My Little Piano BoxWhen I was four I desperately wanted a piano. My Mother played, and thought that my obsession was wonderful. Unfortunately my Father didn't quiet agree. We had recently moved, because Father had lost his job, and Mother was home taking care of me. Therefore, we didn't have money for a piano. My Mother would go to the church and play for hours on end. I would receive lessons and I had planned to play Father a song Mother and written when she had met Father. I came home from school one day and as I walked in the door I heard yelling. I knew that I should wait so I hid in the bushes under the window. Father was yelling saying "Elizabeth! She doesn't need false hope! We had to move her once I won't build her hopes up and then have them crash down!" Mother calmly and coolly replied, " John, just let her play for you! She is a natural! She was BORN to be a pianist." I heard Father sigh. I hated that they were fighting over me. I then heard Father sigh again. "Elizabeth, you know as well as I do, we can't afford a piano. Let Janie play at the church until we can." Mother sighed and agreed. I was angry at myself for bringing this fight about, so I ran as fast as my little legs and large backpack would allow, to a house three houses down.
Here lived an old lady that always gave me cookies and little presents. I ran up her porch, flung open the screen door, and rapped my knuckles as loudly as I could on her dark blue door. " Mawma! Are you home?" I shrieked. I heard her hobble down the stairs and I threw myself in her arms. "Sweetums, what seems to be the problem?" she asked me. "Mother and Father are angry with each other over me and the piano." I sobbed. "Well Darling, we could make a Piano Box." Mawma suggested. "A Piano Box? How ever could we do that?" I asked as I wiped my tears away with my pink sleeve. " Well you take a box and then some cardboard ad paper and markers and you make your own little Piano!" she said grinning. Several hours later I was running home with my piano, and as I ran in the door, Father saw me. I stopped and said, "Papa, I know you and Mother were arguing about my piano, but it's alright now, because I made one." He sat down as Mother walked in with her apron on covered in flour. "Darling, let me see this Piano." He said. I took my backpack off and shyly handed my Piano Box to him. "Darling, it's lovely, but can it play music?" Father asked me. "Well you see, Mawma and I thought about that and I decided I can just make up the music in my head when I'm not at the church." Mother looked at Father and said, " Janie, your Father was just asked at work to become the main advisor, so that means, in a few months we can get you a piano!" I squealed.
That was 19 years ago, and as I was cleaning my room out the night before me wedding day, I found my Piano Box. I thought of my future children and how I will continue having them exercise their creativity with Piano Boxes.
