8

A week later, I came home super happy and looked for Mom. She looked upset.

    “What’s wrong?” I asked.

    “I had another fight with your father.”

    “I’m sorry.”

    “Thanks. What’s going on?”

    “I have some good news,” I announced.

    “Yeah?”

    “I was hired as a guitar player at the opera house today.”

    Mom’s face broke into an enormous smile.

    She hugged me.

    “I’m so proud of you,” she said.

    “We’ll be preparing for a concert starting tomorrow,” I continued.

    “Sounds great.”

    “I can’t believe this is happening.”

    “Why not?”

    “Because I’ve wanted to play in a concert for years” I shared. “I wanted it badly and it might happen. It seems too big and too good to be real.”

    “It’s not. You’ve earned it. And lots of people have too, so don’t think it’s too good to be true.”

    “I think I could do well in a concert.”

    “I think so too.”

    “I’ve participated in smaller concerts before and did a good job.”

    “And your father and I loved attending these concerts.”
    “Do you remember that guy who was using magic during the battles with the ghouls?”

    “I think there were several,” Mom reminded me.

    “The guy I talked to.”

    “Oh, yeah. Christian!”

    “He was hired today too.”  I saw Christian at work the next day. The musicians who had arrived were sitting together and tuning their instruments or practicing with them until everybody else got there and rehearsals could start. Two other people were talking to each other. Christian and I wanted to sit next to each other because we had already met. I played the guitar. Christian played the violin. I told Christian why I loved music.

    “Playing music is the most fun I usually have, which is why I practiced so hard and learned for years,” Christian told me. “There is something freeing about playing music and being able to do it well.”

    “How long have you wanted to be a professional musician?”

    “Since I was twelve. I have always loved music and one day I told my Dad I wanted to learn to play the violin.”

    “What did he say?”

    “He said okay. But like so many people, I had a habit of starting to learn something and getting tired of it after a while.”

    “Was your Dad expecting that this time?” I asked.

    “He was hoping it wouldn’t happen, but he prepared himself, in case it did. Luckily, I loved music enough that I wanted to keep learning for years.”

    “It makes you happy?”

    “Yeah.”

    “It makes me happy too. Was your Dad happy you continued learning?”

    “He certainly was.”

    “My parents and I are glad I found two things I pursued,” I told Christian.   “What are they?”

    “Martial arts and music.”

    We practiced for two hours with the other musicians. Everyone played a different instrument. Then, we all took a break and talked, drank water or went to the bathroom. We talked about our different experiences as musicians and students.

    Christian told me another reason he loved music was because the kingdom had some of the best concerts in the world. He wanted to contribute to that and keep it going.

    We all got to know each other better and became friends over the next few weeks. Christian and I talked every day. I became more interested in him the more I got to know him. He wanted to know me too.

    My parents were fighting and yelling every day and I didn’t know why.