Page 118 of Strings
“You’ve been instrumental in making this happen.”
“Where’s Mr. Nov?” Martwaine asks. “I can’t wait to play for him. It’s not easy keeping secrets. I thought I was gonna burst.”
“I know. You’ve all been excellent. Have you been practicing?”
They all nod.
“All I ask is you be you and do what you’ve been doing all along. And keep playing, no matter what. Got it?”
As the children get ready, I wring my hands. If I can pull this off, it’ll be a miracle. I say a silent prayer for more than one.
You never know what you don’t know until you know it.
I stand on the side of the curtain and stare at the podium. The crew is setting up the kids’ chairs, and Amy is making sure she passes out their instruments to them in the alley. I hope they have time to warm up. But more than that, I hope these rich people have kind hearts. They can’t all be like Constance. At least, I hope they’re not.
“Why are they setting up those chairs? What’s going on?”
I hear Bordo’s voice before I see him. I cringe. How can I explain this? My phone buzzes in my hand.
Amy:It’s time. Fly them home!
I take a deep breath. “I’ll explain everything. Give me a second.” I walk out onto the stage as Bordo calls after me in a quiet shout. Everyone is yelling at me today. God, I hope this isn’t a disaster. I tap on the microphone.
“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to the event of the year.”
Everyone applauds and I try not to puke. My eyes frantically try to remember the seating chart and where I put him. When I see Sebastian, I focus on him and him alone. He’s as surprised to see me on stage as I am to be here.
“The Symphony’s Gala has been a long-standing tradition in our rich history. And by rich, we’re referring to your pocketbooks.”
There’s a bit of laughter and I thank God that I didn’t offend all of them. I’ve never made a speech in front of this many people.
“And as you all know, charity and giving is the cornerstone of who we are. Our musicians and board of directors donate much of their time and resources to contribute to the betterment of our society, for our nation’s future, and for the future of musicians throughout the world. Somewhere tonight is a child practicing his flute. He skipped recess and doesn’t play sports like his friends. Instead, he spends every moment thinking about music or playing it. He is the Symphony’s future.”
The guests clap. Sebastian eyes me inquisitively. He mouths, “What are you doing?” and I smile.
“Tonight, I thought I’d change things up a bit. After all, you came to hear music, didn’t you? Besides our very own Principal Violinist Sebastian Corronov, you’ll also be hearing from some kids who are near and dear to his heart. Sebastian spends his free time with these children, teaching them how to play and how to love music as much as he does. I’ve seen him with them first hand. If I’d had a man like him in my life growing up, I think things would have been very different for me. If we could all have hearts as big as his, what a wonderful world this would be. Tonight, I honor him and you with his prodigies. I hope you’ll consider donating not only to the Sym, but also to local groups like this. One of these kids could be conducting our orchestra someday. It is our duty and our responsibility to bring our love of music to everyone, regardless of age, race, or economic status. Surely you all have hearts like his. With that, I hope you’ll join me in giving a warm welcome to Tenth Street Symphony.”
With a flourish of my hand, the kids walk toward their seats and the crowd stands to clap for them. They beam with pride as they enter and it fills me up inside in a way I didn’t know was possible. Turning my head, I glance over to Sebastian and he has tears in his eyes. I swear I can hear him clapping over everyone else. There’s a reason we seated him directly in front of them. They needed to see him as much as he needed to see them.
Prince waves to Sebastian and Martwaine yells out, “Hey, Mr. Nov!”
The room erupts into laughter as people begin to take their seats. Ms. Joe comes out to lead them. She winks at Sebastian as she stands front and center, raising the conductor’s wand. Sebastian places his hand over his heart.
She lifts her baton and motions to them.One, two, three…The kids begin to play Josh Groban’s “You Raise Me Up.”
I watch from backstage. They sound amazing. Their music echoes throughout the room. There’s meaning in the lyrics even though no one is singing. Sebastian believed in them when no one else did. He is their hero. He’s mine too.
Sebastian wipes the tears from his eyes. Ms. Joe hands him the conductor’s wand and he steps up to finish leading them. Everyone applauds. After the song, the kids rush him and he bends to hug them. There isn’t a dry eye in the house.
“Talia!”
I hear Bordo call my name and I realize it’s time. I turn and place my hands in the air to stop him. “Before you say another word, I have something for you.”
Walking toward a box in the corner backstage, I pull two letters out of my purse. “This is my resignation. You were right about me. I lied. I had no prior experience and I was given this job under false pretenses. I apologize to you and to everyone at the Sym for lying and misleading you, but more than anything, I am sorry for what I did to Amy.”
I hand him a second letter. “I don’t know if my opinion means anything to you, but I hope you’ll hear me out. Amy deserves this job.”
Just as I say her name, she walks toward us.
