Sonata 1: 2nd Movement

The last time I saw my family was about four months ago before heading to London to participate in the International Tchaikovsky Competition. But seeing them after losing my title, I am now standing beneath a thin line. I'm glad I saw their faces, though.

Jed came home with them, so I don't have to talk to them much. I just went back to my room after serving them tea. I thought they would never call for me, but a few minutes later, Jed knocked on my door. Jed said that they have something important to say.

My mother and grandma wanted to see me? Great.

The atmosphere in the living room is already tense even though they hardly talk to one another. I try to be as calm as I can as I took a seat beside Jed. I was relieved that I can have a conversation with my mother face to face, but the moment my mother opened her mouth, I immediately took back my words. As soon as my mother spoke, my world crumbled beneath my feet.

"Look at you. I just let you off the hook for a moment, and this is what you have become. You lost your title to some third-rate musician, and you went behind my back to learn another instrument. What a disgrace."

"Mom, I--"

"I told you before, don't do something that you'll feel sorry for." she let out a sigh. I never thought that she'd hate me this much. I tried to defend myself, but the words won't come out. I'm too afraid to make my point, even though my mind kept shouting at me to do so.

"Hush, Beatrice. Why are you always angry at her?" grandma rebutted.

"Ella, I believe you still remember our deal? Then, I want you to redeem yourself using your music. Prove to me that you're still my heir using pop music. Until then, you are not to enter any Concours."

"But mother--"

"Shut your mouth, Beatrice. I know what I'm doing." There's an extreme tension spike in the atmosphere, and no one dared to speak. Everything is in silence until granny broke the tense atmosphere with just one sigh.

"We'll be taking our leave now. I just wanted to see you two. And don't forget, the family dinner's in two days." For a moment, my grandmother's eyes soften as she taps my shoulders. And as I feel her warm hands on my shoulder, the words I wanted to hear from my mother escaped through her lips.

'You're doing great, dear.'

As if time was frozen, only the gentle sound of the door closing reverberates across the living room. Hearing those words, I felt numb and nauseous. I sat there, frozen on the spot. My eyes are watery, but I held back my tears.

And just as my tears were about to fall off my cheeks, a set of warm hands brought me back to reality, seemingly reaching out to save me from an endless abyss. A pair of hazel-brown eyes suddenly met mine.

Jed is known for his flamboyant attitude, but only his closest relatives know his true self. That amidst his playful and childish image, a twisted but gentle soul resides. He would often say that he's not kind, but his actions speak otherwise. He would help out in his way whenever there's a problem.

"Are you okay? You're kind of pale."

I can't back down. Now that someone had offered to save me. If I want to get a life, I must be strong enough. I heaved a deep sigh.

"I'm fine. I'm just a little tired. I'm going to my room. Goodnight."

"Okay, sweet dreams. And Ella, you've done well." I just gave him a small smile as a response and went back to my room.

I'm a little worried Jed might press the issue further, but thankfully, he did not ask any more questions. Jed usually won't stop bothering me as soon as he sensed that something's off. There are some instances that he'll barge into my room through the veranda and ask me to join him there for a drink.

Just as I predicted, Jed went to the veranda with a can of beer and soda in his hands. He patted the floor beside him as he opened his beer. I needed comfort, so I sat beside him, and without warning, I'm bawling my eyes out on him like a child who lost a precious toy. Minutes later, I fell asleep.

I hope tomorrow will be better. I solemnly plead before I fell asleep.

The next day, I woke up with swollen eyes and a mild fever which made Jed laugh. I just glared at him and peacefully ate breakfast.

I have nothing scheduled today, so I am stuck in the house the whole day. It was not bad, considering I can finish all the books I took from Jed's music room. I grabbed three large bags of chips and two sodas as I excitedly head back to my room. Jed immediately saw me, and there goes Jed's childish antics.

"Woah, lay off the chips first. You're still recuperating. And seriously, how many books are you going to read that you're bringing your entire stock of snacks?" I just rolled my eyes at him and proceeded to my room.

Upon opening the door, I found Zie sprawled on my bed. According to her, she's getting bored that she decided to check up on me. I let her do as she pleased as long as she would let me read in peace. She obliged, borrowing one book from my shelf to match me. A few minutes later, she got bored that she went out of my room saying she'll look for something to do.

Knowing Zie, she's either at Jed's music room or the kitchen. Zie can't stand it when she has nothing to do, so she sometimes tries her hand at cooking, or if it's too much, she'll barge in at Jed's room to annoy him.

After finishing one bag of chips, I got bored, so I went to the living room to watch anime. Just as I predicted, Zie's in the kitchen with Jed, cooking lunch. It was quarter to one when they finished cooking.

Thankfully I only finished one bag of chips. Zie wouldn't let me off the hook if I did. Since both of them cooked lunch, I am in charge of setting the table. After saying grace and their usual banter before eating, we started to eat.

"I forgot to ask it, but how did you lose in the Tchaikovsky Competition?" Jed asked, taking a bite from his pork chop.

"Well, let's say that I scratched my competition. Although, that's not the kind of result I was looking for." Lizzie almost choked on her food due to shock, and Jed burst out laughing, which is the reaction I predicted.

"Ella, are you crazy? But that's like your best shot to leave the estate. And for Pete's sake, Jed, will you please stop laughing?"

"Why? It's amusing. I mean, the girl who always chased perfection just scratched her International Concours and received punishment. Isn't it amazing? She's growing up." I chuckled as a response to Jed's remark.

"Oh, please don't encourage her further. You might gain something, but what about your loss? What if it's bigger than what you bargained for?"

"Lizzie, let's trust El. I'm sure she knows that. And besides, she's pretty accurate when it comes to gains and losses. Loss is a part of life. She won't grow up if she won't suffer from losses."

"Still, It's a loss that shouldn't happen. El wouldn't have that loss if she did her part and won the title."

I have to admit, I agree with Jed. Loss is a part of life. No matter how you avoid it, it will always find its way to you. Zie has a point, but still, I would be better off losing the title.

Throughout our lunch, Zie's on her usual icy rage. I even tried to convince her that maybe something good will come out of the scratching incident, but she was having none of it. She's too upset that I gave up the title on purpose. Zie hates losing on purpose. She believes that a fight given up is an act of cowardice. I agree with her, but what I did at the competition is not an act of cowardice. It's more of a bargain for something bigger. I hope that Zie will understand the reason why I gave up the international title.

After a satisfying lunch, I sat down in the living room as Jed brewed some chamomile tea. I grabbed the book I was reading and joined him in the engawa (Note: engawa is the veranda of a Japanese House). We just sat there, enjoying the cold spring breeze. A few minutes later, I fell asleep.

Jed woke me up for supper, in which we'll be eating out since he has another meeting with his producer. Jed kept complaining that I let him starve, so I was to pay for the whole meal. I gladly took it, lest I will face one of his childish tantrums.

After dinner, I asked Jed to accompany me to the bookstore to get the books I pre-ordered which he gladly accepted. He said he's stuffed in the house too long that he needed to take a walk to freshen up. After getting the books, I also purchased some office supplies and more books to add to my collection. We went home at seven-thirty in the evening since Jed has some works to finish.

Before attending the family dinner, Zie and I went to M City for another escapade. According to her, M City is known for being a fashion town, and she wouldn't miss its annual bazaar. I want to avoid going to crowded places, but since I lost a game of Fortnite to Zie, I have no choice but to succumb to her will. I got a little consolation, though. I scored a few rare books, and I completed seven out of ten of my author's collections. We have to attend the family dinner, so we went home at four in the afternoon.

The family dinner is a monthly tradition in Aeries, a group of musical companies headed by three clans: The Monteverde clan, the Montilla clan, and us, Perillo Clan. The group started when three close friends took an oath of musical sisterhood. Hence, we have a family dinner every 15th of the month to celebrate the formation of the Aeries Group. The dinner will be at the King's Hotel in H City. To make sure that we'll attend the dinner, granny ordered Mr. Han to pick us up.

In line with my expectations, the family dinner is an eventful night. People are walking out and slamming the massive doors shut. The atmosphere is so tense that a single slip of the tongue can cause someone's wrath. Compared to a joyous celebration of friendship, this dinner is like the calm before the storm. One wrong move and everything will crumble to pieces. I fell asleep without even bothering to change my clothes as the dinner drained a lot of energy from me.

Days breezed by as we busied ourselves with work. Jed is busy preparing for the Annual Beethoven Competition, and Lizzie also needs to prepare for her band concert.

The three of us seldomly talk to each other because of our busy schedules, but we make it a habit to have meals together. Jed and I still have our usual sibling-like banters, and sometimes I have short deep conversations with Lizzie, but for the most part, it's either we stay in our rooms for days, or we have to stay out for the rest of the day.

As promised, Lizzie and I had another escapade around B City the next day before heading to Kaizen Hall for the Annual Beethoven Competition. We stroll around the alleys, and after an hour, each of us is carrying at least five shopping bags. The gates at the Hall open at three in the afternoon, so we have three hours to shop. We had our lunch at Mcdonald's and decided to go to the Hall afterward.

Since this is still the preliminaries, there are lots of participants scattered in the lobby. It took us a few minutes before we spotted Jed in his gray tuxedo.

"Yo! Jed, already scouted for a potential rival?" Lizzie asked with a grin.

"I bet he can't find a potential rival, though. Right, Jed?"

"Thanks for the honesty, El, but this time, it's different. I found two of them today. Although I am not that concerned."

"So, who are they?"

"Well, one is Mike de Novo and Ethan Lopez. I can still win, though. Or should I also scratch this one?"

"Don't even dare do that, or else I am telling her what you did."

"I'm just kidding, Elizabeth. El and I are not a set, you know, even though we have lots in common." I just heaved a deep sigh and shook my head as their usual banter commenced.

I excused myself to buy some food, not bothering if they heard me as they kept on their argument. As I head back to the lobby, I saw a familiar silhouette from my peripheral view.

"Well, isn't this the great Ella Perillo? What a surprise! I can't believe your back on these halls after losing your title."

"Hello, Mike. You're still the same old jerk from the competition, I see."

"Oh, come now, Miss Perillo. I'm still what I am. A champion who beat you." I half-chuckled, half-smirked at the remark.

"Listen, you nincompoop. You may have earned the title, but don't forget, I only helped you win. If I competed seriously, I don't think you stand a chance."

"Ooh, Well, actions speak louder than words, Miss Perillo. Why don't you prove that to me?" I just rolled my eyes, and he walked away, still laughing. Seconds later, Jed and Lizzie arrived.

"No fair, El. You came here to stuff yourself but never invited us?"

"So Jed, do you want some corndogs or not? And by the way, you're treating us to a fine-dining restaurant if you lose."

"Wait, what!? Fine. Just give me some corndogs." That made him shut up. I have to admit, but I have a few ways to make Jed stop making some childish remarks. We ate corndogs silently, with Lizzie giving me signals that she wanted to ask me something later.

After a few minutes of waiting, the participants are now called backstage. Jed whispered something in my ear, which surprised me as he went with the other participants backstage.

'You don't seem surprised to see him? That's odd.'

As we went inside, Lizzie can't help but marvel at the venue. Honestly, it is as grand as the venue used for International Concours. The constant stares and whispers from everyone who recognizes me made me more uncomfortable, though. Well, I should expect that since everyone knows that I recently lost my title. I just paid them no attention and settled in.

You brought it to yourself, so get used to it.

Since it's still the preliminaries, the contestants will play the same piano piece chosen by the judges. For this year, they choose Ludwig Van Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata. Lizzie busied herself reading the candidates' catalog given to us upon entering, and I focused on rating the contestants' performance.

Lizzie argued that this kind of competition is boring since they are technically playing the same piece. I would say different, though, since this is the most effective method of judging great pianists. Hearing the same song can be tedious for some part, but the performer's mistakes make up for it. Thank goodness Jed's number eight. I have time to assess some amateur performers.

As usual, Jed's performance is superb, with little to no mistakes, and you can see his flamboyant attitude when playing. Music sheet-wise, he got it top-down, and his interpretation of the song is topnotch. Well, as you expect from aunt Veronica's apprentice, everything is of high caliber.

Jed mesmerized the whole crowd with his playful but delicate style of performance. Every touch of the keys is like how he treats women, soft but with a hint of force in it. It's like a serenade under the moonlight. No wonder he can produce such rich sounds.

After Jed's performance, it is now Mike's turn. Contrary to my prediction, Mike played with more powerful emotions, and the way he touches the keys contains force, depicting a broken guy under the moonlight. He missed some notes, but it still is a superb performance. It's what you expect of an international titleholder. He always comes out strong.

After Mike's stage, it's now Ethan's turn. And as he pressed the first key, a swirl of emotions rushed over me as he delivered an uncanny performance.

One More Day @2020 by Ryann Taaca