I Am the Philharmonic

Quiet Discovery With A Bang

"What music?"

Ender looked At the ceiling and then at the floor and back the headmaster.

"I hear it all the time, in the back of my head. It like a little man in the back of skull trying to get out. Whenever I hear music that has already been written, like Beethoven or Rachmaninov on my Mum's old records, I kinda know how it goes," Ender started at Sinton, almost in fear that she was going to be rejected in some way.

Sinton didn't waste any time at all, he quickly bounded around the desk, which was abnormal for his old form. "Have you ever had a music class, Ender?" She shook her head.

He grabbed the girl's hand and practically dragged her down the hallway. It took Ender a minute to realise that she was being lead down the older kids' hallways. Before she could ask any questions on what was going on, Mr. Sinton shoved her into a room, at what Ender felt was random.

A younger woman stood in the centre of the room, holding a couple of papers in her hand. Ender would have associated her with the type that just got out of Uni and are still learning in the real world and still have their creativeness flowing. She had deep carmel skin and had her hair up in a pony tail. She wore simple jeans and a deep purple blouse. It wasn't an ensemble that Ender would think to put on a teacher, yet somehow it fit.

"Yes, Dr. Sinton?" The teacher stared at him over her round glasses.

"You're a doctor?!" Ender turned on the Headmaster, but quickly covered her mouth before anything else came out. Now that she thought of it, there was a phD that he had on the wall behind his desk. How had she not noticed that?

Dr. Sinton ignored her. "Ms Ashmar, I think that I may have found an early learner at music," He nodded to Ender who was now taking in her surroundings.

Ms Ashmar looked at the eight year out girl next to the Headmaster. She did seem intelligent enough.

"I don't take students until year seven at the latest."

The Headmaster smirked. "At least take her for your free period. If you aren't impressed, I'll send Ender here back to class."

Ms Ashmar nodded, "Ender, have you ever played a piano before?"

Ender followed the teacher's gaze to a baby grand set up against a wall. Ender shook her head, wondering why she suddenly became unreasonable shy. "I've only heard it on my mum's records."

Ender was starting to become worried that it was not normal for a child to never have touched a piano in their life for once she opened her mouth, Dr. Sinton whispered something in Ms Ashmar's ear. The two glanced and Ender, and then the music teacher nodded to the Headmaster. Dr. Sinton quickly left the room giving Ender a double take as if he thought she was going to disappear.

Ms Ashmar walked to the piano and sat down. She motioned for the school girl to sit next to her. "You play anything you like, Ender."

The eight year old seemed uncertain about the row of black and white keys in front of her. Growing up, she learned not to ask to do things like this. Whenever she went traveling with her parents because of her mother's job, and she saw something such a piano sitting in the lobby of a hotel or something like that, she would almost feel the instrument calling out to her. Ender's grandparents even owned one, but she had been warned early on because of their dislike of her never to touch the sacred keys.

Ender looked back up and Ms Ashmar, who only smiled and nodded to the keys. "Go ahead."

A note echoed around the room as Ender experimentally held down the white key in the middle. "That's note C," Ms Ashmar said. "Most kids don't think of pressing the middle. They usually start on the sides."

"It's obvious that I would get something low or high, because any other placement would be illogical. Plus, I've seen pianists a couple of times." She didn't mention that it was her mother on the very piano she was forbidden to touch.

Ms Ashmar smiled only wider. "You're smart for your age. I have kids many years older than you who wouldn't even think of using the words you use. Good job."

Ender grinned at herself. For once in her life time, she wasn't scoffed at for a compliment.

••••

"I swear to you, Mrs. Angerona. I'm not joking! I would never joke to you about something like this!" Dr. Sinton, desperately tried to make the mother of that amazing prodigy understand that her daughter was a genius. Unfortunately, she took the whole thing as a joke.

"Now, Dr. Sinton. I'm a busy woman, and I can't talk any longer. So try someone like her godfather, Mr. Hiddleston!" The line went dead.

Sinton growled in frustration. Why can't some people listen? He punched in the number of Ender Angerona's godfather, just as her mother requested.

"Hello?" Asked a voice on the other end.

"Yes, is this Mr. Tom Hiddleston speaking?"

"Yes. Who is this?"

"Dr. Sinton. I am the headmaster at your god daughter's school, Oxford Primary."

Sinton could hear the voice on the other end become panicked. "Is there something wrong with Ender?!"

"No, quite the opposite."