Professions Amongst Us

The Performer

The red velvet curtains on the stage drew open slowly and steadily, introducing a young woman into the bright spotlight. She was clad in a simple yet flattering dress and in her arms she held a long lean instrument. Her radiant smile complemented the instrument, no, the instrument beautified her; it was hard to tell. The ceilings were hung with elaborate audio and acoustic equipment, designed to amplify the beautiful solo performance that was about to come. The theatre was huge with thousands of seats at the auditorium, but it was a full house nevertheless. The audience was generous with their roaring applause. After a few long seconds, the applause faded away, allowing for the commencement of the performance.

Hands shaking. Heart palpitating. Body stiffening. This was the moment she had been waiting for all these years; this was the moment she would prove herself worthy and reap the fruits of her hard labour. All those late nights practicing, all the haunting self-doubt that she would never amount to anything, all the pain she tried to drown in alcohol.

Taking in a deep breath, she placed her lips on the reed of her instrument, her mouth curving into a playing embouchure ever so naturally. Birds chirped merrily, the stream ran noisily, the flowers were glistening with drops of morning dew. Everything was serene, everything was tranquil, everything was perfect. All at once, her worries, insecurities and fears all disappeared; she was bent on portraying this beautiful scene to her audience.

Upon releasing her first breath, the first note of the piece was born. Despite having played hundreds and thousands of 'first notes', each and every one of them felt so unique; each so special and different from every other. Yet they all felt so familiar, very much like the very first note that she made when she picked up the instrument.

~~~

"Yes, that's a very good sound," the old man chuckled, stroking his chin in delight.

She curved her lips ever so slightly into a ghost of a smile, silently acknowledging the praise she received.

The old man's grin quickly turned into a frown. "I need someone who isn't afraid to be different to play this instrument. And I believe that you can do it."

She nodded silently in approval. It was love at first sight. She knew since the moment she set her eyes on the instrument that this was her destiny.

~~~

The vase smashed hard against the floor, shattering into hundreds of smithereens. She took a step back, knowing that by this time, nothing would appease him.

"Why can't you be like the others, earning all the big bucks out there in the world?! All you do all day is blow your tune on your instrument! We need money in this house!" her furious father thundered, hurling a table across the room.

She kept silent, staring down hard at the floor. Maybe if she prayed that she would disappear at that very moment, it might work like a self-fulfilling prophecy. At that point, it was definitely worth a try given her desperation.

Just then, she was brought back to reality. Her father had swung his hand violently across her cheek, the impact almost bringing her petite body to the ground. Her face stung, but more importantly, her pride and dignity were broken. Something in her snapped. This was no longer the father whom she loved so dearly, he didn't use to be like that, he would never hit her. He had changed. She couldn't stay any longer.

Rushing into her room, she stumbled clumsily over piles of unwashed clothes on the floor, but that did not deter her from whipping out a large suitcase from the corner of the room. It was laden with dust, from lack of maintenance. The last time she used the suitcase, it still seemed all too surreal, too vivid.