Chapter 2

I might take some space on this page to tell you a little about myself since I'm one of the main characters in this story. My name is Curtis Wright. I'm twenty-six years old and a graduate of a pretty decent music academy back east, although not the "Big J". I wish! If I could have afforded that, I wouldn't be competing for a slot in a relatively small chamber orchestra, I'd be going for a symphony orchestra like Philadelphia or Chicago. But the school I went to wasn't exactly cut-rate either. I'll be paying off my student loan 'til I'm in my thirties.

On the physical side, I'm five feet eleven, slim bordering on skinny and probably just middling in the looks department although I suppose it depends on whom you ask. I know I don't have movie star looks but I'm not ashamed of my appearance.

Growing up, I guess I was always considered a bit of a nerd or weird-o because of my thing for classical music. In high school, I didn't go out for any contact sports because I couldn't risk getting my hands injured although I did and do play tennis and ride for miles and miles on my bike. I loved the cello from the first time I heard a CD of Yo Yo Ma playing some Japanese folk melodies and I worked my ass off to get good at it. And I am good at it but not in the way Ma or Isserlis or Rostropovich are.

Even if I was a little nerdy, I wasn't a total social dud in school. I've had my fair share of dates and I managed to lose my virginity at the ripe old age of sixteen - and, yes, I used a condom. No sense in letting surging hormones and a stiff dick turn you into an idiot with a child to support.

Like nearly all aspiring musicians, I have to hold down a real job to support myself and like a large percentage of them, I choose to wait tables because the tips are good even if the salary sucks. Besides, there are hundreds of places that are always in need of a good waiter. I work hard a being a good waiter because that means I'm never unemployed. My boss is very good about arranging my work schedule to accommodate my musical needs and I love her dearly for it. She flirts with me pretty blatantly but I don't flirt back because even though she's a very attractive lady and I don't doubt she could teach me a few things, she's married and has kids in high school. I don't think it's wise to get caught up in that kind of a quagmire. She makes it rather obvious that she doesn't care all that much for her hubby.

My family lives all the way across the country and I don't see much of them any more. Part of the reason for that is that my dad is supremely disappointed in me because he had high hopes of my going to law school and eventually joining his firm. He believes my aspiring to be a professional musician is delusional and a complete waste of time, money and brain cells; hence his refusal to fork over for my academy tuition. Instead, he shifted his paternal grace to my younger brother and bullied him into law school. That should be a much better fit anyway because neither of them has the esthetic sense of a yak. They're both left-brained number crunchers and perfect fodder for the corporate legal world.

I suppose I should be grateful for being shunned because moving away from home and working my way through the academy made me grow up in a hurry and establish my independence. Mom, of course, has always had visions of me doing world tours and headlining at Carnegie Hall but she's a timid, submissive woman and wouldn't have dared challenge my father's will by openly taking my side.

So I pursued my dreams and became a musician. I know I'm good enough to make a living at it but just how good a living remains to be seen. Of course I have other interests as well; namely, reading, puzzles and online pornography. Feel free to saddle me with other attributes and flaws as we continue through the story.

So every day I worked up a sweat practicing for the audition and the day finally arrived. Of course I was as nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs but I'd been there before. It was just a matter of knowing my material and getting my mind focused.

I don't know why it irritated me but it did; when I walked into the room to do my thing, the three-person panel who would be passing judgement on my performance included the Korean girl I mentioned earlier. I mean she was obviously good or she wouldn't occupy first chair but she couldn't have been more than barely out of her teens. It just didn't seem fair that some kid was going to have a vote on my future.

Jana Falcone, the conductor and music director greeted me when I entered. "Curtis, I'm so happy you decided to audition again this year. Believe me when I say it was a tough to choose between you and Miss Park last year. Perhaps I should introduce you. This young lady is Hae-Won Park who holds first chair, and this gentleman is James Conrad, a member of our board."

Hae-Won had a beautiful, charming smile and she appeared to be an adorable child, emphasis on child. Mr. Conrad (I later learned it was Doctor Conrad, as in professor) nodded curtly and not a muscle moved in his visage of stone. In spite of my misgivings, I did my best to lay on the charm. "It's a pleasure to meet all of you and thanks so much for granting this audition, Maestra."

Jana Falcone is a pleasant, middle age woman and went out of her way to put me at ease. "Remember, I've heard you play before so the pleasure is ours, Curtis. And if I may make one small correction, I prefer Maestro to Maestra for the same reason that female performers in the theater prefer actor to actress."

"Thank you, Ma'am. I was always a little confused about that."

"Most people are. So, what have you decided to play for us today, Curtis?"

"Um, well, I thought I would play song #1 of the 'Songs and Poems for Solo Cello' by Glass and the first two movements of Bach's 'Cello Suite #2 in D minor'."

"Impressive choices, Curtis. Shall be begin?"

I took a deep breath, focused my mind and began with the Glass piece. It's only three and a half minutes long but sweat was running down my sides by the time I finished it. I was about to start the Bach piece when Maestro Falcone interrupted me. "Curtis, instead of the Bach, I'd like you to sight-read an original piece, if you would. Miss Park will give you the music and turn pages for you. Now don't be nervous because I don't expect you to do it perfectly on your first try. We just want to get a sense of how quickly you learn new material. By the way, your cello has a beautiful voice."

Well, I can tell you it was too late to tell me not to be nervous! My heart rate had already jumped into the triple digits. Miss Park set up a stand in front of me, opened the music and stood on my left side to flip pages. She couldn't have been more that five feet tall. She smelled nice.