CLOSE YOUR EYES

"Magenta,"

"Magenta Savili!"

My mother's scream woke me who was still fast asleep. I blinked, I looked at the clock on the wall which was still showing four in the morning. I took a deep breath, it was still too early to wake up. I closed my eyes again because my eyes still felt heavy.

"I told you to get up!"

My mother opened the bedroom door so hard that it made my sleepiness disappear instantly. My mother walked up to me with a whip in her hand. I quickly got up and sat on the bed with my head down.

"I told you not to be lazy," my mother stroked my hair gently then gripped my cheek roughly. I kept trying to keep my head down for fear of looking into his eyes, those red eyes that never radiated affection for me.

"You know what to do, don't you?" my mother said with a smile, she stroked my blond hair gently while fiddling with the whip in her left hand. I nodded quickly and went straight to the bathroom.

I took off my clothes in the bathroom and soaked in the tub, I sighed while feeling the warm hot water touching my skin. I closed my own eyes in the shower because I hated seeing my body covered in wounds from my mother's whip, yes, my mother always whipped me if I didn't obey her orders. I chuckled at feeling sorry for myself for not being able to fight my mother.

I was rushing to finish my shower when I heard a knock on the bathroom door. I saw my mother standing in front of my bed in the clothes she had prepared for my performance today. I stared uncomfortably at the outfit my mother had prepared, a very short bright red dress with short sleeves. I'm sure my thighs will be very exposed if I wear that dress.

Mom told me to put on the dress and sit in front of the mirror. Mother hummed happily as she dressed me, she looked excited today, in contrast to me who could only stare blankly at myself in the mirror. Mom started to brush my waist-length blonde hair. She then started putting on a little bit of makeup for me because of my already pretty face, which is what I often hear from people when they see me. My mother applied a not too thick red lipstick to my lips to give me a calm girl look.

"Put this on," my mother said, handing me white contact lenses. Mother glared at me because I didn't accept the contact lenses in her hands.

"How long do I have to wear this lens? I love my purple eyes," I said. I looked at myself in the mirror, I was born with purple eyes, an eye color that very few people have. My mother said it was her offspring who had red eyes.

"Obey me," my mother replied firmly, my originally bright face turning sour. I put on the white lenses as soon as my mother started walking toward the whip. I don't want to be whipped, for now, just last night when my mother was drunk.

"There will be someone to pick you up, so wait in the living room,"

My mother came out of my room, I'm sure now she is the one who will get ready to accompany me to perform today. I grabbed my phone and walked into the living room. The clock on my phone is still five in the morning. I choose to practice so that my performance goes smoothly even though without practice I am sure my performance will run smoothly because of my strength.

I started to close my eyes and focus my thoughts. My hands began to press the piano keys slowly and produced a melodious sound. My hands continue to dance rapidly on the piano keys producing a very beautiful tone. I was so carried away by the strains that came out of my playing that I didn't realize someone was already in the living room until I had finished my practice.

Plaque plaque plaque! The sound of applause rang out as I ended my practice. I still hadn't opened my eyes when I heard footsteps approaching me.

"Very beautiful piano playing. I didn't expect a blind person like you to play the piano so well," the person continued, clapping his hands while laughing.

I just smiled sadly in response to the compliment I hated so much, a compliment mixed with pity. They always say I'm great because of my flaws, right, people know me as a blind person with special abilities.

"You've come Polan,"

I heard my mother's voice greeting the man. Polan returned my mother's greeting while continuing to praise my piano playing. As usual, my mother always complimented me in front of others and was kind to me. They kept talking about things I didn't want to hear, I chose to think about something else.

"Too bad she's blind when she's so perfect"

"No human is perfect," my mother replied to Polan's words.

I opened my eyes and stared blankly ahead. I saw Polan's face that looked at me with pity. I wrung my dress in annoyance, I wanted to scream in his face if I wasn't blind, I could see the pitying look he was giving me.

"Let's go, it's time." Mother took my hand and slowly led me. I really hate doing this, pretending I can't see. Mom kept guiding me until I got into the car. I sat next to my mother and chose to stare out the window even though I had to keep acting as if I couldn't see.

The car was speeding down the road that was still deserted by the rising sun which was still too shy to shine its light. I saw Mom and Polan again talking about where I was performing today, an orphanage. Today I will play the piano there for the birthday of the orphanage. They invited me because they heard about my abilities, a blind man who could do anything. Sounds ridiculous, doesn't it? But indeed it is my strength, I can do anything when I close my eyes.

The car stopped in front of a fairly large orphanage. My mother came out first then opened the door and led me out. I heard a lot of kids cheering when I got out of the car. I smiled blankly and waved my hand at them. I try to keep staring blankly ahead even though I'm very happy to see their very cheerful faces.

Mom took me to the chair where I played the piano. There was a standing ovation when I opened the piano lid. I smiled at them while raising one hand and then said my signature line before starting the show.

"Close your eyes,"

I started to close my eyes, letting my hands play the piano according to my mind. The beautiful notes that come out every time I press the piano keys make everyone there close their eyes because they are carried away by my piano playing.

"Again, play another song," said the children who were there when I finished playing one song.

"You want to hear more? Okay,"

I closed my eyes again and pressed the piano keys slowly. The atmosphere became quiet because they were lulled by my piano playing. I played the piano so passionately that without realizing it, my tears fell because I was carried away by the emotions of the song I was playing.

"What song did you play that made you cry?" asked the little girl after the applause and cheers for me had stopped.

"Free a bird, a song about someone who wants freedom," I said.

The kids just nodded at my answer, I'm sure they didn't understand what I was saying. I saw my mother staring at me because I was crying because actually mother forbade me to play that song but I don't care, as long as I play the piano well my mother will not be angry with me. Only when I use my strength can I be myself, I hope someone can understand the meaning of the song I performed before.

"Thank you for coming to this little event,"

I saw the head of the orphanage approach my mother and directed the head of the orphanage to shake my hand. "You're welcome, I'm very grateful to be able to appear and entertain here with all my shortcomings," I said with a smile.

"Hopefully children can be like you Magenta, can be useful for many people even though they have shortcomings,"

Again, again, and again, compliments tucked in with pity. I could only reply to the words of the head of the orphanage with a forced smile. I'm really sick of this charade. I finally chose to walk while groping and sat on a chair in the middle of the garden. I opened my eyes and took a deep breath, I could only stare blankly ahead so my charade wouldn't be caught.

"You must go to the next meeting," said an old man to a man who was still quite young. The young man ignored his secretary's words and continued to stare at the girl sitting quite a distance in front of him. He had been staring at the girl for a long time since he played the piano, he was attracted to the girl because her piano playing was very beautiful especially when he found out that the girl was blind, very impressive to him.

"Sir, you can be la..."

The young man raised his hand to stop his secretary's words, he stood up and tidy up his coat. His gaze still didn't move from the girl, the girl's white eyes seemed to hypnotize him so as not to turn away from her.

"Find out who that girl is, as soon as possible," the young man ordered his secretary. His secretary followed his boss's gaze, for a long time he stared at the blonde girl sitting in the middle of the garden. He knew that she was the girl who played the piano before, but why did the boss ask him to find out about her?

"Okay sir," but in the end, he could only accept his boss's orders and follow his boss who was far in front of him.

"Where are we going?" asked the young man as he got into the car.

"Omara Orphanage event, today there are a lot of charity activities, Mr. Rion," explained his secretary.

The man named Rion nodded. He was actually one of the donors in this orphanage so he was invited to attend their anniversary event, he was initially reluctant to attend the charity event because it was deemed unimportant, becoming a donor was just an order from his father so that he would have a good image as the CEO of the company, but it seems his decision to come to the orphanage today was not wrong, a faint smile was etched on his lips thinking of the girl he saw in the orphanage before.