Chapter 3

"Jo, endeavor you're home before 6pm so you can have your check up done" Lori reminded her for the umpteenth time that morning.

     Josephine nodded. She badly wanted to participate in the Chicago Classical Musical. Her violin strapped on her back and her school bag in her hands she walked happily to school.

     At school, she had never entered the music room before. She never saw reasons to. So that morning after dropping her school bag in the classroom she headed to the music room. At the corridor, she heard a delightful sound. She stood near and savoured it.

     Wanting to know who was playing, she opened the door slowly. There on the piano bench sat a boy her age pouring out his emotions and letting the piano refine it for him.

     "You play beautifully" Josephine complimented him.

     He turned and closed the lid of the piano "Who are you?" He asked in a quiet tone.

     She laughed and took out her violin from it's case "Can you play Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" for me?" She asked.

     He smiled and nodded his head. He played it so beautifully. Exactly the way it was in the score.

     She raised her bow and as soon as it struck the strings, Isaac stopped playing.

     "Are you the one that played Vivaldi's "Four Seasons" some days ago?" He asked.

     She smiled and began playing the piece. He accompanied her with the piano. Halfway through the piece he stopped playing. His fingers suddenly went numb. He looked at her and she smiled again. "What happened?" She asked.

     He sighed "What's the use of playing when the one you play for is no longer there?" He asked

     She turned her back to him and sighed. She remembered that night in the hospital when she was just 9 years old and that voice that asked "Why do you play?" She asked him the same way it had asked her.

     "I play... I play... I play..." He just couldn't find the right words "I have no reason to play, I guess I just have to quit".

     Josephine gasped. Walked up to him and slapped him on his face "Why do you play?" She asked him again.

     Still holding his face in pain. He couldn't believe she had done what she had done "I don't have a reason to play" he repeated.

     She laughed "My mother once told me musicians don't just become musicians because they just want to. Something or someone always pushes them. So we all have a reason to play even when we don't want to accept it" she said "Class starts in five minutes, the next time we meet I want a good answer" and she hopped away.

     Isaac watched her run, he didn't even know her name. He felt they had met before but where? He pondered on her words, did they really have to have a reason to play? What was his reason?

     After classes, Isaac and Flora walked home together.

     "Flora, why do you sing?" Isaac asked her.

     She stared at him in shock "Why do you ask?"

     "No reason" he said suddenly feeling embarrassed.

     Flora held his hand and said "I sing because of my parents. Because anytime I sing, I feel connected to them." She then let go of his hand.

     He smiled. "Why do you think I play the piano?" he asked

     She laughed as they approached the Parasselle bridge "I don't know, you ask yourself. I'm not you" was her reply.

     On the bridge stood Josephine Abrams clutching her violin tight. She saw them from afar and couldn't hold her excitement in.

      "You?" Isaac cried as soon as he saw Josephine. She smiled.

     "It seems you've met yourselves but allow me to do the proper introductions. Josephine meet Isaac and Isaac meet Josephine" Flora said

     Josephine laughed "Do you now have a reason to play?" She asked.

     "So that's where the question came from?" Flora said amidst smiles.

     He shook his head. "I think I have to practice for the competition now" he said and left.

     Josephine laughed again "Bye then"

     That evening as she walked into the hospital she felt nostalgic. She walked into her special room and it was neater than she had left it. The doctor entered almost after her and took a blood sample. He also did some minor check ups like: Heart beat rate, Blood pressure and the likes. He then encouraged her to take her medications regularly.

     Then she left.

     She wished she had more time. She really wished.