The matron watched the rain roll down the window. She could hear the rythmic patter of the rain on the roof. The children were all in bed, which left her the only one stirring.
Other than the rain, it was silent. A silence that one could easily get lost in.
The steady drumming of the rain turned into a snare drum's tapping; The matron was lulled into a daydream.
~~~~~
The drummers went marching by in perfect formation. They all had matching red coats, and funny little black hats. They were so large compared to her, and they were so loud. It was frightening, yet she couldn't take her eyes off of them.
The snares were a part of the parade that started the annual week long summer festival. Every year the matron and her two older brothers would watch and follow the parade to the festival's entrance. There they would run into it, and do whatever their hearts desired.
Every year, during the months leading up to the festival, the children would save up all of their allowance to spend at it.
They packed every last coin they owned into their pocket, and rushed off to follow the drums.
Once they got into the gates, her brothers would lead her to the games. That were their favorite part of the festival. The matron would watch them bet on various people and animals, and then she would watch them win or lose based on the thing's performance.
Hearing the cheers and groans of the betters and gameowners was a fun and exciting thing to watch as a six year old. She didn't understand the probability. Her brothers would whisper to her the likeliness of their bet and she would just watch with wide eyes to see if their bet would get the happy cheers.
The festival was always a miraculous place for the matron and her brothers. The siblings could see all of the colors of the rainbow, and more. From the people, to the animals, to the banners and flags, every single color was imaginable.
Same with the food. They could smell a mixture of many different foods. They could smell spices that were familiar, and not familiar. They saw treats that looked delicous, and disgusting. They saw meats, vegitables, and fruits all radiating their wonderful smells and colors.
They saw all sorts of people too. They saw people like them, and people not like them. They saw people that they recognized, and people that they didn't recognize. They saw elders, and young ones alike.
All of the new and old sights and smells were amazing to the siblings, and they could never get enough of them.
The matron was surrounded by all of these things as her brothers bet on more and more things. In the midst of all of the cheering, talking and laughing, the matron heard a noise that was new to her. It was a smooth, flowing noise that made her ears feel good. It sliced through the niosy atmosphere directly into her eardrums. It wasn't like the noisy, busteling festival, it was gentle and calming. It was inspirational.
She followed the sound out of the betting crowd and followed it through the streams of people. It led her to a swiftly-built, half-circle stage. She walked up to the very edge of the stage and, while standing on her tippy-toes, she peered over the edge of the stage and saw a full orchestra playing a concerto.
The music was beautiful. It flowed like a gentle stream and bubbled into her ears. It pleased her mind. She felt joy rising in her throat, and the sounds brought a broad smile to her face. She swayed from side to side with the music, and she hummed along as best as she could, for it was an unfamiliar tune to her.
The music planted a seed in her heart. While she watched and listened, it grew and grew into a beautiful musical flower. The music made her feel so happy inside. She felt blessed to have had this opportunity to hear such things.
I want to make others feel this joy. I want to be able to give such an amazing, simple gift to others. She thought to herself. The smile on her face grew even larger. I will learn to play one of those instruments. Then I can share my gift with everyone! She then swayed and hummed even more to the music.
The matron stayed by the edge of that stage till the crowds had thinned and the sky was turning deep orange. Her brothers cam looking for her about that time. When they found her by the edge of the stage, she called out to them cheerfully, "Brothers, come! Listen to the music!"
They joined her by her sides and listened. The orchestra was performing their last piece of music for the night. The matron closed her eyes and absorbed all of the music in, every last drop. When they played the last note, she smiled and cheered for them.
When the applause was over, her oldest brother took her hand, and they walked home.
On the way home, the matron told her brothers what she wanted to do. "Brothers, I want to learn to play an instrument! I want to give others the joy that I felt today!"
They stopped and looked at her in confusion. Then they both burst into laughter.
"You want to be, a musician?" The one sneered. "That's stupid!"
"No musician is ever successful in life." The other chimed in.
"Just forget about that dream, little sister. That will get you nowhere. Forget about that"
The matron looked down at her bare, dirty feet. Hr eyes filled with tears, and dripped onto her toes, washing away the dust. She dragged her feet along as her brothers pulled on her hand to hurry up. Her tears kept pouring out of her eyes, like a sudden rainstorm.
~~~~~
A thunderclap startled the matron out of her daydream. She gave herself a moment to catch her breath and steady her mind.
I completely forgot about that event....she thought to herself. I wonder, I wonder if I can somehow find an orchestra somewhere and have them perform here, to hopefully inspire some of these children.
She smiled, and with reawoken emotions, she wrote "Find an Orchestra" on her To Do List for the next day.
