Chapter 3 The Taste of Freedom

Selina was aged eight when she fancied herself a ballerina,despite the fact that she was awful at it. Music flowed strongly in her blood and she was determined to dance to it, mama was in opera and was doing quite well. Father ran production after production of lyrical plays.

It was no surprise to her parents and all the neighbours,that six months to her first recital, she took up playing the violin after the long and torturous two years of injuries and horrible coordination. But all was well because her family was made up of a long line of music lovers,she excelled at it.

For every day after that she practiced hard to impress her parent , competitions, plays and at the talent show at school. It fell on her birthday,mother and father planned to take her for dinner afterwards.

It rained that day,a heavy downpour that made even a little girl forgive her parents for missing her last show at Grammar Primary school, it even made her forgive them for not coming to pick her up.Then she saw her friend's mother, Mrs Valentine who baked delicious chocolate cookies looking at her the way people did when they felt sorry for you- and she knew.

When they told her that her parents were dead she had not cried,she wasn't able to. Not at their burial or anything else, when her uncle took her to an orphanage and she saw the way that the girls were treated with scorn and annoyance she still didn't cry. One evening however, when she'd gotten lost in the music–a sole source of comfort in that dreary time of her life – and forgotten to do her chores the house mistress had tossed her violin the only thing she'd had left of her parents , that they had gifted her out into rain from the second floor window. That day Selina had broken down and cried, and made herself a promise that she would never need someone or something ever again. Most would agrue that she'd gotten lucky and maybe they were right, after all little less than a year later she'd been adopted and had gone on to live in America with her foster parents, they had been kind to her, showed her such love that she'd almost felt normal and had grown to love them. She would always remember the parents she'd lost and the hole in her heart that would likely never be filled but she was a little bit normal so she'd take that. ****************

Selina huffed under the weight of her voilin's case,her voice the only sound in the looming silence, she liked to imagine the old days of London, when she would have run off to a theater to play music and meet a nice duke who might take her as a mistress , because it wasn't likely he'd marry below his station, setting her up in some plush town house,while the debutante struggled for a season.

Her brain however,was quick to remind her that she would have to travel in mud and shit on her way to the theater and was probably going to marry a middle class man with a round belly while she watched said debutante marry the dukes, which was probably true, at least here in modern London, the road where paved and clean - well mostly and she was not expected to get married plus most of the dukes she heard of were all part of the royal family and unlikely to glance her way even once She took a turn and waved at the owner of the only worthwhile bakery for the broke and penniless

"Hello, Maurice" she called "ah bella, how are you" he called and she smiled,Maurice was an Italian immigrant who'd owned the shop for ten years. A tall and bulky man with a kind smile

"I am fine, going to work. I'll see you later " she waved missing

She liked him, he was nice and good to her plus he baked the best pastries she'd ever tasted.

She walked the few meters needed to get a bus and took one to her home -Riverdale Opera house.

She had been back from America for over five years, after her scholarship to music school in Italy had ended, she'd decided to go globe trotting, she'd gone as far as east Asia before she'd decided to settle in London although her foster parents couldn't seem to understand her decision, maybe she'd go back to America but for now she was taking things slow and enjoying the time she spent here.

She worked at an orchestra with a prestigious degree to her name that brought her little more than peanuts.The Riverdale was a big crumbling building , likely held together by prayers than it's four pillars but it was useful,management had taken a loan last year to refurbish it and mostly it looked antique – if one could call it that. It was the backroom that told more about it's state,broken beams and loose screws but at least they could all change there. Tonight, was the grand opening show for the Diamonds and Glass and every one was hoping it would be a success, they had been days and nights of practice and sacrifice, so everyone needed this to go well

"Ah thank goodness love. Thought you were running late" a voice calls out turning, she caught a glimpse of Debra and smiled. "Deb,how are you,are you just coming in" she asked and got a nod

"I left Brian at the neighbours, " she answered, Debra was a single mother, raising her son after her husband left her. She often had to leave him with her neighbors when she worked nights " That's good. How's he doing?" she asked, Brian was a lovely boy and his father would never know what he was missing out on

" He's fine, got a B on his test, he's sulking but he'll get over it" she laughed

"That's good. I'm going up to practice, come with me" she urged, tugging her violin and friend.

Debra played the piano with astonishing skill but she said the stress of providing for her son made it less appealing every day, they went up the attic which housed some musical instruments and a stairs that led to the stage and the audience on two sides.

Both women worked in comfortable silence, as they always did, tuning their instruments to get the best sounds, then Debra smiled

"Let's warm up with an Aria first then we practice the main song" nodding, Selina settled her head on her violin closed her eyes and waited for the first kiss of the piano before she joined in, she played with heart and soul and both women worked through the Aria then the new song, by the end the room was a swell of emotions.

"That was wonderful, I will go down and set up." Debra said "Alright,let me pack my stuff, I'll meet you down " she replied ,Debra smiled softly before going down the stairs.

Selina watched her go with a sigh,she had broken her childhood promise and learned to love and need other people and as much as it would likely hurt later she couldn't find it in her to care extremely much. Downstairs she heard the sounds of instrument and rose ,it was time to join the party.

She packed in her violin,the one the house mistress had thrown down the building,she had found it and her foster parents had repaired it for her much to her surprise and joy, it played like a charm a reminder of her parents but not quite well enough. She reached the storage and took out the violin from the few that were kept there at every concert She strode towards the stairs Deb had used ,took them slowly as she had no light and there were a tad steep, she loved this place. It was a place with some of her best memories, she would do all she could to ensure it wasn't lost.

She wondered if her parents would loan her the money if she begged nicely.

She was lost in thought and didn't notice the man in front of her until she bumped into him

"Oh, watch where your going" she exclaimed,rubbing her forehead, "You should watch where,going as well," the man scolded as he held her still as if to prevent her from falling. His voice was deep and harsh which was not much of a surprise considering his height and build which probably stood at six feet seven inches. Wincing she almost shrunk backwards but managed to hold her ground

"Fine I should, but what are you doing here. This is for staff only, none of the audience is supposed to be here either" she retorted. He pulled away, her arms tingled at the spot he'd grabbed onto her " I was just leaving" he replied, trying to leave. She huffed

" You shouldn't even have been here" He looked at her with surprise – maybe no one dared to talk back to him which she would understand. He really didn't look like he belonged here, his suit looked extremely expensive. " I apologize for hitting you" he offered and strode away,at loss for words she watched him go,the sound of the micro phone announcing the beginning of the show urged her swiftly to the stage.

" Where were you" Debra whispered as she settled in

"Sorry,had a small mishap" she smiled to the other musicians,and placed her violin beneath her chin at the first stroke of her bow all thought of the tall rude stranger had disappeared.