VJ

7 - Loving what I do

Chloe

An hour and a half later, I’m changed into jeans and a white blouse. My shoulder-length hair is tied in a neat ponytail, and I’ve added light makeup to my face. I slip on my blue leather jacket and grab my purse.

Max is nowhere to be seen; I guess he’s gone to bed. We’ll talk when I get home tonight. Right now, I have a music class to teach.

My seven pupils are waiting for me when I arrive, just like always. All seven are girls, and all seven belong to either a biker or a Mafia Don. However, only six of those girls play music.

Lydia is the sixteen-year-old daughter of Mafia Boss Draven Vidal and his wife Marnie; strong, bright, and beautiful beyond words, Lydia is a fantastic Violinist.

Lydia, along with Ember, the sixteen-year-old daughter of Tank, Snakes Henchmen VP, and his wife Nova, will soon be participating in competitions. Both girls play the violin with such beauty and grace. These best friends are going to go far.

Lydia’s twin sister Amber loves to watch her sister play, but she refuses to try. She has Down Syndrome and thinks she has no talent. I believe every child has a talent of some sort, regardless of whether they have a disability or not. Who knows, maybe someday I can get her to try with an instrument. Music soothes the soul of even the smallest child.

Nine-year-old Ava, daughter of Trace and his wife Fallon, and eight-year-old Romany, daughter to Roman and his wife Marley, also aunt to Ava, both have a gift when it comes to the clarinet and flute. Both Trace and Roman are Snakes Henchmen members. Roman is also the father of Trace’s wife.

Then we have Aya, eleven years old, daughter to Jett, Snakes Henchmen President, and his wife Maria, sister to Draven Vidal. This young lady is a magician when it comes to the harp. She plays beautifully and has already acquired three awards for her playing. Two of those are for competitions I’ve placed her in where she won — a massive achievement for an eleven-year-old.

Then there’s Jessica, thirteen years old, big sister to Aya, and my most prized pupil. She plays the piano like Beethoven! No lie, no exaggeration. She also sings with such soul it mesmerizes me each time she opens her mouth to sing. The girl is so gifted it stifles me sometimes.

People often ask me how I can teach music when I can’t hear like regular people. It’s hard, very hard, but I manage if my pupils are anything to go by, at least. Not that I’d take credit for their talents. That comes naturally. However, for the fact I helped them nurture that talent, yes, I take some credit.

It hasn’t been easy for me since I lost my hearing, especially when I was a budding opera singer at the time. I thought it would be my career one day, but I lost that talent when I lost my hearing. I guess I could still sing if I tried, but being unable to hear the way I need to hinders me some.

But I haven’t let losing my hearing take my life from me completely. Even though there was a time when I didn’t think I could go on like this. There was a time when I thought all of my dreams were over.

It was Max who pulled me out of that depression. Max made me see that my dream of teaching music could still come true, even if my dream of becoming a world-famous opera singer wouldn’t. It was Max who made me see that, yes, I have some limits to what I can do, but nothing is impossible if I want it badly enough. Max is pretty special like that. If it wasn’t for him, I don’t think I’d be where I am today.

My girls are on fire today; none of them has missed a note. I am so proud of them. They’ve all been learning music since they were small children. Jessica was my first pupil. She came to me a little over a year ago after Max put in a good word for me with her parents. Her former tutor hadn’t been helping Jessica how he should have been, and Max knew I once helped teach music at my local middle school.

It was a volunteer thing I did before I lost my hearing. I was working toward my music degree around my opera. My mother told me when I was young that it’s always good to have a backup plan. Not everyone makes it as a singer. Even though she had the utmost faith that I could do it, she didn’t want me to be disappointed if it didn’t happen, but it all fell through for obvious reasons. No school around here would hire a deaf – without hearing aids – music teacher. However, Max pushed me to do this with the kids because he knew I could do it, and he wouldn’t let me make excuses as to why. He doesn’t see my deafness as an excuse to give up on everything I ever dreamed of.

The girl’s parents know that I don’t have a teaching degree, but once Maria saw how well Jessica came on through my guidance in just the first week, how close we became, and how well Jessica responded to my way of teaching, she told her big brothers about me.

Draven Vidal came to see me and asked if I could help his daughter with her violin. He knew I was deaf and was intrigued to see if I could pull it off. Within days, I’d taught Lydia to play the first few cords of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons without a hitch. He was so impressed that he hired me and urged others to do the same. I was so overwhelmed with his faith in me that I cried with happiness.

Max hugged me while laughing and telling me I should have the same confidence in myself because I am so much more than I have led myself to believe. I love my best friend, my surrogate big brother. I couldn’t ask for anyone better to be in my corner.

I teach the girls three times a week and a class of boys three times a week, alternate days. The boys are related to the girls, or they know each other. I teach ten boys, all of whom have talent, but it’s the girls who are thriving right now.

“Miss Chloe?”

“Yes, Jessie?” I smile at the beautiful young lady with a golden heart. She’s a special girl is Jessica.

“I’m not sure that I’m going to be ready for the competition next week. I don’t feel ready.”

I smile.

This is Jessica all over. She doesn’t believe she’s as good as people tell her. But unless she starts believing it, she won’t become the pianist I know she is inside. This little girl could do amazing things in the years to come. I know her mother doesn’t want anyone to push her into doing anything she doesn’t want to do, and I would never do that. I wouldn’t push any child to do anything they were uncomfortable with. If Jessica only wants to play the piano and sing for fun, then Maria is okay with that. So am I.

However, I have repeatedly tried to explain that Jessica is a star, and she needs that little extra encouragement to get to the next level. I honestly believe that she will be studying at Juilliard before too long. They would snap her up the second she goes for her audition. But something is stopping Jessica from chasing her dreams.

I wish I could pump her full of confidence. It would make all the difference.

I take Jessica’s hand and sit her next to me on one of the audience chairs in our little room at the local community center. The place Draven Vidal bought and renovated to make sure these young ones had somewhere to go to practice their music. The room we have – because there is more than one for more people than just us – is a hall with rows of chairs set out in front of a small stage where the girls and boys I teach stand behind their instruments in front of all their families and play to their heart’s content. Showing how wonderful they all are and how much they’ve come on.

I love to hear them play. I love it because it’s the only real time I feel normal. I can hear them playing because of how powerful the instruments are, and I know I helped them, making me emotional each time.

Unlike when someone is talking to me, my hearing seems to be getting lower and lower as every day passes. I’m terrified that my hearing aids aren’t going to do the job for much longer. I’m scared that I will be completely deaf. It’s my biggest fear.

After I lost my hearing and couldn’t hear a thing for three weeks, I shot into the darkness. I don’t want to go there again, so I need to save as much money as possible. I need to see my doctor; I need to know if new hearing aids will work or if I’m slowly becoming completely deaf.

I hold Jessica’s hand in mine and smile. “You have nothing to be afraid of, Jessica. You are a wonderful pianist, and a beautiful singer. You bring a whole room to life when you play and sing. When you play the piano, I get lost in the music because I may not be able to hear it very well, but I feel it in every part of me.”

She smiles so sweetly at me. She’s the image of her father but with her mother’s dark hair. Both her parents are handsome, very much so. All three of their children inherited their beauty.

“You really hear and feel the music when I play?”

“Every time, Jessie. It’s hard when you’re deaf, not being able to hear what others hear. I may have hearing aids, but I still can’t hear as you do. That’s why we feel it more. Feeling your music is like magic to me, Jessie. It’s amazing, so don’t doubt yourself, sweetie. Never, ever doubt yourself.”

She hugs me and tells me, “Thank you, Miss Chloe. You make me feel so much better about things.”

Pulling away from her, I help the girls pack away their instruments. They’re leaving a little early today. They’re attending a party. Ember was saying something about it earlier, but I couldn’t make out what it was all about. It was one of those moments when my hearing totally failed me and had me panicking for a few seconds.

Anyway, it doesn’t concern me, so I didn’t really need to hear it. However, I told them they could leave early and have lots of fun at their party. The trouble with leaving early is that it means I have lots of time on my hands to think about Vince and last night. I don’t want to think about him; I know I will never see him again, but it doesn’t hurt to keep our night in my head and use it for fantasy purposes.

Right?

God, he really was something else. It’s kind of a shame that I’ll never see that Godlike man again.

My phone vibrates in my pocket. I pull it out and sigh at the text Max sent me.

Max: We’re going to a party. I won’t take no for an answer. It’s the least you could do after keeping me up all night.

Charming!

I’m not in the mood to party; I’m tired. I’d rather take a hot bath and sleep. However, Max is right; it’s the least I can do.