A Performance To Remember

Chapter One

          Emily brushed a few strands of her golden hair behind her ear as she looked out the small window. The street outside was full of some much life. Children were running around, laughing and playing with one another. Women in elegant clothing walked amongst the stalls of goods for sale and talked to one another.

          The small shop in which Emily worked and lived in seemed so empty and dead compared to the outside. A bored looking little boy was sitting off to the side watching her as if he wanted her entertain him in some way. His mother was sitting beside him, fussing with her dress.

          A man in his forties came walking out from the back with a nice suit in his arms. He walked to the register and laid it down next to it as the woman got up and walked over to him.

          “If your husband need anymore repairs done then just call at any time Ms. Whither.” The man’s voice was light as he spoke to the woman and rung up the price of the work he had done.

          “Of course Louis. I don’t know why but my dear husband will only let you, out of all the tailors he knows, do the work on his clothing.” Fishing inside her purse, she paid the price he told her.

          Emily couldn’t help but add her voice into the conversation, “It’s because papa is the best Ms. Whither.”

          Taking the suit, she turned to look at the girl, “That is debatable, and Emily, you should learn to stay quite when no one has addressed you at all. It is not lady like.” Walking to the door, she called for her son, both leaving with out another word.

          “She is such a horrid woman.” Emily mumbled as she walked over to her father.

          He sighed as he sorted the money out in the register, “I know she is, but she brings in good business so it would be great if you didn’t push her buttons.”

          A grin spread over her soft features, “But papa, it’s just so much fun to do it.”

          He lifted the gaze of his rich brown hues to her own light blue ones, a stern firmness shown brightly in them, “Go practice your playing Emily, the rich seem to like you more when you are making music for them and not insulting them.”

          She knew not to say anything against him once he had that look in his eyes. Leaning over the counter, she placed a light feathery kiss upon his cheek then left to the back room.

          Their shop was fairly big with two floors. The ground floor held the tailors shop that her  father owned and ran by himself. The back room was like a parlor, a white piano sat in the center of it. The second floor is where the kitchen, bathroom, and bedrooms were.

          Sitting down at the piano, she lifted the covering and gazed her fingers over the ivory keys. The piano was the only expensive thing they owned. Louis had invested all of his savings for Emily’s mother who had loved playing the piano. But now it was Emily’s and she played it as much as she could.

          Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, she started to play. A sad melody drifted from the keys and wrapped around her. Even though it sounded so sad, it had a light feeling to it as well. Minutes ticked by as she played and in no time the shop was closed. Louis sat in a large armchair across from the piano and watched her.

          Once the song was finished Emily closed the cover and stood up from it. Her blue hues looked upon her fathers form in the chair. He had fallen asleep while listening to her play. Shaking her head lightly, she fetched him a blanket. As she was putting it on him she noticed he was something in his hand.

          Carefully she removed what he was holding. Once it was safely out of his grasp she put the blanket on him and took a step back. What he had been holding had been a picture and as she looked upon it she felt a slight pain in her chest. It was of a young woman that looked a lot like Emily did. It was her mother.

          Sitting the picture carefully to the side, she turned the light off, placed a kiss on her fathers head and then went upstairs to her own bedroom.

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An: Soooo.... I know there isnt a lot in the chapter and I apologize for that, but it's just to set the story in motion because I couldnt figure out how to do it. The next chapter will much more intersting and longer.