Strange Request

Cameron was used to getting requests for songs like “Unforgettable,” “The Way You Look Tonight,” and “Memory;” in fact, he had played some of them so many times that he almost thought the piano could play them itself. He was surprised when he reached into the bowl of handwritten notes and pulled out one that read “Chopin’s Prelude in D-Flat Major, Opus 28 No. 15.” Chopin was his favorite composer and he knew the song by heart. To many people, the song was known by the name “The Raindrop Prelude” and was one of Chopin’s most well-known. He looked around the bar, wondering who would’ve made such a request. Mardis Gras was in full swing in the city of Baton Rouge, so many patrons were dressed in carnival-type garb, masks and costumes.

As he began to play, he glanced up now and again to look into the crowd. One time that he looked up, he noticed a man sitting alone in the corner, wearing a mask that partially covered his face. Even though not all of his face was visible, he could see that the man was good-looking. Oxidation made the copper mask look old and mystic. Cameron focused back on his fingers for a moment and then was slightly distracted by a young woman who had gotten up to dance. The song was not the type to lend itself to dancing, but she’d been drinking, of course, and was acting juvenile. She twirled around and fell to the ground awkwardly. Her friends helped her up as they all laughed. She limped back to their table–probably sprained her ankle.

After the song was finished, there was a spattering of applause. Cameron smiled wanly and nodded his head to acknowledge the crowd. He looked toward the corner of the room, but the handsome masked man was gone. He sighed with disappointment, and decided to take his break. He stood and grabbed the apple that was sitting atop his piano and went to the wooden table vacated by the stranger. He slumped resignedly into the chair across from the one previously occupied by the masked man. Who would have made such an odd request, and who would know that Cameron was able to play it? Was it merely chance or perhaps someone from his past?

He left the bar that night still wondering about the request and about the stranger, but decided his curiosity would likely go unsatisfied. If Cameron had sat in the chair the stranger had occupied, however, he would have seen the white rose left by the masked man and his questions would have been answered.

Copyright © 2023 Brandon Ellrich

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