Chase Me

Chapter Thirty-One: Drawn

Amo, 10 Years Old

My fingers hit the wrong key and I tensed before I felt the snap of a hand on the back of my head.

"Again," father ordered.

I tried but the shaking of my fingers was stopping anything other than sharp keys to be played. Too sharp for father. Another snap of his hand and then the screech of the bench. I was moved with it. I looked up in time to see him push his hair out of his eyes and make his way to the door. He turned and pointed a finger at me. "Two hours. I will come back."

He shut and locked the door to the sound-proof room leaving me and the piano in silence. I tried again and again, wanting to make sure that if father came in anytime soon, he'd see me practicing. I just needed to wait.

Where was she?

Just as the thought came to mind, I heard the soft creaking of the door and my head snapped up to meet the eyes of exactly who I needed that moment. I sighed, releasing all the tension in my shoulders as Mama closed the door to the soundproof room, her eyes straying outside until the very last inch of space was covered by the metal door. The soft click of the latch fitting into place was the signalling to a pause in my worries. I looked up to see dark, soft brown eyes looking down at me—two guitars in her hand. She tipped her chin up and I stood.

"Come, Solé. Sit," she beckoned to me.

I complied without comment because I was grateful she was here. Not that she ever missed to interject in my piano lessons. I didn't like the piano, but father did. The piano seemed bland to me. I had heard many lovely songs done on the piano, but the instrument simply did not speak to me in the way that the piano spoke to those wondrous musicians. The guitar, however, was an instrument whose voice I could hear no matter how far away it would be. It called me. And the only person who ever assisted me in reaching that call was Mama. She had also heard the beautiful song of the stringed instrument and understood me enough to want to teach me it.

I sat down on the other side of the piano bench and Mama handed me my guitar. She placed her own amber guitar on her leg and strummed a bit to know if it was tuned or not. I did the same. It was always tuned, I knew that. Mama always had them tuned so we could jump right into the lessons.

"Let's pick up where we left off, okay?"

"Yes, Mama." I placed my fingers on the strings in the arrangement it took to play the E minor chord.

I strummed and Mama hummed, her eyes falling closed and her body swaying softly as I continued. I glanced at her and watched as her dark brown hair swayed with her. Mama always said that music should not be heard, but felt and she never missed an opportunity to feel any form of music. I ended my small song and she opened her eyes, her mouth opening to reveal a bright grin on her face. "You sound lovely, Solé."

"Thank you, Mama." I couldn't help but smile too.

There was an abrupt sound outside and both of our smiles fell. Mama's face showed fear.

"Chiara!" My father's voice boomed and I jumped from how loud he must be for us to be able to hear in here.

Mama snatched the guitars from me and placed a quick peck on my ear before heading for the door. I knew that her going outside and being seen was not a worry since every guard and maid in this household respected and loved my mother dearly. They would not rat on her.

I heard a maid speak to father and he shouted at her.

My mother looked back at me, hand on the open door. "I will be back again with these, and we will continue. Okay, Mio Solé?"