Beverly stood among the audience, her face carved into a gracious smile, but only she knew the gulf between her daughter and Rosemary was more than just a slight gap.
Rosemary’s talent was leagues beyond her daughter’s - a hundredfold, easily.
After years of attending violin concerts, Beverly had heard lodies that paled in comparison to even half of Rosemary’s prowess.
It was clear that Louisa’s daughter was sothing special, indeed.
In the crowd, soone complinted Rosemary, "I had no idea you were as skilled at chess as you are with the violin."
"You’ve blown away just like Jamie Noelle did. If you weren’t so young, I’d swear you were Jamie Noelle herself!"
"You’ve truly captured the soul of the piece. The last person to do so was Jamie Noelle."
"And if Jamie Noelle isn’t looking to take on any protege, would you consider being mine?"
The last to speak was the violin maestro gan, who had been devoted to the violin since she was four and, even at sixty-five, set aside two hours every day for practice.
Her obsession with the violin had made it as integral to her daily routine as brushing her teeth or washing her face.
Everyone was surprised by gan’s offer. Countless had sought her tutelage in the past, only to be turned away.
"I’ve lived my life without kids, without attachnts, content to pursue my passions, unconcerned with whether my legacy would be carried on by a protege." gan said, her smile warm as she looked at Rosemary, "But today after hearing you play, I’m moved. I have this desire to take you under my wing.
You have raw talent, and with the right guidance, you could surpass everyone to beco the most revered na in the world of violin."
The guests were stunned by gan’s high praise towards Rosemary.
Was she suggesting that with hard work, Rosemary could eclipse even the likes of Mr. Jarvis and Jamie Noelle?
"I know you’re also known as Queena, and following might feel beneath you, but that’s okay. We can work together as friends, as equals."
Alma, standing nearby, clenched her fists. During the last prestigious school competition, her own teacher, Oswald, had openly asked Rosemary to beco his private student right in front of her.
Oswald had always been strict with Alma, yet he’d been all smiles with Rosemary, persistently asking her WhatsApp number even after several rejections, desperately trying to keep in touch.
Why did everyone seem to be fighting over Rosemary?
Alma had only landed her teacher after her parents made a few personal appeals, pulling in favors from their international contacts. And even then, Oswald rely offered her so pointers, never teaching
her all techniques he possessed.
Now, gan was fawning over Rosemary, just like Mr. Oswald had. It was as if Rosemary was the only person in the world who mattered.
"She’s got experints to run with , no ti for this," a breathless voice cut in. President Barton of Westerly College erged from the crowd, "This student of mine has grand ambitions, you see. She’s
studying dicine, aiming to save lives. The violin, chess, those are just hobbies, not her career path."
gan sighed, "That’s a real pity."
She looked at Rosemary, not wanting to miss out on such a promising prospect, and whipped out her phone, "Let’s exchange contacts, just in case. If you ever change your mind, give a call."
Rosemary had no intention of taking on a formal ntorship, but her passion for the violin and her respect for the elders led her to leave her cell number anyway.
"Do you dare to play another impromptu piece?" Alma challenged Rosemary, mustering all her courage for a rematch, "Perhaps you’ve practiced that last piece in secret. Let’s see who’s the real prodigy with a one-minute violin improvisation."
gan frowned upon hearing this. What was this girl thinking? Couldn’t she accept defeat?
A smirk played on Rosemary’s lips, and she was about to decline when she caught Beck winking furiously at her, as if to say, "When soone’s practically begging for a whooping, you better deliver."
"I’ll go first," Alma declared without waiting for Rosemary’s consent and snatched the violin from her hands to perform her so-called spontaneous composition.
Although it was billed as improvisation, the piece was actually the result of two months of ticulous work and countless revisions.
"Not bad at all."
"It’s got that youthful defiance. She’s young, full of dreams and fight. Makes sowhat envious."
"The tune is so positive; it’s oddly uplifting."
Although it was ant to be a minute-long duel, Alma played her piece in its entirety, taking up two minutes.
"If we must compete," Rosemary took back the violin, "half a minute is all I need."
Anger flashed in Alma’s eyes, as if she wanted to protest Rosemary’s perceived slight.
But then, a majestic lody poured from Rosemary’s strings, grander, more powerful, and more lodious than Alma’s.
A sinking feeling hit Alma. Could it be that Rosemary also composed violin pieces in her spare ti,keeping them ready for monts like this?
Rosemary played only the climax of her piece, leaving the audience craving more, and then she stopped,
"You lost."
The gap between their abilities was clear.
"Was that really an improvisation?" Alma asked, unable to conceal her disbelief.
Beverly felt a twinge of embarrassnt for her daughter. Rosemary’s piece, The Life, had already demonstrated a master’s prowess. Yet her daughter was still wallowing in defeat, foolishly hoping for a
coback.
"In this lifeti, you’re barred from the world of violin; you agreed not to touch anything related to it.
That’s your words," Rosemary’s remarks caused Alma to stagger back, nearly losing her balance.
"They were playing for keeps."
"It was just a friendly match; why make such a hefty bet? Having two talents in the violin world is better than one, right?"
"But next to Rosemary, Alma really does fall short."
That last comnt was like twisting the knife in Alma’s wound.
"A bet’s a bet. From now on, Alma will steer clear of the violin and its related fields. Let’s consider tonight’s farce as a bit of added entertainnt for the birthday bash."
Reviews
All reviews (0)