Strings Attached

~Chapter 12~

"Oh, get your wiry hand off me! You've ruined my mood. Go away and don't see me until lunchtime," I tell her dismissively and make my way to go to the first class of the day as the bell rings.

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I unexpectedly get a free period in between my classes as a teacher is on leave. Using the opportunity to see the music teacher, I head down to the music room situated at the farther side of the school building.

The music teacher is a nice lady. Though a little old, she is very cheery and unlike any of the grumpy old ladies at my old school, which is a relief. When I came to give my audition for the band two weeks ago, I was extremely nervous. I had no idea what I was gonna play. I had an Anushka Shankar ditty in my mind but all that was dashed when she informed me there was no sitar available, since there was no one to play it. And it was highly unlikely that one would especially be bought for my usage.

There were many people about, I was shaking visibly and didn't know what to do. She calmed me down and soothed my nerves. She asked me if I knew playing anything else. I told her I knew something of the piano, though I didn't quite flourish at the art. She bid me try my hand at one.

There's a grand old piano in the music room. Just by sitting on the accompanying stool to it, I felt overwhelmed. Whatever I'd ever tried learning seemed to fly out the window. Mrs. Judy, as she is called, was not at all deterred by my outfit (although others gazed at me openly) and was very understanding towards me. 

She asked me what I knew. I told her I knew a little of the Beethoven, a sea piece I'd cared to learn some years ago, and opening notes of a song I liked. She told me to begin with Beethoven, and as I'd gathered some of my courage by then, I began to play. A minute and a dozen notes later, I faltered and abandoned the whole thing as hopeless.

The old lady patted my head to let me know that it was fine. I'm positive if she'd not let me try once again, tears would have leaked out of my eyes. I was very near to a breakdown anyway.

I played the sea piece I'd mentioned before and thankfully, this time I didn't falter. I kept playing right till the end of it, and by the time I was finished, the whole room had gone silent. It was really weird. Mrs. Judy was quite impressed by it and told me to come again the next day.

It has been full two weeks, but I haven't been able to make another detour to the place, excepting the one time when I went to get my name written in the shortlisted candidates as the probable pianist for the school band.

A week ago, I had the pleasure to know that I'd been selected as the final candidate on a unanimous decision by the teachers and the secretary of the music club of the school. I wasn't exactly overjoyed but I was happy, coz I was doing something I genuinely loved for once.

Today, however, is a big day, on many levels. I'll be meeting with the rest of the band today. Which is huge in itself as there's gonna be lots of people to meet and also because I've never done anything as a team before. There's also gonna be a practice session for half an hour in which, Mrs. Judy will be giving us a tune that we'll have to reproduce on our respective instruments.