What's Next?

Chapter 8 That Evening

Se-ri entered her suite exhausted. It was over. She got ready for bed and could not stop thinking about the evening.

There were two scholarship winners whose performance were outstanding, the violinist from North Korea and the pianist from South Korea. She was brought to tears listening to them play. She was proud of what she had accomplished. She wasn't surprised they won, they were very good during practice and during the audition. She was hopeful that these two would somehow ease tensions between the two Koreas. The Ris were seated in the same row with her and his mother, Kim Yun-hui was next to her and Hans on her other side.

His mother touched Se-ri's arm and whispered, "I am impressed."

When Jeong hyeok took the stage, he looked at her and gave her a nod. She returned the nod. He started to play Liebestraume (Dream of Love) by Franz Liszt and she was mesmerized. She sat still, not moving letting the music flow in and out of her.

His love was speaking to her through the music. Such love, Jeong hyeok, and we have to walk away from each other. How often does such a love appear in a person's life? She thought. She did not realize that she was crying until his mother tapped her and put the kerchief in her hands. Then he started playing Clair de Lune by Claude Debussy. It was one of her favorites, it took Debussy 15 years to finish the work. And her tears did not stop. By now, it was apparent that the pieces he chose went straight to the heart. His mother patted her hand, she knew that Se-ri was still crying. At the last note, Jeong hyeok sat for a few seconds and then the applause began with the standing ovation. He stood up and bowed to the audience. When the applause died down, he said, "There is a little song I composed for my brother when I was attending the Basel Academy of Music. He never got to hear it and I would like to share it with you this evening." He looked at Se-ri and smiled and his mother noticed. He sat on the bench, waited a few seconds and started paying. She was back on the boat; on that day she thought it would be over for her and then she heard that music. Just as then, when it gave her hope to live, so too now, he was telling her to have hope and look to the future. All is not lost.

The audience was mesmerized, it was the first time they heard Song For My Brother. The applause began and he got another standing ovation.

She turned to Hans and said "We need to go backstage. Are the flowers here?"

"Yes"

One of the assistants was holding the flowers, Se-ri took the flowers and went on stage to him. The audience was still clapping. She reached him with a big smile and bowed. "Congratulations, Jeong hyeok, you were wonderful." She gave him the flowers and left. He soaked in the standing ovation and bowed to the audience.

She turned to Hans, "Thank you for your hard work. It was s successful year. We have two scholarship winners and I know they will do well. It would be interesting to see how the two Koreans get along, I hope they can. Let me know how they are doing."

"I will"

When she looked around, Kim Yun-hui was looking at her. She smiled at his mother and was walking away, when she stopped Se-ri.

"I can see why Jeong hyeok is struck, you have created something wonderful, and the two scholarships won by a North Korean and a South Korean. Did you know they were going to win?"

"I heard them in practice and when they auditioned, I knew then that they were the ones who would be the most competitive."

Just then there was a knock on her door and it brought out of her thoughts.

A/N  Three updates for you. If it is the weekend or a work day where you are, hope these updates make it even brighter.