are now at a corner, which we should walk across... the ground is wet still, but it's drying up... a lamp is here, I like that design on it, they're not like that in my neighborhood..."

As Nadia held Andrei by the arm, she felt more comfortable with this request, and was more open to saying even the slightest details. A light smile was on his face the whole time.

"We're about to pass a book store. The lights are already out in it...wait, I see a lamp far away inside. Must be a worker finishing up his business... Here's another couple, smartly dressed, and they have a young son with him, passing on our right. They took no notice of us... The sky, oh it's so dark blue, I don't think I've ever seen it like that... clouds are far away. The sun is making it pink on the horizon.... here's another corner, I can see the Cathedral up ahead."

"Take me to the bell tower. I want to show you something."

"...Alright."

Nadia had always known of the St. Ilya Cathedral because she saw it every time she came to Andrei's. It was relatively small and of medium height, probably 5 stories high at its peak tower, and it stood on a small hill near a canal. It certainly wasn't the most famous Cathedral in the city, and it wasn't known for any glamorous appearance except for the yellow exterior. But the inside was renown to have a unique beauty. When they got to the Cathedral, they entered in, and Nadia caught a glimpse of the numerous icons bordered with intricate gold and something like red fabric. But this wasn't where they were stopping. Nadia and Andrei instead went up the spiral staircase that was for the bell tower. It was very dark inside, but since it was narrow, Nadia and Andrei could grip the sides as they walked carefully. Finally getting near the top and panting, Nadia found herself looking at the bell mechanisms, barely visible in the dim light through openings on all sides.

"Now, walk on the aisle to the right," he said, and they did so. "Turn left and go up some stairs, I believe there are some."

Nadia went up, and found herself on a very high platform. There was another opening here to view out.

"Go and look out opening towards where the sun is."

Nadia peered out. Her eyes instantly met the orange setting sun.

Her breath was taken away.

"What do you see?" he asked softly.

"I see... the whole city. I see... miles and miles of buildings, and a web of avenues. I see far away churches too, only the steeples. I can even see the canals probably a full 3 miles away. The canals are all leading to the sea. And... the sun is setting over the sea..."

"Is it beautiful?"

"...It's glorious..."

Andrei came up next to her.

"Even now... I still feel the sun," he said, and sighed.

"...I've never seen such a sight as this."

"Indeed. There is none quite like it in all of our wonderful city. Where is the sun now?"

"It's almost on the horizon."

"Just wait..."

Nadia absorbed everything she saw like a sponge. Every color, every fine detail, she would cherish like a photograph of the mind.

Within a few minutes, the sun touched the sea, sending a stream of red-orange across as if bleeding. And suddenly the buildings and clouds all around the horizon were covered with purple, orange and pink light.

"Oh my God..."

They were silent for a few minutes. Nadia watched, and Andrei imagined.

"It's passed over the sea now," she finally said. The color began fading, almost by the second.

"Did you like it?"

"What a question to ask! I... I loved it..."

Andrei smiled. "Do you remember me referring to a friend of mine a while back?"

"I think I do."

"Give me your hand," he said, "Feel the wood here..."

He took her fingers, and brushed them lightly just below the window sill. She felt ridges. Carved ridges.

"Something is written here," she said.

"Yes. Can you tell?"

"There's... A...L...E..X... Alexey."

"Yes. That was my friend. Alexey Simonovich... the best friend I ever had. When I came to conservatory, he was the first to welcome me. He was a composer, about 5 years older than I, and was well respected in the musical community. But that's not what I remembered him for. No, it was his heart. He was the most honest and compassionate man you could ever meet. When we were younger, he took me here to see the sunset. Maxim was there too. Yes... that was definitely a different time in our history. We 3 were closer than anyone else, and it was Alexey that united us. He took us here because he wanted to share the beauty. 'Look!' he would say, 'This is what God can do!' Both Maxim and I found this puzzling, and even teased him for it. But he would continue to bring us here. And it was one day here that he made a personal pact with me, that we would never part in friendship, wherever we would go in life. That's when he wrote his name here. And... mine is below."

Nadia felt below Alexey's name, and sure enough, Andrei's name was there too.

"Our vow was that if we ever had to meet because of some crisis or pain one of us suffered, or to share a secret, we would meet here. Even then, I found this a remarkable place... but I didn't see it the way Alexey did. And now when I'm here, I regret that, now that I'm changed... I never will..."

Nadia saw Andrei frown deeply in the fading light. He paused here to hold himself together.

"It was 2 years ago when Alexey became ill. It was tuberculosis. The doctors thought it would proceed the way it normally did, but it worked much more rapidly than expected. Within 2 weeks, he was gone. I saw him one last time, the day before he died..."

Nadia held his hands.

"And after that," he quickly continued, "Nothing was the same. That's when I split with Maxim, and rather than friends, we became rivals... and that will never be undone..."

"You don't know that for sure," Nadia countered. "Things can happen."

"Perhaps... but not likely. Too much hurt was done. And so passed... some of the greatest friends of my life. After that, I became very independent, and isolated. What has happened to me recently is nothing new to me...I've been isolated for years..."

Nadia was amazed by this conversation Andrei was having with her. Never had he been as open as this to discuss his sorrows. She felt honored to have heard it all.

"I'm so sorry..." she felt she had no other words to express her grief.

"You need not be. But, thank you for listening... I feel I haven't really told anyone my story before."

"It was good you did. I am honored to hear it."

He smiled. It was pitch black in the bell tower now, not that Andrei noticed.

"I think, we should go now. I can barely see anything."

"Oh! I should have kept track of time!" Andrei cried in dismay. "I hope you aren't upset."

"No, I'm not."

"Well, let's be off then. 1 blind person deserves sympathy, but 2 blind people are quite pathetic. They might both fall into a pit, would they not?"

"Oh I hope not!" Nadia had to laugh at this comment.

Little did they know the pit that was already awaiting them...


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