The Duet

Every Friday after work, I enjoy having a nice dinner with family or friends. With some wine or cocktails, this is the only moment that I can get away from the busy schedule of the day, and relax after a whole week of hard working.

I often dine at the Azie in Regent Hotel Taipei. There is live music band performing around 8:30 pm. Sometimes it is live singing, and sometimes it’s just music. And the most intriguing to me is the duet of a pianist and double bass player.

For about twenty years, this pianist and double bass player always play at the hotel atrium. The pianist plays with his face downwards, and the double bass player holds his double bass with his left hand and plucks the strings with his right hand. They play like they are old friends, and create the melodies fulfilling the space. Their repertoire is diverse, sometimes it’s jazz, and sometimes is Bagatelle music.

People come and leave, their noise goes up and down. The city of Taipei never sleeps and its energy never rests. The dining area is crowded with the talking about the business and financial news, like the wheel and deal of the day never ends. People can not stop their yearning for luxury. The hustle and bustle of the city never let anyone go.

Seeing the duet on the stage, they never talk, but they understand each other by just a glance. They never stop their music even though being surrounded by the noise and passing by of people. They just keep playing. The pianist plays with his shoulders raised and back hunched over the piano. The double bass player stands at the right side of the pianist. He looks relaxed and kind. His fingers move back and forth on the strings. The sounds of piano and double bass compose the most lovely music in the hall.

Sitting in the dining hall, the noise of the crowd makes the duet isolated. They seem to be in another world, where so far away that we cannot find the source of the music. However, once you are willing to listen, and to look through the noisy crowd, they are standing in front of us.

Their existence is never paid attention to, but always around. Their music is never listened to, but always played. Like the breeze touching our cheeks, we never truly enjoy it, but we are soothed by it. We never really listen to the duet, but we are comforted by the music in the air.

Time passes by, the duet has become a tradition. Everyone comes here to dine with music in the background.

Accompanied by the music, we drink the wine in crystal glasses, and talk about the endless finance trends and political scandals like always.

It feels that nothing would change. Not until when I glance at them. Their hair turns silver.

Suddenly I realize it has been through decades.

The pianist has become more humpbacked. He looks like he is playing with himself curling on the piano. His eyes are focused on the keyboard, and he keeps playing. The double bass player is slightly slouched. His fingers have wrinkled. There are lines on their foreheads and faces.

Twenty years has passed. Time has left its footprints on all of our faces. I have also grown up and become the person I once wished I never was. The duet has aged too, but their music and dedication never change.

However, everything else changes. Those businesses and technologies which happen yesterday become history in a moment. We chase for the achievements for every tomorrow, and never realize today, we are already drowning by the noisy and endless arguments. We live in the repeated routines and let time wear down our senses and feelings. We can hardly remember the last time we stopped for giving a look to those existence we are accustomed to.

Thankfully, no matter how time passes by, and how things change, and no matter if we stop by, the pianist and the double bass are always with us.

The duet is always our tenderest dependence.