Melody of the Soul
Copyright B.G. Q. 2000. All Rights Reserved.


ACTORS                       ACTRESSES
Tony-Gallen Lo              Cathy-Jessica Hsuan
Chris-Louis Koo             Sandy-Ada Choi
Tommy-Julian Cheung    Alice-Nadia Chan
Eric-Deric Wan               Joanne-Kenix Kwok
Michael-Sunny Chan       Tina-Mariane Chan
Jerry-Bobby Au-Yeung
Johnny-Jacky Lui


CHAPTER 7

Cathy: [It’s so late. Should I call him at this hour?…Why not, just to make sure I can reach him this time.] (She finally dialed the number after fighting herself.)
Chris: Hello? (woke up by the phone call)
Cathy: Hello Chris?
Chris: Cathy? (surprised and happy)
Cathy: I’m sorry to have called at this time, but I just want to thank you…thank you a whole lot for what you did tonight. If wasn’t for you, I’d probably be digging my face somewhere in humiliation right now.
Chris: (laughed) No way. That was nothing! If you count me as a friend then you shouldn’t bother with that at all! And if your performance weren’t great, it wouldn’t have made a difference whether I was up there or not.
Cathy: What can I say? It seems like every time I’m in trouble you suddenly show up and help me out.
Chris: If it makes you feel any better, just consider that last lifetime I must have owed you something.
Cathy: (smiled) Hm…if that is true I guess I can depend on you in future for more help, right?
Chris: Any time!
Cathy: Well, it’s getting late now. I’ll let you get back to sleep.
Chris: You should get some rest too. It must have been a tiring night.
Cathy: OK, sleep well and thanks again.
Chris: Sleep well.
As they hung up, Chris’s phone rang again.
Chris: Hello?
Tommy: Hey Chris, you’re not asleep yet, are you?
Chris: I was going to, but since you called…
Tommy: (laughed) Glad to have cut your beauty sleep. We were looking for you this evening but you just disappeared. You should have seen…It was her first performance and she already had fans surrounding her outside.
Chris: That’s not very surprising. She’s quite attractive.
Tommy: She scared all of us at first though…and we were even more shocked when you stepped on the stage.
Chris: Oh, that…just felt like helping her out.
Tommy: Whoa, since when did you learn to be so nice?
Chris: And since when did you learn to be so nosy? This was her first chance to make a good impression. As a friend I couldn’t just see her lose it!
Tommy: I was just joking with you; anyone of us would have tried to, just that your way was so…creative?
Chris: (forced out a laugh) Well, is that all you wanted to know?
Tommy: I don’t even know why I called you. I just couldn’t fall asleep.
Chris: [And I wonder why!?]


After Cathy’s initial performance on stage, Pacific Records had comprehended that they were indeed holding a valuable crystal ball. Immediately, they had put up plans for her first CD, titling the main song “And You Stepped in My Life”. Even Tony was surprised with the purchasing rate. Subsequently, the second, the third, and the fourth of her CDs had been released in rather a short term. Little did Cathy realize this was only the beginning of the never-ending competition.

Pacific Records
Joanne waited patiently for Cathy outside the record room. She looked especially beautiful today with a short, dark blue dress and little contrasting white flowers. As Tommy and Cathy step out, she quickly put away her makeup.
Cathy: Joanne? (She and Tommy stepped to her)
Tommy: Wow, you look great. What’s the occasion?
Cathy: Hm…Even though I know you dress up all the time but you do look especially nice today! [I bet that she’s not here just to see me.]
Joanne: Actually I just happened to come across this place so I decided to see how you are doing.
Cathy: (noticed that Joanne was talking to her but looking at Tommy) Are you talking to me?
Joanne: Of course I’m talking to you (gave Cathy a wink without Tommy recognizing it).
Cathy: (instantly knew what Joanne was up to) Well, since we’re all free right now, why don’t we go for an early dinner?
Joanne: I thought you’d never ask! I mean…I don’t have any plan, why not?

In the restaurant
Even before they could order the food, Cathy made up an excuse to leave. She knew quite well that Joanne was always hoping to spend some time alone with Tommy. This was a perfect time to help her friend out like she promised.
Cathy: Oh no, I totally forgot I have an appointment with my friend today. She must have been waiting over 10 minutes already. Sorry guys, I really have to get going.
Tommy: In that case you should hurry. It’s not such a great feeling to wait for someone a long time.
Joanne: What about this meal?
Cathy: I guess I’m not very lucky tonight then. How about next time? OK, enjoy your meal!
Joanne: But…hey…[Oh no, what should I do now?]
Waiter: May I take your order?
Joanne: Um…[If I remember right, Cathy told me that Tommy loves steak.] Uh…can we have two steaks please?
Tommy: Actually…tonight I’d prefer shrimp soup.
Joanne: Oh, I’m sorry.
Tommy: No, no problem. How does lobster sound?
Joanne: Sure that’s great. (The waiter left.) I didn’t know you like seafood?
Tommy: I guess I just started to…


Cathy walked by herself, feeling somewhat lonesome. All the sudden she wished somebody could be there with her at the moment. As she passed by many couples on the street, she spontaneously felt a sort of emotion…Jealousy or remorse, she did not know. As she took her purposeless walk back home, a beige Mercedes stopped in front of her.
Tony: (stuck his head out the window) Any plan for tonight, Miss Superstar?
Cathy: (leaned on his car) Not unless you can think of some.
Tony: Well, how does a drink sound?
Cathy: It’s not often that I get treated for a drink from Mister Businessman, of course I won’t let the chance slip away.
Tony: Then step in.

Mimosa Café
Cathy: I’d like a custard-apple please.
Tony: I’ll take a Margarita.
Cathy: I can’t believe I’m already making my 5th CD! Time does fly, doesn’t it?
Tony: That’s why you have to make lots of money now so by the time you’re old and disabled, you will have something to spend.
Cathy: (chuckled) Tony…is that really all that you think of?
Tony: That’s not the only thing, but you can say that’s one of the main things.
Cathy: My theory is different than yours, surprisingly. Being famous does not bother me so much…at least for now it doesn’t. I just know that music is one part of my life and so are the people around me. Money…hm…that is slightly a bigger deal, but also not enough to bother me. Money can’t buy everything. It surely cannot provide me happiness. Since I don’t have to take care of anyone else, I’m already satisfied.
Tony: (purposely stubborn) It’s possible that money can’t bring people happiness but people surely can’t be happy without it.
Cathy: That is so old!
Tony couldn’t help but laugh to see her reaction.
Tony: But…seriously, I have to agree with you that there are many more important things than money.
Cathy: Oh?
Tony: (looked at her drinking her custard-apple) Like…I…um…
Cathy: (raised her eyebrow at him) Yes? Like?…Is there something wrong?
Tony: …no, nothing…(A disappointed look showed on his face as she looked back down at her drink.) How is it going with your teamwork…you and Tommy?
Cathy: Oh, it’s great…no question needed about that. His songs miraculously seem to suit my voice a hundred percent.
Tony: If there wasn’t any passion or special feelings inside him, I don’t think he would be able to write songs as good as those…. Cathy, anyone can see that he likes you.
Cathy: (almost choked over her water) [How did he possibly know about this? Is it really that obvious?… But again, he’s Tony. What can escape his eyes?]
She stayed silent, trying to come up with something to say.
Tony: (saw her struggle) Suppose you didn’t know…Forget what I just said.
Cathy: I’m telling you what you’re thinking is wrong.
Tony: All right, then I’m wrong. Forget about this. Here, (lifted his glass) happy “collaboration”!

Tommy and Joanne walked together on the sidewalk. As they looked ahead, they saw Cathy and Tony walking out from Mimosa Café.
Joanne: Ah ha, so the “girl” she was talking about is Tony! Tommy, what do you think? Should we go over and have a little “talk” with them?
Tommy: Huh? Oh, um…don’t bother them. Why don’t I give you a ride home?
Joanne: But…
Tommy: Come on, it’s getting late.
As Tommy drove away, he took one last look at Cathy and Tony with disturbance. “So she either tried to set me up with Joanne or there’s something going on between them.” Neither thought proved pleasant to Tommy. He pressed down on the gas pedal, forgetting that Joanne was next to him. The night promised to be a long night!


Joanne had asked Tommy to drop her off at Cathy’s house. By the time Cathy was back, she found Alice, Sandy, and Joanne sitting in the living room waiting for her. Joanne immediately got up.
Joanne: Ahha, tell us now. Where have you been?
Cathy: What, you all are sitting here because of me?
Sandy: Hmmm…someone’s forgotten the time already, must have had a lot of fun hah?
Cathy: I was out with a friend, like I told you at the restaurant!?
Joanne: Tommy and I saw you with Tony walking out from Mimosa.
Cathy: Fine fine, so I did go with him, happy? We incidentally saw each other; I was bored, so we went for a drink…short and simple (dropped herself on the sofa).
Sandy: What about the restaurant? You told them you were meeting with some girl.
Cathy: Do you really want to know?
Both Sandy and Joanne: Of course!
Cathy: I made it up so that you could have some time alone with Tommy. Isn’t that what you want? Is everything clear now?
Joanne: Ahhh, I see now. What a nice friend I have! (Gave Cathy a hug) But that won’t be necessary in the future.
Cathy: Are you sure? (Joanne smiled without giving her answer)…I guess that’s a no (looked at Alice and Sandy, who were exchanging looks at each other).

After Joanne left
Sandy: Why did you do that? You should know that Tommy really likes you.
Cathy: Well, then just pretend like I don’t know.
Sandy: (stood up) Cathy, stop lying to yourself. I don’t believe that you don’t have any feeling toward Tommy. Have you realized that you talk less and less of Tony while you keep bringing up Tommy? After working with him all this time, I don’t believe that you’ve never been touched with his motions.
Cathy: (also stood up) Do you know the difference between the word “touched” and the word “love”?
Sandy: Yes, and Tommy loves you, not Joanne.
Cathy: He’s my close friend, Sandy!
Sandy: Fine, tell me if you felt anything while you were with Tony tonight. Any outburst of happiness?
Cathy:…(looked the other way)
Sandy: If you still have that feeling for him like you did three years ago, you would have ran in from that door and couldn’t wait to tell us about your little drink with him….(sighed) I don’t see any of that now.
Cathy: (walked to her room)
Sandy: Cathy, don’t be looking over another hill because you can never be too sure the grass on that side is greener than the one that you’re standing on! Why chase after a dream that might never come true when in reality you can just turn the knob of this door to find the one that will try to bring you happiness?
Alice: (said calmly after her silence) Sandy, and you too, can’t be too sure that’s just a dream. What if that dream can also become reality?
Sandy and Cathy both halted with Alice’s words. Sandy looked at Alice in perplexity, where as Cathy, after stopping, continued to walk to her room.

As the city fell deep in its peaceful sleep, Cathy rolled on her bed uncomfortably. Knowing that she wouldn’t be able to fall asleep soon, Cathy got up and lifted her window curtains. The streets were awfully quiet that night. She sat down on her chair and thought of what Sandy said to her. She couldn’t deny the truth: her feelings as of this moment were not the same as those six months ago. No, there was no burst of excitement or happiness after the drink with Tony. And no, she did not feel so great to have left Tommy and Joanne in the restaurant. Could it be that Sandy was right, that Tommy had occupied an unknown position in her heart? She tried but could not provide an answer to the question. She let out a sigh…“Why chase after a dream that might never come true when in reality you can just turn the knob of this door to find the one that will try to bring you happiness?…” And what did Alice mean when she said “What if that dream can also become reality?” She had finally figured out her feelings for Tony, but the question of Tommy was not even provided with a vague answer.