"Perhaps, you might have heard of his name before - Adam Arlov." Sophia's mother dropped the bomb. The substitute they had found was better than Sophia. And he was famous too.
Sophia was surprised. Her parents had done a lot of homework last night. They had contacted her aunt Nicole, got to know about substitute and even get demo of his performances. Yet, they woke up at morning like they had full sleep.
Sophia did know Adam Arlov, the prince of piano. A twenty year old lad running in newbie village, proudly proclaiming his might. Adam was good but not so good to warrant such a nickname. He was just packaged nicely.
Ms Evans just nodded again. She had indeed heard of proud and arrogant brat. She didn't despise arrogance. If you are good, you are good. That's confidence, not arrogance whatever the person opposite to you might say.
Sophia tried to remember her last life. She prefered not to because the baggage was too much. But Adam must have taken her place in the concert then. The behind the scenes deals was not known to her previously.
Did Adam become even more famous due to this concert? Did something else happen?
Her eyes widened suddenly. She remembered. He was dissed by few people for proclaiming himself as Prince of Piano. But he surged back later on, became disciple of Mastero of Music, Lexia Windsor. Was Lexia Windsor coming to the concert?
Mrs Hart didn't have anything else to say. So she had to leave. She left the different compilations of Adam's performance on the table. Obviously,, Sophia could not go unless permitted. Unlike Chloe and Shirley, she needed visual or auditory confirmation of dismissal.
Ms Evans started talking. Though she knew, felt that this girl had grown up a lot, she still had to give the option.
"What do you think? About what your mother said."
If it was before accident, Sophia would have hung her head low and said sorry in a small voice. She placed her family before herself. A good thing if the family behaves the same way. A worst thing if the family thinks you as some usable item.
"I'll follow whatever the Madamé deems it right. If you think, I am not fit to perform, I am indeed not for to perform. If that happens, whoever takes my place, I have no hold over it or right over it."
" Okay. You told me what happens if you are not adequate to perform. Now, I say you are good enough to perform. What will be your decision?" Ms Evans will not let a prodigy in music to be wishy washy.
"If I am good, then, obviously I will perform in the concert, Ms Evans. No doubt about that." Sophia replied back confidently. This decision would have wide repercussions. She might be under house arrest to prevent her from attending the concert. Or they might cause some accident to ensure she can't play.
Well, come on, then. Let's see who will have the last laugh. Studying under Lexia Windsor, even for few days, would push her to another level. A level where she would not have to worry about petty things by her family anymore.
Ms Evans smiled at that. "Come, show me how well you can play. I think Hall 4, room F is empty. I will listen to Aria 23 and decide what to be done."
Aria 23 is not very difficult piece to play. So, even as a recovering patient, Sophia could play it. The problem was emoting the song. This song was hated by students because of constant feedback of 'your technique is top notch but it lacked feelings'. Gah! Teenagers have only little emotions. And whatever they had, they obviously had about themselves. Now you are asking them to show feelings within a song. Not a love song, not about embrace of lover or being separated from him or just I am happy type. You want all sorts of emotions. How can they portray the complexity of emotions?
Sophia agreed and walked to Hall 4 , room F. The piano was of medium quality. She played few keys to get oriented. No out of tune keys in this academy.
She sat down and started playing. Aria 23 is about a mother who suffers a huge loss and later takes up arms to seek vengeance. After killing all the murderers who had hand in her child's death, she kills herself because she didn't want the world without her child.
A fairly long piece with layered emotions. The story was told from mother's point of view mostly.
Sophia pulled Ms Evans and others into the world of that desperate mother. When the last key was played, where she lies next to the grave of her child and kills herself, there was only pin drop silence.
Sophia could understand what that lady had gone through. She empathised with her. That matter leaked into the song.
Ms Evans finally stood and said, "Sophia. I don't know what happened to you. Frankly, I don't care. But if you can play this song again in concert, I will make sure you will not have anything to worry again."
Sophia thanked her and verbally confirmed her desire to perform. Then Ms Evans personally dissected the piece she played and told her where the problems were. Oh, did you think she played perfectly? Doesn't work like that.
Sophia would be practicing the song even in the school. And she would be having music classes on both days of weekend.
Ms Evans had thought she would have the original schedule. But Sophia's growth got her to think of more plans. Well, a stepping stone was already ready, so why not use it. That snotty brat was planning to use influence.and connections at her place, he would have to pay a huge price for that.
She would make sure to have a face off between these two and show that her student was way better than the so called Prince of Piano. Ms Evans held grudges deeply when it comes to matters related to her academy.
Sophia just knew she had a chance to impress Lexia Windsor. That was enough. But this new development meant she had to earn and save more money. Faster. She could be booted out or worse.
From that night, she started learning and trading. Not the regular ones, the riskiest. King or pauper. No middle go. Before she started though, she had to pay some foundation.
She had to contact Mrs Higgins and Mr Brian and take them into confidence. She hated every minute of it. She really didn't like being dependent on others or trusting them.
A business was opened under her own name. It's that easy to be self employed and have a business under your name. She had to run around few government offices. She had to go without letting anyone in the family know. She had to bunk few classes including her music classes.
Thanks to some greasing and some good words in few people's ears, her business was set up pretty quick. She called it 'Nirvana Enterprises '. Cliche, but that's what she felt. This would be her nirvana. She deliberately used some cues in the brand image to show her base was out of this country. Would not fool all. But some buffer would be much appreciated. She needed time to grow.