Chapter Text
Matt stopped on the side of the path and just listened to the music. There was a clarinet player on a bench ahead and the sound was mingling smoothly with the other sounds in the park. The notes were perfect, although the piece itself wasn’t Matt’s style. Matt walked closer and let the music fill more of his world, paying attention to the click of fingers on the keys, smelling the musician and his clothes and the dog lying at his feet. He rested his chin on his hands around the top of his cane and hardly noticed when the music stopped.
“Oh, hey. How long you been there?” The musician looked up and then, curiously, turned his head slightly away from Matt.
“Long enough to hear some great music, thanks.” Matt walked toward the musician with a grateful smile.
“You must have some skills to get around this city with just a cane. I do alright with Dusty here, but it’s still not easy.”
Matt grinned. “I didn’t realize you were blind.”
“No reason you should. Dusty knows how to keep quiet for a concert. I heard your cane as you came over is all. You have any residual sight?”
“No,” Matt mumbled, “NLP since I was nine.”
The musician nodded, “I still have some peripheral vision, so I could tell you were over there.” He patted the bench next to him, “Wanna come sit for a bit? There’s space next to me over here.”
Matt made his way to the bench and put down his cane. “Sure. May I say hi to your dog?”
“Yeah. Sit down and I’ll tell her to greet you.” Matt found the bench with his hands and sat.
“Dusty, say hello.” Matt put out his hand and Dusty came up and lay her head in it, rubbing against his fingers. Matt took the hint and started scratching behind her ears and under her harness. He was rewarded by the sound of happy tail thumping.
“My friends keep telling me to get a dog,” Matt explained while he scratched, “but it’s just not right for me.”
“Yeah, that’s cool. I’m lucky she likes my music so she’s pretty patient while I play. And she is great for making friends. I’m Rahul.”
“Matt.”
Now that he was no longer distracted by the music Matt realized Rahul was younger than he expected, maybe still college age? Matt reached into his pocket, behind his wallet, and grabbed his taxi money, two twenties. Each bill was folded twice -- once the long way then across the short way -- like the twenties in Matt’s wallet.
He reached out with his left hand to find Rahul’s shoulder, then found his hand and put the forty dollars into it. “I don’t know where your donation hat is, but this is for you.”
Rahul sounded startled and ashamed when he answered, “Oh, no man, you don’t have to. This is too much.”
“I insist. This is a hard way to make a living, and I know New York can be a difficult place to be blind.”
“No, Matt, really, this isn’t my day job. I’m a student at Juilliard. I didn’t even put a hat out today, this was just me messing around.”
Matt set his jaw, embarrassed. He should know better, and he said as much.
“You’d think I would know not to assume that just because you’re blind you need my help. I made it through law school, why should I assume you are struggling? I’m sorry, Rahul.
“How about this? You play me some of your real music, and I make you keep the money to remind me not to be an ass. And because I remember what it’s like to be on a student budget. Does that sound fair?”
"Sure, that sounds more than fair. Sit back and enjoy."
Matt did.