Chapter 29
Ngoc Lam goes to the hospital to say goodbye to the landlady and her husband. The woman cannot hold her regret.
"So, I can't cook soup with you for the New Year."
But she still encourages her.
"Just go where your heart goes. Whenever you want soup, don't forget to call me!"
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Ngoc Lam embarks on a train journey to Germany.
As the Christmas season sets in, from the outside, the snow, wind, and rain are wildly dancing, while inside, houses are warmly lit with white and yellow lights, and entire families are gathered together in a cosy atmosphere.
Karsci and Emmy's daughter, Lina is playing music with her little sister and two older brothers, waiting eagerly for the duck roasting in the oven to be ready for dinner. Lina's wavy blonde hair is tied simply at the nape of her neck, and she resembles M. She has been playing the cello professionally for six years, and her music fills the room with a soulful melody.
Suddenly, the doorbell sound interrupts their music, and Lina rushes to open the door. Her eyes light up as she sees the person standing outside, and she quickly embraces the visitor with a warm hug.
"Dad, Mom, Edgar, Amald, Fanny! Ngoc Lam is here!"
The members of the house rush out simultaneously, each person giving Ngoc Lam a tight hug.
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Van Thac gets back to Europe after winter break. His reunion with Ngoc Lam at the Moreaus' house is not as emotional as people thought. Van Thac's expressions are unreadable, and he does not seem excited about meeting Ngoc Lam again either. Meanwhile, Ngoc Lam devotes herself to her musical instrument from early day to night. Whenever he visits the Moreaus, Van Thac often sits in one place, looking at Ngoc Lam immersing herself in the music. He is probably the last to see Ngoc Lam's focused appearance in this house. It feels like when she focuses on the lesson, but with music, Ngoc Lam also exudes the beauty of passion and pure love.
"Why don't you come over and practice with her?" Edgar, the eldest son of the Moreaus, sits down opposite Van Thac.
"Maybe, I will do it next time, Ed," Thac replies.
'Next time' in his words is when Ngoc Lam has fully grasped the feeling of music. She has been away from it for too long, nine years. Even if she is gifted, it is challenging to return to music after such a long period.
Ngoc Lam's winter break has almost ended, so it's time for her to leave. Van Thac goes to K and M's house as usual because the next concert needs some modifications after reviewing and learning from the mistakes of the previous one. The Moreaus, with Ngoc Lam and Van Thac, have a cosy dinner before saying goodbye.
The weather is still terrible these days. The cold wind blows against them, while the house they are staying in is in the suburbs. Afraid of being blown down by the wind when they are walking and waiting for the bus takes a lot of time, K gives Van Thac his car keys and asks to take Ngoc Lam to the train station. Fanny and Lina also want to go with them, but M stops the girls. She winks and tells her two daughters that they have been practising with Ngoc Lam during the vacation. It's time to let the two of them, her and Van Thac, alone.
In fact, throughout the journey, 'the two of them' do not say a word to each other. Even if they are waiting for the train, they both sit silently waiting. Around them, there is the noise of laughter, the sound of the wind whistling through the gaps, and the sound of the train stopping and leaving accompanied by deafening whistles.
A strong wind suddenly blows in the station, dragging snow particles into Ngoc Lam's eyes. She quickly closes her eyes. Snow accumulates on her long eyelashes. Ngoc Lam blinks. She tries to open her eyes to look at the upcoming train number, and she suddenly realizes that Van Thac is leaning forward as if he is trying to block the wind blowing towards her. Snow follows the wind and clings to his hair, his scarf, and all over his coat.
The waiting Turquoise train has arrived. She stood up and left Van Thac with a few words.
"I need to go. Thank you for sending me off, Thac."
Dozens of people board the train one after another. Ngoc Lam walks to the crowd and enters the train compartment.
"Ngoc Lam!" Van Thac calls.
Ngoc Lam quickly turns back.
Van Thac looks at her with those determined eyes that make Ngoc Lam's heart skip a beat.
"I will never stand still or wait for you."
After saying that, he smiles, and his steadfast eyes shine with gentleness.
"Let's do a duet next time!"
As soon as Master finishes speaking, the door is closed. Ngoc Lam does not answer. Her silhouette is covered by other passengers. The train, again, sounds its deafening whistle, moving away in the darkness with the sound of howling wind and scattering snowflakes.
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Returning to the boarding house, where the kind-hearted landlord and his wife live, Ngoc Lam comes over to greet them and bring them some speciality from Germany. Besides studying, she spends more time practising music diligently to quickly return to the best form she used to have.
The information that the music legend- Ngoc Lam is on her way to return has been spread by people in the music world. On social networks, every weekend, there is a new video of an Asian girl playing a musical instrument in a restaurant in a rural area. Each time, she plays a different type of instrument that makes the rumour more authentic.
The videos are subjectively recorded and posted by the daughter of the chef to advertise her family's traditional restaurant. Ngoc Lam often comes to this place on weekends with the landlady and her husband. Ngoc Lam only started playing musical instruments here after the winter break as a way to appreciate the lady and ease her regret of missing Van Thac's concert.
Sure enough, in the following weeks, the number of diners coming to the restaurant increases. Some musicians also bring musical instruments to perform with Ngoc Lam. Some of them are strangers, but some used to work with her, and some have been defeated by her. They come to find the feeling of meeting the gifted girl again and testing themselves to see if they have overcome that wall- Ngoc Lam's music level.
In June, Ngoc Lam sends a letter to refuse the Austrian Conductor's offer and an umbrella. Besides, she sends an invitation note to Fabian to play a song with her at the rural restaurant.
That June evening, when the heat begins to cover the peaceful countryside, lightning cut a deep mark in the sky, threatening the trees to tremble, Ngoc Lam and Fabian have a competition. According to the critics who are there because of her reputation, she's very talented! Also after that time, Fabian learns that in the past, when he was defeated by Ngoc Lam, she only used less than half of her abilities. And now, when Ngoc Lam has only returned 70% to her form, she is still strong enough to knock him out. The next day, the Conductor calls and complains to Ngoc Lam. He has told her not to kick Fabian's ass because she will not have worked for him at the evaluation anyway.
Summer vacation is coming. Ngoc Lam successfully completes her university credits and takes the train to Germany. K and M are so busy that they rarely get to meet Ngoc Lam in person, but their four children and other colleagues take turns supporting Ngoc Lam in her practice. For two long months, she practises so hard that she often forgets to eat or sleep, and her skills become more and more impressive. One day, Fanny talked on the phone with her parents, "Now I understand why Thac said he would never wait for Ms. Lam. Seeing her practice like that, it won't be long before she's overtaken all of us."
At the end of August, Ngoc Lam's two videos cause a tremor in the entire music world.
One video of Ngoc Lam playing Niccolo Paganini's God Save The King, the other is Bach's Violin Concerto in A minor, BWV 1041 played over 10 minutes, assembled from 10 different videos with different types of instruments played by herself. The two videos are a strong affirmation of the return of a genius.
Just one day later, as music lovers have been expecting, K and M's Orchestra make an official announcement on their website and all mass media that Ngoc Lam will return with a duet with Van Thac this coming October. The newly announced information has become the centre of discussion. If the show is successful, the opportunities for everyone will be too great to measure.