1 . As I was walking along the river one day, enjoying some hot chocolate with the sun shining down on me on a nice spring day, I was in the mood to do something nice for a ________ and started looking around for an opportunity. Not long after that, I found I was ________ by a complete stranger and he started talking to me aggressively. I could tell he was probably ________ due to a strong smell of alcohol, so I just stayed calm and kept walking ahead. There were hundreds of people ________ around nearby, so I wasn’t that worried.

As I tried to change my ________, he kept following me. At one point, he literally cornered me near the rail next to the river. I got really ________, praying that one of the many people nearby who watched this whole episode unfold would be ________ enough to help me out of the situation.

________ later, a couple passed by me and had seen everything happen. Just when I felt completely helpless, the lady came along, linked her arm into mine and said, “Darling, why don’t you come with us?” and started ________ me away from the guy. ________, her husband stayed between us and the guy and gestured for him to walk in the other direction. The guy started swearing and getting angry, while the sweet lady ________ me, saying don’t worry. Finally, once he left, she said, “Why don’t you carry on walking where you were going and we’ll make sure he goes away and leaves you ________.” As I rushed away, I was still badly shaken, but at the same time had feelings of immense ________ for this random couple who chose to ________ me. Here I was, thinking I was on a mission to do a random act of kindness, when instead, I ended up on the ________ end. I guess it is equally important to learn how to receive and to feel grateful for the kindness of others.

2 . Hearing the notes coming from the other side of the wall, Giorgio was moved. This was our way of saying “I don't know who you are, but I'm here. You're not ____________.”

It turned out his neighbor's name was Emil and he was 78 years old, __________ from Poland. His wife had __________ in December from COVID-19 and the ___________ in which he was staying was a temporary accommodation until he would sell his house. The only comfort left to Emil was his __________. The reason he was playing at 2 p.m. every weekend and also duetting (二重奏) at that time with Giorgio was because of his ___________.

“When I wrote the song—Dear Emil, I started __________ Emil's life. A 78 widower that lost the love of his life because of this stupid ____________. Spending days alone at home due to lockdown, playing her favorite piano song every weekend, until a __________ appeared on his door, one which read you are __________, and not alone. And a new friendship started, two pianos between a wall. Although they didn't know who was playing, it didn't __________ . You can be the __________ to somebody else's darkness.” said Giorgio.

Giorgio shared on March 14th that he’d received __________ that Emil had left the world forever in his sleep: “And now he is __________ his wife.” “Dear Emil,” he wrote. “I knew little about you, but you __________ my life. You gave me back my passion, believing music can be powerful.”