Second chance
Joseph flipped through "Vanity Fair" in his hand, but his mind was elsewhere, not even explosive news could catch his attention like the one about Woody Allen's affair with his Korean adopted daughter Soon-Yi Previn, which put the wife Mia Farrow in an unbearable spot.
Soon-Yi was adopted by Mia Farrow and her ex-husband when she was not yet ten years old and came to Woody Allen's side with Mia during her growing up years. The quinquagenarian Woody had been playing the role of a father to her, but surprisingly, he fell in love with the 19-year-old Soon-Yi in 1990 and this made the situation very awkward.
Last week, when Mia was packing up in the living room, she accidentally found a box full of nude photos of her adopted daughter Soon-Yi, which revealed the terrifying secret affair between her husband and adopted daughter, which almost drove Mia to a breakdown. This scandalous love affair, exposed this week, had caused a sensation throughout the United States, not only because of the huge age gap between Woody and Soon-Yi but also because of their legal father-daughter relationship, which was truly shocking.
Thanks to the scandal in the Allen family, almost everyone's attention had been focused on the inside story of this gossip, and for several consecutive days, the front pages of major news media have been occupied by Woody Allen. In such a situation, even the 49th Golden Globe Awards were pushed to the side, not to mention Hugo's disgrace at the Razzies.
Originally, Joseph had intended to read the follow-up reports on "The Golden Raspberry Awards" and the auditions for "A River Runs Through It" in the magazine, but his mind was clearly not on the magazine. His peripheral vision kept drifting away involuntarily. At this moment, Hugo was sitting at the only desk in the room, leaning over a magazine and scribbling on it randomly, with a very focused expression. In the poor lighting of the room, he looked particularly gentle.
After they drove home just now, Hugo searched for a pen and looked for paper everywhere, claiming that he wanted to record his creative inspiration, but unfortunately, he couldn't find any blank paper. In the end, Hugo took a magazine and started writing and drawing on the blank spaces.
Joseph felt that he had really opened his eyes. Hugo could actually create music. On the one hand, he felt incredible and unwilling to believe it, seemingly showing an indifferent attitude. But on the other hand, he was very curious about what Hugo could come up with. Although he had heard Hugo hum a few lines just now and thought it was really a good song, it did not mean that Hugo could create a complete song. So, Joseph was really curious about what kind of song Hugo would write.
"Ah ha!" Hugo had been humming to himself for a long time, then he showed a big smile. From the side, the joy at the corners of his mouth and eyes seemed to flow like a golden light, forming a handsome profile in the interplay of light and shadow, which was indescribable.
Joseph was wondering whether this was a signal of smooth progress or whether the creation had been completed. Hugo suddenly stretched and yawned, causing Joseph to immediately avert his gaze and focus on the magazine. However, after pretending to be engrossed for a while, Joseph didn't hear any sound. Unable to resist, he secretly moved his gaze to the right, and soon caught a glimpse of Hugo once again studying the old magazine, which relieved Joseph. He slowly straightened his neck, wanting to see how Hugo's progress was.
Suddenly, Hugo turned his head, and Joseph, who had also just turned his head, met his gaze, causing Joseph to feel a bit embarrassed. He managed to suppress his urge to cough and calmly looked back at the magazine, but his trembling back betrayed his secret.
Seeing Joseph's forced appearance, Hugo's smile broke out uncontrollably. He then turned to face Joseph and sat down, "I've finished creating, how about it, do you want to take a look?"
Joseph's gaze remained fixed on the magazine, but he couldn't see whether the person in front of him was Woody Allen or Mia Farrow. He finally found the opportunity to cough lightly, "I don't understand music, why would you show it to me."
"Creation is finished, let's exchange ideas. If you can't read sheet music, you can read the lyrics." Hugo actually knew that Joseph was very curious, after all, his previous self had never shown any musical talent. It was sudden for him to start creating music. As Joseph's manager, he naturally had a curious mind. So Hugo thought, instead of hiding it, it was better to openly communicate with Joseph. Besides, the meaning of music is to share. If it's just one person enjoying it, then the value of music cannot be reflected.
Joseph still didn't take his eyes off the magazine in front of him. He pondered for a while, as if he was thinking about something, and then said, "You can sing it once, and let's listen. The effect of a song can only be known after it's sung. Just reading the lyrics won't reveal anything."
Hugo didn't answer, just chuckled, which made Joseph feel a bit awkward, but he still maintained his calm expression. "What are you laughing at?" Hugo shook his head and waved his hand, "Nothing, it's just that it's my first time singing a self-created song, so I'm a bit nervous."
In the past, Hugo was the rhythm guitarist in Glory or Death band, not the lead singer. Although he occasionally filled in as the secondary vocalist, it wasn't his main job. So technically speaking, Hugo's statement wasn't false.
[...
My eyes are open wide
By the way, I made it through the day
I watched the world outside
By the way, I'm leaving out today
...]
Hugo's voice was warm, with a light blue melancholy, slowly flying like fireflies in the dirty and messy small room, gradually blending the moving melody into the deep recesses of the heart.
But suddenly, Hugo burst out with tremendous energy, and the strength in his voice gradually released along with the rising melody. Unlike the hoarseness of rock music, it was more like a velvety thickness that constantly pulled and swayed amidst the turbulent waves, extremely gorgeous.
[...
Well, I just saw Halley's comet, she waved
Said, "Why you always runnin' in place?"
Even the man in the moon disappeared
Somewhere in the stratosphere
...]
Then Hugo couldn't help but close his eyes, and all the momentum was released in this moment.
[...
Tell my mother, tell my father
I've done the best I can
To make them realize, this is my life
I hope they understand
...]
Listening carefully to the emotions in the lyrics, the sunshine in the sourness and guilt was like the sunlight penetrating through the dark clouds, coating the black and heavy clouds with a layer of light golden color, so beautiful that it left people speechless. Hugo's profound interpretation of the lyrics fully realized the sentiments of the melody.
Joseph was a little surprised. He guessed that this was a very good song, but it was far beyond his imagination. He also guessed that Hugo had a good voice, although his singing skills were still a bit inexperienced, but the emotional outburst overshadowed these flaws and made this song exude endless charm.
Joseph could clearly sense Hugo's internal struggle, torn between family ties and the pull of his dreams, a story that almost everyone experiences at some point in their lives. The question was whether to succumb to the pressures of life or break free from constraints and pursue one's dreams.
In Hugo's song, he gave his answer:
[...
I'm not angry, I'm just saying
Sometimes "Goodbye" is a second chance
----------------
Please don't cry one tear for me
I'm not afraid of what I have to say
This is my one and only voice
So listen close, it's only for today
...]
Hugo poured all his entanglement, hesitation, pain, and reminiscence into the song, weaving them into the melody, singing them out in an emotional torrent. It was like standing at the edge of a cliff and shouting into the empty valley, letting it all unfettered.
"Sometimes "Goodbye" is a second chance" this was Hugo's answer, simple, plain, yet real and moving. Joseph looked at Hugo, who was performing with all his might, and felt a twinge of emotion deep in his heart. Despite Hugo's positive attitude and hard work since winning the Golden Raspberry Award, this moment seemed different because Joseph gleaned the power of dreams in Hugo.
[...
Here's my chance
This is my chance
...]
Hugo's voice expressed the emotions deep in his heart completely. Regardless of whether the audition for "Scent of a Woman" was successful or not, the uneasiness and anxiety he felt after crossing over dissipated at this moment. Hugo knew that this was his opportunity, and if he didn't seize it, he would not only fail to live up to God's arrangement but also regret it for the rest of his life. Therefore, he didn't plan to hesitate anymore, nor did he plan to worry anymore. He would firmly grasp this opportunity and pursue his own dream because he didn't want to miss it.
"Second chance." this was Hugo's heartfelt voice at this moment!
Joseph looked at Hugo's passionate face and couldn't help but exclaim from the bottom of his heart. He wanted to say something but couldn't find the right words. In Joseph's view, Hugo was saying that after experiencing the struggle on the brink of life and death at the Golden Raspberry Awards ceremony, he survived and this was God's second chance for him. He would hold on tightly to it. This persistence moved Joseph.
However, a series of sharp phone rings interrupted this beautiful moment, not only ending Hugo's singing but also interrupting Joseph's inner disturbance. Joseph stood up awkwardly and walked to the bedside table to answer the landline. "Yes, this is Joseph Gibbs, Hugo Lancaster's agent."
Joseph glanced at Hugo and continued, "Yes... no problem, of course... okay, I understand... We'll get back to you later about this matter, okay?... Alright, thank you for calling."
After hanging up the phone, Joseph turned to face Hugo's curious and expectant gaze, took a deep breath, and suppressed the excitement in his voice. "You got the role of Charlie!"