It's Our Time to Shine
The Pianist, Myself And Kate.
I was still standing next to Bert, close, as our hands were carefully brushing against each other with soft touches.
We were looking at the living room’s wall which was full of old photographs of the McCracken Family.
They all seemed so happy then, every one of them.
It looked like Bert’s addiction to drugs at that point hadn’t influenced them all that badly yet.
At least not enough to split the whole entire family as I later know it would.
“Do you play the piano?”, he suddenly asked in a low tone, looking at me with a smile upon his face.
He gazed over at the great, black piano that was hidden at the corner of the living room by the stairs.
“No, I don’t”, I answered. “Sorry.”
“Don’t be. Come – I’ll show you.”
I walked over to Bert, who now was sitting on the small piano bench, and sat down next to him.
There was just enough space on it for the both of us as we sat close to each other.
“I didn’t know you played the piano”, I said with an almost amazed look.
“Well, I have some hidden talents too, you know. Do you want me to play something for you?”
“That would be nice…”, I smiled, feeling my cheeks getting warm as I started blushing.
“What do you wanna hear?”, Bert asked, waiting for my respond while putting his feet on the piano’s pedal.
“I don’t know – you decide. Play something you would like me to hear.”
“Okay”, he replied, twinkling his eye with a suspicious smile as he placed his slender yet vigorous fingers on the tangents while getting ready to play.
“Lina, this song’s for you.”
My heart beat rose as I realized which song Bert now was playing; ‘Smother Me’.
While watching his fingers sliding orderly and precise over the tangents, I could see him occasionally gazing over at me, looking to see if I was enjoying him playing or not.
I was, and I was hypnotized.
It was just something about how he was playing the piano.
Although I’d know Bert for several months now, the fact that he was such an amazing pianist amazed me.
”… the one who calls you baby”, he sang as he finished the melody.
I kept quiet for a while, trying to come up with the right words to express my fascination and gratitude for his performance.
“Wow”, I finally said. “That was amazing, Bert. Truly beautiful.”
“Thanks”, he replied, trying to hide the fact that he was blushing.
He failed, and it was one of the sweetest things I’d ever seen.
At that point, he suddenly leaned over to me, looking straight into my eyes with a look so powerful that it made my whole body tremble with excitement.
I knew what was going to happen and I had no intentions of doing anything to prevent it from happening.
Before either one of us got to do anything more, Mrs. McCracken suddenly came down the stairs, wearing a white linen nightgown.
“Oh, Robert! It’s so nice to see you play the piano again. It has to be years since last time.”
‘Years?’, I thought to myself. For the first time in years Bert actually played. And for me?
“Yeah”, he answered his mom as he looked down at the floor with an awkward face expression.
“It felt like the right time to play. Besides, I wanted to play a song for Lina”, he continued.
“That’s nice of you, hunny”, she responded, patting his head with a gentle stroke.
“Oh, and, Robert – before I forget; could you please take out the garbage in the kitchen? I was meant to do it earlier, but time just flew.”
“Yeah, sure, mom”, Bert said before getting up from the small piano bench and heading into the kitchen where he got the garbage.
Meanwhile, while he was outside and throwing it, I walked over to the wall with all of the photographs to once again look at them with great curiosity.
“Isn’t he lovely?”, Mrs. McCracken added, gazing at the same photography which Bert and I had been looking at earlier.
“Yes, he really is.”
“He truly loves you, you know.”
“Excuse me?”, I said. Even though I perfectly heard what she said, I needed a conferment.
“Robert”, she repeated. “He cares a lot for you, sweetie.”
“He does?”
“Yes, very much. He and I have had a few times talking on the telephone during your time while touring around, young lady, and I have gotten the impression that you’ve made quite an impact on Robert. On all of the boys, in fact.”
“Wh-what has he been saying?”
I felt my voice barely being able to avoid cracking while not knowing what Bert had told his mother about me.
“Oh, don’t worry, love. Only good words have been shared between him and me. I’ve heard so much about you from Robert and I’m so thrilled he’s found someone as special as you.”
“’Someone as special as me’?”, I repeated.
“Yes, I presume you are his girl?”
At that point, I dwelled on it, having no idea what to respond to Mrs. McCracken’s question.
I knew the answer, but at the same time, Bert’s behavior after playing the piano for me earlier spoke differently.
“Oh, never mind”, she giggled. “I bet you two will sort out things just perfectly.”
“Yes”, I said, trying to laugh with her while trying to hide my insecurity.
“Nevertheless, I have to say, though, you remind me of someone. A girl, but I cannot remember whom.”
“Really?”
I sounded curious, which I can assure you I was.
“Yes. The girl used to come around here quite a lot when… Oh, yes, now I remember. The both of them couldn’t have been much older than 17 years old at that time. What was her name again? Let me see. Kate – that was her name”, Mrs. McCracken said with a thoughtful look upon her face.
“Kate?”, I repeated, once again sounding curious. That name had been ‘haunting’ me for months now, without even knowing the meaning of it.
I hadn't really gotten to know it either, due to the fact that every time I mentioned the name, Bert would jump up and start talking about something completely different.
And if I asked Quinn, Jepha or Dan, every one of them would just switch the subject and keep their mouths shut.
'Kate'. Who was she…?
“Yes, but nevermind her. It is about you and Bert now.”
“I'm not so sure”, I hesitated, well knowing how insecure I was.
“We'll see about that…”, Mrs. McCracken said, smiling gently at me while winking her eye…
We were looking at the living room’s wall which was full of old photographs of the McCracken Family.
They all seemed so happy then, every one of them.
It looked like Bert’s addiction to drugs at that point hadn’t influenced them all that badly yet.
At least not enough to split the whole entire family as I later know it would.
“Do you play the piano?”, he suddenly asked in a low tone, looking at me with a smile upon his face.
He gazed over at the great, black piano that was hidden at the corner of the living room by the stairs.
“No, I don’t”, I answered. “Sorry.”
“Don’t be. Come – I’ll show you.”
I walked over to Bert, who now was sitting on the small piano bench, and sat down next to him.
There was just enough space on it for the both of us as we sat close to each other.
“I didn’t know you played the piano”, I said with an almost amazed look.
“Well, I have some hidden talents too, you know. Do you want me to play something for you?”
“That would be nice…”, I smiled, feeling my cheeks getting warm as I started blushing.
“What do you wanna hear?”, Bert asked, waiting for my respond while putting his feet on the piano’s pedal.
“I don’t know – you decide. Play something you would like me to hear.”
“Okay”, he replied, twinkling his eye with a suspicious smile as he placed his slender yet vigorous fingers on the tangents while getting ready to play.
“Lina, this song’s for you.”
My heart beat rose as I realized which song Bert now was playing; ‘Smother Me’.
While watching his fingers sliding orderly and precise over the tangents, I could see him occasionally gazing over at me, looking to see if I was enjoying him playing or not.
I was, and I was hypnotized.
It was just something about how he was playing the piano.
Although I’d know Bert for several months now, the fact that he was such an amazing pianist amazed me.
”… the one who calls you baby”, he sang as he finished the melody.
I kept quiet for a while, trying to come up with the right words to express my fascination and gratitude for his performance.
“Wow”, I finally said. “That was amazing, Bert. Truly beautiful.”
“Thanks”, he replied, trying to hide the fact that he was blushing.
He failed, and it was one of the sweetest things I’d ever seen.
At that point, he suddenly leaned over to me, looking straight into my eyes with a look so powerful that it made my whole body tremble with excitement.
I knew what was going to happen and I had no intentions of doing anything to prevent it from happening.
Before either one of us got to do anything more, Mrs. McCracken suddenly came down the stairs, wearing a white linen nightgown.
“Oh, Robert! It’s so nice to see you play the piano again. It has to be years since last time.”
‘Years?’, I thought to myself. For the first time in years Bert actually played. And for me?
“Yeah”, he answered his mom as he looked down at the floor with an awkward face expression.
“It felt like the right time to play. Besides, I wanted to play a song for Lina”, he continued.
“That’s nice of you, hunny”, she responded, patting his head with a gentle stroke.
“Oh, and, Robert – before I forget; could you please take out the garbage in the kitchen? I was meant to do it earlier, but time just flew.”
“Yeah, sure, mom”, Bert said before getting up from the small piano bench and heading into the kitchen where he got the garbage.
Meanwhile, while he was outside and throwing it, I walked over to the wall with all of the photographs to once again look at them with great curiosity.
“Isn’t he lovely?”, Mrs. McCracken added, gazing at the same photography which Bert and I had been looking at earlier.
“Yes, he really is.”
“He truly loves you, you know.”
“Excuse me?”, I said. Even though I perfectly heard what she said, I needed a conferment.
“Robert”, she repeated. “He cares a lot for you, sweetie.”
“He does?”
“Yes, very much. He and I have had a few times talking on the telephone during your time while touring around, young lady, and I have gotten the impression that you’ve made quite an impact on Robert. On all of the boys, in fact.”
“Wh-what has he been saying?”
I felt my voice barely being able to avoid cracking while not knowing what Bert had told his mother about me.
“Oh, don’t worry, love. Only good words have been shared between him and me. I’ve heard so much about you from Robert and I’m so thrilled he’s found someone as special as you.”
“’Someone as special as me’?”, I repeated.
“Yes, I presume you are his girl?”
At that point, I dwelled on it, having no idea what to respond to Mrs. McCracken’s question.
I knew the answer, but at the same time, Bert’s behavior after playing the piano for me earlier spoke differently.
“Oh, never mind”, she giggled. “I bet you two will sort out things just perfectly.”
“Yes”, I said, trying to laugh with her while trying to hide my insecurity.
“Nevertheless, I have to say, though, you remind me of someone. A girl, but I cannot remember whom.”
“Really?”
I sounded curious, which I can assure you I was.
“Yes. The girl used to come around here quite a lot when… Oh, yes, now I remember. The both of them couldn’t have been much older than 17 years old at that time. What was her name again? Let me see. Kate – that was her name”, Mrs. McCracken said with a thoughtful look upon her face.
“Kate?”, I repeated, once again sounding curious. That name had been ‘haunting’ me for months now, without even knowing the meaning of it.
I hadn't really gotten to know it either, due to the fact that every time I mentioned the name, Bert would jump up and start talking about something completely different.
And if I asked Quinn, Jepha or Dan, every one of them would just switch the subject and keep their mouths shut.
'Kate'. Who was she…?
“Yes, but nevermind her. It is about you and Bert now.”
“I'm not so sure”, I hesitated, well knowing how insecure I was.
“We'll see about that…”, Mrs. McCracken said, smiling gently at me while winking her eye…
♠ ♠ ♠
well, well, well, people.a sudden twist has occurred now.
if i may say so myself, that is.
but, hands down, who is this kate?
and what the hell is so 'special' about her?
only i know, but for now; find out for yourselves... (:
xo,
lina.