Lucid Waking

Archive for November 7th, 2008

Piano Concerto in d minor, k. 466 “Rondo” by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

        It was raining outside, waxing and waning as it saw fit. Miss Rebecca Alistair was sitting at home in her sitting room gazing at the piano and sipping some tea. She had never been allowed to play an instrument, as music was much too emotional for a delicate lady such as herself, but little did they know that listening to music could be just as potent. She kept that secret to herself.
        Her brother wasn’t home, so she could sneak a note, but there was something intimidating about the large wooden instrument that kept her in her chair across the way, gazing at her reflection in the shiny wood. With effort, she stood up and walked slowly over to the looming piano. She sat down at the bench and stared at the ivory keys, her heart pounding against her rib cage. Finally, she picked up her hand and plunked one finger down on a key. The note resonated throughout the room and the house. Her heart pounded in her ears as she jumped up and away from the keyboard as if a gate to Hell would open up underneath the bench to consume her for giving into the temptation.
Nothing happened for several moments. The silence was just as frightening as the noise. She stepped towards the keyboard again, this time gently touching the keys like she had watched her brother doing. The notes she played sounded good. She pretended like she could read the dots and lines on the page in front of her and let her fingers dance upon the keys. Finally she stood up and with a small flourish, faced the window and curtseyed.
        She heard the front door open and close and her brother greeting their maid. Her heart pounding again, she hustled over to her original seat with her cup of tea. She pretended to be quite involved in the liquid when he passed through the room, giving her a quick glance before climbing the stairs to his study. Once he was gone, she placed her teacup back down with a shaky clink before walking towards the piano again. She brushed her hand across the keys, but she knew she couldn’t touch it with him in the house. She sighed and walked up the stairs to her room to finish some sewing.