DOWN AT THE END OF THE PIANO

Once upon a time there was a curious young girl who went to her grand mother and this is the story she told her.

“Grandma what was it like when you were young? What were the people like, Grandma?” The girl asked pushing her grandmother to shake her. “Tell me, tell me.”

“Okay, okay, sweetheart, what do you want to know?”

“What did you use to do?”

“Well I was a busy child. Always practicing my music or taking dance lessons.”

“You played music?”

“Well, yes at one time I did.”

“Well when G-Ma, when?”

“Well, when I was a little girl I took piano lessons.”

“You did? But G-Ma I’ve never seen you play. You don’t even have a piano.”

“Yes, sweetheart I know but from around the age of two my mother got a teacher to give me piano and dancing lessons.”

“She did?”

“Yes.”

“So, what happened?”

“Well, I still dance and workout but for the piano well...For years I took lessons and would practice and practice. I was in recitals but my family never thought I played well enough. No matter how hard I tried they would always tell me to try harder and I would but after a while I began believing them.”

“What, that you couldn’t play?”

“Yes, and my heart just wasn’t in it. I could read music very well and with time I could pick through and eventually play the songs put before me but I didn’t have a natural ear for music. After a while I thought something was wrong with me.”

“What do you mean?”

“Just that because I didn’t have a natural ear for music I thought that I could never be good at it. Plus, I would listen to music on the radio that I liked and longed to play, but when I went to take my lessons the teacher would make me play different music that I didn't like as much. Eventually, my heart just wasn’t in it anymore and I began to lose interest.

“Then suddenly my biggest supporter took ill and eventually died.”

“Who was that?”

“My mother.”

“Oh, I’m sorry G-Ma.”

“I know sweetie but that’s life. When my mother got sick and died I was only 15 years old. She sent me to live with relatives. Living with them there was no music lessons anymore, but they did have a piano.

“When I think about that now, I know that it was a miracle that they had a piano.”

“Why?”

“Because when I would get lonely or feel lost I would go over to it and sit down and play. I didn’t have any music to rely on and could only play from memory which wasn’t much, so I started making songs up. The songs that I made up were at the end of the piano. There, everything sounded great that I played. Everything down at the end, gave me peace. But I guess I was afraid of it because I felt funny doing it. I had no confidence and there was no one to encourage me. At the same time I felt bad ignoring the piano because it was right there, so when no one was around I’d play on it and make up songs, but only some of the time.”

“You did G-Ma?”

“Yes, it was like a little light came on for me but I was afraid of it. It was new and I was new to it. The people around me weren’t really good and they smoked and used drugs, so they couldn't support me.

“Those few moments when I’d sit at that piano, I’d feel empowered and I was empowering myself but I didn’t think it was enough. Then foolishly, I stopped!”

“You did?”

“Yes, I quit. I became just like the people I was around and all my hopes and dreams with the piano ended and I didn't think about playing anymore until one day not to long ago. I was praying and I had turned to one of the music channels on the T.V. and all the songs that were playing, were at that same end of the piano. They were by several pianists and that's when I realized my sounds sounded good. Yes, they were playing at the end of the piano just like I had.

That’s when I realized I was right at my dream and didn't know it. Right there if I had kept going I would have been able to realize my dream. Realize my ability to make sense on an instrument that was the most difficult thing I had ever had to accomplish.

Tears ran down the woman’s face as her grand daughter looked on and said, “Don’t cry G-Ma! Don’t cry! Why are you crying?”

“Because I gave up right when I was about to win and didn’t know it! Promise me child that you will never give up the way that I did, never.”

“I will G-Ma if you promise me the same.”

The woman stopped crying and looked at the young girl curiously and said, “What can I promise you child?”

“That you won’t give up. Even now, it’s not too late. You’re still alive, and I bet you can still play if you try.”

“But child, it’s been years.”

“Yes, it’s been years but I bet you can still do it if you try. Isn’t that what you always tell me, to try?”

“Yes, sweetheart. You’re right, I will try. Maybe it isn’t too late.”