The Ghost in the Piano

I was a little girl with big dreams. I pinpointed the most expensive item in the house which was a Nordhiemer Piano built in Toronto in the early 1900's with Ivory keys. I dreamed big things on this piano. Of being somebody one day who makes impact, change, and difference.

The Piano was a hand-me-down from late ancestors who were identical twins in the Mendelssohn Choir in Toronto where one was a soloist. The only way to identify the two sisters from each other is one had to die her hair blue to stand out in the choir.

My piano became my air loom and my ride like Amelia Earhart travelling into the earth's skies on her first trip as a pilot of an airplane and a woman. The fundamental truths and rights were in that piano, before I had passed it on myself to my son in 2019 where it still resides at his and his Father's residency of Music. Every string was an instrument or a song and number in dated age mobility and impact of Music through the Times. The piano was haunted by a ghost woman in a dress who I had thought lived in the piano who plays the notes and sings and hums little ditties.

I took care of my piano, when it was mine. I had added cups of water beneath the boards for the strings to receive hydration because it was dry and the strings were becoming flat and sharp. My piano tuner, a blindman passed away recently, and he diligently came to my home every couple of years or every few years depending on the finances to tune up the piano with his hearing and touch.

I also dusted the piano quite frequently, and had used an oil on the wood of the two teared instrument to make my proud to own it. When I took up music my Mom gave me the Piano as a gift and a reminder of where I am from. It was filled with ornaments, decorations and miniatures, and friendship balls as a sign of goodwill. My timer on the piano that had counted the rhythm the Metronome was originally from Germany and was a very good one. I suppose Sue, my Mom had intended on that going to Andrew my son with the Piano but I had lavishly sold it online to a buyer who was interested in taking up piano playing and songs.

The piano, as I have let it go now became such a monument that I had took up Music at the University of Western Ontario to become an Opera Singer one day and was receiving standing ovations at my high school for songs like "O Mio Bambino Caro" and "Bist Du Bei Mir" and Broadway musicals like "Grease Lightening" where I had played a Pink Lady named Jan from the musical in a show for my school.

Upon arriving to University I had needed my tonsils removed, a throat operation that had killed my carrier and potential of becoming a lead soprano or mezzo soprano singer when the knife had slipped slightly during the operation and my throat was sliced. I found it hard to rebuild to a stand point of even going on stage but still had a passion for music so I stood it out another three years in Music with little success but I took away mostly an experience of choral work, being involved in a choir, and learning musical theory and technical work.

Now it's time to finish that degree and with the help of a few in school social workers I will be able to transfer my credits and become involved again as a student in a BA Program of my choice and my liking. I want to finish my degree.