08/30/07
The Piano
30. The Man and His Piano
The pianist is self-sufficient now; he can cook and clean satisfactorily and, when he’s not in the mood to prepare his own meals, he knows of the little mom-and-pop restaurants in the little town where he lives. The food there is just like the mother’s, and what can be better than that?
He wakes up whenever he wants and spends his day doing whatever he wants. He tinkers with his car and, if the house needs a little touch up of paint, he takes the time to do a good job. He's taken courses in car mechanics, rubbing shoulders with burly blue collar men, making friends also with them. Some of them have even expressed an interest in hearing him play and he's happily obliged.
Because in his new life he is his own person. The only discipline he has is his piano practice - but it's a discipline he loves. He studies techniques with his friends who went on scholarships when he didn't and goes to recitals to see them play.
He's made peace with his daughter after the breakup with her mother. He's even made peace with his ex-wife, treating her civilly but avoiding her negative presence. There's tension with his girlfriend, who refuses to go to the little town where nothing happens. The pianist understands her, but he refuses to be tied down again, to be controlled.
Nowadays he only lets himself be controlled by the keys of his piano. And he's happy like that.