The Selection

Chapter 51: Playing

I can remember a long time ago, Heidi told me that Gabe had taken Farrah on a date in the basement. She said that there was a movie theatre down there. When I had imagined a movie theatre in a basement, I thought of a few comfy chairs and a projector, but I had never been so wrong.

I took in the room as he guided me down the stairs. Anne had begged to babysit Christian for the entire week and every single night Adam took me to another remote area in the castle. Dusty libraries, abandoned barns and an attic that hadn't been touched in years. All holding pieces of Illeá that no one bothered to think about anymore. Tonight, he brought me back to the movie theatre.

"This is just.... Wow," I said, a loss for words. "I don't think I realized before how beautiful it is."

"I know. It's not used much often anymore. I've read about it. Your husbands great-great grandfather used to hold parties in the castle all the time, even invited locals," he explained. He motioned for me to walk down the aisle, further away from the overhead balcony, which I could see now had chairs lining to the ceiling.

"He used to host musicals here," Adam continued, "They used to practice every night. Some of Illeá's best musicians played here, even yourself-"

"You know that I play?" I interrupted.

"Of course," he said, squinting his eyes in a way that made me feel dumb, "I've stood outside your door on watch. You play very well, you sing well too." He told me as he passed me to stride along the side of the stage.

"Where did you read that at?" I asked, digging for information about which books to read. I wanted to be as knowledgable as him.

"Hmm. I'm not sure, I've read half of the books in that library. It gets lonely around here," he said.

"What? You don't have a pretty maid looking at you?" I teased.

"No mam, I'm not good enough for any of them," he joked back.

"Oh, I doubt that," I said. "You just take your job to seriously."

"Well any time that I don't, my priority gets stolen so I've decided, no distractions," he admitted as he climbed the stage and disappeared behind the red velvet curtains.

"Well, thank you for making me feel like the cause of your lack of love life," I whispered.

He barked out a laugh, "Love life!"

I giggled back but stopped in awe as the curtains departed revealing a large white grand piano, even more beautiful then the one I'd played in the Ladies Room.

"Wow!" I exclaimed, I climbed the stage in the most unladylike way and Adam grabbed my arm to pull me up.

"It has been played by so many wonderful musicians. Used in every musical ever played here including some dates back before the war," he informed me.

"Wow," I whispered this time. I ran my hand across the top, sweeping dust off from neglect.

Adam followed close behind studying my reaction, "I figured, well, that a musician like you deserves to play an instrument like this."

I glanced between him and the majestic piano. I watched as he pulled the bench out and smiled, motioning me towards it. I smiled back and made my way around the piano to sit. Smoothing my dress, I sat on the cushioned velvet and revealed the keys. They were glossy white when I was so used to seeing aged yellow.

"Can you open the top Adam?" I asked.

"Of course," he responded to me and lifted the lid, propping it open. I glanced inside before returning to the keys, placing my hands on either side trying to decide what I'd like to see my hands play.

"Wait," Adam stopped me. "I have one more surprise for you."

He unfolded papers from his back pocket, crumpled and old, he flattened them out on the lip of the piano.

"Mozart's 31st Symphony," he whispered. "You've been humming it since watching the documentary."

"Where did you find this?" I asked.

"It took some digging. It's not an original and I know nothing about music but I think this is all of it," he told me. I flipped through the many pages.

"Can you play it?" He asked.

I didn't answer, well at least I didn't with words. I began drumming my fingers against the keys, my heart pouring out into this beautiful ballad. I felt every single emotion that went with it from anger to love to wonder. I thought about how Mozart felt as he wrote down each note after the last, What was going through his mind as he musically aired out how he felt. When the symphony ended I continued, letting my emotion take over from fearful to blissful to loneliness. I ended on notes that rang loud throughout theatre.

I opened my eyes and glanced at Adam who's smile was bright. I smiled in return and shook my head.
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Another week and Gabriel was still stowed away in his office. That was all right though because I spent my days reading book after book. I read aloud though, so the Christian could hear the stories as well.

One day, as I was reading about a war in our old country against itself, Adam snuck in. He was comfortable enough to do that now as he was my main company. We turned into true friends in the past almost month of adventuring together.

"Oh," I exclaimed, surprised. "I hadn't seen you there."

"I know, I've been here for almost an hour," he laughed. "Emancipation Proclamation."

"Excuse me?" I asked, confused.

"That's how that war ended. That was the beginning of the end of slavery."

"Spoiler alert," I said, as I slammed the book shut.

He laughed quietly, "I could just give you history lessons. You don't have to read."

"I like to read. It takes you away from reality and to a whole different world."

"Hm, I guess when you put it that way-"

"But you can tell me what you know about slavery. I'm interested," I laughed, putting my hand on Christians stomach. His eyes followed my hand and he laughed to himself. He stood from his chair from across the room and sat on the floor in front of me.

"Well, slaves were usually brown in the 18-1900's. They belonged to their owners who were white and did work around their homes, crops and farms. But the huge part about why slavery was wrong, besides treating human beings like animals, was the beatings. Slave owners often beat, raped and killed their workers. It was a very cruel time for America."

"America," I repeated.

"Yes that was the name of our country."

"Oh, I know. I just like how strong it sounds," I said and when he laughed, I felt like he was making fun of me. He made me feel so self conscious because he was so smart.

"Yeah, well it was. The only time we lost was when we fought ourselves. After the Emancipation Proclamation which was brought up by President Lincoln at the time, it began to get better. Not all at once but gradually. African Americans began to gain rights like being able to go places without their owners, they began to talk to whites without being spit on and even were allowed to learn to drive."

"They could drive?" I asked.

"Of course, once they weren't owned anymore they had to get to places," he laughed.

"I've always wanted to learn," I admitted.

"Well, come on," he said, jumping up.

"We can't do that! We'd have to ask!"

"Well go 'ask' and I'll meet you out front," he laughed once more then disappeared.