Chapter 5

Symphony of love (Part 4- GRAND FINALE)

The first number was 4, 8, 19, 21 and lastly 28.

“Ah… I made it. I thought I would not make.” GuiGui said as tears welled up in her eyes. Then she went to change out of her dress. She ran out of the hall and looked for Aaron but she did not see him. Then, she received a message from Aaron saying:

“I will go and see the final stage too, so do your best!”

GuiGui instantly let off a smile and replied saying:

“I will be waiting! Hehe!”

Then, she closed her handphone.

“I WILL SHOW THAT I CAN GET THE FIRST PLACE!” GuiGui shouted out side the hall which made people stop and stare at her.

She was home again. She was practicing again. She was determined to win.

“Ah… it’s wrong. The second finger was wrong.” GuiGui said and looked at her score book trying to find out her mistake. Then, she continued to play while amending her mistakes.

“The rhythm was wrong…” GuiGui said with clear frustration and disappointment in her voice. “Why is so, Schumann?” she asked.

Just then, Mr Harisen’s wife came in with lunch and saw GuiGui talking to herself.

“GuiGui, you have to eat lunch… you haven eaten anything since yesterday.” Mr Harisen’s wife said worriedly.

GuiGui, however, continued to talk to herself as if she was crazy. Mr Harisen was worried and scared for GuiGui.

“I think you better take a rest. Or take some fresh air.” Mr Harisen’s wife said panicking.

Soon, it was already night and Mr Harisen just came back from LaSalle. Then he heard GuiGui playing the piano.

“She already mastered it. Why so sudden?” Mr Harisen said to himself.

Mr Harisen was puzzled so he decided to ask his wife.

“Did anyone come to teach GuiGui?” He asked as he walked into the dining room.

“Don’t ask such a scary question. Nobody came. GuiGui kept practicing by herself. She kept repeating the same movement over and over again and she kept talking to herself.” Mr Harisen’s wife said.

“What is this? When I thought she was playing Schubert messily, the next day she could play correctly. When I thought she could manage to play a difficult piece perfectly, she played it messily on stage. What kind of a kid is she?” Mr Harisen said to himself.

He sat at the back of the piano room quietly while GuiGui was practicing.

“The no-good version again. I don’t get it at all.” Mr Harisen said with a bitter face.

Just when he was worrying on how to teach GuiGui, GuiGui fainted.

“Oi… GuiGui!” Mr Harisen called out for GuiGui but there was no response. She had a fever. Then, Mr Harisen carried her to bed and decided to let her rest.

“38.8 Celsius!” Mr Harisen’s wife said.

“Today is already very late; we should let her rest first.” Mr Harisen said.

“Do we still have antipyretics (medicine used to reduce fever)?” Mr Harisen’s wife said as she walked towards the door.

“It is because she is always strange, so when she is really strange like now, I did not notice it. She is forcing herself too much. She didn’t even eat at a time when the peak of exhaustion is coming. With this, it is completely time over.” He said as he sat on the chair.

He was blaming himself for what happened. He blamed himself for not taking good care of her. He blamed himself for giving her too much stress. He felt sorry for her.

She finally woke up. She had a nightmare. She dreamt about Vincent Wu. She dreamt about her childhood piano teacher. She woke up sweating, partially because of her fever and partially because of her nightmare. Then, she immediately got out of bed and got ready for the piano competition.

She went to the piano room, took a CD which plays the second song she will be playing and listen to it because she did not have time to practice it. After all, she could play the song by just listening to it.

“Impossible… even if you have great ears, you would make it in time.” Mr Harisen said.

“NO! One more time from the beginning.” GuiGui said as she ran to the CD player.

“GuiGui! We are going to be late! We have to go to the competition hall now!” Mr Harisen’s wife as she rushed into the room with a big bag of clothes and make up. She then pulled GuiGui out of the room, all the way to the bus stop.

On the bus, GuiGui took out the score book for the second song she was going to play. She played according to what the score book said while trying to memorize the notes. Then, someone’s handphone rang. This interrupted GuiGui. It made her not able to focus, breaking her concentration and causing her to be in confusion. She turned around and gave the owner of the phone a very scary stare then went back to learning her piece. Even after she got off the bus, she kept on reading the score. Even Mr and Mrs. Harisen had to drag her.

“GuiGui, you did well. However, you should not perform the second piece in such a situation. After you finish the first piece, leave the stage. Okay?” Mr Harisen said when they reach the preparation room.

GuiGui looked at him as if he was speaking alien language. Then, she continued to memorize the piece while Mrs. Harisen put on make up for her. She went to change into her dress and decided to take a walk while learning her piece so she went to a quiet corner, sat down and practice her piece.

Just then, Vincent Wu came.

“GuiGui. That mouth… Clown face!” Vincent said, wanting to provoke her memories.

“Clown face?” GuiGui said as she look at Vincent Wu.

“So you were still playing that piano? I was surprised to see you in this competition. Today, Mr Hamel (GuiGui’s childhood piano teacher) also came to watch me play. Ehh… Petrouchka, so you can play such a piece already? How wonderful. GuiGui…” Vincent Wu said. He wanted provoke fear in her. He wanted to make her feel lousy. After saying that, he gave a smirk and walked away.

Soon, it was GuiGui’s turn to go on stage. As usual, she took a bow and sat down. She looked up, closed her eyes and started playing. Her finger moved across the keyboard. She, all of a sudden, playing it as if the urgency of the rhythm is clinging onto her. A complete Schumann. It was the first time she performed like this. Then, the song ended but there was the second song. She stopped. Everyone thought she forgot there was a second piece but soon she started playing the piece. An active piece with a lot of notes. The versatile sounds are being drawn out. Suddenly, halfway through the song, she stopped. Instead of remembering the next part of the piece, she actually remembered how to play the ringtone sound she heard on the bus. She had no choice. She could not control herself. She played the ringtone she heard. She knew she was in trouble and would be eliminated from the competition. She knew all this but she could not stop her hands from pressing the keys she is not supposed to play.

Among the audience was Aaron. He was shock. He did not know what happened to GuiGui as she played such a weird tone. He was as confused as GuiGui was. He was nervous for her but all he could do was sit and wait until she left the stage.

Then, GuiGui suddenly snapped out of confusion and went back to play the piece but soon went back to playing the ringtone. After going back and fourth a few times, she finally ended off the piece. She sat there, thinking of what she just did. She was confused. She was embarrassed. Therefore, she stood up, took a quick bow and ran off the stage to the preparation room. However, when she left the stage, there was a standing ovation that she never knew. Vincent Wu, on the other hand just smirked confidently. As if he knew that he was going to win the first place.

While GuiGui was in the preparation room packing her stuff, the results were announced.

“Fourth place: Number 8, third place: Number 10, Second place: Number 21(which is Vincent Wu) and finally First place: No one.” As the MC said these, the contestants went to take their prize but Vincent Wu was shocked. He expected to win first prize. He had to win first prize for his piano teacher. He was upset, really upset.

When GuiGui left the building, she was stopped by Aaron.

“GuiGui!” Aaron called out.

GuiGui stopped in her tracks, turned back and stared at him. Aaron slowly walked to her.

“Would you like to go to Europe?” Aaron asked.

GuiGui turned around and faced him.

“If you want to continue your piano, rather than LaSalle, I think the school aboard will suit you better. Moreover, there are scholarship organizations and other competitions. You should go aboard to see more, feel more, experience more.” Aaron said

“Why? Why do I have to study to the extent of doing all those things?” GuiGui asked while staring at Aaron.

“Huh? Why you ask? You have become more serious about piano, haven’t you? That is why you took part in the competition, right?” Aaron asked.

“I took part in the competition just for the prize money. It’s because of money. Because of the desire to have money to play around with.” GuiGui said angrily while turning away.
Aaron was shocked. He did not know why GuiGui would say such a thing. He did not know GuiGui was such a person.

“Why did all of you do or say the way you wanted it to! Every single time, since a long time ago. I am fed up with it. What is wrong with playing the piano freely and the way I want it?” GuiGui said as tears welled up in her eyes.

“GuiGui… you… in that competition… playing the piano on stage… really didn’t enjoy it?” Aaron asked.

“No, I did not like it.” GuiGui answered.

“Fine… I got it. Then it is enough.” Aaron said and walked away.

Aaron walked a few steps and stopped.

“Today, it was the first time I saw you face music so seriously. It was a very good performance.” He said and walked away.

“Even so, I didn’t win, did I?” GuiGui said to herself as tears rolled down her cheek.

Several days after the GuiGui’s performance:

“Since that day, even the sounds of piano never came out.” Aaron thought to himself as he exited his apartment and saw GuiGui’s apartment.

Well, GuiGui was packing. She was quitting on the piano. She wanted to go back to leave with her family. Therefore, she packed her bag and decided to go back to her hometown. However, Aaron did not know that she was leaving.

In GuiGui hometown, there was nothing much she could do except eat. Therefore, she ate all day but was never happy. Her family knew she was not happy but they did not know how to help her. And the fact that she never even touched the piano made the family really worried.

Then, one day, Aaron received a phone call from the Chinese restaurant nearby which he always visited.

“Aaron, we start selling Christmas cake at our restaurant.” The shop owner said.

“I don’t want it.” Aaron said immediately.

“I already took the order.” The shop owner said.

“Huh?” Aaron said.

“Actually, GuiGui promised to pick it up but she suddenly had to go back to her hometown so she asked me to give it to you as a present.” The shop owner said.

“Hometown?” Aaron said.

“Yea. She said her hometown was in Tai Zhong.” The shop owner said.

Then, they hang up the phone. Aaron remembered that GuiGui left something that was sent from her hometown in his house so he took it out and find for the slip of paper that her hometown address on it. He searched and finally found it. Therefore, he decided to go look for GuiGui.

Then, he set off in a cab and went to look for GuiGui with the address he has. It was going to be a long ride.

On the other hand, GuiGui touched the keys of the piano after a really long time. She sat down and played the Schubert piece she played for the competition. After playing a few bars, GuiGui’s grandma came into the room.

“Very good, very good. That is a piece you learnt in school right? What a good piece!” GuiGui’s grandma said as she clapped her hands.

GuiGui’s grandma’s clapping let GuiGui remember the joy of standing on stage while everyone was clapping for her. She love that feeling. She could feel the pride she had. It felt good. She was happy to be on stage and performing for people.

“It is Schubert.” GuiGui said to her Grandma.

“Oh, Schubert!” Her grandma said energetically although she did not really know what was Schubert.

“This is a piece I played in a competition.” GuiGui said with a smile.

“Competition?! There is tournaments for piano?” Her silly grandma asked.

“Yes!” GuiGui patiently explained to patiently.

“Waaaahhhhh…GuiGui in competition.” Her grandma said.

“But I failed.” GuiGui said.

“And then? Was it enjoyable?” Her grandma asked.

“Yes! The audience clapped for me. Though it was only the first stage, I was very surprised.” GuiGui answered.

“Oh…” Her grandma said.

“Though I wasn’t good with Schubert, I can finally play it because he supported me. I also wore beautiful dresses.” GuiGui said happily.

On Aaron’s side, it was already 2 hours taxi ride. The taxi fare was also increasing.

“Excuse me, are you sure you are at the right place?” Aaron asked the taxi driver.

“Yea!” The taxi driver answered.

“This does not look anything she described her hometown to be.” Aaron said to himself.

Then, he decided to call GuiGui to let him know that he was on his way to her house but she did not pick up the phone. It seem like she switched off the phone.

However, on GuiGui’s side…

“Eh, my phone is still off!” GuiGui said as she took out her phone from her bag.

“23 MAILS!” GuiGui said when she saw her mailbox flooded with mails.

“All from Mr Harisen!” GuiGui said.

So GuiGui decided to open one of his messages that said:

Recommended by Mr Auclair, one of the juries in the Maradonna piano competition, I sent an application form to Conservatoire De Paris. The exam will be in April. If you want to go, hurry up contact me.

“GuiGui, help buy me some leeks please.” GuiGui grandma said interrupting her thoughts.

“Okay!” GuiGui said and took her bag and went to buy some leeks.

“What big city? Always lying, always!” Aaron said as he looked at the super expensive taxi fare.

“She always looked away when she lied. Could it be she lied about not liking to performed.” Suddenly remembering that she turned away when she talked to him.

Just then, he got a phone call. It was from GuiGui.

“Is it GuiGui?” Aaron asked.

“Yea. Who else?” GuiGui said.

“You! Where are you now?” Aaron asked.

“Me? I am in my hometown.”

“Right now where do you think I…” Aaron could not continue with his sentence. He saw GuiGui. He immediately asked the taxi to stop and got off. Then, he ran. He ran towards GuiGui and gave her a massive hug from the back. GuiGui was shock. She never expected Aaron to be at her hometown with her. Just then, GuiGui’s father came.

“What you two doing?” GuiGui’s father asked.

So Aaron headed to GuiGui house and was welcomed by the whole family. Then, GuiGui told Aaron about her going to Conservatoire De Paris.

“That is good. While you were away, I went for treatment to cure my fear of flight.” Aaron said quite embarrassed.

“Really?! So you can go to France with me?” GuiGui said excited.

“Even if I go France with you, we live very far apart.” Aaron said while playing the piano.

“Does that mean that I cannot eat dinner with you everyday?” GuiGui said sad to hear this news.

“Yep! Oh… you still have to practice for your exam right?” Aaron said while pulling GuiGui to the piano.

“Do I have to practice now?” GuiGui started whining.

Then, she started to play but after a few notes, she completely lost it. It was too long since she last played the piano so seriously.

Therefore, after a few months, GuiGui and Aaron headed to France and continued to be who they want to be. Aaron a famous conductor and GuiGui a pianist who dreams to play on the same stage as Aaron.

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HEY FOLKS,
Sadly, this is the last chap on Symphony of love.
I hope that everyone love it.
And I need ideas for my next story
so please write your ideas in my comments
highly appreciated.
<3,
whitney

P.S. Tell me if you like the ending!!!:)