# New Year's perfume



## clara s (Jan 6, 2014)

New Year's Eve and the streets in the city center were still very busy, as many shoppers were finishing their last minute shopping. It started snowing and everything around her, the warm lights, the lovely smells, were telling that it would be a really wonderful night.

She got into the CD store and walked quickly towards the first available salesclerk.

"Can you help me please?"
"Of course, what can I do for you?"
"I want to choose some good classical music for my family, for tonight, I prefer opera, I want to give them CDs as presents this year"
"Lovely idea, whom shall we start first with?"
"My father, he loves Verdi"
"Then I have the perfect opera for him, Forza del Destino, with the pain and emotion of Leonora, so grand, so powerful. Listen to "Pace, pace mio Dio" with Maria and Tulio Serafin at La Scala"






"Yes, it's perfect, I buy it for him. Now, my mom, she is crazy with Enrico Caruso"
"Then, you will not find better piece than L'elisir d'amore, Gaetano Donizetti. Listen to his Nemorino in Una Furtiva Lagrima and you will remember me"






"I am sure she will love it, you convinced me in this too. Now my brother, Anthony, I do not know what he could like, he is so sweet and good hearted boy"
"Antonio, huh? For handsome Anthony, I have the perfect opera, Turandot by Puccini, with Pavarotti in his best. Listen to this trip to the stars with Nessun Dorma"






"Wonderful, I take this too, now the last one and most difficult, my husband, James, he loves Callas, what do you suggest?"
"Oh the beautiful Maria, we must find something great for him, for tonight, well, I think I found the proper opera for him"
"What will it be?"
"Lakmé, by Delibes, if you want to dream, you listen to Callas in "Dov'è l'indiana bruna", the aria dei campanelli"






"yes, this is dreamy and Maria has so unique voice, a perfect coloratura, we finish, I thank you so much for your help"

She left the shop, bought a champagne from the liqueur store, got into a taxi and straight for the house. When she arrived, she opened the front door, got into the living room, turned on all the lights, went to the CD player, put the CDs one by one in it, and all beautiful music filled the room.

She opened the champagne, filled a glass with it, while operas followed one another in the player.
Pace, pace mio Dio for her father, Una Furtiva Lagrima for her mother, Nessun Dorma for Anthony and "Dov'è l'indiana bruna" for James…

Again and again, while she was drinking the glass of champagne saying cheers to all of them… while she knew it was only her, in the room, alone, for one more year.

The divine voice of Callas was mixing with the stars, while the snow was falling heavily, the lights were on everywhere in the house, the champagne was flowing rhythmically in the glass, the New Year was coming in a minute and her loneliness was beaten by the song of the bells…

Happy New Year


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

How lovely and at the same time a little sad.
Thank you for this beautiful story.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

I second that emotion, nf.


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## clara s (Jan 6, 2014)

nina foresti said:


> How lovely and at the same time a little sad.
> Thank you for this beautiful story.


Pessimistic stories are my speciality, mainly with unexpected ends

thanks for your kind words


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## clara s (Jan 6, 2014)

hpowders said:


> I second that emotion, nf.


what?

what is the first feeling that came to you after reading the story?

one word


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

clara s said:


> what?
> 
> what is the first feeling that came to you after reading the story?
> 
> one word


Sadness and empathy. I've been alone, mostly by choice. I can relate. The holiday season can be tough if you let it, so don't let it.

I think of the song lyric, "Alone again....naturally."

Your story made an impact. Very moving.

Write more.


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## clara s (Jan 6, 2014)

hpowders said:


> Sadness and empathy. I've been alone, mostly by choice. I can relate. The holiday season can be tough if you let it, so don't let it.
> 
> I think of the song lyric, "Alone again....naturally."
> 
> ...


loneliness has got many faces

has it happened to you, to be in a room full of people,
and feel totally lonely?

this is loneliness by choice, I suppose

be careful what you say, I might write more hahaha


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

clara s said:


> loneliness has got many faces
> 
> has it happened to you, to be in a room full of people,
> and feel totally lonely?
> ...


Oh yes!! Yes!! Many times. At summer family gatherings for example, I would be the first to leave the dinner table and sit alone outside, due to boredom, hoping nobody would follow me. I'd rather be alone by myself than alone with family present. I'm not much for superficial small talk. Nothing's worse than being among people for hours, who are not on one's "wave-length".

You should write more. For this particular story, I've been there.

Nobody else is reading this, right? Ha! Ha! Ha!


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## Couac Addict (Oct 16, 2013)

More importantly, where's this store? The clerk sounds amazing. haha


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## clara s (Jan 6, 2014)

hpowders said:


> Oh yes!! Yes!! Many times. At summer family gatherings for example, I would be the first to leave the dinner table and sit alone outside, due to boredom, hoping nobody would follow me. I'd rather be alone by myself than alone with family present. I'm not much for superficial small talk. Nothing's worse than being among people for hours, who are not on one's "wave-length".
> 
> You should write more. For this particular story, I've been there.
> 
> Nobody else is reading this, right? Ha! Ha! Ha!


one of the reasons I like TC, is because we choose when we want to be lonely here,

or mingle among 50 other people hahaha

next story will contain an other perfume


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## clara s (Jan 6, 2014)

Couac Addict said:


> More importantly, where's this store? The clerk sounds amazing. haha


it could be not far from you I suppose

walk rue de Rivoli, you might meet the amazing clerk hahaha


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

clara s said:


> one of the reasons I like TC, is because we choose when we want to be lonely here,
> 
> or mingle among 50 other people hahaha
> 
> next story will contain an other perfume


Yes. We posters are always in control of how much or how little exposure we want here.....until we get banned! Ha! Ha! Ha!


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## SiegendesLicht (Mar 4, 2012)

Nice story. In a way, I can relate to it too (my version would include different music though). I have spent New Year's Eve alone several times, on various occasions, but it is OK. As long as one has a place in the world where one is always welcome and always loved, it is not loneliness, it is self-sufficiency


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