Erika's Legacy of Bliss

Lady, your voice is like the north wind. Like the whispering of angels. Like the sound of a baby's first smile. It calms me and makes my heart soar, it makes my soul warm again, it makes me feel whole.

I know, I know... you've heard it before. You're used to the accolades and praise, the crowd clapping and whistling for you after every song. You've been told that you can sing for years and you've heard it all before but this is different. This time I'm not just praising your voice and your stage presence, but I am also trying to thank you for helping me live again. The life I once knew has disappeared around us and all that remains are the memories of what was lost. How it happened? Who knows! It doesn't really matter now anyway does it? What matters is that we exist in a world which seems so very foreign to us now. The cities are empty or burning or both, most of our neighbours have died off one by one until there's just a few left who have decided to leave everything behind and head out West to be with others like them. People like me who want to move on instead of being stuck in the past like well...you!

When I first saw you singing in front of our park I almost didn't believe my eyes at first. It was something I remembered from long ago when people still hurried off to work in the morning and headed home at night while they watched their favourite shows in between. That was back when people dressed up nicely, made polite conversation with strangers on elevators and looked out for each other when walking down the street. But then life took a turn for the worst, things got complicated and messy, people got scared and angry, hateful even. Crime rates rose because people were desperate to survive at any cost...and in turn we lost more lives than we saved. We stopped looking out for each other because we had no choice but to look out for ourselves first. Eventually most of us were too tired to even care about those who were left behind...until all that was left were just a few who still tried to make life somewhat normal but those days are long gone now too aren't they? Everything is all gone now but somehow you managed to hold on through it all!

I don't understand how someone can go on after losing everything...but you did! While everyone else was closed off living in their own little worlds afraid of what might be out there you decided to spread some joy by singing in public every morning as if nothing has changed at all! You inspired me Lady, along with many others here in Happiness Valley! Some say there's nothing left here but they're wrong! There's hope here! There's determination here! There's inspiration here! And somehow...there's still joy here too if even just for a little while longer because of someone like YOU!

Thank you Lady for singing for us no matter what happened, thank you for reminding us that life goes on whether we like it or not! Thank you for showing us that no matter how bad things are there's always a way forward if we're willing to look hard enough! Thank you for hoping against hope that maybe one day things will get better again and thank you for believing that maybe one day "everything" will actually be "everything" again - including my wife Kanae!

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