One day in Brooklyn

Chapter 24

Vito's POV

The performance is to start in ten minutes. I am searching the auditorium for my friends and family, to no avail. I am still searching desperately to find them when I am blinded. The stage lights turn full blast and my eyes blotch with black and super bright light. I blink it out and look back to my music.

Mr. Sanchez steps onto the podium and glances sternly at us, he looks at the crowd too, this time with a smirk. When he turns back to us he holds up his baton. We all shift from resting to ready position. Then when Mr. Sanchez begins to wave his baton in the different patterns that tell us so much about the music, we play too.

Mr. Sanchez leads us as a conductor to a train. Pulling us with him along the tracks and path that the music requires, I thought we sounded good in the practice room. Well that is nothing compared to what we sound like here, in this amazing palace. Here, where music has been created and inspired and performed by the world's best, I play my new Cello and express my God given talent.

The first song comes to a stop but that doesn't halt us from moving swiftly into the next piece which is slow and full of so many emotions, adagio. The piece starts quietly as if in mourning and grief but then in the middle it becomes loud and more emotions of anger are showed with the loud notes and the deep and angry bass has a distinctive part. Since the lower instruments are able to give a loud, charging feel to the song they are playing the melody at this part instead of the more commonly heard C instruments.

Now as this adagio piece comes to an end we move into a piece of triumph and war. The bass is back to its supporting roll and is doing an amazing job of imitating the sounds of war as they were heard on battlefields across the world just a few years ago. The melody is back on the C instruments and they are doing an amazing job of playing the sounds that represent the sadness and loss of the war. Near the end of the song we turn into a sound of joy and celebration. This shows that the war is over. The battle is done. This song is based on world war two.

Now Mr. Sanchez conducts a few more and we pause for intermission. I am feeling okay so far. None of the terrible pain has come before the curtain closes I look again for Adrian and the others. I search desperately and am about to give up when I see them. They are sitting directly in the middle of the third section, right across from me. I smile as Adrian gives me a small wave. She looks beautiful in that color dress. I look to see who is around her there is my Mom and Adrian's siblings and Mother. I wonder to myself 'where is Jeff?' but I shrug it off.

I realize I have zoned out and am brought back when I feel a small tap on my shoulder. I whirl around causing a horrible case of whip lash. I look at the person who is standing behind me. It is that woman. Linda?

"Vito, you got moved to thirteen fairly quickly." She comments gesturing with her violin to the seat I am in.

"Yes, I guess I did." I say turning back around trying to not have to talk to her. I'm not a people person.

"Well congratulations! What are you thinking of your first concert?" She asks curiously

I roll my eyes so that she can’t see "Amazing," I comment without looking at her.

"You are a good player." She edges on with her high pitched voice.

"Thank you." I murmur trying to hide the red tinge to my pale cheeks.

"No problem, because it is wrong to hide the truth," She states I can almost feel her eyes boring into the back of my head.

I don't reply but let out a long annoyed sigh with a mangled groan tacked to the end.

"Well, I will just leave you to your, well whatever you do. It's time to start up again anyway." She says walking with a happy bounce to her step back to her seat.

I am so glad that is over. Mr. Sanchez gets back to the podium and conducts us through the rest of the concert. We sound just as we did before, amazing. As we wind down and the concert is over we get up to bow. I struggle to stand up. My legs feel like goo, I have to use my Cello to help me stand. We all bow and I gratefully collapse into my seat.

Soon we are exiting the stage. I stand up and stumble down the steps. When I reach the last on my chest aches so badly and I try to keep going. Luckily I make it out of the way, now I am in the aisle. I try to make it up the stairs but I fall. My whole body hurts. I am lying on my back in the middle of the aisle.

People are murmuring so many fast words beside me. Words I can't understand, words I don't want to understand.