One day in Brooklyn

Chapter 6

That afternoon I decide I am not going to let myself die without being noticed. I walk down 47th avenue. This path I memorized a while ago. I take the next right so that now I am in front of the most glorious building. It is the building that houses the grand orchestra rehearsal.

I lug my cello case up the steps and into the front doors. You may wonder what I am doing. To be honest I don’t quite know, but I came with one intention, to get into the orchestra. Yeah, okay it is kind of unintelligible but honestly this is my life goal and I want to fulfill it, well, before something negative happens.

The doctors decided to bring me in for radiation tomorrow so today is kind of my day off. I lug open the heavy doors and trot in. The secretary looks at me confused. 

"Sir, why are you here?" she asks in a thick New Jersey accent. Over here on the east side, the rich side, lots of people are immigrants or they have moved from somewhere else especially after the war.  

"Ma'am, I've come here to get into the grand orchestra." I say as a matter of fact. 

"Do you mean the junior orchestra?" she asks trying to prove me wrong but I know what I'm talking about. 

"No ma'am," I say keeping manners intact "I'm already in that, but I recently got some news that struck me kind of, off. I want to fulfill my dream before my fate is met."  

"I'm sorry but you are way too young for the orchestra." she says with an apologetic look shaking her head and going back to her work. 

"No!" I snap and then say "Let me talk to the instructor, please!" I plead with her my tone becoming slightly high pitch. 

She rolls her eyes “Fine I will buzz you back, but I’m telling you kid, the odds for you aren’t good. What is your name?" she says giving up, I guess she isn’t in the mood for an argument.

"Vito Seminarra thank you so much!" I say leaning in and kissing her cheek. 

"You are welcome, kid." she says smiling.

I go down the hallway behind the desk bringing my cello with me. I turn the first right and am met with the office of Mr. Sanchez. Here I am standing in front of the office of the man I have idolized since I was young. I pause for a minute then knock on the door a slight rap, not too loud. Mr. Sanchez answers the door saying "What you want, kid? It better be important because I am in the middle of some VERY important business."

"Sir, I want to join the grand orchestra." I say with a determined glint n my eye.

After a fit of laughter he says "Join, MY orchestra? Kid you are way too young to get into the grand orchestra, not to mention you probably can't play well enough!"  

"Please at least just listen to me play, please, I beg of you!" I say  

"Fine, but you must play a piece of my choice from our ensemble." he grunts. 

"Yes, anything," I reply happily

Mr. Sanchez takes me into his office and sits me down. I cautiously get out my cello and handle it with utmost care. Mr. Sanchez hands me a piece of music. It is seven pages long, he looks at me warily. I can tell he doesn’t want to be here and most definitely doesn’t want to listen to me. I look at the piece. It has 32nd notes and a time signature of 2/3 time. It seems so simple; I’ve played much harder than this!

I look at the top and there isn’t a name to the piece. "Sir, who wrote this piece? Why isn’t there a name?" I ask curiously.  

"I am writing that, kid, so I haven’t named it yet for I am not done." He says with a bragging gleam in his eye.

I turn back to the sheet currently in front of me. It starts with a decrescendo getting quiet on a pianissimo level. Then within five measures it is exploding with life. It has accents of all kinds there are so many complicated feelings through the music that Mr. Sanchez is trying to show. Through the low D flat it is mournful but then it reaches up to the high C and it is cheerful. Soon I am in my comfort zone; no longer am I playing for Mr. Sanchez, am I playing just to be me. I am playing because it is what I love to do.

Before I know it the piece is over and my audition is completed. Mr. Sanchez looks at me, astonished. Obviously he didn’t peg me as a musical prodigy. 

"You gots’ some skill kid!" he says patting my back with his chubby hand. I take him all in the short balding guy that is slightly overweight. “Join us in rehearsal three days." he waves his hand dismissing me.  

I put my cello in its case again making sure it is all snapped and protected. Then I walk to the front desk where the secretary sits. With my head held high I tell her that I made it. She smiles giving me the thumbs up I can tell she really didn’t expect me to make it. I walk outside onto the sidewalk and scream. Literally scream. For once, not of pain but of joy.

I jump around happily pumping my fists in the air and yelling words of happiness. A hand touches my leg and I turn around. A small girl maybe four or five stands there hugging a teddy bear close to her chest. Her cheeks are red and she says "Are you okay?" The way her tiny dark ringlets bounce around her face when she talks and moves reminds me of when Ian was little; Ian is Adrian's nick name that I gave her when we were younger.  

"I am perfect!"I yell happily and I pick up the little kid and twirl her around zooming left and right, all over the place. Then I stagger and trip. Suddenly I realize how imperfect I am, I am going down, and I grab the girl and wrap her in my arms hoping to take the brunt of the fall and save the little girl from any skinned knees. I do a barrel roll and land with my back on the ground.

The pain is worse than ever. I put the little girl down so I can use my hands. I form them into claws and try with all of my might to get up. She starts crying and runs away in the other direction screaming her Mother’s name. I try to move forward but I can't any more. Then I drop overcome by darkness.