Una Cosa Più Grande ~ A Short Sprace Story

I ~ A Simple Song On The Street

"La vita maliconica," the guy sings, eyes closed for a moment. "È dispendiosa e..."

Sean stops. He recognizes those lyrics. He knows this song. He found it when looking up popular and/or new songs in Italy before coming here. This was one of those songs, and it's one of his favorites.

When he stops spacing out, he hears the lyrics, "A volte piangi e non sai, non sai, non sai/Cos'é che cerchi e non hai, non hai, non hai..."

Then it hits Sean what's off about this. Well, not that anything is off--he plays and sings really well--but he is singing a song that's a duet, but is singing all by himself.

Still, by the end of the verse, he's attracted a small crowd of people coming to here him sing.

Sean steps back a little, feeling slightly embarrased of how closely he's been paying attention. But he still can't take his eyes off this person, who has some of the deepest, prettiest brown eyes that he's ever seen.

He really needs to get it together.

So he just sits back and listens to this guy as he sings.

Sure, it doesn't sound like the original, but that's because his instruments (well, instrument) is different, as well as the fact that he only has one person singing this song. But this guy is making it work.

The guy notices Sean watching him and flashes him a smile. Sean blushes profusely.

The chorus comes again. "A volte piangi e non sai, non sai..."

You know this part. Sing.

Sean doesn't know what came over him, but he chooses to listen to that impulsive voice.

Sean steps a little closer, singing the harmony of the next lyric--very softly--with him, just a little "non sai."

The guy's eyes flash. He wasn't expecting that. But his smile widens, and tilts his head, beckoning Sean to come closer, encouraging him to sing this line wtih him. "Cos'è che cerchi e non hai, non hai, non hai / Capito bene che fai / Su questa terra, almeno qui c'è lei, c'è lei, c'è lei." He didn't stop playing at all to accomodate Sean. He incorporated him in and they just sang.

However, now they take a moment hovering on a chord to look up at each other in surprise. That sounded good. The guy nods and smiles, and resumes from the short improvised fermata.

They sing together: "A volte torni e non hai, non hai, non hai / Qualcosa per cui restare / Ma tutto quello che sei / È solo parte di una cosa più grande, più grande."

They let that resonate for a moment.

And in that single moment, Sean wonders what this might look like to everyone else here. Here's a guy who is obviously Italian, singing an Italian song, and then this obviously American guy just walks up and starts singing with him. What a sight they must be.

"Quelli lì," the guy sings by himself.

"Siamo noi." they sing together. And, for as much as it can for two random strangers, it fits.

He continues. "Ci sembra assurdo ma..."

"Siamo cresciuti in fretta," they sing together. They smile.

And they continue with the chorus. Him singing the call part, and Sean singing the response part, and then harmonizing together.

"A volt piangi e non sai..." "Non sai, non sai."

"Cos'è che cerchi e non hai..." "Non hai, non hai."

"Capito bene che fai..."

"Su questa terra, almeno qui c'è lei..." C'è lei..." "C'è lei."