'Due to unfortunate circumstances, a temporary leave of absence is requested so that she can rehabilitate herself.' Well, professionally speaking yeah. But in actuality, I yelled at my team members and threatened to manically laugh while I burn their instruments to ash.
It's been about a 2 months leave and I couldn't be sadder to know that my free time was coming to an end once more.
But, Let me start from the beginning.
I'm a musician for a Food and Entertainment place. You know the kind. Where it's like a concert with different acts, but you get to sit down and admission is free.
You see, for years, FOR YEARS, these people, my co-workers, have been pissing me off. I stood and I took it, all of their comments and 'constructive' criticism with a smile on my face. It was about time I'd crack.
'Why didn't I leave?' I hear you asking.
It's a family restaurant. Enough said. Family and Business. WOrst COMBINATION EVER. It's like this, my dad is the manager, my mom is head chef and my brother handles the concert stuff. I just fall in with my dad's friends who are musicians also. There's two singers who constantly try to take the spotlight away from eachother, lead guitarist, bass guitarist, and drummer. That's all you need in a band.
I'm just here. A pianist.
Who doesn't even want to play piano in the first place, but whatever.
Here's where things started getting bad. I had just gotten into yet another music school. (I'm was 14 or so by the way, so I can't really oppose to any of this.) And in this Music school, I got bullied. Or did I? I never thought of it as bullying because the person never physically harmed me. By the way, the bully was the teacher himself.
He would say things like 'You're wasting your parent's money' and 'It's not that hard just use your brain.' Demeaning but not bad enough to run to mommy and daddy saying 'The teacher was mean to me.' Not like they'd do anything about it, cause I stayed there for a few years, secretly beginning to really despise my life.
Ok it wasn't a secret. I'd told them multiple times about that man and they did not hear me. I'm sure they didn't miss the crying session I had in the car everyday after classes too.
Background Explained.
Now to the part where I lose my marbles, my 'job' and my freedom. No Regrets though.
I had just finished a horrible (as usual) class. In order to get to my room, I have to walk through the business area of the house to get to the upstairs. So I was walking through the cafe, and there my group was practicing on stage. Usually we don't have a practice session at this time, I get about a 3 or 4 hours to cool out. One of the singers saw me, and decided to get my attention by calling my name on the microphone.
"What?" I respond.
"You're supposed to be here. Now? What are you doing?" She continues with her irritating voice. Inhaling a breath of air, I look at her, "I just had a class."
"Well hurry up and change, we need you on stage."
"Why didn't you tell me? We don't have practice 5:00pm on a Wednesday."
"We talked to your dad."
Ah. There it is. I was volunteered yet again.
"You have my number. I'm the only person in this house that actually answers their phone anyway."
"Look- We don't have time for this" The bass player cuts in.
"And you think I Have time?."
"What do you do all day? I didn't know you had a job."
"Yeash cause going to school for 8 hours, then lessons right after for 2 hours, not to mention not getting paid is so fun," I retort.
"Get up here or I'm going to tell your father," the lead starts.
"Okay then." I begin to walk away when I overhear something on the microphone which makes me stop in my tracks. "Hold up. What did you say lady?"
With a clearer voice, the other singer says, "You're very rude for a young little girl."
"You better take that back before I make you swallow that microphone." I point at her.
"Just, go Cool off and come back when you have a better attitude."
I look around the room, it's empty. So it she must be talking like that to me. I put my hand on my chest in the most dramatic fashion, "You're telling me about mY attitude when your husband can't stop complaining about yours?"
"Little girl." the drummer pitches in (I don't know who invited him into this conversation but there he is.), "You have to watch your mouth."
Burning with anger, I storm up to the stage because what I'm about to say I need them to hear clearly, "Guess what. Since my dad owns this club, You're all FIRED."
The lead steps in with, "You can't do that."
"Don't tell me what I can and can't do."
I see the microphone, half about to cry I continue, "YOU GUYS HAVE NO IDEA WHat's Happening in my life. So GO ahead and laugh at my pain. My family bought all this gear for you. I'm just about burn down this whole place. TRy ME."
"Maybe you should calm down." The bass player states.
"Can you... Not be stupid for once in your life? It'll be much appreciated." I push the microphone stand off the stage, causing feedback to ring through the monitors giving off a slight screeching noise.
Then someone said something that I can't quite remember cause I blacked out in rage and tried to strangle him/her.
Then I woke up in my room, and things were different. My family was scared of me, for some reason. I can't imagine what.
And that's how they introduced me to my new therapist instead of music classes. Which was great. Now I'm easing back into my old life again.
Since my two months were over, the band decided to hold a practice session that I wasn't banned to attend. They were scared of me as well. Which was great... for a while until they started to revert to old habits in a few weeks time.
"I can't hear you," one of the singers stops the entire song to address me.
"Yeah, I can't play too loud right now. It's hurting my ear-" I was about to tell her I had a pimple in my ear when they started.
"What's wrong with her?" the bass player asks.
"She's afraid that the keyboard is gonna hurt her." She replies.
Here we go again.
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1 comment
Love the circle you bring us in! I can understand the band practice thing. :)
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