The Shattered Memory of a Violinist

//Four - Persephone//

//Four - Persephone//

Willa Van der Mariel 

I spoke to her for a least half an hour, before packing up my my sketch bag and leaving the hospital. When I stepped out the building, the fresh air filled up my lung’s, taking away that terrible smell of death from the hospital. Outside, people were bustling everywhere, and I went unnoticed by them. Drifting through the crowd like a ghost. This must be how ghost feel, I thought as I got back on my bike and peddled through the city. Blending through the crowd, into they reach oblivion. Sighing, I glide around the bend’s and turn’s, heading back home. Hopefully, Mike will be back from work at the clinic and have my McDonalds. My street comes up in the distance, growing out of the ground. I can see our bright red wall’s from here, with Mike’s garden that he adores. My eye’s see Mike’s car out the front, and I immediately speed up. My stomach is grumbling in anticipation, as I practically leap up the driveway, dropping my bike on the porch and gliding into the house.

“MY MCDONALDS” I yell into the house, running into the kitchen and opening my arm’s wide out like a bat. 

Except, where there are meant to be McDonald’s, there are only wrappers. McDonald wrappers. And my dad and brother are there, licking their salty finger’s and smiling to one another. They see me, and a little colour escape’s from Mike’s face. 

“Where the hell are my Macca’s?” I demanded, crossing my arm’s over my hungry chest.

Mike shrug’s. “We ate it” 

I breathe in relief, and stride over to the plate cupboard, rip open the door and yank out my McDonald meal. When I turn to look back at my family, Eldon look’s annoyed and Mike look’s slightly put off that I knew where it was. 

“I could tell you were lying” I said as I bit down on my burger. “No one has enough gut’s to take my Macca’s away from me”
Mike smiled. “And that is why we love you, Willa” Then, his eye’s crinkle in the corner’s as if he is thinking about something delightful. “I forgot to tell you, I just stopped speaking to Melia and her family are coming over for dinner, and you guy’s can have a quick lesson”

Shit.

I thin my lip’s, and nod my head. Trying to act cool, even though inside I am freezing up and screaming at my father. “Okay. As long as I get to cook the chicken. Honestly, dad you will poison the pour neighbour’s and we can’t let them think they live in a bad neighbour hood so early. Let them enjoy their innocence”

Eldon laughed, and take’s a sip of his coke. “Dad brought home another kitten today”

I hear my dad sigh in exhaustion. “Ed, you can’t keep a secret to save your life”
“A KITTEN!” I coo. 

Mike is always bring animal’s home from the clinic who need a home, but don’t have enough time to be adopted. So, Mike take’s them home and we look after them until they get adopted. Normally, it only take’s a week. But, Wolvie never got adopted and neither did Lunatic, another cat of our’s that live’s outside and only comes inside when it raining. I have some abnormally obsession with cat’s I am told, and Dave hate’s it because he is allergic. Mike, loves every animal and practically rules over his work as a veterinarian. 

“Where is the little tyke?” I asked, peering around the room closely.

Mike grin’s. “Follow me”

I was still eating my chips, but walking and eating was easier than people say. Mike led me upstairs to the lounge room, where it is most quietest in the house. There, sitting in a cat bed on the lounge was a grey little kitten, who was about the size of Mike’s hand, and sleeping peacefully. 

“Aww” I cooed quietly. “What’s the name?”
“She. And she doesn’t have a name yet, we just called her Cat at the clinic”

I give him a disgusted look. “Cat? God, I need to come down their and name those poor creature’s with decent name’s. No wonder some don’t get better, terrible name’s” I eyed the little cat, and stroked her small head with the tip of my finger’s. “Let’s call you Persephone”

Mike smiles, and shakes his head. “Persephone? I don’t even want to ask”
“We’ll call her Perry for short. We haven’t had a girl cat in ages” I turned to Mike. “How come no one adopted this little one?” I asked, confused. She was adorable, and I sure as hell would adopt her.

A faint blush appears on my dad’s face, and he bit’s his lip. “I’m not meant to tell you until Dave finishes his meeting. But, well, your audition for Juilliard is coming up, and, well we wanted to give you a present for being a violin prodigy”

“SHE’S MINE?” I screech excitedly.

Yes, Willa, you have a cat. Calm down.

Mike clamp’s a hand over my mouth. “Willa, I love you, but shut the hell up. You’ll wake Persephone, and at least act surprise when we bring her downstairs” He take’s his hand away from my mouth, a warning look in his eyes.

I can’t help it, excitement is racing through my veins. I love getting present’s, and our parent’s do spoil us with gift’s when they are proud of us. Then, suddenly it hit’s me. The shock of really what’s going on. Why I am getting this present. It’s not because I am good, it’s because I kept being good and being good is going to get me into Juilliard. 

Oh my god. What if I do not get in? 

The thought is unthinkable, and I push it out of my mind. Mike see’s my expression, and places a kiss on my forehead.

“Willa, I say this as a father, gay man and stranger. You are a wonderful violinist, and someday going to make people cry in mascara that is not waterproof. Okay, darling?”
I can’t help it, I grin. “I’ll put on the flyer they should wear waterproof”

“I am sure they will appreciate it” He murmur’s, then looks over to where my present is. “Look’s like Percy is waking up” He took the empty chip carton from my hand’s. “You can play with her if you want, I can see it in your eye’s”

“What about Pa?” I try, although I do really want to play with my new kitten. 

He shrug’s, smiling. “We both know you are a terrible actress. Just say I am a terrible present wrapper”

“We both know that” I kiss him on the cheek, and lean down beside the little kitten who is waking up slowly. “Thank’s Dad”
“No problem, darling”

I watch my dad walk off, a smile playing on my lips. Mike may not be my biological father like Dave is, but I grew up with him kissing my sores and doing my hair before school. Until, Averie taught herself and began to do my hair. I can do hair, but prefer not to. Hair kind of freak’s me out sometimes. Dave is Averie’s and my biological dad, we all shared the same brown hair and dark eye’s. While, Eldon is adopted. I smile at the memory. He hadn't been adopted how a usual baby would — no, he was more of a fairytale. We had been living in Boston, and Mike and Dave had gone out for dinner. Leaving, Averie and I to our own devices 

Rookie mistake.

We had just began to fight over who was the best at singing when the doorbell rang. Of course, our fathers told us not to answer the door — so we did. And sitting on the threshold was a baby on the doorstep, wrapped in a grey cloth and looking up at us with big brown eyes. Averie had watched him cautiously, while I had picked him up, brought him inside and giving Dave and Mike the biggest shock of their dear lives when they came home — I would’ve been shock to if I came home and saw my daughters nursing a baby. Mike had fell in love with immediately — he loved things that need to have a home, while Dave took longer to fall in love with the baby. But, he did, and no one doubted that they were the loving parent’s of Eldon. I named him, of course, and no one fought my decision.