(was there ever a man so rich?!)
As far as the helpfulness of Pan's advice... well, he did not understand the full situation. Teo wants to say "well I have a great voice" but that would just be rude after Pan's gleefully out-of-tune singing. He smiles, even though the smile lacks heart, and shakes his head as if in disbelief. "You are wise beyond your years! Thank you, Pan." His words are sincere, even though he does not have the heart to explain that it was not the quality of his voice that was the problem. Mateo was terribly afraid of an audience, even a small one. Logic had nothing to do with it, or confidence. For years he had searched for a cure, but somewhere along the way he had given up and resigned himself to books and stories and songs that would remain unsung.
"Pink dolphins?" Mateo's question is left to the wind alone, and it goes unanswered. The boy is already racing off across the meadow, happy as a bumblebee. Mateo watches for a moment as the situation sinks in (what just happened) and eventually he laughs and continues to walk. He begins to improvise a song under his breath, quiet enough that only the prairie grass can hear.
"a boy always knows
what a man cannot,
a river always flows
where a--"
Soon enough boy, and man, and song are gone to the morning.
- - - -
@Pan it was a pleasure <3
