Melomania

I. Bine ai venit

(Miruna)

A girl runs down the academy's halls as her footsteps echo in the corridors in a furious torrent of sounds like little droplets,and clutching a little white envelope in her hands. Her moussy brown hair is flowing like a flag as she's running, turning heads in her direction. After a while, she stops in a secluded spot in the hallway to catch a breath, her auburn eyes shining with an ecstatic gaze and her lips plastered in a wide, satisfied smile as if she's just had a revelation. She opens the envelope with hands trembling of surprise, slowly reading the well-written cursive in black ink.

She looks around, partially waiting for someone, partially making sure no-one is here to pry on her.

* * *

My eyes were closed as I play, letting the emotion of the piece fill me with wonder. I opened my eyes from time to time to gaze at the portraits on the walls, as if I were waiting for a look of satisfaction or approval from the past masters. My breath was shallow, as if I were caught up in some sort of otherworldly trance. The piece ended with a single long note, disappearing into the aether like a long, melancholic sigh. I didn't know why I chose this particular piece to play, yet there was some kind of a calling that drew me closer. As if it was supposed to speak.

I stood up and faced the examinatior. I seemed calm, yet my nails scratched my fingertips discreetly. Sir Czerny looked from his notepad and I could swear I could see the tiniest shadow of a smile forming on his lips. He came closer to me, the floor creaking as he climbs the small ladder leading on stage, with calculated steps. He put his hand on my shoulder and said something in his language I tried to translate it in my mind. I didn't know what he said to me, yet he must have been pleased if I were to judge by the tone of his voice.

"Ah, I forgot you spoke next to none..."

He retracted his hand and went to the grand piano once again. "I said you have potential, kid. Your skills are something to admire..."

"T-Thank you." I bowed my head in gratitude. I felt like one of those princesses in fairytales which had their voice taken by evil sorcerers.

The man nodded and his fingers caressed the piano keys. "This academy was founded almost 200 years ago and all of its students became world class musicians and virtuosos."

He started playing some kind of fast-paced piece that caught my attention. I raised my head as the notes seemed familiar, but with that eerie sense of familiarity as if I have met an old face in a crowd all of a sudden. I thought I have heard it before, but I couldn't put my finger to it.

"Now it's your turn." Sir Czerny's voice awakened me from my reverie. "Go on."

I approached the piano and closed my eyes, trying to remember the short fragment he played. In terms of skill and technique, it seemed complex and challenging, but Sir Czerny was right: to earn my place at this prestigious academy, I had to prove my worth.

I sat down at the piano once again, trying to think. Then, it hit me and I repeated the succession of notes and chords. I remembered I used to like this piece and loved the feeling of thrill it emanates. I was breathing heavily as one of my fingers began bleeding once again. The scar I made from picking them hadn't really had time to heal.

After it was over, I looked back at the teacher, anxiously waiting for the slightest nod of approval of grunt of disapproval. To my relief and absolute joy, Sir Czerny nodded.

"That is correct, miss. You are a natural and perhaps Liszt suits you. We'll see eachother in a couple of days, I am more than certain."

He turned around to leave as I stood up in a flash. I felt the joy of victory washing over me and I could swear that the pictures on the walls of the room seemed to share the examinator's contempt.

"One more thing..." Sir Czerny stopped abruptly. He turned around and measured my body from head to toe, as if I were some kind of peculiar creatures. In my ears, the final notes of Spanish Rhapsody were still ringing strong. "I didn't quite catch your name."

"M-Miruna." I said with a slight pause. My heart skipped a beat for a second and it took me a while to process. "Miruna Munteanu."

Sir Czerny's lips curled slightly in some kind of a smile. His serious face made it really hard to know whether he was smiling or not. "Foreigner."

"Yes... I'm Romanian."

"Have fun then ." He said walking away. "I can recall Liszt had a piece composed after his visit in Romania. Bartók also has the Romanian Dances suite..."

All his words seemed lost as he walks away. I lowered my gaze, squeezing my fists to prevent myself from scratching the skin around my finger nails any longer. The whole room fell silent as the door closed, a dead world where only my heartbeat, my wild breath and the quiet, faint rustling of curtains broke the peace of solitary quietness.