Immaculate Spirit c1-242 Page 6

  "I don't believe you! Show me your ID!" Taylor demanded in a stern tone which Nathaniel obliged. Looking at it, Taylor could not help to shake her head.

  "This unbelievable. Hell, you look like you are eighteen at the minimum! And you are more mature and composed that all my ex and one of them was near thirty! Maybe this is a fake ID." She grumbles which make Nathaniel laugh.

  Spying his moms on the corner of his eyes, he started walking toward them, Taylor beside him, not realising that she was still gripping his ID in her hand. Coming out of it and seeing the woman in front of her, she smiled politely.

  "Mary, nice to meet you here." Said Taylor in a courteous tone.

  "Hi Taylor, how are you doing? Can I present you to my wife, Karine?"

  The women then start introducing each other and exchanging handshakes and complimenting their clothes. Mary and Taylor being both in the music industry they know each other quite well. Mary even tried to rope Taylor in the Lyndon label once which she denied. She was quite happy where she was at the moment and didn't want to change. Redirecting the conversation, Mary said.

  "I don't believe you need to be introduced to our son." She said with amusement looking at Nathaniel.

  Taylor blanked for a moment before realising what Mary said. Turning on the side, she saw Nathaniel giving her a nod with his little smile. She was going to rebuke him for not saying anything when she remembered that she was holding his ID. Looking at it, she could clearly read 'Nathaniel Lyndon' on it. Giving him his ID back, she could not help to shake her head.

  "Well well, look at you mister mysterious. Do you have more surprises for me?"

  "I could say that I don't but the night is still young. I could perhaps surprise you again." He said with a bright smile which caused her heart to flutter. 'Okay keep it together Taylor, is a minor for Christ sake' She thought furiously.

  "So he's really sixteen?" Said Taylor.

  "Yes, I can vouch for him, I was very much there when he was born." Karine answered with a laugh.

  "We have a cute and very much embarrassing picture of him when he was younger if you need additional proof." Add Mary, laughing too.

  "I would like that" Said Taylor, enjoying the look on Nathaniel's face.

  "Mom, when I was talking with grandma, she showed me some adorable pictures of you when you were a teen. You seem to have a phase where you wore only bandana and purple sportswear pants in that time…" Said Nathaniel with an eyebrow raise, hiding his amusement seeing the smug smile on his mom's face turning to horror.

  "Sweetie, I was only joking, you know that right?" She said with puppy eyes, triggering a round of laughter from her wife, son and Taylor who was watching the cute scene with interest.

  Talking for a while longer and hearing Taylor and his mom talking about music, Nathaniel suddenly got an idea and interrompt the conversation.

  "Taylor, could I borrow your musical talent for a few minutes?" Ask Nathaniel, surprising the women around him.

  Chapter 14: :

  Surprised for a few seconds at the strange inquiry, Taylor responded.

  "What do you have in mind?" She said somewhat guarded.

  Looking at his moms for a second, he approaches Taylor, trying to not get distracted by the fact that she smells amazing. He puts a hand on her shoulder and starts to murmur on her ear.

  "Since my accident and then my coma, Mary stopped playing music and could not pick up her guitar anymore. She always was amazing but because of me, she can't play anymore. I think if we could play together we could help her heal that part of her. Would you help?" Ask Nathaniel with an emotional voice.

  "Of course I would." Answer Taylor, touched by the thought.

  "Thanks, follow me then. Moms you too please." He said.

  Leading them away from the lounge where they were, he started walking toward a door not far away. For the party, his grandparents spared no expenses, going as far as hiring an instrumental band who were playing outside. The guests were essentially situated in the yard and in the lounge which was huge. The topic of the banquet was clearly to make conversation with people and enjoy themself with amazing food.

  The door in question leads to the music room of the mansion. That was a place where he refused to go the last four month for fear of being distracted away from his physical work out. He opened the room yesterday to see what instrument it contained and was surprised to find almost all of them. He could clearly see the ego of his grandfather at work here, never coming here anymore beside the maids but because he was the president of a label, he still insisted to have a well furnished music room. The room in itself was huge, bigger than their old apartment in NY.

  Entering the room, he went directly behind the digitale piano. He didn't play for so long, he was a little scared to go behind the grand piano in the room. He opted for the digital piano because it was less demanding and he could play with it well enough. The goal of it was to help his mother in the first place, the rest was not important.

  Taylor did not lose much time too, she took an acoustic guitar and started it without asking anything.

  "Mom take a guitar please." Said Nathaniel.

  "Baby, you know I don't play anymore…" Answer Mary with vulnerability present in her voice, eyeing the guitar on the shelf with a wary expression.

  "I know mom and I know it's because of me. You always were talented and you can't play anymore, I feel bad. I finally healed myself, it's time to heal you." Said Nathaniel with sadness, he's eyes watering.

  Seeing the tears threatening to flow from the eyes of her son, she started feeling heartache. Since the accident and seeing him bleeding in an emergency room, her heart broke at that moment. She couldn't laugh anymore and she could not play either. Her music was her life for as long as she could remember, but in that moment she knew that her son and her wife meant everything and music would come after that. After the accident her only source of reconfort was her wife and her parents who came back to her life after 15 years. She forced herself to forget music to forge a new life, to help her son come back. So she went to her father's company, winning enough money to pay the medical bill. Her father insists on help but they always rebuke him. They were enough to help their son.

  But seeing her teary-eyed son in that moment, she started thinking of the time where they were playing piano together, laughing and singing. Well, she was singing, he never sang. He always said that he's voice was not good enough for that and he was perfectly fine to let her sing. He was her sweet and kind son, he was supposed to recover and get back his life and yet he was still thinking of their well being.

  She could go through flame for him, so taking a guitar even if she was anxious about it was nothing in comparison. After four years, they would play together again. She stifled her tears at the thought.

  "Of course sweetie, I'm coming." Said Mary feeling Karine patting her back, she turned her head to see her wife smiling encouragingly at her. She needed nothing else.

  Mary chose to pick an acoustic guitar like Taylor did and was currently according it. The guitar she chose was almost the same as the one she had for ten years which reassures her a little. The difference was that her guitar cost 200 dollars when she bought it and this one was worth 10 times that amount. Her father clearly didn't care about money. He only wanted the best there was.

  "What do you want to play Nathaniel?" Ask Taylor once Mary had finished.

  "I thought 'Pumped up kick' by Foster the People sounds good. It's easy enough. Mom and I haven't played in a long time." He said.

  In the past week, he started to look on Youtube and catch up to the music that he missed when he was in a coma. He heard great music and horrible one in equal measure. He was horrified to see a horrible autotune music bestseller. He discovered this music like that and he immediately thought it would be nice to play it for practice as it had an easy rhythm.

  Then they started playing, the hands of Nathaniel were clumsy at first but he adapted quickly. He noticed that the clumsiness ca
me from the fact that his fingers were longer and more powerful that they were four years ago. Once he adapted, he could perform well enough. His mom was even better than him, except a few wrong notes in the beginning, she could follow Taylor with no problem. She had practiced guitar since she was ten so that was not surprising.

  Taylor started chanting immediately, her beautiful voice clearly in display. Mary joins her on the second verse.

  "All the other kids with the pumped up kicks...

  ...You'd better run, better run, out run my gun...

  ...All the other kids with the pumped up kicks...

  You'd better run, better run, faster than my bullet.. "

  Mary's voice was nice to hear even if it was totally outmatched by Taylor's. She always prided herself to be a musician and not a singer and she proved that by concentrating only on her guitar, her voice was only tagging along Taylor's.

  Once the music was over, Mary wanted to play 'No doubt' so they did. At that point everyone started naming a popular song to play, even Karine was singing along although she was not very gifted in it. A comfortable atmosphere reigns in the room and people attracted by the song of the music start gathering in the room to watch. Everyone was having fun but Nathaniel was not satisfied. At every music they were playing, something was moving inside of him, showing signs of agitation.

  At the end of the music they were playing Nathaniel was done with the clavier. He moves to the piano and starts pressing a diverse note on it, gathering the curious attention of everyone in the room. He was seemingly remembering the sound of each note carefully until the twirling inside of him seemed to settle and a picture finally appeared.

  Noticing the stare of his mom and Taylor, he flashes a quick smile at them before speaking.

  "I want to try something, let's create something new. Just listen at the beginning and follow me after that." Said succinctly Nathaniel, focusing on the piano and the feelings who were inside of him.

  Gathering everything that he was, everything that he lived, he started playing.

  A sad melody starts to gather around him as he plays, permeating every person present.

  And then something unbelievable happened, he started to sing. A pure and unrestrained voice emanated from him as he start singing.

  "

  It's so short, a life…

  ...So fragile, as well...

  ...What to run, after time..

  ...Leave nothing, to live… "

  While he was focusing on himself, more people started to come into the room which became quite crowded. Among them was Robert and Diane who was looking at their grandson like they were seeing him for the first time. Exchanging a look, they could clearly see the disbelief and awe mix in the eyes of the other.

  At that moment the melody starts to become more powerful, more energizing as he starts the chorus.

  "Too stubborn to die…

  ...Too loved to say goodbye…

  ...Naive enough to fly…

  ...Strong enough to cry… "

  After that the song of a guitar starts to mix with the melody of the piano, following it in his path, complimenting him. Like two long lost friends finding themself again after decades of separation. The voice of Taylor accompanying him in the chorus until the song finally finished.

  "... Strong enough… to cry…." they end with their voice, looking each other in the eyes.

  As the last sound finally die down, Nathaniel and Taylor were welcomed by utter silence. Coming out of it, they finally look at the large audience cramp in the room. The stillness lasts for a few seconds before thunderous applause explodes in there. Looking sheepishly at each other, they perform a small bow for their audience who applaud even louder than before.

  A scene attracted his attention soon enough. His moms were kneeling on the ground, hugging each other and crying their heart out. He noticed at that moment that many people had red eyes or were actively crying. He even spied his grandfather with a tear in the corner of his eyes where his grandma was actively trying.

  Going where his moms where prostrated, he got fiercely hugged by two crying womens, joining them in their round of crying. His soul at peace.

  Chapter 15: :

  They were interrupted in their family hug by someone clearing his throat. He wiped the tears that were on his cheek before getting up and turning around. Taylor was here with a happy smile even if her eyes were a little red too.

  "Can I have a hug too?" Said Taylor, laughing.

  He good naturally gives her a hug not realising that millions of people would kill him to be in his place right now. That didn't last long as they were interrupted by Diane who wanted a round too. Once everybody got over the emotion, Nathaniel sat back behind the piano again pressing a note, very aware that five people looked at him intensely.

  When they were hugging he noticed that his grandfather had cleared the room and closed after everyone got back to the party.

  "Taylor." Said Robert with a slight nod as a geeting.

  "Mister Lyndon." Said Taylor with a nod as well but with way much respect in her voice.

  Everyone in the music industry has heard of the man in front of her, he was a legend. Son of a music and english teacher, he never had a gift as a musician or as a singer. But he has a gift nobody could match in the industry. He could look at someone for a few seconds and knew if it had what it takes to become a star. It's like that at nineteen he started a label that nobody knew existed. Twenty years later, nobody could not know the Universal Lyndon Records. Although she never worked with him, they met a few times in various parties like this one and they had talked a few times.

  "So, what the hell was that?" Ask Robert in a stern voice, focusing on his grandson who was still refusing to meet anyone in the eye, his eyes focus on each key.

  "I don't know grandpa… I just kind of… improvise." Respond Nathaniel, looking finally at the people in front of him.

  "Yeah right. You say that you 'improvise' something on the fly that is better than all my wrinter in their entire life?" He almost choked out.

  "Easy Robert, it���s possible that he heard it somewhere and just remember it in the moment." Said Diane in a placative voice.

  "No, I never heard it before and I checked on our file with my phone. This is an original. I save it on my personal server by the way if someone here wants to steal it." He said with a fierce expression.

  "Father, I think he really just improvised it. Just look at the lyrics, I don't think that anyone on the planet could resonate with it except Nathaniel." Observe Mary.

  "You're right Mary, that's just perfect. It needs work and more instruments obviously but this song is going to become a hit, I guarantee it." He affirmed with gleaming eyes.

  "Do we keep it a duo or not father?" Ask Mary getting excited, she always knew that her son was amazing and now she could prove it to the world.

  "I think so yes, the music is opportune for a duo. If we link him with one of our female stars, that could go worldwide."

  "Katy or Adele?"

  "Adele, I believe, Katy is not the most suitable person for that. Nathalie would be good tho."

  "Okay you guys need to stop!" Nathaniel asserts in a firm voice.

  "We are better in this kind of thing than you kid, you should let us handle the situation and you would become a star in no time." Said Robert waving his concern away.

  "I don't care about that and it is irrelevant. This is not because you are more experienced in this kind of thing that you know better than me about what I want. The truth is, I don't want to become a star. I'm way too young for that and I need to go to college. I need to have a degree in what, I don't know yet but I'm thinking about it".

  Seeing that his grandfather was about to lecture him, he spoke again.

  "Hush grandfather, I'm not done yet. I don't say that I'm opposed to commercialising the song but if we are going to do it, we would do it my way. Taylor, do you want to be my duo for this song?" He asked Taylor, who was watching, even
a little embarrassed. That was kind of a family moment and she was very much not that.

  "This is not a good idea sweetie, she's not from our label and that could be troublesome to get her on board. Moreover her label could ask for a significant amount of money from the sale of the music." Said Mary.

  "No they would not mom."

  "We are a capitalist country kid, I assure you that they would take the majority of the percentage to the sale which is understable when you are a nobody and she's a pop idol." Said Robert with disdain.

  "They wouldn't dare because I plan to give away the money from the song to a charity who help the veteran soldier. My part of it at least. The label would never risk the public backlash to oppose me on this." Nathaniel asserts in a flat voice, his will indomitable.

  His family pause at that, looking at him in a new light when he shows them his inflexible side.

  "So Taylor, what do you think? Interested in a pro bono song?" He asked again with a laugh.

  "Well giving the fact that it is your song, it's your choice in my book. So yes, I'm in. Moreover I was bored the last few days, that could be fun. For my label, I will call them tomorrow and help with things."

  "Great!" He said gleefully.

  "You know that you could make a lot of money with it, right?" Robert said through gritted teeth.

  "Grandfather, I don't care about money, you should know that by now. Moreover we are already wealthy beyond reason, more would make no difference." He said with a shrug.

  "That's our money, not yours. Maybe I should cut you off to teach you the importance of earning some." He threatened.

  "You could and you're welcome to do so. I will just need to find a job, maybe in the music industry seeing I'm not too bad at it, a rival one preferably." He speculated with a winning smile.

  "You should look on your right to see how this idea of yours was received by the way." He added.

  Turning his head, he was received by his wife who was looking at him with a stare that could melt iron and the stare of his daughter was not much better.