Unrequited Melody

Saniya met Bruce when she was all of fifteen years old. Her beloved uncle had just passed away. He was a gifted musician and singer, whose life had been snuffed away for some senseless and unsolved reason. Her younger cousin Trish was in Bruce’s fourth grade class. He had been assigned as a substitute teacher, but then was hired on as a permanent teacher for the remainder of the school year. Trish mentioned that Bruce was also a part-time singer and that he resembled their late uncle. Saniya wanted to see for herself, so she made haste to an impromptu visit to Trish’s school to pick her up one afternoon. It was there that Saniya was introduced to Bruce.

He greeted her kindly and it seemed that their eyes were locked for a spell. Trish gleefully  recalled the time her teacher sang to the class to calm them as they were getting out of hand. Bruce bashfully said that it was simply a trick that he used to gain the classroom’s trust and empathy. Trish pleaded with him to sing a bit of the tune for her cousin. Bruce could see that Saniya was more than interested in hearing his talent.

As he belted out each note, Saniya’s heart both melted and sank. Trish was right; this twenty-five-year-old man did oddly have a strange resemblance to their uncle, and he sang just as well. There was a magnetic attraction that began to swell in Saniya’s spirit. The girls parted ways with the teacher and marveled in how amazing they deemed him to be. A few days later Trish told Saniya that Bruce liked her a lot and even said he would date her if she were eighteen.

Saniya’s heart skipped a beat. She was so happy that this man was feeling the same electric vibes that she had towards him. She wrote a poem and charged her little cousin to send it to him. Saniya fancied in her mind a romantic love affair with this man. It was of no consequence to her that there was the grave danger of their age difference. Her adolescence and naivete gave the scenario a bit of harmless charm and allure.

When the school year ended, and another came into session Bruce became a substitute teacher in the music department of Saniya’s high school. He came to see that she really was merely a child. He greeted her kindly but did not engage in much more. Saniya was determined to resume her fantasy; she found his phone number in the Yellow Pages. On random evenings she would conjure enough bravery to dial him up. Bruce was kind and always talked to her. The conversations ranged from that of an ominous schoolgirl to the absurd banter of two people desiring company.

Bruce often sang at open-mic nights at any bars or restaurants that would host him and also contributed to the local musical theater scene. He was held in high regard and always played at packed houses wherever he worked. Saniya and her classmates were just among the many bodies of fans who supported his efforts. Whenever he had a venue in town, Saniya made sure to buy tickets. She loathed the events that were out of her reach due to the age limits. Bruce was a considered a celebrity in their small town. Everyone seemed to adore him for one reason or another. Saniya found it harder to get close to him but was not deterred. Her adoration had not wavered in all that time.

Two more years passed, and Saniya went on to enroll in the local community college. Bruce was still active on the scene with both teaching and his musical endeavors. She saw him more around the college by working on the set crew of a show he was casted in. He was all the more attractive to her. Though she still had not reached her eighteenth birthday, she managed to swindle a coffee date with Bruce. Saniya was more than elated but could see that Bruce was depressed. At the time, he had come under investigation for some alleged inappropriate behavior with some boys he had been tutoring. There was nothing that she could do to lift his spirits. The date proved that they were never a match to begin with. It did not help matters that one of her so-called-friends blurted out to Bruce that she was still seventeen on the evening of their date.

Saniya lost contact with Bruce for several months after that. One day as she headed towards her class in the drama department, she saw him sulking as he sat on the stairs of the outdoor theatre. She took in a deep breath and went to greet her former flame. He smiled at her with a humbled glance. As she sat with him, he lamented that the investigation led up to a trial that was set to take place soon. He was looking for anyone to testify positively on his behalf, and pleadingly asked her if he had ever done anything to hurt her. Saniya cautiously spoke of her unrequited crush that she had nurtured for years, but other than that he was an amazing teacher. Bruce took grief in her words but helped her to realize that he cared for her and never meant to cause her any pain. The fact that he was her teacher at some point and their age difference was the crux of the situation. Saniya understood the grave position she had put him in and apologize for her impetuous behavior. She walked away with the resolve that she had finally grown up. Shortly after that final encounter, Saniya’s family moved to another state.

Years later Bruce was cleared of all the charges against him and went on to live a successful life overseas with his husband. Saniya still thought fondly of her first real crush. She would forever understand the impact of what it meant to place such heartfelt feelings upon another soul.