The Luthier

After a long conversation with her mom, who were in a business trip in New Kory and tricking his Uncle Rob's 'untamed' prairie, the three were able to get in the two story country house.

Rica recollects her memories when she was a child during their visits here. The noisy second steel doors were still functional. His uncle is too much paranoid of safety, and in fact always have big stainless doors painted in black which at the back just like the banks for safe keeping. The white tiles along the living room are still immaculate, matching the driveway garage's commercial metal blinds.

Zyan immediately notices the open backyard which full of metal and electronic scraps. He quickly traverses the narrow kitchen, passing the kitchen sinks with the faucet still running. He never dare to shut it, since a tall white ball mounted in a five meter steel bar caught his attention. He looks at it with awe and with his mouth wide open.

"Eureka!" he shouted.

"Fat boy got what he wants" Melanie shouted back as Zyan literally running and circling the infamous ray gun. "Hey Rica, how old are you in this picture?" she asks.

Rica rushes to see what Melanie is pointing at. She glances at the long lines of pictures of her mother's family. They were four boys and one girl, her mom the eldest. Her grandparents both died in a same year when she was 9. She looks up and see the framed three by six picture hanging on the wall. She smiled. It was a family picture during one of their visits, when his dad still alive.

"Mom told me they never liked him when they were still on college", Rica said pertaining to his father.

Melanie was confused. "Why?"

Rica walks near the other pictures standing above a cabinet, holding one after another. "You see, mom's family is a family of professionals. All of them are scientifically inclined. Uncle Rob is an engineer and scientist."

She lifts the other frame. "Uncle John, Uncle Sean, and Uncle Dean are doctors. Mom is a chemist. They don't see her marrying a non-science related person. They thought Dad wouldn't fit in."

"Then how come they married?"

"They ran away, and came back when they have me. Old Pop still furious but they have no choice. Until Dad became famous with his band, and this family started to like him. Mom always said that he brought music to their boring lives."

Melanie felt a piece of responsibility has been put on her shoulder. She turns her sight of the guitar case leaning on the corner. "You really need to get that fix."

A shockwave draws Rica to a sudden jolt of reality. "Oh yeah! I almost forgot it! Zyan! Let's go! "

Zyan has already put on the red Beats on his ears. He continuously bangs his head as he examines the buttons of the Tesla Gun.

Melanie shakes her head in disbelief. "I'll get the car ready". She quickly gets her purse in the red sofa and rushes to the driveway.

Before following her friend outside, Rica gave one more look to the old family picture. She said a little prayer, hoping a good thing will happen today.

The two girls took only half an hour from the country farm to the foot of Mt. Trece. Despite Melanie's turtle drive which annoyed farmers trailing them with their stacked hay, she managed to traversed Zyan's F150. The rough country road was no match to the truck's well-balance suspension.

As Rica gets out of the passenger seat, she quickly glances at the seven feet cabin surrounded by giant red woods. A big wooden door is ajar, and clearly displayed a busy woodcutting machines that surrounds the whole shops with noise.

Melanie signals Rica to get the guitar at the trunk. Both were amazed as they make their way to the shop. Bodies of guitars were aligned to the pathway. The smell of wood cuttings give aromas to the early afternoon. Every step they take is a noise of dried leaves. Crunchy.

They look at each other. This is it. Rica reaches for the steel doorknob.

"Who are you?"

Both turn their back to the door as they face a shot gun pointed at them. Melanie felt a quick panic as she hides herself behind Rica and hold tightly to the hard case of the guitar.

Rica holds her breath. "We're looking for a guitar maker around." She was surprised that the voice is from a 6 foot guy at their age.

"If you're here to buy this shop I told you before we're not interested!" he shouted. He grasps firmly to the gun and ready to fire.

"Hey we're not here to buy this one". Hell were teens can't you see? Rica said to herself. "We're looking for a guitar.. " she turns to frightened Melanie. "What do you call that? Lu..."

"Lu---" Melanie panics.

"A luthier."

The two girls almost jump as a low baritone voice from the door behind them completes the word they have been searching into their heads. An old bearded man came out of the door, full of wood cuttings on his grey apron and a big pair of goggles. He removes his leather gloves and revealed a scar in his right hand.

"Julian, put that gun down, you fool." he commanded. Julian, the one they encountered first was reluctant but still obeyed. "Come inside" the old man said as he opens the doors wide.

The frightened girls exhaled and hold their chests. Rica still locks her eyes with Julian. His khaki pants matches his white Nike shirt. His short manly hair and fair complexion matches Rica's El hombre de mis suenos --- man of her dreams. She suddenly forgot that this Julian almost got them killed.

They entered the wide guitar shop full of woods and acoustic guitars hanging on the walls. Two wood saws are still running. Two men are busy inspecting the pile of rosewoods, signing them with marks of famous guitar seller. Rica thought they also ship guitars.

The man signalled them to sit down around the square wooden table. They followed.

"I'm sorry for Julian. " He smiled and looks at the door where Julian still standing. "This property is up for grab now. He still can't accept that we have filed for bankruptcy". The two girls nodded. Rica personally felt guilty.

"What can I do for you two?" The man asks.

Rica quickly puts the guitar case on the table. She opens it and bears a destroyed Martin guitar. She gently gets the guitaras it's strings recoil and pieces of woods fall back to the case. Rica lifts her head to the man. He was shock.

"That's the... ---" he struggled to find words. His voice trembled. "I know that guitar."

The two look at each other. They were in disbelief.

"It's Robert's D-52."

"How do you know that?" Rica was puzzled.