"The Virtuoso"

A song in the quiet of the night

Sometime in the middle of the night, Mona couldn't sleep. She kept tossing and turning, but the bed wasn't getting any more comfortable. She looked over at the clock and realized it was off. She went to turn on the light but it wasn't working. "The power must have gone out." she said softly. She got up and walked slowly down the stairs. She entered the living room and gasped out loud. In the middle of the room was a piano. A grand piano, at that. It was covered in dust, but nevertheless, it was something that brought her great comfort. She sat down on the bench and carefully opened the fallboard to reveal the keys. She ran her fingers over them, not letting make any sound. Tears filled her eyes as she stroked them. To any other person, a piano would not invoke these emotions, but to her, it awakened emotions from her childhood. She couldn't hold back the tears anymore and started to cry. As she cried, she unknowingly rested her hand on the keys, causing them to strike and echo throughout the living room. She heard a door open upstairs and quickly shut the fallboard. She heard footsteps down the stairs. She saw the glimmer of a candle as Raymond came into view " Mona, is everything alright?" he asked, a concerned look on his face. "I apologize, I am a very light sleeper." "It's perfectly fine" She replied, wiping the tears off her face. "You've been crying" he murmured. "I couldn't sleep," she said, " so I came downstairs and couldn't help but notice this beautiful piano. The memories hit me like a tidal wave. All I can see in this room is my family, my father making requests, my mother singing along, my siblings laughing in the background. It is a reminder of what I was stolen from, on what I left behind." Her voice drifted off and she looked to the many bookshelves around the room and the piles of books that surrounded the room. "Feel free to take a look through them. I'm sure most of them are junk piles, but then again, I've never been one for playing sheet music. Who knows, there may be some treasures in the trash." Mona laughed slightly and reached for a candle and held it up to the flame of the one in Raymond's hand. "I'm almost grateful the power went out," Mona said softly. "There is something so inexplicable about the glow of warm candlelight." Raymond smiled at her slightly and watched as she set the candle down on the floor and sat down, crossing her legs and thumbing through the pile of sheet music. "Find anything exciting?" he asked quietly. Mona shook her head " A lot of these are faded and disorganized. I would only be able to play a few notes." Raymond set his candle down on the top of the piano and sat down on the bench. He found it endearing how she very carefully and respectfully handled each piece of sheet music, no matter how tattered and torn they were. This was a sacred act to her. She picked up a few pages and covered her mouth with her hand, holding back tears. " I haven't seen this song in years" she said, running over the notes with her hand. She got up suddenly and Raymond moved so she could sit on the bench. She laid the music on the music desk and started at her hands. Raymond noticed they were trembling. "I'm sorry" she said, "this just brought back a lot of memories for me. Memories I thought I had lost forever. This is the song I played for my first recital when I was 8 years old." Raymond looked at the title of the piece. "Song without words" he read out loud. She nodded. " I remember choosing this song because even music without words can convey such strong emotions. It can reignite a memory, awaken new feelings, or simply allow you to be still in the quiet." Raymond pulled up a chair and sat down. "Don't laugh if I make a mistake" she said jokingly "It's been almost 20 years since I've played this." Raymond laughed and sat back, eager to hear the piece, but also doing his best to make sure she felt comfortable. She took a deep breath and played the piece. She seemed hypnotized by the music, her eyes never once looking around, his hands and fingers moving skillfully across the keys. The piece was less than a minute long, but it was beautiful nonetheless. Raymond noticed a small smile had crept across her otherwise serious face. She slowly let the piece fade away as she let hands lift away from the keys. She looked at Raymond, her eyes filled to the brim with tears. "What did you think?" she asked, as a tear fell from her eye. He reached up and brushed it away with his thumb and traced his fingers down her cheek, letting them rest under her chin. "That was lovely," he said softly. "I enjoyed every second. I'm so glad you shared that bit of your past with me, however difficult it may be." Mona looked straight ahead, once again afraid to meet his gaze. "This is where I feel most at peace, no matter where my life has taken me." she said, lovingly touching the keys on the piano, letting her fingers wander, playing the notes together until they formed a melody. "It's the one thing in my life that remains constant, my safe place." Raymond smiled, listening intently to her. "You are wise beyond your years," he said.

When Mona didn't respond right away he asked, "Is there something on your mind?" " "For as long as I can remember, a man's touch has been cruel, painful, forceful. You seem kind." He listened intently as she spoke. "My intentions with you are pure." Raymond said. " I want to show you that you shouldn't be afraid. That not all men are monsters. You have been through so much." He noticed her body start to tremble as he moved out his arm. "It's alright," he said. "I will speak to you the entire time." They both stood up. She turned and faced him. She closed her eyes. " I trust you." she said. He raised his hand above her shoulder where she had been shot. He wasn't touching her skin, just lifting his hand above it. "I'm above your shoulder. I'm moving my hand down your arm, down to your hand." This was unlike anything she had ever felt before. She felt the heat of his touch, yet he didn't fully touch her. Her breathing increased and he noticed this. " Are you alright?" he asked. She nodded slowly and opened her eyes. His stare burned through her. "I'm moving my hand to your other shoulder, down your arm, down to your hand." Suddenly, she grabbed his hand and held it against her cheek. " I'm feeling your hand on my skin, the most gentle touch from a man" she said. His face was serious, studying her. She leaned forward ever so slightly as he reached his hands and put them on both sides of her face. " I know this is a lot to ask of you, going through with this mission." he said, "but let me make it clear, that I will make sure you are safe." They stared into each other's eyes, only illuminated by the fading and flickering candlelight. The silence that fell between them was deafening. Raymond broke the silence by clearing his throat and saying "I'm going to let you get some sleep." Mona realized she was holding her breath and let out a sigh as he walked away. He walked over to the staircase, looked over his shoulder and said "Try to get some sleep Mona." "Goodnight" she said quietly.