Unliklely Pair of hands

He was a guru. He was a guru in the music industry. He had his bachelour of arts in music. He played music. He taught music. He sang music. He was all music could be. Litto was a little, short phillipino man. He lived for music, and inbetween volunteering for seniors and any other event in town, he played. He played for free, he played for money, and he played for the sheer joy of it. His sense of humour was the kind of good, clean humour, you could use to make kids laugh. Always ready to give a cookie, or a phillipino salted egg to his students. Yes, he fed us too. We sat in his little studio, and he would say his one two three four, one two three four, five six seven eight. I would say in my musically kindergarten, mind eleven twelve oops. Nothing I could do could make me Eddy Van Halen, or Beethoven, or any of the others. I must be doomed, I thought at my first lesson. It looks so easy.

I sat and listened to his music, that he wrote and produced. He was pretty darn good at singing too. The accent on the love songs made them unique to him, and made me smile for some reason. There is nothing like a person with an accent, singing a love song, to make you believe, it was really written for someone special. Hours of his songs, made me believe that this man if no other, could teach me how to play an instrument. He assured me that he could, teach me to play. I just needed lessons from him, and I could be the super guitar player I wanted to be.

Well, me I was absolutely musically illiterate, when it came to playing an instrument. I had written a couple of songs, but couldn't play them. I was going to learn an instrument no matter what. So, I went into the music box that day with my hundred dollars, for a months lessons and said to Litto " can I learn the guitar, with you, please I really want to play my songs". He took me under his song bird wing, and assured me that I would be playing a song by the end of the month. I didn't tell you yet, that I had broken my wrist twice. I had a really hard time getting my left wrist to push down on those chords, on the guitar. I put in a whole month there with the guitar, and he finally gently said to me that maybe I would enjoy the piano more than the guitar. I said that I probably would enjoy the piano, more than the giutar. Not letting him know that I already had given up on the guitar the second lesson when my wrist wouldn't bend. I tried but it was in a position, that just wouldn't let my fingers clamp down on the strings.

Piano it was, I dreamed of running my fingers over that piano, as fast as he could. I imagined my self playing the songs I wrote, and sang, on that piano. Oh yes, I was going to be a piano player. Litto wouldn't have it any other way, he was going to make me a piano player, if it killed him. Well, I saved his life a month later. When I said that I didn't think the piano was for me either. Would I ever play an instrument? I wondered this after month two. My wrist once more, could not fly over to the left side and play those notes. I left there one day and thought to myself that maybe the piano wasn't for me. Litto let me say it to him, though.

Then came the drums. Yes, oh yes, I could play the drums for sure. My stupid wrist, wouldn't encumber me on the drums, would it? Nope, the drums it was. I had these little day dreams, of being the best darn drum player I could be. Then, the little guy walked in. Ya, the little guy. He was five. Yes, he was five years old and stayed at the drums after his lesson. He spilled out a riff that would blow your mind. He was the best darn drum player I ever heard, next to Litto. My instrument days are over, I thought. This little kid just made me look like the biggest drum ballouff in the world. I almost got a lump in my throat he was so good. He made me realize that in order to play like that you might want to be a little younger than fifty. Would I ever play my songs on an instrument. No. I wouldn't. But I had a good time trying. I still write songs and sing them. I even had a song on the radio before. My musical talents, do not include an instrument.

I sing to my cat, and Litto and I are still good friends. He never really brings up the fact, that I can't play. I returned the parumpapumpum drum to him. He just smiled and said" do you want to come in for coffee". I took him up on the offer and listened to his music. Boy, I still wish I could have learned, but sometimes you just have to stick with your talents, and let the others have thiers. I traded in my little dream of playing an instrument for being one of the best inventors in Canada, and a children's game board designer. I enjoy writing short stories but like the instruments, it's just practise for adult writing. I much better at writing for children. To each his own I guess. I will keep plugging away at what I do best. Writing children's, and inventing. Till then, don't let that crazy instrument get you down. I couldn't do it but maybe you can. God bless all the good musicians out there, I envy you.