The things kids do
Proving that even thirteen years down the line, Raiel is still sensitive about his missing eye. 459 words.
The air was filled by the discordant sound of three-year-old hands randomly plinking away at piano keys. The child, in a routine exploration of his surroundings, had crawled up onto the piano bench and made the fascinating discovery behind how his father managed to produce sound from the huge piece of furniture.
Within seconds his older sister appeared behind him and pulled his hands away from the keys, closing the fall board over them. “Don't touch it,” she said, in her bossy know-it-all I'm-eight-and-you're-three-so-I'm-better-than-you voice.
He pouted at her furiously, in that way that only three-year-olds can properly manage. “Why?”
“You know what Daddy would say.” She covered her right eye with one hand and proceeded in an officious tone of voice, “Only a pianist with the heart of the piano can play a piano, music is the soul of the pianist and you shouldn't--” she faltered, “um...something something don't touch a piano unless you know what you're doing so there.”
Her brother continued to pout at her.
Then they both heard the sound of giggling and looked up to see their mother standing in the doorway, looking more amused than any mother of two has a right to. She vanished and reappeared a moment later with her husband in tow, saying, “Come on, Raiel, you need to see this.”
The children stared, confused by this behaviour, as Garnet walked over to Castanet and said, “Do that again. Tell me what your father would say if you touched the piano.”
Raiel arched an eyebrow at that, and Castanet gave him a wary look before turning back to her mother and picking up her officious tone, covering her right eye again. “Don't disrespect the piano because it's the heart of a pianist.”
Garnet covered her mouth, stifling further giggles. Raiel gave a choking sound, his hand moving up to cover his own right eye, which was hidden beneath a black eyepatch. “WHEN DID SHE START DOING THAT?!”
Castanet just frowned uncertainly at him and Sitar crawled down from the piano bench to go hide behind his mother's legs.
“She sounds just like you, Raiel,” Garnet managed through her amusement.
“BETRAYED BY MY OWN FLESH AND BLOOD!” His forehead fell against the wall and he sank to the ground with a quiet, melodramatic sob.
This just made Garnet sigh and set her hands on her hips; it did not erase that amused smile from her face in the slightest. Castanet's frown turned thoughtful and after a moment's consideration, she walked over to her father and gave his shoulder a comforting pat. “It's okay, Daddy, I think the piano is a great heart.”
“Yeah, sure,” he mumbled, defeated.
The air was filled by the discordant sound of three-year-old hands randomly plinking away at piano keys. The child, in a routine exploration of his surroundings, had crawled up onto the piano bench and made the fascinating discovery behind how his father managed to produce sound from the huge piece of furniture.
Within seconds his older sister appeared behind him and pulled his hands away from the keys, closing the fall board over them. “Don't touch it,” she said, in her bossy know-it-all I'm-eight-and-you're-three-so-I'm-better-than-you voice.
He pouted at her furiously, in that way that only three-year-olds can properly manage. “Why?”
“You know what Daddy would say.” She covered her right eye with one hand and proceeded in an officious tone of voice, “Only a pianist with the heart of the piano can play a piano, music is the soul of the pianist and you shouldn't--” she faltered, “um...something something don't touch a piano unless you know what you're doing so there.”
Her brother continued to pout at her.
Then they both heard the sound of giggling and looked up to see their mother standing in the doorway, looking more amused than any mother of two has a right to. She vanished and reappeared a moment later with her husband in tow, saying, “Come on, Raiel, you need to see this.”
The children stared, confused by this behaviour, as Garnet walked over to Castanet and said, “Do that again. Tell me what your father would say if you touched the piano.”
Raiel arched an eyebrow at that, and Castanet gave him a wary look before turning back to her mother and picking up her officious tone, covering her right eye again. “Don't disrespect the piano because it's the heart of a pianist.”
Garnet covered her mouth, stifling further giggles. Raiel gave a choking sound, his hand moving up to cover his own right eye, which was hidden beneath a black eyepatch. “WHEN DID SHE START DOING THAT?!”
Castanet just frowned uncertainly at him and Sitar crawled down from the piano bench to go hide behind his mother's legs.
“She sounds just like you, Raiel,” Garnet managed through her amusement.
“BETRAYED BY MY OWN FLESH AND BLOOD!” His forehead fell against the wall and he sank to the ground with a quiet, melodramatic sob.
This just made Garnet sigh and set her hands on her hips; it did not erase that amused smile from her face in the slightest. Castanet's frown turned thoughtful and after a moment's consideration, she walked over to her father and gave his shoulder a comforting pat. “It's okay, Daddy, I think the piano is a great heart.”
“Yeah, sure,” he mumbled, defeated.