Bits of life

A-12 Words-1125

chance of going back to her loving home. Thus she was saved from experiencing a life of trials and tribulations. Of course, aunt Sarah stayed single. She being a sensitive person flinched from marrying again despite proposals from various young men, both handsome and prosperous in and around the town.

Grandpa was thrilled to have Jonathan and Sarah back in the house. Aunt Sarah supervised household affairs and issues like what to order for the three meals in a big household such as her father’s. A few years of absolute calm rolled by. Jonathan went to the town’s school for kids and was enjoying the fun-filled days. After a couple of years uncle Rod and uncle Jeremiah were married and moved to the city to look after their businesses. Despite their father’s persuasion to stay back and take care of the “Emerald Farm” they moved away. Eventually, they had children of their own.

Uncle John was the only one who showed interest in farm activities. However, he hadn’t shown any taste in getting married and have family. He was the most sociable person I ever met who enjoyed meeting people and going places. He went on a European tour and regaled us with the stories of solid looking Germans and their unnumbered hills and castles. He was definitely fascinated by Paris where fashions changed every hour. Their perfumes and glass art mesmerized us as he went on relating his experiences over the continent. One of the cleanest places he said was Holland and then came Switzerland. Their dust free cool climate was something he said he would envy. Their parks, gardens and bridges made up their landscape besides snow capped magnificent Alps. Italy was a place to visit once in a everyone’s life time. Vatican city and Rome reminded him of the incidents as narrated in history. Julius Caesar came to his mind again and again. Oh, what a time it must have been when Caesar walked the streets of Rome and common people followed him out of love and affection for their leader. Uncle John’s accounts of his travels were forever etched all of us children’s’ minds.

Those were the times when all of us, I mean our families used to visit Emerald Farm during summer holidays.
It was during those times that Jonathan met with the accident and lost his usual manner of speaking and thinking. As I mentioned before he fell from a tree while playing in the school and it looked like he never recovered from the fall. Some unknown malady had taken place in him and the doctors could not diagnose what ailed him. Grandfather was disappointed and afraid at the turn of events. Age too overtook him and he was bedridden for quite some time. It was aunt Sarah who nursed him with the help of an attendant and saw to it that the last days of her father were spent in peace. After the demise of her dad, there was no reason why she should stay at the Emerald Farm. So she returned to the city with Jonathan. Though uncle John insisted on her continued stay at the house, she thought she should move out especially in the light of the differences that took places between her siblings regarding property division after the death of her father. Her problem now was a means to earn her livelihood. My mom suggested she took tuitions in piano. She assured her that she would have no problem whatever in getting her pupils in a city. My mom gave an advertisement in the Daily Chronicle regarding this skilled music teacher including her address and phone number. Surprisingly, the response was more than they had expected. Aunt Sarah had about fifty applications out of which she chose thirty for an interview before enrolling them as her students.

About twenty turned up the on the day of appointment. She interviewed them in the basics of piano playing and quite number of them passed the test. It looked as though people started taking interest in getting their wards learn these delicate accomplishments such as the piano, saxophone or guitar.

Aunt Sarah started training her pupils in the earnest. She was one of the very few teachers inclined to let the students appear for music examinations such certificate and diploma courses. She had to procure the syllabus from the music college for the above courses and start her own boys and girls on learning the piano with devotion and seriousness. She made it quite clear to them that if they wanted to make a mark in the field of piano playing then they must adopt an attitude of complete dedication. They should practice for at least four hours day besides the time they spent at her tuition.

Aunt Sarah divided her learners into two groups each consisting of ten. The first session took place in the forenoon and the second in the afternoon. She gave two hours of tuition to each of these groups. Very soon her dedication to the teaching of this beautiful instrument earned her fame among the townsfolk around her locality and beyond. Despite the many requests to take more students she stuck to her original number of learners. Obviously, she was not the greedy type. She believed in doing full justice to the few members she taught. She wanted them to become teachers on their own so they could support themselves financially and also contribute to keep this art alive. Till date she kept her resolve strong. A number of batches of pupils went through her training center which was her own home. She too appeared for exams and qualified to teach others. She found happiness in music and this helped her in facing trials of life such as bringing up Jonathan by herself and stay strong during any tough patch of life. She was independent and contented.

Going to Elizabeth city renewed her memories of her father and mother and siblings. Aunt Sarah too was like my mom. She too believed in the policy of forgiving and forgetting wrong things done by others. She too didn’t nurse any grudges against her brother who did nothing to stop her from going away from the Emerald Farm.

Cathy had arrived on time on Saturday. She wore loose outfit with a buttercup yellow colored top and trousers in fawn white. She fitted into her clothes quite naturally. She didn’t forget to bring a hat to protect her from summer heat in Elizabeth city.

“Hi Jim, I hope I haven’t delayed you guys. Isn’t this all very amazing! I am sure John will be quite taken aback when he sees all of us together,” she gushed.
My mom and aunt Sarah were all smiles and