Grief Is the Price We Pay for Love

Chapter 54 Music Lessons 1958 Holidays were over and it was time to go back to Glass River Primary School. It was good to see the kids again and catch up on news. The principal, Mr Sugars, came into our room and gave Mrs Smith a letter. She, in turn, gave it to me to take home to Mum. When Mum opened the letter that night, she found out it was from Mrs Sugars, the principal’s wife. She said she wanted to offer to teach me to play the piano. Mum was very excited. As there was no request for money, she agreed and I started lessons the following week after school. Mrs Sugars was a dear lady a little like Aunty Prue. I walked over to the school residence and had my lessons every school day, after which I walked home, arriving just at sunset. Before I went home each day, Mrs Sugars sat me at the kitchen table where she was preparing dinner. She was always cutting vegetables, and every now and then she would slide a piece of carrot, a cherry tomato, or a green bean across the table for me to eat. That’s when I decided I would love fresh, home-grown vegetables forever. Then the time came for Mrs Sugars to send another note home to Mum. Dear Mrs Dawson, Would you like to come and listen to Donnie play the piano one Saturday morning soon? You can have a cuppa and watch her. She has progressed remarkably and I’m sure you will agree when you hear her play. Kind Regards, Janet Sugars Mum telephoned Mrs Sugars and they agreed that Mum would take me to play for her on the following Saturday morning. It was a nice morning for a recital and Mum drove me to Mrs Sugars. I sat in the front seat of the car, something that didn’t happen often. After we arrived, we went to Mrs Sugars’ music room, where her beautiful Carl Ecke piano was already open with my music book turned to the first melody, “Ba, Ba Black Sheep.” It was a bit of a coincidence that I played this song first up as that was the one I told Mum I was playing at Roly the Roller’s house a couple of years earlier. Mum had laughed at me then and I was very hurt. I looked at Mum. She was sipping tea and eating freshly baked scones with jam and cream. “Do you want me to play with two hands?” I asked her. “Yes.” So I played “Hot Cross Buns” with two hands and sang it for her. I looked around and Mum’s big blue tears were splashing into her tea. “They’re not sad tears,” she said as she dabbed her eyes with her lace hanky. I knew that anyway. Just then, Mrs Sugars came into the room and offered Mum more tea. Mum said no as she had a big day ahead back on the farm. “Donnie can stay and practise for another hour if she’s allowed,” Mrs Sugars said to Mum. “Of course, she can stay,” Mum replied, “as long as she is home for lunch.” As Mum left, she handed Mrs Sugars a squashed envelope with money in it. “No, I don’t need that.” Mrs Sugars smiled. “I told you at the start that this was our gift to Donnie. And she seems much happier now.” “She sure does!” Mum replied joyously. That was the day I knew music, prayer, and quiet meditation was the answer to solving my blues, maybe everyone’s blues. If only Dad had kept singing! I walked home from the recital feeling a lift inside my chest. As I passed under the shielding row of gum trees, the fairies emptied their bathtubs on me again. My nose was wet. I realized it was starting to spit raindrops so I started to run home, happy as Larry. Mum was ironing when I arrived in the kitchen. Sissy and I had freshly baked bread with rosella jam and cream for lunch. I had one too many pieces of bread and that wasn’t unusual for me. For some strange reason, I started to sing and I sang all afternoon until tea time. How I love playing the piano and singing.