Stefan was in agony.
This was not what he had imagined when Vasil told him about it, and now he had just realized that he would have to endure this torture for a long time, every day.
Stefan lifted his head from his book and looked hopelessly at Vasil, who was trying to play the notes written in front of him.
Stefan didn't understand why Vasil hadn't chosen a better-sounding instrument, or at least one that didn't produce the sound of a cat being crushed under the wheels of a truck when you're a beginner, but well, that was not something he would say to him. He preferred the sound of his violin playing to his grumbling.
Mrs. Harmon came to school twice a week, but she had given Vasil the key to the music room so he could practice on other days as well.
"Music requires daily practice."
And now, on the days she wasn't there, Stefan had to endure this.
Only now did Stefan realize that playing out of tune didn't create such a bad sound on its own. The worst sound was when, as Vasil himself said, "I didn't press the bow hard enough on the string!" and "I pressed too hard on the E string!" or even "Sorry !!!"
Of course, sometimes Vasil would give Stefan's ears a break with calmness and silence. Times when he would frown at the book in front of him on the music stand and try to read the notes.
And all of this was just for "Twinkle, twinkle, little star" !
Stefan thought to himself that he probably needed to get earplugs for when Vasil started playing Bach's music.
Despite all this, Stefan wasn't that dissatisfied with the situation. Recently, he had completely lost his focus on studying at home, and those two hours Vasil kept him at school were a good opportunity to catch up. No matter how noisy it was, at least Vasil didn't talk.
"Ouch!"
Stefan lifted his head and looked at Vasil. Vasil carefully set the violin aside and then showed Stefan his bloody finger: "I think I pressed my finger too hard on the string!"
Stefan threw his book aside and quickly went to him: "What are you doing to yourself?!"
Vasil replied: "I was just practicing!"
Stefan said angrily: "Practicing doesn't make you bleed!"
Stefan first examined the wound. A narrow, linear cut was visible on Vasil's index finger, still bleeding, though not too severely or deeply.
Stefan pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket and placed it on the wound: "No more practice! Not until your wound heals!"
Vasil said: "But I have four other fingers!"
Stefan scolded him: "Are you going to ruin them too?"
"No... I'll be more careful."
Vasil looked sadly at his finger and the bloodied handkerchief around it.
Stefan sighed: "Alright, but only half an hour a day! And if it hurts, you have to stop immediately!"
Vasil's face lit up with a smile: "Okay! I promise!"
Stefan gave him a hard pat on the back of his head: "Idiot! You're not supposed to lose a limb over a hobby!"
Vasil rubbed the back of his head with his healthy hand and said quietly: "It's not just a hobby! It's something I love doing."
"Huh?!"
Stefan looked at him as if he had said the most foolish thing possible: "You've only just started a week ago! Don't you think it's a bit early for that?"
Vasil shook his head: "Not at all! This is the first time something has drawn me in this much! So, if I want to imagine my future, this is definitely it!"
Stefan looked at him in surprise: "As a hobby, right?"
Vasil stared at him: "No."
"No?"
"No."
"So... a job?"
"Uh-huh."
"Playing an instrument isn't a job!"
"It is, it's called being a musician!"
"I know what it's called! But that doesn't make it a real job!"
"It is a real job! It's just not a job you can imagine for yourself."
Vasil was right. Maybe Stefan was unaware of his own future, but he still couldn't imagine a job that didn't require formal education or a high social status. It just... didn't make sense to him.
But Vasil wasn't like that. In fact, it seemed like university and studying didn't fit in his mind, which was a big disappointment for Stefan.
Still, Stefan shrugged and pretended to be indifferent: "Anyway, it's too early to think about such things! Especially when you're still stuck on your first song!"
Vasil rolled his eyes: "Thanks a lot for constantly reminding me of that!"
Stefan punched Vasil again, this time on the arm: "Instead of saying that, go to the nurse's office! You're still bleeding!"
Vasil looked at his wound and the handkerchief, which was now completely red: "Oh no, it's fine! The bleeding's almost stopped. I'll go home, I'm sure mom can do something about it."
***
Irina looked at Vasil's wound with a pale face: "What am I supposed to do with this???"
Vasil looked at his finger: "It's not that bad! The bleeding has stopped now!"
Irina looked at him with concern: "Does it hurt?"
Vasil shook his head: "No, if I don't press on it, but I think practicing tomorrow might be tough."
Irina, as she opened the first aid kit for the first time in a long time, said: "You should practice more carefully for a while. Your passion shouldn't hurt you!"
Vasil felt a sense of déjà vu: "I think you're right!"
He held out his hand to Irina. Irina first put a bandage on Vasil's wound, then grabbed the scissors and cut the bandage into a thinner strip.
Vasil lowered his gaze: "Mom?"
"Yes, Vasilka?"
"Do you think... it's foolish to consider the skill I love as my future job?"
Irina looked up and stared at Vasil. After a few moments, a faint smile appeared on her face: "No, it's not foolish."
"Stefan said being a musician isn't a real job."
"Well, Stefan doesn't always know what he's talking about, does he?"
"You're right..."
Despite that, Vasil still seemed a bit sad. Irina, as she wrapped the bandage around his finger, said: "You know, I had a similar dream."
Vasil looked at her in surprise: "Really?"
"Yes! My dream was to become a singer!"
"You really have a beautiful voice, mom."
Vasil said this from the bottom of his heart. He still remembered the lullabies Irina used to sing for him when he was a child. Irina smiled in response to the compliment: "Thank you! That's why I came to America. I thought I'd have more opportunities here. Even when I was still in school, I took singing classes!"
Vasil didn't need to ask what happened after that. He knew it all. Irina paused for a moment in thought, then looked at Vasil: "If you have a dream that's important to you, you shouldn't give up on it, and you shouldn't let others decide for you and tell you whether it's important or not! This is your decision!"
Vasil smiled from the heart: "Thank you, mom."
"But! I have one condition for you!"
Vasil looked at Irina in surprise and silence. Irina continued: "If you're serious about this, you need to work hard for it! A dream that you invest your whole life in but don't achieve anything from is just a waste of your time and life. I'll give you two years to prove that, and if for any reason you don't succeed, you'll need to reconsider your life goals!"
Vasil nodded, then asked: "And if I succeed?"
Irina smiled and patted his hair: "Then I'll be the one cheering for you the loudest."