Filed To Story: Returning to Her Not-So-Poor Family
As he wallowed in self-pity, he caught sight of Alma’s amused smile and had an epiphany, “I get it now.
It must be hers, and you’re just trying to pull one over on me!”
Eugene didn’t expect him to see through the ruse and stubbornly retorted, “Can’t you just admit Jamie Noelle favors me over you?”
“I’ll go first,” Alma took the violin, which seemed to bear the traces of Jamie Noelle’s touch.She mustered her courage and stepped onto the stage, brewing her emotions for a moment before pouring them all into The Life.
Lately, she had watched countless movies about love and loss to fully convey the rich emotions within the piece.
With her eyes closed, her mind was filled with cinematic scenes of joy, reunion, happiness, and sorrow.
A myriad of feelings coalesced into The Life.
All the guests were taken aback by the skill with which she played Regan and Jamie Noelle’s signature piece.
“Beverly, I’ve always heard your daughter had a knack for the violin, and seeing her play today, it’s clear it’s true.”
“How long has Alma been studying the violin? To play at this level, I’m truly impressed.”
“Not only is your daughter beautiful, but she also excels in the arts. You’ve got it easy in this lifetime.”
Beverly grinned graciously, “You flatter her too much; there’s still plenty she has to learn.”
“Still needs to learn? Can’t you leave some room for the rest of us?”
“With that level of skill, I dare say you won’t find a second like her among her peers.”
“Indeed, I think Alma’s already quite accomplished. Don’t be too harsh on her. Why not use this birthday celebration to find her a proper mentor? If Mr. Jarvis is already taken, look to Jamie Noelle.”
“Absolutely, Jamie Noelle’s performance earlier was breathtaking. If Jamie Noelle would take your Alma as a mentee, then she’d surely become a rising star in the world of violin.”
On the stage, Alma played with abandon, her eyes closed.She expressed everything she’d learned recently through her music – her insights into films, into life, and into humanity.
As the piece concluded, she bowed gracefully, eliciting a thunderous applause.
“It’s rare for someone to perform The Life by Mr. Jarvis and Jamie Noelle in public because it’s so demanding. One wrong note, and it can turn into a farce.”
“I’ve heard that even renowned violinists shy away from performing this piece in public, you know?
They’re afraid of being compared to the likes of Mr. Jarvis or Jamie Noelle. But young Alma here, bless her heart, she’s got guts. And tonight, she didn’t just step up to the plate – she knocked it out of the park.”
“Absolutely. To coax out such sound and feeling at her age? It’s quite an accomplishment.”
“And if Jamie Noelle were in the crowd, I bet she’d scoop Alma up as a protege in a heartbeat. Looks like our chances are slipping away.”
Alma, absorbing the praises from the stage, could feel she had improved leaps and bounds over her last performance. She locked eyes with Mirabella, a mix of confidence and pride in her gaze.
“Your turn,” she passed the violin to Mirabella.
That was when many of the guests realized – a duel of the strings was about to unfold.
“Boy, Alma’s really putting it all on the line, eh? Facing off against that girl, knowing full well she’s Queena.”
“Sure, Queena’s a whiz at chess, but her violin chops? That’s anybody’s guess.”
Mirabella took the stage, bow in right hand, fingers dancing on the strings, and spun an enchanting melody that gripped everyone instantly.
“That sound, isn’t it eerily similar to Jamie Noelle would produce?”
“We just had Jamie Noelle’s rendition of this piece, and now hearing Mirabella’s take, it’s like they’re cut from the same cloth – their skill, tone, the sheer presence.””I’m floored. I thought Alma played beautifully. However, same rhythm, same violin, yet Mirabella plays better than her.”
And not just a rung or two higher – Mirabella’s playing was in a different league altogether!
Her music, pure and crystalline, seemed to elevate the room, whisking the guests away into the heart of the composition, leaving nothing but the image of a girl and her violin, narrating the joys and sorrows of life through her strings.
Alma had only seen life through the lens of cinema, while Mirabella had truly lived every bit of joy and pain over the years – emotionally, Alma could never surpass her.
As the final note hung in the air, a stunned silence lingered before the room erupted into fervent applause.
“This birthday bash has been a blast, especially with Mirabella’s performance. It’s beyond impressive.”
“So young, yet she plays the violin like a seasoned maestro.”
“Such a treat for the ears.”
Mirabella’s music had taken the audience on a journey through life’s highs and lows, its loves and its losses, and they couldn’t help but buzz with excitement.
“That performance could hold its own against any violinist out there today.”
“Only Mr. Jarvis and Jamie Noelle playing a duet could convey the depth of emotion in that piece, but tonight, Mirabella showed she could do it solo!”
“Just one listen, and it leaves you with a heart full of feelings, craving more.”
“It was sublime.”It was a soul-stirring performance that seemed to cleanse everyone’s hearts.
“I’ve lived many years, and this is only the second time I’ve been so moved by a live performance – the first being earlier tonight with Mr. Jarvis and Jamie Noelle.”
“Same here. Rarely does a live performance resonate with me like this.”
Alma’s face turned ashen. She couldn’t believe that after all her hard practice on The Life, Mirabella had effortlessly outshone her.
Could Mirabella have been secretly mastering this piece all along?
How else could she have played with such finesse?
Beverly stood among the audience, her face carved into a gracious smile, but only she knew the gulf between her daughter and Mirabella was more than just a slight gap.
Mirabella’s talent was leagues beyond her daughter’s – a hundredfold, easily.
After years of attending violin concerts, Beverly had heard melodies that paled in comparison to even half of Mirabella’s prowess.
It was clear that Louisa’s daughter was something special, indeed.
In the crowd, someone complimented Mirabella, “I had no idea you were as skilled at chess as you are with the violin.”
“You’ve blown me 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 Megan, 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 Megan’s offer. Countless had sought her tutelage in the past, only to be turned away.”I’ve lived my life without kids, without attachments, content to pursue my passions, unconcerned with whether my legacy would be carried on by a protege.” Megan said, her smile warm as she looked at Mirabella, “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 become the most revered name in the world of violin.”
The guests were stunned by Megan’s high praise towards Mirabella.
Was she suggesting that with hard work, Mirabella could eclipse even the likes of Mr. Jarvis and Jamie Noelle?
“I know you’re also known as Queena, and following me 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 Mirabella to become his private student right in front of her.
Oswald had always been strict with Alma, yet he’d been all smiles with Mirabella, persistently asking her WhatsApp number even after several rejections, desperately trying to keep in touch.
Why did everyone seem to be fighting over Mirabella?
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 merely offered her some pointers, never teaching her all techniques he possessed.
Now, Megan was fawning over Mirabella, just like Mr. Oswald had. It was as if Mirabella was the only person in the world who mattered.”She’s got experiments to run with me, no time for this,” a breathless voice cut in. President Barton of Westerly College emerged from the crowd, “This student of mine has grand ambitions, you see. She’s studying medicine, aiming to save lives. The violin, chess, those are just hobbies, not her career path.”
Megan sighed, “That’s a real pity.”
She looked at Mirabella, 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 me a call.”
Mirabella had no intention of taking on a formal mentorship, 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 Mirabella, 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.”
Megan frowned upon hearing this. What was this girl thinking? Couldn’t she accept defeat?
A smirk played on Mirabella’s lips, and she was about to decline when she caught Beck winking furiously at her, as if to say, “When someone’s practically begging for a whooping, you better deliver.”
“I’ll go first,” Alma declared without waiting for Mirabella’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 meticulous work and countless revisions.
“Not bad at all.”