Sonadow: Phantom of the Opera Ch4

Chapter #4: My Lost Viola

With 3 days before the interductions, I was constantly practicing with all the time I had to spare. It was a bit stressful, but with Ms. Amy's help, I managed to get all my practice hours in, and I even had some time to myself afterwards, which I spent with her in the garden outside of the opera house. We talked for about 3 whole hours with no interruptions. She was quite the talkative gal. Very complex vocabulary, though. It's hard to understand her sometimes because of this, but all in all, she was a very nice woman. And the lead singer too! I'd never thought we'd get to be acquainted, much less become great friends. She seems to be very interested in the things I have to say as well. I told her about my past. About how my family and I were immigrants from another country. We moved on a farm to start out, then my father got a better job, so we could afford to move to a small town not far from the farm. We lived there for about 5 years. I was 15 at the time, studying in school. Not long after I finished sophomore year, I earned a scholarship to the musicians collage. The administrators there said I can take my other 2 high school classes there, and then go straight to collage the year after. Presently, I am on my summer break, and play the violin.

I have been playing for as long as I can remember. As a child at the age of 3, I use to tie rubber bands to a large container and strum them with a stick. My parents noticed how much I liked to do that. And so, when I turned 10, my parents took me into town to an old music shop. My dad knew the owner, so he got some things for free. It was then I got my first violin, and once it was placed in my hands, I couldn't stop playing it. From early in the morning to late in the night, I played. I played for my school, for my family, for the towns people, and for my close friends on the weekends. Playing that violin was my life. There was nothing I'd rather do then strum its strings to strike up a beautiful melody. All was well… until one day in April. I was outside, playing as I usually did. It was a bit windy, and I was dancing on top of a brick bridge. Everything was perfect until, I slipped. I fell into the water (my biggest fear) and my violin came along with me. Swimming for my life I called for help. It was about 3 minutes until my cousin who was staying with us at the time heard me, and came to my rescue. Grasping my violin I prayed to god that we would both make it out of this alive. I'm sure my cousin hurried as fast as she could, but… not fast enough… the current of the river was strong, the wind seemed even stronger, my grip on the instrument got weaker… I got shoved underwater my a small, but powerful wave… and then

I let go…

It was then I blacked out from lack of air. I awoke in my bed with my mother sitting beside me. I looked at her, and she looked at me. Of course I asked what happened to viola (that is what I named my violin) and my mom looked away. Immediately, I got up out of bed and ran out of the house to the creek where my cousin said she found me. I must have looked for 2 hours. My parents just stood on the side of the creek, and watched me, heartbroken. I eventually got tired of searching, and gave up. My parents never said that they recovered any of viola's pieces, so… it must be still all in one piece. And I wonder where viola is till this day.

The violin I use now was a gift from a friend I went to elementary school with. His name is Miles, about age 16 as of now. He is a 2-tailed fox, so I call him tails. A nice nick-name, in my opinion. He made it for me himself as a replacement for viola, but we both knew that not even the most professional violin could replace the one I lost. I thanked him for it anyways, and I have been playing with that one ever since. It will be the one I play with at the Interductions & at the Winter Rose. However, I just wish I could have found viola. That is the one thing I wish above all other things.

But we all know that will never happen…

TBC