Magical Melodies

Edgar sat at the worn-down piano in the middle of the train station. He was about thirty and looked like he had seen better days. His grey clothes clung to his skinny body like nets around fish. A small sign sat on top of the piano reading “My name is Edgar, anything helps.” The sign sat alongside a dirty cup containing a few coins.

The train station was made up of long hallways and tall ceilings that would send echoes bouncing from either end. The walls were painted green and gold with windows allowing light to pass through, though it wasn’t very bright this time of year. The dreariness of January’s rain made most days seem grey. The lack of light made the interior of the station feel small and cold. Nevertheless, the ceiling was a piece of art, pieces of stained glass that were melted together to create an image of angels playing harps and horns and other golden instruments. 

Edgar sat, day after day, playing the same mundane songs he knew. Passersby wouldn't stop and listen, in fact, they were so wrapped up in their own worlds, they barely knew he was there at all.

Today however, was different. Edgar sat, his eyes drooping from lack of sleep when he heard the clanking of coins being dropped into his cup. 

“Play me something,” a warm voice asked sweetly.

Edgar lifted his head, shocked. Noone had put coins in the cup in days. His eyes were met with a red-headed girl, no older than twenty-five. Her eyes sparkled with excitement that only comes with moving to a new city.

“Any special requests?” He replied.

“Anything. Something happy, everyone seems to be so sad these days.”

Edgar took a moment to mentally sift through his song catalogue. When he landed on a song, he sat up a little taller and placed his hands on the keys. A wondrous tune exploded from the piano, a melody that seemed to add colour back to the world, filled with arpeggios and beautiful crescendos.

A smile crossed the girl's face as she closed her eyes, allowing herself to be filled with the song. 

When the song slowed, she leaned in and whispered into Edgar’s ear, “thank you.”

As she began to walk away, Edgar shouted for her, his voice barely reaching her ears as the noise from the twelve o’clock train pulled in. 

“I didn’t catch your name,” he called.

“It’s Maggie. Thank you for your song, Edgar!” She danced away, slowly blending into the crowd of people that were entering and exiting the trains. 

The next few days, Edgar was in a good mood. He seemed to be pulled from his routine and made it a conscious decision to play more joyful, happy tunes. He wanted to play songs that would make people stop, take a moment from their busy lives and listen.

This made Edgar happy, at least for a short while. He quickly realized that his song list was actually quite small. He didn’t have enough money to buy sheet music, so he made do with what he had. Himself. He placed his hands on the keys once more, and began to play. He was inventing his own sound, filled with happy chords and a warm melody. 

It was quiet for a Monday afternoon, it appeared most people were still out of town from the long weekend. Just when he thought he was alone, Edgar saw a young couple holding hands, walking over to him. They were chatting quietly to each other, the woman leaning on the man's shoulder. They were smiling at one another, basking in their company. Edgar tinkered on the higher keys, working his way down the ivory. A beautiful noise echoed through the otherwise empty train station.

For the first time in months, sunlight poured in from the glass ceiling. An array of colours scattered on the floor from the stained glass on the window overhead. The couple heard his music and began to dance. They laughed and spun around, the man twirling the woman in circles. It was as if Edgar’s melody had created magic. 

After the couple left, the train station was completely empty. Trains pulling on the tracks could be heard in the distance as well as pigeons that were landing on the roof, cooing at each other. Almost instantly, rain began to pour down, creating a drum like beat on the ceiling.

Red curly hair appeared from seemingly nowhere. Maggie placed her arms on the top of the piano, resting her chin in her hands, smiling warmly at Edgar. 

“What do you have to play for me today?” She asked. 

“What would you like to hear?”

“Hmmm. Dealer's choice.”

And again, Edgar took a moment to think of what he wanted to play. Instead of resorting to what he was familiar with, he played a tune he was constructing on the spot, building it from his imagination.

Maggie looked at Edgar while he played, a look of admiration on her face.

“You wanna dance, Edgar?”

“I- I can’t dance.”

“Fine, okay. Me neither,” she scrunched her nose and sat beside Edgar, he shuffled over to make room for her. He stopped playing as he turned to face her. 

“Do you know ‘Heart and Soul’?” She asked.

“Everybody knows ‘Heart and Soul’,” he joked, rolling his eyes.

They played together, and at that moment, everything was perfect. A breeze passed through the station, bringing with it an air of something new.

As the notes resonated through the station, a subtle magical aura surrounded Edgar and Maggie. Unbeknownst to them, Edgar's improvised tune had an enchanting effect. The rain outside seemed to synchronise with the rhythm of the piano, creating a symphony of nature that complemented their impromptu duet.

As they played, a soft glow enveloped the piano, and the stained glass on the ceiling shimmered with ethereal radiance. The angels depicted on the glass seemed to come to life, playing invisible instruments in harmony with the music. The atmosphere in the station transformed, and the dullness of January gave way to a magical ambiance.

As the last note faded away, the magical glow dimmed, and the station returned to its ordinary appearance. The angels on the ceiling ceased their performance, and the rain outside returned to its normal patter. Edgar and Maggie looked at each other, both astonished and bewildered by the enchantment that had just occurred.

"Did you feel that?" Maggie asked, her eyes wide with wonder.

Edgar nodded, still processing the magical experience. "I've never experienced anything like this before."

Maggie grinned. "Your music has a special touch, Edgar. It brings magic to this place."

They smiled, taking in each other's presence. 

“Well, thank you, I really needed that. Take care,” she sat up, ruffling the brown hair on Edgar’s head and walked down the hallway to a train. 

Edgar continued to play.

A few days had passed where Edgar didn’t see Maggie. He thought she might have forgotten about him. With his sadness, came sad melodies from the piano. Edgar’s cup sat empty, desperately waiting for someone to fill it. 

The people passing by didn’t notice Edgar at all, they would walk on to wherever it was they were going with their dead eyes and trudging feet. 

After the fourth day of not seeing Maggie, Edgar lost hope he would ever see her again at all. 

Clink.

A gold coin fell into the cup. It bounced around as the reverberation of the piano sent it hopping inside the container.

There she was, beautiful as ever, but with tears in her eyes. 

“Hey, I was beginning to wonder if I’d ever see you again,” he noticed Maggie’s splotchy red eyes, “are you okay?”

“Yeah, it’s just, my sister. She was in the hospital,” Maggies said, sniffling a little. 

“Is she going to be okay?”

“She passed on Thursday.”

“I’m so sorry.”

Without asking, Maggie sat next to Edgar, and hugged him. Two strangers sat, supporting one another in the middle of a bustling train station. They sat for a moment, before Maggie let go. 

“Now, enough of being sad,” she wiped a tear with her sleeve, “play me something happy.”

Edgar did as he was told and put his fingers to the keys and played. The pedestrians stopped and listened, slowly at first, but a crowd was beginning to form. By the end of the piece, Maggie was smiling and the station erupted into an enchanting echo of cheering, whooping and clapping.

“Thank you, Edgar,” Maggie said, giving him a small peck on the cheek.

It seemed that Edgar could compose music that created magic, the special kind of magic that made people fall in love and fall apart all at once.