Vision #5 – The 1/5th Music Store

B.P.K. – 11/03/2025

I opened my eyes and saw…

…a busy city street.

I was standing on the sidewalk looked out toward the street. Cars, taxis, and buses were passing by, near bumper-to-bumper in this crowded city. Cars were honking angrily at one another. The smells in the air assailed my senses: burning rubber, cooking meat, and a host of other smells that all seemed to merge in my nose to become just a single unpleasant smell. Tall buildings shot up into the sky everywhere I looked crowding out the blue sky above me. I looked around to see if I could see anything that stood out; the purpose for this sight, but everything seemed to fit perfectly in this place. It all belonged here. It was a normal downtown street in the middle of the day.

I lady brushed past me as she hurried along her way. A man stepped past me and grunted his disapproval for me simply standing there idle. Everyone that passed had that vacant look of hurry to destinations both routine and mundane. I stepped back against the closest building to get out of the flow of people on the sidewalk.

I felt a tug on my pant leg and looked down to see a boy in shabby clothes sitting on the ground. I crouched down next to him. He smiled at me and wiped his face with one of his dirty hands. His eyes were a brilliant green shade that stood out in such contrast to the grime that has accumulated on his face.

Before I could say anything to him, he pointed across the street and said, “You’re supposed to be on the other side.”

His words burned in my heart as he spoke. I knew instantly what he was: an angel. I wanted to ask him so many questions, but they all faded away as he shook his head at me kindly. He pointed again toward the opposite side of the busy street. I stood to my feet and started to head toward the nearest crosswalk. The boy caught my pant leg again and said with a smile, “Look both ways.”

“I will.” I told him, then added, “Thank you.”

He nodded and in the next instant he was gone. I blinked and rubbed my eyes. I looked again and all I saw now was the concrete where he had been. His words echoed in my ears, “You’re supposed to be on the other side.” And “Look both ways.” I turned and walked quickly to the crosswalk at the nearest corner. I waited with the crowd there until the light changed. I rushed across the street trying my best not to be trampled in the crowd. I did look both ways the whole way across.

Now I stood on the opposite side. I looked up the row of shops along this side of the street and saw something strange. All the stores were of the same size but one. I walked towards it. As I walked closer, I saw a sign above the narrow store that read: The 1/5 Music Store. The words were gold on a dark red background. I knew that was where I was supposed to be. I walked up to the door and pulled it open. The music store was only slightly wider than the doorway. I stepped up and into it. The glass door jingled as it closed behind me. The smell of jasmine and pine replaced the overwhelming stench of the busy streets outside. I took a deep breath and relaxed.

On each wall of the store were shelves that held records from every genre known to man. I was thankful there were only two other patrons in the store at the time. One was an older woman browsing the records close to me by the entrance. The other was a young man further back in the store. I realized then that the store must have been as deep as the building itself because I saw sunlight streaming in the glass wall at the far end. There was another entrance there to another street.

“Why am I here?” I whispered.

I felt a gentle breeze blow from behind me. It was drawing me deeper into the store. I passed the old lady and said, “Excuse me.” as I passed her. She looked up at me through square framed glasses and smiled.

As I went deeper into the store I realized there was music playing softly from somewhere in the center. I saw now that the center of the store was wider than the rest of it. It has two counters built into the alcoves on either side. There were two registers for sales. I saw no one at the counters as I approached them, but the gentle music was growing louder.

I stepped up to one of the counters and saw a man sitting behind it playing a small instrument that I didn’t recognize. It was made of wood and looked hand-crafted. He blew across the holes in the wood and that’s how the sound was made. He looked up at me but continued to play his instrument. I listened to the song. I recognized the melody now. It was a song from my childhood.

When he finished playing he stood up and walked over to the counter. He held the instrument out to me and said, “I’ve been waiting for you. This is for you.”

I took the instrument in my hand and in that instant…

…I let go and found myself returned.

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