Heartstrings
Page 10
Chapter Ten
Dr. Wellesford and Eroica worked together a lot. He performed every chance that he
had. When they practiced, he was always very polite, but always very particular and precise. He never relaxed, and he never seemed to be enjoying himself. Eroica worried that she was going to become like him, but she didn’t know what to do about it.
Barry Drewer never bothered her, which was a relief. He pretended like he didn’t even know her. It was just as well. And Mark Wallace, Eroica noticed, was good friends with Allisun Miller. She was a violinist, and she was young and pretty. She had long, wavy blonde hair, and captivating blue eyes. She was the kind of girl that everyone wanted to date. Eroica was not at all surprised about Mark and Allisun. She was disappointed, though. Eroica had begun to hope that she and Mark would become good friends. But their relationship had started off so terribly. It just wasn’t going to be.
So Eroica put all of her cares aside and worked hard. This was something that she knew how to do. On Friday she rehearsed with Dr. Rykhart and his performance that evening went well. Saturday was Dr. Wellesford’s recital, but he did things much differently than other musicians. He didn’t want to practice with her at all. He very specifically told her that he didn’t even want to see her until just before the performance. They had already rehearsed together in the recital hall, so Eroica felt ready to perform with him. Even with how demanding he was.
Eroica found herself with an entire day to do whatever she wanted. She rolled out of bed later than usual, and put on a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt. She always had to cuff her pants because she was so short. This always made her feel like a kid. Especially when she pulled her hair back and put on a baseball cap, like she did this day. She went to AnnaMaria’s house and knocked on the door.
Charlie and Joshua jumped onto the couch and pressed their faces against the window to see who was there. AnnaMaria had the hardest time keeping that window clean, but her boys loved to look out the window. So she left the couch where it was.
“Come on in, Eroica,” AnnaMaria called from the kitchen.
“Hi boys,” Eroica said in the midst of being tackled by them. “I was just going to the park for a little while. Do your boys want to come?”
“Of course they do,” she said while they jumped up and down in anticipation. “John has gone to the hardware store so he’ll be gone for a while. Let me leave a note for him, and I’ll come with you.”
“I haven’t had breakfast yet, and I don’t feel like fixing anything. Why don’t we stop somewhere and buy some stuff to make sandwiches, and have a picnic? I still have some money left from my piano students this month. I spent almost all of it on sheet music.”
Eroica helped the boys put on their shoes while AnnaMaria grabbed a blanket. When they got to the park, Charlie and Joshua immediately took off and Eroica and AnnaMaria spread out the blanket and sat down.
“I love this park,” said AnnaMaria. “There are no swings so I don’t have to push anyone.”
“And it’s such a beautiful day. I love the fall. It’s breezy and not incredibly hot anymore. If feels so good to be outside and away from books and teachers and pianos.”
“You need to be careful that you don’t overwork yourself, Eroica. You tend to get involved in too many things.”
“I know. I’ve only been back in school for a month, and it’s wearing me out. It would be okay if this accompanying job weren’t so demanding. I love to accompany, but this has been really hard. I’m not sure why. Last night’s recital with Dr. Rykhart went smoothly enough. But Dr. Wellesford makes me so nervous. He knows his pieces perfectly and he doesn’t strike me as a very forgiving performer.”
“Is the music hard?”
“It’s not anything I can’t handle. And Dr. Wellesford is not unkind. He is just no fun. That’s what I miss. It was always so much fun to accompany our parents. Especially Dad. Even when he sings some dramatic aria from a tragic opera. I could always feel that he loved what he was doing. With Dr. Wellesford, it’s just a lot of hard work.”
“Do you ever get a break from him? Don’t you have to spend time accompanying other faculty members?”
“Dr. Wellesford is performing almost every weekend through the whole semester. It wouldn’t be so hard if I didn’t have to practice with him so much. However,” Eroica brightened up, “I am looking forward to working with other faculty members. After all, I am getting paid for this.”
Charlie and Joshua ran up to them, demanding cookies, and AnnaMaria put sandwiches into their hands. She tried to get them to sit on the blanket and eat, but they just couldn’t sit still. So off they scurried, chomping sandwiches as they went.
“What do you hear from Germany?” Eroica asked.
“Mom called a few nights ago. She wishes that you would sit still long enough to write her a letter or call her.”
“I know. She has sent me a few postcards saying as much.”
“They went to Switzerland last week and Mom bought some handmade lace curtains for my kitchen window. She also bought a dress for you. She knows how much you love lace, and the dress she got for you sounds beautiful. She has already put them in the mail.”
“Mom is so efficient.”
“So, Eroica,” AnnaMaria changed the subject, “Are you ready for me to set you up on a date? I have someone ready to ask you out, and he is very polite.”
“Just make sure that he has a car,” Eroica resigned. “You arranged a date for me once with someone who showed up on a Honda scooter. And it was January. I wound up with bronchitis.”
“That was so long ago. You need to be willing to try again. You never know what can happen.”
“I know what can happen—being sick for a month.”
“It’s just one date, and it’s not winter yet. And if you don’t like him, you don’t have to go out with him again.”
“And you won’t pressure me?”
“Oh, no,” AnnaMaria smiled, “I’ll just find someone else for you.”
Eroica laughed along with her sister. She leaned back, looking into the sky, and watched as the wind pushed the clouds eastward. She felt just like them, being pushed around by the winds and going directions that she hadn’t planned on going. She wondered where the winds would take her.