Perfect For You

La Vie En Rose

"Have you thought about your solo piece for the recital?"

NJ looked up from the music book she was reading through. It had been exactly a week since they had run into her old violin teacher. Manalig didn't have a rehearsal until later that evening, so Van had suggested that they use the time to get started on practicing. He offered his family's music room for the session. NJ had reluctantly agreed. She had already found her violin and gotten it checked. It only needed a few maintenance work and minor repairs, so she really didn't have an excuse anymore.

His house, and his family, was everything she had thought they would be. She knew that he came from a family of professional musicians: his mother was a pianist, his father a conductor, his older sister Alessandra played cello and viola, and his younger sister Margherita played the clarinet. They were all members of the same symphony orchestra, as well as having solo careers of their own.

NJ had always wondered what that was like, having music as your primary career. She herself had a day job-marketing at the main branch of the fast food restaurant Happy B-just like the rest of the Manalig members. Galli and Lio were both in medical school, Lisa was a chemist at a pharmaceutical company, and Mads was a full-time pastoral worker for Holy Family Missions. None of them had ever thought about leaving their day jobs for the band, so she had always been a little bit in awe of people who actually dared; and here they were, an entire family who did.

She closed the music book. "I thought maybe I'd play something I already played before," she replied. "So I don't need to learn it all over again. I'm thinking of playing 'Morning Has Broken'. It's not going to be impressive or anything, but at least it'll be familiar to listeners."

He nodded. "Let's hear it."

NJ hesitated. "I don't know. I tried playing it the other day, and I think it sucked."

"That's what we're practicing for. It's all right."

"Okay, okay." She brought out her violin from her case. She ran her fingers on it, hoping to feel again that familiarity with it. She took a deep breath, rested the violin on her cheek, and began to play.

She was concentrating so hard on each note, each movement of her fingertips as she held the strings, that she only looked up at him after she had finished the song. His face wore its usual impassive expression, but when their eyes met, there was something else in his eyes-though she could not quite understand what that was.

"T-told you it sucked," she said, dejectedly.

He shook his head. "It did not. It was good, considering. But there are some things you can improve on, of course." He took a step forward. "For one thing, there's something slightly off about your posture when you're playing. Can you hold the violin up again?"

She complied, a little self-conscious. "What's wrong with this?"

"Tilt your head a little bit, and reach your hand like so-no." He brought out his violin and demonstrated to her. "Like this."

NJ tried her best to adjust the way he was showing her, but he still shook his head. He took another step forward.

"Is it okay if I show you how to do it?"

"You already did and I still don't get it-"

"No," he said. "I mean...show you." His voice had gone soft, and low. She didn't know why this set her heart racing, but it did.

"Oh," she said. "Okay. Sure."

He moved behind her. He adjusted the angle of her right hand, the one holding the bow. He placed his hand under her chin, gently tilting her head, towards him.