Bonds

Start

Another day awaited her as she woke arise.

School was good. And as usual she returned home alone after playing some more in the sandy playground. Running in the sand was one of the things she became accustomed to at the new or more of the current place she lived in. In fact she preferred the sandy ground rather than the concrete hard playground of her previous school on which she injured her knees a countless times, sometimes even before the blood from the recent injury had dried up. But with sand, it was only a matter of her shoes getting heavy with good accumulations of the fine sand. Over the year she was already able to run at the same speed as she was used to on the concrete ground.

Today she was going to join in for the music classes officially. She went along with her mother once again. She could eventually get used to the route. She went in and was greeted without much emotion by Yinya.

"Good evening, miss!", she greeted happily, "And here's the fee", handing the money to the woman.

"It's too soon for the fee.. what if you don't like this? You didn't even attend a single class, right?" The lady said as she patted the little girls head and bent down to her.

"It's fine," Anya's mother tried but was replied to in an unexpected way.

"Well, how about I say, I do not accept students that readily? I will accept the fees only after a week, ma'am."

The notes were given back to the student's mother. She had spoken about the fees but it wasn't her intention to first receive it.

What miss Yinya said was a lie afterall. She would pray everyday that a new student should join and so she could get more money. Only then can she live well and treat her baby well. She had a two year old baby boy.

"So can I start today?" asked the girl. It bothered her when the teacher said she would take time in accepting students. That meant proving herself worthy.

"Yes, of course dear!"

Yinya was a person who would hate to be in debt of anyone. She wasn't sure what the little girl got in her or how well she would give herself into learning and loving the instrument. She worried if soon her student might discover her true passion and leave for it. Then she might have to return the fees. She would want to even if the parents wouldn't ask for it, because she would only earn something out of her work. She did not like to have somethings that came her way without her efforts. Especially money. As poor as she is, she is a good woman with a great work ethic.

"Okay then, let's start, shall we?"

"Yes!"

Then, she held the girl's hand and led her forward towards an upright piano. Truth to be told, that was her only possession that once costed a fortune for her husband to buy and she did not know when she would have to sell it off to give herself more life.

She seated Anya in the cushioned bench before the piano. All the while, Anya's mother stayed.

"What was the key you pressed last time?"

Before anyone else, Anya's mother responded, "Is that how you judge and accept the students?" Her voice was not angered, it was only quite low and curious. Of course she worried. Her daughter had dreamed too much to be here and now holding her breath for what's come next was all she could do.

There was a visible smile on Yinya's face however.

"Not at all, ma'am." She paused, "You should have more faith in your beautiful girl."

"Well, can't really bear to see her disappointed.."

"That's what I just said.. just leave it. I'm pretty confident that she remembers."