the moment

For four years, the Fender electric guitar Reily used to play with his band that nearly broke through to mainstream has been left in the corner of his room. Reily simply couldn't play the guitar the way he used to anymore.

Every time he held the guitar, his fingers would freeze up and simply couldn't move and the notes in the depths of his memories would never flow on to his fingers despite all certainty he knew he had the music in him.

Four years ago, Reily lost his family in a car accident involving their family car and a trailer. The accident happened when Reily had to play for a gig with his band. Reily has always been blaming himself for the lost of his family.

Four years ago, he had an argument with his father who insisted he should skip the gig to join his family trip. Soon after the argument, he stomped right out of the house and left for the gig. His family went on ahead with the trip and met their unfortunate fate. Reily holds himself at fault for causing their death. Had it not been the argument, his father would have been in a better state to drive. From that day on, Reily lost all musical sense and could no longer play the guitar. His fingers too heavy with guilt.

He never listened to any recordings of his band from that day onwards. Reily didn't think he was ever going to do music again in his lifetime.

Not until one day when he met this girl. A girl who simply needed a place to stay when the orphanage she lived in was closed down after sponsors pulled out due to the financial crises.

It all started when Reily found her sleeping by his apartment door one morning. Not knowing what else to do, he found himself taking her in and in return she was to help with the housework. She was Venna, at least that's the name she remembered being called when she was still living in the orphanage.

While cleaning the Reily's apartment one afternoon, she noticed the guitar and couldn't help but ask Reily to play a tune or two. She noticed a change in his demeanor as he declined to play the guitar.

She didn't understood why he refused to play the guitar. Not until one day she stumbled upon an old CD recording of Reily's band and saw Reily's picture in the CD booklet. Venna played the CD and immediately couldn't help but notice Reily's incredible talent for the guitar. It was at that moment, Venna realized that there was something hindering Reily's ability to play the guitar and she wanted to do something for him in return for taking her in. She wanted Reily to get back into music and to get out from his sad state of working part time job in a fast food restaurant.

As the months went by, Venna diligently practiced singing the song she heard from the CD with the hope of singing it to Reily. At the same time, Reily and Venna drew closer and closer to each other.

One evening, while taking a stroll down the beach nearby the apartment, Reily and Venna simply held hands as they strolled the quiet beach with Venna's head on Reily's shoulder. It was an impulse reaction and it somehow just felt right between the both of them.

That moment at the beach was the moment Venna knew what to do - she sang the song she heard in the CD. Reily was surprised she knew the song and didn't say anything. He simply felt the warmth in his heart and he could feel the emotions Venna had in her singing. At that moment, Reily could feel the music in him coming out and breaking free from the emotional prison he had built inside him. It became the moment he decided he was going to go back into music.

People come, people go in our lives. We live through a myriad of experiences - some sad, some happy. But all it needs at times is for one special moment in life to open a box of sparkle in each and everyone of us......... that is "the moment".