The Broken Strings

She lived in an orphanage. Sad. Isolated. There was never any exciting news. Outside, the weather was tragic. The thunder boomed against the windows and the rain poured heavily. There was barely enough food for all the hungry stomachs.

She wandered into the playroom. Tattered chairs and broken toys were spread out across the chilly floor. She dug deep into the blue toy box, hoping to find something. She stuck her hand farther into the box and rummaged around. Then she felt it. Her hand ran over something smooth and round. She carefully lifted it out of the box.

It was a violin, though it looked like a smashed guitar. Two of the strings were tightly fixed while the others were broken. She lightly plucked one of the strings. A low note filled the air. She closed her eyes and smiled. Music, she thought to herself. She tiptoed across the playroom and into her sleeping bag. She laid the broken instrument next to her and covered it with a thin blanket. Closing her eyes, she dreamt of music.

She was woken by the ringing of the morning bell. She rubbed her sleepy eyes and shuffled out of the sleeping bag. Tucking the broken instrument into the sleeping bag, she ran towards the door. Greeted by the maids, she took her place at the dining table. Around her sat boys and girls of different ages. The maids served them each half a slice of bread and ketchup with a glass of water on the side. She eagerly scarfed down her breakfast and excused herself.

Running back to her room, she delicately pulled out the violin. She needed something to fix the two broken strings. Walking into the playroom she saw many kids jumping around and enjoying themselves. She held the violin tightly to her chest and walked towards the blue box. Once again, she shoved her hand in and pulled out random items. Suddenly, she found what she was looking for. Tape. She smiled to herself and started skipping back to her room. As she was about to turn the corner, a maid stopped her. "What is that?", she asked with a thick Italian accent. "Music", the girl whispered. "Music".

The maid looked behind her shoulder and then back at the girl. She ushered the girl to follow her. They quietly walked down the empty hallway towards a door. Inside was a small room, where the maid stayed. The maid stretched her hands out as a sign to give her the violin. The girl hesitated but obeyed as she gently laid the violin in the maid's arms. The maid cradled the violin and looked at it. She then took the tape out of the girl's hand and started to put it on the strings. The girl observed the maid eagerly. Once the maid was done she carefully plucked all the strings. A beautiful rhythm filled the air. The girl closed her eyes and smiled. "Music", the maid whispered and handed the girl back her violin.

The next morning the headwoman called the girl to her office. She explained how someone was looking to adopt a girl and they were going to come here tomorrow. The girl nodded her head and looked away. During dinner the girl was quiet. She ate her food and rushed to her sleeping bag. She held her violin close to her chest. Closing her eyes she plucked the strings, trying to form a melody. She tried a couple of times and smiled. The bell rang to signal it was time for bed and the girl gingerly tucked her violin away. She closed her eyes and dreamt of music.

She was nervous as she gripped the handle of the violin tighter. A strange-looking man in a suit was standing beside a woman in a red dress. They were both talking to the headwoman while the girl sat on a small wooden bench. The couple waved goodbye to the headwoman and left. The headwoman walked over to the girl and sat beside her. "They love you. They are now your parents", she said. The girl looked away. The headwoman left and the girl ran back to the maid who had fixed her violin. "Oh dearie, you will now have a family", the maid said, excitedly. "No leave you", the girl whispered. The maid shook her head, "you must". The girl looked down at her violin. She closed her eyes.

The girl held a violin in one hand and her bag of clothes in the other. She took one last look at the maid. A tear rolled down the girl's cheek. The maid crouched down and hugged the girl. "Music" she whispered in the girl's ear. The girl nodded and waved goodbye. She was filled with sorrow. "Hi, there!" the couple greeted her. "I'm Paul", said the man. "I'm Lydia", said the woman. The girl faked a smile. She took one last look at the orphanage before stepping into the couple's car.

The rain slammed into the windshields powerfully. "What's your name?", Paul asked. "No name", the girl replied. The couple shared a look. The rest of the drive was in silence. The car pulled up to a large three-story house. Lydia helped the girl come inside and took her to her new room. "I love your violin", Lydia said, smiling. "Music", the girl replied. Paul came in with a stack of clothes and set them in the girl's new closet. During dinner, Paul and Lydia asked the girl many questions, but the girl just gave short answers. She went back to her room and fell asleep.

The lights turned on and birds chirped. The girl sat in bed plucking the strings of her violin. Paul and Lydia came in and sat beside her. "We have something for you", Paul said. The girl looked up. Paul brought his hand from behind his back and held out a brand new bow. The girl was shocked. She looked at Lydia and Paul and gently took the bow. She placed it on one of the string and played a note. "Music", she whispered.

"We have also decided your name", Lydia went on. The girl half-smiled. "What it is?", she asked. Paul and Lydia shared a glance. Paul smiled, "Melody". The girl's face lit up. "Melody", she whispered. She set down the violin and bow to the side and looked at the couple. She lunged towards them and held them tight. "I love Paul and Lydia", she whispered. The couple hugged her, "We love you, Melody". The three embraced each other. Outside, in the harsh weather, a faint melody played.