lesson 1- A sudden event disrupts Geoge’s life

George’s hair was still wet when he got dressed in a hurry, he had to go over a spartito (score), as soon as he woke up, it took time and now he was running behind schedule. He began to consider cutting the long ends of his hair, which had to be airdried and always added more time to his morning routine. But he remembered how long it took him to let it grow just right, and he quickly abandoned the thought. He wasn’t ready to give it up. As an orchestra director his long flowing hair added a very nice wave to his movements. He could feel, when moving his head, that his hair contributed to the motion of the music. The head would move, the hair would start it’s dance, the hands would follow and the body would align to it all. He loved his work and music was the lymph of his life. He passed through the kitchen and grabbed a few sips from the cup of coffee that his wife Ann had prepared for him on the counter. He grabbed a biscuit and in between crunches told her how thoughtful she was, and as he walked to the front door added,
– you are my sunshine. She smiled, loved that guy to death.

George drove to the opera house trying to catch all the green lights, they were rehearsing Traviata. A special opera for him since his mother had performed it at Lincoln Center, when she was one of the major sopranos in the country.
He parked the car in the garage and as he walked towards the elevator Mike, his first violin, was coming his way.
– Hello Mike, what goes ? He received no reply. – Bad day ha …..
– There are no good days anymore, George, I guess I’ll go to the Bahamas by myself right ? Do you want my tickets ?
– Come on Mike, she’s not the only woman in the world, there will be others. Get a refund.
– I guess so, see you upstairs George, I need a minute.
– Do you need anything pal ? But Mike had already turned his back and was walking away. George felt for him, he was always the life of the party no matter what, and this was not the Mike he knew.
The elevator doors opened on to the foyer and since Mike was not there, George took the time to grab a coffee. Two words with the bartender and he started his way to the orchestra stand. Most musicians were there.
Screeching sounds came out of the violins and big bubbles of different sounds out of the oboe. Mike was nowhere to be seen.
Suddenly a woman screamed, then different voices topped each other as men were running in the entrance of the building. George could not see anything from his podium, he went to the foyer. Chaos. At one point he stopped one of the wardrobe ladies running and asked what had happened.
– A man, a man jumped off the roof. O my God it’s terrible.
– Do we know who he is ? No answer, she was gone.
George tried not to think of the worst possible. His thoughts rushed to Mike. Not Mike, no. Couldn’t be. He tried to get outside but security was already stopping people from exiting the building. He tried to ask questions but nothing came trough. They had to wait for the ambulance and the police.



PS Please know that English is not my mother tongue. Thank you