A light humming whispers in my ear as the old Polyphon cranks up. I was about to give up on it when a soft, melancholy tone whipped out against the walls. I rested my head against the wallpaper and sunk down to my feet as the music found its way to my heart and made a home. How could such old music reach out and grab me like this? I hear slight pops and pauses in the beat, but that’s natural; it was over a hundred years old. I’m about to get up when I notice tears are rolling down my cheeks. This song brings back so many memories, haunting my every thought. I reach up to wipe them away and come back with mascara smeared fingers. I wanted this pain to go away. I should not have played this song. Abram’s voice, face, and smile come into my head as the song brings me to the past.
My laughter fills the air as Abram stumbles in the darkness.
“Shh…no one knows about this place, just me.” He murmurs to me, grabbing my hand to help me through.
“I’m not so sure I should trust you to lead me after that last trip.” I whisper, a tiny hint of giggling still in my voice. Abram stops and turns so his nose is slightly touching mine.
“Do you want me to show you or not, lady? I can easily turn you around and go watch ‘Piranha 3D’ if you’d like that better.” All funny is gone at the thought of watching a horrid movie like that. I shake my head ferociously as Abram’s lips stop me. I reach up and cup the nap of his neck with my hand as I feel a smile forms on his lips.
“I’ll take that as a ‘I’ll follow you’”
We slowly make our way towards another room and I begin to wonder what is so important in this run down house to him.
“Okay, close your eyes.” He softly tells me. I could’ve pointed out that it was already dark enough but I figured I’d let him enjoy himself. He lets go of my hand and a gasp escapes me, “I’ll be back, it’s not like I’m being taken by a mass murderer or something, chill, Moll..” I smile as I hear him rustling around. He’s moving furniture from what I can tell because I hear things bang up against the walls. There’s a soft sound of something turning, metal scraping, and a lid being raised.
“Alright, open your eyes now.” I do and see that he’s standing next to a box on legs. I know confusion spreads on my face for his smile gets larger.
“What am I looking at?” I ask, and walk toward it. There’s a disc about a foot across resting inside the box. An arm with ridges on it is raised.
“It’s called a Polyphon, it’s a giant music box that was used back in the 1850s. The 1850s, Molly!! Do you know how old that is?” I nod my head as I run my fingers along the intricate design carved into the wood.
“How do we make it play?” The sentence barely gets out of my mouth and he’s already cranking an arm on the outside for about a minute or two. When he stops there is a pause in the sounds, then the disc began turning and playing the music. Clicking is in the background from the arm going across the disk, reading every single note that makes up the piece. It was so beautiful, I didn’t want it to end.
Abram grabs my hand, pulls me to the center of the floor. He had moved a coffee table, a couch and a chair covered with sheets from the center. His arm wraps around my waist as I put my arms around his neck. Slowly we begin dancing. I smile up at him and blush, seeing that look of adoration in his eyes. He kisses my forehead, whispering to me, “I love you, Molly.”
I rest my head on his chest thinking to myself that there was no place else I’d rather be than in this old, yet beautiful, room. I smelt his cologne, felt every inch of his body aligned with mine and heard his soft breathing in my ear. I knew what I was getting myself into the minute I fell in love with him. I knew that any minute he could die from heart complications. Yet, I was willing to put myself out there the minute I heard him say my name that day in the hospital. He was everything I could possibly ever want.
The music slowly stopped as I said, “I love you, too, Abram.”
We stopped dancing and he brushed my hair behind my ear.
“Glad I showed you?” His eyes were sparkling. I nodded, leaning up to kiss him on the cheek.
“Thank you…”
I sunk my head into my hands. I thought I could have mentally prepared myself for the day Abram died, I just didn’t believe it would be so soon. Looking back I thought I had been on top of the world; that nothing could stop me. I truly thought I would always have Abram to lean on. I would have…if he had reached the day of his heart transplant. I was so upset now I couldn’t contain myself. My mom was worried for me, my dad was confused that I could get this way over a boy. All I wanted to do was curl up and die, find my Abram. The music on the Polyphon stopped and I stood up to shut the lid. This was our place, I would never share it with anyone. I started my descent down the stairs of the house when my cell phone rang.
“Hey Mom, sorry I’m late, I’ll be home soon.” I say into the phone.
“Alright hun, your dad and I want to talk to you when you get home.” I heard her say. This couldn’t be good. I end the call and walk into the brisk air. I plug my headphones in and am met with smooth notes; Abram’s iPod in my pocket. His music was a representation of him and his gushy personality. I was always the stronger one in the relationship, but without him, I didn’t know who I was.
I walk through my front door and hear the clank of silver wear on dishes. My parents have started eating already and I sit down with them.
“Honey, your plate’s in the microwave.” My mom tells me.
“I’m not really hungry.” I say as my dad pounds his fist on the table.
“You are going to eat young lady, I don’t care what you say! Now! Get that plate!” I rolled my eyes and went to the microwave.
“Molly, sweetie, I think it might be…best if you went to New York this year.” My heart dropped a thousand feet into my stomach, a lump rose in my throat and I wanted to chunk up what little food I had started eating.
“Why? Who would I live with?” My questions came out like daggers, my mom winced.
“You’d live with your brother, since he has an apartment going to school there. Your father and I just think it would be best for you to go away, what with all that’s happened here.” Tears stung my eyes as I clenched my teeth.
“I’m fine, mother. This is my home. What do you mean what’s happened?” I snap.
“Well, you know: Abram.” I make fists and stare out the window.
“Abram’s gone. It’s alright mom.” My words had an emptiness to them. He was gone, and truth is, every where I turned in this damn city I thought of him. But it would only get worse in New York City, being away from him, too.
“But Molly, it’s starting to get unhealthy, I understand you miss him dearly but there’s a line you’ve crossed we have to fix. I hate seeing my own daughter go downhill.” I stared at her, trying to see her point of view.
“If I’m in New York how am I suppose to visit him every Sunday?” I whisper.
“You wont…I know you go there a lot but you come back and I hear you crying in your room. Molly I just can’t deal with this anymore.” She urges.
“It’s only been a few months mom you can’t expect it to get better that fast.” I enlighten her.
“Yes, I get that. On the contrary you should be trying to help yourself through this, not make it stop you. It will only be for a little while, plus Matt really wants to see his sister.” I go slack.
“You’ve already bought the tickets huh? There is no say for me.” She smiles with guilt. I stand away from my hardly eaten dinner and go to my room. She’s about to rip apart what little pieces Abram left for me to cling to.
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