Signed Unknown

“I gave up my dreams for her, but it was worth it. She needed it more than I did.”

~Anonymous

Silence, that was the only thing she could hear. If you could call that ‘hear’. Silence was supposed to be something relaxing, peaceful and enjoyable. But this silence wasn't enjoyable at all, in fact, it was painful, emotionally. She smiled at everyone as if nothing was wrong, but on the inside, she was all broken.

Krista walked into the cafe, noticing a bell ring above her as she pushed the glass doors, heads briefly turning towards her. She was tall, with broad shoulders and an elegant waist. Her ballet paying off with slim, long legs. She had a long, sharp nose, and her eyebrows were on fleek. Her soft lips were perfectly bow shaped. Her eyes were the most dominating features in her face. They were a forest green with a hint of brown. Her green pools shimmered when she smiled. In one word, she was beautiful.

 She ordered her usual crème frappuccino and looked around for a seat, a window seat to be specific. All the window seats were occupied with chattering friends except for one in the corner. There was a boy sitting there alone. This boy had raven black hair, falling slightly over his chocolate brown orbs. His long slender fingers gripping onto a blunt charcoal pencil, which was moving swiftly against a paper. His eyebrows furrowed together in concentration. There was plenty of space, he was the only one sitting on that table. A grin spread at her lips. He wouldn’t mind if she sat there, hopefully, she thought.

Krista walked up to the table and gently sat in the opposite seat.

“Hey” she said cheerfully. The boy glanced at her before going back to his work, annoyed that he had company.

“Do you mind if sit here?” She tried again with that annoyingly cheery voice of hers, well, at least that was his opinion.

He just scowled at her and trained his eyes back onto the half-filled sheet of paper.

How can someone be so cheery in this wretched world? He thought.

This continued for weeks, and it annoyed him. He was always alone and he liked it that way. Every weekend she would sit at the same seat at the same table he sat. She greeted him as soon as she came, but he never returned that gesture. After that, none of them talked. He, just scribbling in a sketchbook with charcoal pencils, and she, sipping her frappuccino occasionally reading.

It was just another day at the café and Krista was sitting at the same table opposite the boy whom she thought to be obsessed with charcoal pencils. Dozens were around his sheets, each pencil either darker or lighter than the others. The boy didn't think any less of her. He thought she was whipped cream obsessed, she always had an extra serving of it, ignoring the fact that she had a different 500 page novel in her hands each week. 

Krista took out a very familiar envelope she was meaning to open for a while. She gently tore it open, the sound of paper tearing faltering his focus a bit. Sure, there were many people who were laughing around but maybe the fact that she was sitting at the same table made her every move disturbing.

She started reading the letter, carefully, line by line, word for word, taking sips of her drink to ease her stressed out brain. By the time her eyes landed on the last word on the letter, tears were brimming the corners of her eyes. She tried to wipe then away before they threatened to fall.

 “Why?” She asked herself, her voice thick and hoarse.

Xander snapped his head up in irritation, she was disturbing with her presence already, and now the random girl who was sitting in front of him was speaking, completely shattering his focus.

“Can you sit somewhere else?” He spoke for the first time, in a low growl.

The girl didn't budge. She just sat there, her head hung low, her golden locks covering her face, hiding her tears.

“Excuse me?” He tried again, louder. He pulled the paper from her hands which caught her off guard as she looked up into his brown pools.

He stole a glance at the letter’s title, It was from the famous university for visual and performing arts. He grew interested in it, forgetting about the girl who disturbed him. It was an acceptance letter from them for the audition which determines whether the person is eligible to attend the university. So she learns ballet, he thought. He got accepted by the same organisation for painting. He looked up at her to ask about it when he noticed her salted cheeks.

“You don't….. want to go?” He asked, shocked, the fact that he didn't like talking to people completely slipping off his mind. She didn't respond, she was looking out the window, as if ignoring him. She got an acceptance letter for audition from one of the biggest art universities and she was crying? This shocked him.

“Do you not want to go?” He repeated, still paralyzed in shock. He didn't get a response. He pushed her shoulder in irritation. “What? Are you deaf? You aren't even answering me!” He said, his brows knitting together, teeth grinding together annoyance. She smiled sadly. 

“Deaf? That, I am”

She took the letter from Xander’s hands and got up, walking out of the door, leaving the antisocial boy confused and shocked. Despite his dislike towards people, and talking with them, he ran behind her, guilt engulfing him. 

Xander stood in front of her. “I'm so sorry.” He breathed out, panting. His normally intimidating eyes filled with bewilderment. 

“Sorry doesn't change anything.” She said darkly, an unusual tone for a graceful girl like her. He nodded meekly. He regretted his actions. 

She looked so cheerful and bright when she first bothered him, that it made him wonder how any human can be so happy in this cruel world. 

Even when he ignored her, giving clear indications to leave him alone, she greeted him everyday with a smile, never did he imagine that she was going through something so painful, but covered it with an innocent, bright smile, hiding the pain behind her bright forest green eyes, locking the pain away in the depths of those forests. 

The thought on how she was talking with him was still lingering in his mind. 

Krista noticed him hesitating, trying to say something, but stopping himself. It was probably the question everyone she met asked her, how was she able to understand what they were saying. “I mouth read" she said softly, clarifying his unasked question. Now that he apologized, he wanted to leave but something was holding him back. Guilt, perhaps? 

“Do you not want to go? To the audition I mean. It's really rare for them to accept.”

He said softly, confused. An unusual tone for an intimidating guy like him.

Krista swallowed hard. Normally Krista wouldn't speak about a sensitive topic like this, but she somehow trusted him. She wanted to put things off her chest, she felt like she needed to share her feelings to the arrogant boy who always snapped at her. Probably the silence they shared all this time brought them closer.

“I applied for this three years ago, because an instructor who worked over there witnessed one of my performances, and said I had the talent and should try for the auditions”

Xander had many qualities, but patience was never one of them, but even then he listened to the blonde carefully. “So I did, but right after one week, I….I…”

She couldn't complete her sentence.

“I became deaf.” she choked out.

“And I can’t hear the music anymore.” She whispered more to herself. By then, she couldn’t hide her tears, they welled up in her eyes dripping down her long lashes. Just like his patience, he was never empathetic either. He always thought he was the only one suffering so much, only one going through hell. He was wrong. This girl couldn’t follow her dreams because she couldn’t hear anymore. He perfectly understood how it felt when one cannot their own dreams. Krista walked away, not wanting to hear his words of pity. She didn't believe he had pity anyways.

By next week, Xander, wasn't anxious about Krista entering the café, instead, he was eager. He finally made up his mind. Xander was normally occupied with his work, but he couldn't seem to focus that day. He kept glancing at his wrist watch, waiting for Krista to make her typical entry. It felt like he was waiting for hours, while in reality it has been only minutes. She was late, and Krista was never late. 

After awhile of constant foot tapping and finger drumming, the sound of the bell hit his ears. He snapped his head towards the door to see the person he was waiting for step inside. 

Krista awkwardly sat in her place, without a greeting or her unusually bright smile. 

“I can help you.” Xander suddenly blurted. The first thing on her mind was surprise that he started a civil conversation with her. 

“Help you follow your dreams, I mean” he continued. “You can count to the music or feel the vibrations of the music, or maybe-”

“Why are you saying this?” she cut him off. He fiddled with his pencils. “It's because I know how it feels when you can't follow your dreams” he whispered, his voice laced with sorrow. 

It's not right to say that you understand what the other is going through, but even so, he thought that he perfectly understood how she felt, and he knew she didn't deserve the pain. He made up his mind, he knew he had to help her. 

“We could go for the auditions together” he tried convincing again. “I also need some inspiration,”he added. She nodded reluctantly.

So it started. She practiced her three years old rusted steps, without the music. It was difficult, and it pained when she couldn't hear the beauty of the melody. She knew the song by heart, she used to listen to it when she was still blessed with the power to listen. She knew the timing of the song, with the help of Xander of course. She choreographed it getting the old thrill of dancing bursting through her veins. Xander didn't talk to her much though. She didn't expect him to be the talkative anyways. He just sat on the floor of her dance room, sketching, racking his brain for ideas, crumbling useless papers. 

Sometimes he looked at her in approval, otherwise in annoyance, because her timing was wrong. Other than that he was in his own world.

Xander couldn't deny the fact that she was inhumanly graceful. She was doing a great job without the music. Sure, she did a few mistakes. Actually, a lot of mistakes, but she caught up fast. She felt demotivated at times, but got back up in no time. But he was racking his brain for his yet to start painting. He tried a few ideas he had, to the eyes of others they may have looked magnificent, but he couldn't feel the perfection, or the satisfaction. 

Krista stopped with the final pose, at the perfect timing. She stopped elegantly in a pirouette. Xander looked at her through his bangs trying to hide a smile, and Xander never smiles. She did it, for the first time. She synchronised with the song and stopped perfectly for the first time. 

Suddenly, he knew what to paint. He pulled out a fresh sheet, his blunt charcoal pencils and started his rough. It had to be perfect. 

Krista slowly out her leg back down as she wiped the dear on her brow, looking at him for approval. She was hoping she did coordinate with the non existent music. Xander nodded. “You did well” he says bluntly, his face blank. But his eyes said otherwise, they were smiling. Krista grinned. Xander may not express his feelings, but she read his eyes, and they held the true emotions he bottled up inside. 

Xander finished his painting, the actual one, the final one, with perfection radiating from it. And yes, he was satisfied. He was going to present it on stage.

The day they have been waiting for arrived. They were sitting at the back of the taxi together. Xander wouldn't have wanted to go with her but even though he didn't want to admit it he grew attached to the annoying chirpy girl. She was like someone whom he wanted to get rid of but couldn't let go of either.

His canvas was covered in cloth in his lap.

“Why won't you let me see?” She asked pouting, flattening her skirt’s frills. It was a beautiful, royal blue. 

“I don't want to.” The Italian boy replied, staring out the window. Krista didn't look at him, so she didn't quite catch what he was saying, but she was sure it was something along the lines of 'no’.

“Please?” She asked again. This argument started 15 minutes ago, and it was going nowhere. Both of their stubborn replies not helping.

“It's a surprise, alright?” he finally revealed, his voice soft. Krista grinned and nodded. “Are you nervous?” She asked him looking away from her sweating palms to his face for an answer. He shook his head in negativity. “You?” He asked.

“I think I'm nervous and excited at the same time.” She admitted. His lips twitched in amusement only to be erased in a flash. 

“What are your names?” The person infront of the back stage doors asked. “Krista Sparks and Xander Mancini.” “I'm sorry, only one can enter.”

“What?” Krista asked shocked. No, that is not possible. “We have time for only one participant. The judge has another important appointment.” 

No way, it can't be. She was yearning for this thing since she went deaf. She thought it wouldn't be possible to dance anymore. However, she did. Xander helped her. He had to show his talent too. He deserved to participate.

“B-but there has to be some other way right? Both of us got accepted!” How cruel the world is. Luck surely had a grudge against him, it made him wonder if such a thing called luck existed. She looked at Xander “We can't-”

 “Go” he interrupted her. She looked at him in bewilderment. “What?” She whispered, her eyes narrowing slightly in confusion.

“Go.” He said again, looking at her intently. How he managed to make a one syllable word to sound like an order. 

“What do you mean?” She questioned, wondering if she read what he said wrong. “I meant what I said. You need to go more than I do.” 

“Show them that even though you can't hear, it's not stopping you from reaching your goals.”

“But-”

“Now go, I'll be watching you.” He said, the corner of his lips tilting a little. He was smiling. Krista teared up a bit. “Thank you” she whispered and walked inside as he didn't respond. Or maybe he did, and she didn't know. Either way, he wasn't really the one to respond to cheesy words like that. 

Xander looked at his covered painting one last time before tossing it in the backseat of the taxi. It was waiting for them anyway. He was proud of what he painted actually, and Krista was probably never gonna see it. He didn't like to personally show his art. So he wouldn't ever show Krista his painting. To be honest, he really wanted her to see it. 

He felt that what he did was the right thing to do. He listened to his heart, not his mind. Either way right and wrong were two contradictory things. 

By the time she was done, she was panting heavily as she slowly stopped her pirouette. 

Krista did it. People were absolutely amazed. She was one of the first deaf ballet dancers. For the first time, Xander found a friend he truly cares about. 

Katherine Sparks walked into the antique museum with her friends. It was mainly of lost treasures or something mysterious. She was a journalist, and was really into ancient journalism. She kept on scrolling through things the artifacts until she came to the painting section. She always loved to observe paintings. Each one had a hidden meanings, a secret, a mystery, no one except the artist knew. It was as if they left a very appealing puzzle for you to figure out. A puzzle with so much depth, so much of a hidden meaning that no matter how much you think you can’t figure it out, and the only person who have the answer are long gone.

A painting caught her eye, She took a second glance at it, making sure her mind wasn't playing tricks on her.

She looked at the information box.

This is a painting, estimated to be painted during the years 2014- 2016. It is a painting found in a house which was destroyed by an earthquake in Miami. It is a painting of the late, graceful, well-known deaf dance, Krista Sparks, a woman who earned respect from all of us. Behind the canvas, there are the words written: ‘I gave up on my dream for her, but it was worth it, she needed it more than I did’

The reason behind the words are unknown, and the artist is unknown. This painting surely a beauty.

Katherine stood there, staring at her late mother, a painting of her which made her look so real. Her face was beautifully sculpted, her limbs so graceful, her smile, dazzling. Who painted her mother? Who could it possibly be? No one ever did such a thing. This showed the person had deep respect for her. She looked at the signature at the bottom corner of the page. Oh, there was a sign alright, but whose?

The words behind it, it was like they held something so deep, as if it was said by someone who would’ve never said it. The painting was so magnificent. Katherine couldn't believe her eyes. And that too such a beautiful painting of her mother. And no one knew who the artist was.

The background was in a shades of thick yellow and pink, getting lighter as it came to the middle. In the centre, was her mother, dancing in all her glory, the dominant figure of the piece of art. She was in a pirouette, her vibrant forest green eyes open, the very same eyes Katherine inherited. It was as if a light was emitting from behind Krista. A light of happiness, but like inside the happiness, were locked dark secrets. It was a feeling Katherine had as she examined the light. It was a painting that could be described beyond words and would surely cost a fortune if sold.

The painting was beautiful though who painted it still remains unknown. It was signed by unknown.