Date: Tue, 15 Mar 2005 20:33:04 -0500 (EST)
From: Sean R <seanr_13@yahoo.ca>
Subject: The Missing Piece of a Piano - 13

The Missing Piece of a Piano
By: Sean Roberts

Author's Note: All feedback is appreciated.  Please send to seanr_13@yahoo.ca

Bar 13

Mr. Klein asks Faye and Daniel to stay behind after class.
They sit in two chairs facing his desk.  He looks through some
papers on his desk and hands Daniel the Chopin part for the
violin.  The part Keith and he had written together.

"What's this doing here?" Daniel asks, turning towards
Faye, a worried look crossing his face.

"Faye gave it to me this morning," Mr. Klein says.  His
kind, understanding tone of voice has returned.  "Daniel it's
really quite incredible.  From looking at these notes I can see
that when played, this would sound very good.  I don't know if
you know how hard it is to write such an accompaniment.  Well,
of course you know, you wrote it!  Faye says you wrote it with a
friend?"

"Yes," Daniel says.  "He passed away a few years ago.  I-I
thought that since Faye had decided to play the piano piece in
the concert, I could accompany her with the violin, but we tried
playing it and it's much too difficult for me, which is why I've
decided against it."

"I see.  I'm very sorry to hear that."  Mr. Klein surveys
his students for a few moments.  Daniel can tell from his
teacher's face that Mr. Klein desperately wants to hear the
piece.  "Daniel it's of course your choice.  But, umm, would you
mind very much if maybe another student played it, if you don't
want to?"  Sudden anger swells up inside Daniel.  The suggestion
to him is ludicrous.  But he keeps in mind that he is speaking
with a teacher and he does not allow it to show.

"Actually," he says, "I'd rather that, umm--"

"Right, Daniel.  I understand.  But thank you for letting
me see this.  And if you happen to change your mind I would be
very excited to hear it played."

Daniel is, of course, angry with her for showing the piece
to Mr. Klein.  She tells him that she did it because of how
badly she wants to hear the piece again.  She wants him to play
it.  She insists on meeting him, in the music room, early the
following morning.



He sits in a chair and she hands him a violin.  Her hands
fall on his shoulders.  "You'll do fine," she whispers in his
ear.  The music is open in front of him.  He faces the front of
the room so he does not see her sitting at the piano but he
hears her sitting down.  She presses some of the keys to get her
bearings.

He starts playing and when the piano begins to accompany
him he slips once again into the music.  He goes into the world
where Keith now lives.  The boy is there with him; but this time
Faye is there too.  They both watch him as he plays; they watch
his bow moving back and forth and his fingers creating different
notes: the balance involved in playing an instrument.  And the
sound that comes out is beautiful.

Neither Keith nor Faye move.  They simply watch him and he
watches them, looking from one to the other, until the piece
finishes.

He is back in the music room.  He lowers the instrument
from his chin and he turns around.  Faye is watching him,
smiling at him.

"This is one of the most beautiful things I've ever heard,"
she says.  He returns the smile and then agrees to play at the
concert.

*

Mark has kept the violin in his closet, on the top shelf.
Daniel takes it down carefully.  The violin does not move in its
case because the case is a perfect fit for it and the instrument
is the perfect fit for its container.  The creator and the
receiver were the same way.

Doris stands up suddenly when she sees the instrument in
his hands.  She puts down the book she was reading.

"You've come to play something!" she says.  "Can I hear?"

"Sure."  He can think of no reason to say no.  He cannot
say that he might not be able to play.  Doris tells him that she
can't leave the counter and he tells her he will be back with
some music.  He does not want to play the Chopin.  He wants to
play something easy; something that he knows he can play without
having to concentrate on the music.

He returns with a Bach.  He leans the music against a stack
of books and then sits on a chair that he brings from another
area of the library.  The violin comes out of its case along
with the bow and he smiles at Doris.  He tries not to think
about the music or the smell that never stops coming from his
instrument.  He reads the first few notes and then positions his
fingers and brings the bow across the strings, continuing to
read ahead.  He plays the piece quickly.  Every time Keith comes
into his head he pushes the image out.  He listens to the sound
more technically.  He makes himself aware that what he is
hearing are simply vibrations of strings caused by the bow;
caused by the movements of his hands.

It seems as if the instrument has grown with him.  It was
built for his size at fifteen but at seventeen, even though he
has grown, the violin fits him perfectly.  The sound engulfs the
library and at its dramatic ending Doris claps.  "Oh that was
wonderful!"

Daniel lowers the violin.  He stares at the music.  He
reads a few bars in his mind and he can hear the notes more
clearly than he ever could before.

"Thank you," he says to Doris.