𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐦 𝐁𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫𝐬

1879 - England

The big mansion situated in the countryside was surrounded by maple trees, the fountain was covered with red leaves making the water reflect with the colors of the sunset.
The Bayers family was well known in the city, everyone knew them as a calm family always ready to lend a hand to anyone who needed it. It was made up of the father of the family, Erick, a  man who dressed elegantly, wore a beautiful gold pocket clock that he checked repeatedly, his temper was calm and affable and he devotedly loved his wife, Eloise, a beautiful woman with a gentle french accent, her manner were elegant and she loved helping and chatting with the ladies of the village. They had a son named William, he had brown redish hair that covered the sides of his face, amber eyes that looked like a fawn's and freckles on his cheeks of a delicate pink color, since from an early age he had been educated privately by his father who was very strict with him about his lessons, expecially the piano's ones, despite this his parents cared a lot about him and wanted the best from him."One day you will be famous like Mozart or Beethoven, you will bring notability to our family, our name will be recognized everywhere!"; They always told that he was special, that he was a child prodigy and William grew up with the idea that he couldn't make any kind of mistake, he was really polite and kind and he respected everyone to not disappoint anyone. His parents did not allow him to go out much, they told him that the other children were stupid and that he was better than them and even if he met one he was not allowed to play with them. When he went out with his mother all the ladies complimented him; "What a beautiful child! He will be a perfect man when he will grow up!" William thanked with a small bow, everyone knew him as the perfect child of one of the most noble and cultured family of the little village. He loved his mom very much, she always read to him poems and old fairytails in the beautiful mansion's garden while looking at the flowers and brushing his soft hair.

[. . .]

It was a rainy afternoon in mid-October, the little William of just 11 years old was about to perform in the house of a noble gentleman, friend of his father. "So this is the little prodigy that everyone is talking about?" said the gentleman to Erick watching William with a judging face, William hided a bit behind his mom holding her hand, "Don't worry my dear friend, he will not disappoint you! Our little William practiced for more than a month for this day" said Erick with a proud tone, Eloise gently strocked William's head and whispered to him "don't worry mon choux, you will be perfect" William smiled nervously at her but felt a little better.

The hall was full of high-ranking people talking and whispering to each other. William felt really nervous and he was scared to disappoint everyone, his father had already told everyone how good he was and that he knew how to play perfectly. It was time to play and everyone stood in silence to listen to William's performance. His anxiety rose with every key he pushed, the melancholic melody echoed throughout the silent hall. His heart was beating fast like the rain outside and suddently his finger slipped, making him miss a note and William suddenly stopped playing, his eyes were full of anger and he was thinking to himself; "I made a mistake? Me?". The hall was now silent and the only thing audible were murmurs, everyone's eyes were on him, Eloise had a scared face, frightened of how the gossip would spread about his loved child and Erick looked at him with an angry and disappointed air.

"Excuse me for wasting your time my dear friend, I promise you that it won't happen again" Erick said to the nobleman who had an impatient and angry face, Eloise held the little William's trembling hand in the carriage that would take them home. The homecoming was silent until Erick looked at William and with and angry voice said to him: “Do you know now what gossip will circulate about us? You have dishonored our name, you are an useless child, a failure" at that words something in William broke and he looked at his father with eyes full of tears "...I'm sorry, I was nervous...", Eloise sitted in silence still holding William's hand, she couldn't do nothing. That night William had a nightmare. He was in the hall of that nobleman and a distorted melody was playing, "you are an useless child, you are a failure" were the only words that he could hear.
Some weeks later a ball was organized by his parents to stop the gossip, William would perform again that evening.
Since that "incident" Erick became more strict and he did not allow William to leave the house in any way to practice all day. Whenever William made any mistakes, Erick proceeded to "correct him";

-"you know that I do this for your own good, William" the sound of the wooden ruler on William soft arm echoed in the big room
-"I know" said the little boy with the tears in his eyes "thank you for correcting me father, I won't be a failure I promise."

[. . .]

The hall was filled with noble people with elegant dresses and sophisticated hair, they all looked like peacocks competing on who was more beautiful. William went silently to the kitchen, he didn't like big crowds of people, the maids and butlers were in the hall and he taked that opportunity to  steal a fresh bignè like a little mouse;
"Look what we have here, a little thief" said one of the maids jokingly who had just entered the kitchen, William turned around quickly "please don't tell my father, he doesn't like when I eat sweets..."
"I won't" said the maid smiling "but go away now before the others come back", William made a little smile and then ran in the aisle that would have taken to the hall. He was now standing in a corner nervously and waiting patiently to perform, the words of his father were still in his mind and he walked away to distract himself. After arriving again in the big aisle his ears were attracted to a male voice; "That child will not become anyone, he is only a fool if he thinks he will be famous, he just wants his name to be remembered because he was descended from rough peasants dear Mr. Bayers" It was the noble gentleman from that afternoon who was talking to Erick; "Your son will be a failure, music is not for him Mr. Bayers" at those words William's anger rose and a whisper was in his head: "you are a failure William, you are an useless child"
"I am..." William sanity disappeaerd as he looked at an old dagger that was displayed on a beautiful forniture, he took it and then ran in the room where the two adults were talking; "I AM NOT, I AM NOT A FAILURE" he threw himself on the noble man, Erick tried to stop him  but William wounded him by hitting his leg with the dagger, making him fall and his head hit the cold floor.
William watched his father body with a cold espression on the face and he didn't notice that the noble man had escaped. Erick's body was lying on the floor while his blood slowly poured out of his mouth. The glass of the beautiful gold clock that Erick always had in his pocket was shattered.
The room's floor was now tinted with a beautiful red color like the leaves that were in the garden. William was waltzing happily and alone in that big aisle, while the moon was shining through the tall windows, he had a calm expression on his face, as if he was finally free now, and the old dagger behind his back. Suddently a gentle voice stopped him; "Mon choux? Where are you?" It was the beautiful Eloise's voice, William was so happy to hear his mom and wanted to run quickly in her warm arms "I am here maman-" He felt a big pain behind his back and everything was suddently dark.

[. . .]

Eloise was holding her little precious child's body, crying and screaming in pain, the nobleman was being taken away by the gardes; he turned back to kill the kid with a knife.
All the others nobles were around Eloise trying to comfort her but nothing seemed to work.
William's tormented soul was now standing in silence, looking at that tragic scene of which he was the protagonist, everyone couldn't see him anymore,
suddently he spoke:
"Don't worry maman, everyone will remember me one day, I promise."

His body, followed by that of his father, was transported in the morning to a cemetery near London, after the requiem mass. Eloise held close to her a necklace decorated with the locks of hair of her deceased loved ones while she was crying now resigned to the rest of her life.

[. . .]

William's story was heard for years after that day, many people say that they have heard instruments playing by themselves in old theaters, many say that they heard child's laughs in antique shops, one thing is certain; His soul still wants to be noticed, and someday maybe everyone will know about him, everyone will know about William Bayers.