{This is a response to Friday Fictioneers, a 100-word photo prompt. Pianos remind me of Mozart and the Mozartfest in Wuerzburg, Germany, which takes place every summer in a lovely garden, the Residenz Hofgarten.
Constanze is Mozart’s wife’s name, which I anglicized. In the movie, “Amadeus” (one of my favorites,) she is a very persistent person, indeed.
A raised bed, for those unfamilar with gardening, is a plot where the soil being tilled or grown in is actually above ground, sometimes in a container on four legs. Enjoy, and thank you for the prompt and for reading!}
Principal Gelding snorted.
“A garden? Here?”
Constance, Altamont’s music teacher, nodded. Her horn-rims swayed on a long chain.
(Screen-starved children just might enjoy gardening.)
“Why you? Musicians know nothing about dirt!”
(But we know much, about beauty.)
Constance’s sensible shoe tapped. Persuasively.
“Oh, OK. But no digging!”
Any longer, and the dream would have withered and died.
Children pressed against the glass, fragile seedlings in paper cups, when Amerson’s van arrived.
Amerson shuffled, dragging something. Stubby, peeling, missing a lid. Keys, twisted, sculpted.
A half-sized harpsichord.
Constance clapped, hugged Amerson.
“A raised bed!”
Children flooded out, their voices, airborne music.
So many layers to this story. You could read it again and again.
Thank you Dawn!
An inspiring and happy story – connecting children to music- brilliant.
Love the title and atmosphere you created…
Thanks Tannile!
Wonderful story! I loved it, both as a music teacher and one who loves flowers.
Thank you that means alot granonine
A great great idea.
Beautiful! I especially love the ambiguity of the fragile seedlings in papercups that goes both, for gardening and the children. With that garden, they’ll grow. Lovely parallel.
Thanks. So glad you caught that double-meaning gah!
One other hint I “planted” in there was in the principal’s name. A gelding is a castrated horse. I meant by naming him that to imply, that despite his bluster, he is relatively impotent in the face of her determination.
Just shows you: I dismissed the guy and didn’t even catch his name. 🙂
So tired of those who want to squash inspiration if it’s not up to their standards. Good for the teach.
Nice to hear it from one who knows. Teachers never seem to get the credit they deserve. ?
A lovely image, Andrea. We all need to connect with the outdoors, it’s so good for our health – mental and physical. Hope the kids enjoy the raised bed!
Thanks lynn!
My pleasure
There is so much detail in this! You really know how to make use of the words available. Great sense of the characters.
Thank you Anna! This FF exercise, over the past year, has really helped me to learn economy in writing. It also helps to have engineers in the family, who have no time for verbose foolishness!
And as far as “words available,” in the broader sense, I think we writers need to insist on using them all.
With an average targeted reading level online and in the media–and an average speaking level, in politics–of about fourth grade, all the good words above that level will wither away, without our tender care. Anyone can grow weeds. Only true enthusiasts take on the task of caring for orchids.
This is great. My kids and I garden outside during the summer. There is so much sense of achievement that can be see on their faces when they can enjoy fresh fruits and veggies. Well done!
Yes, my daughter is a gardener and I homeschool, so we have definitely seen benefits over the years, if only in the variety of our diet and in appreciation for fresh food and beautiful flowers!
I hope a few teachers have read this! Delightful.
Thanks Keith. Me too.
I like the focus on children and teaching them to value nature. Music teachers are often deeply humane people – I’m married to one! Constance was both humane and determined!
Thanks Penny!
A raised bed indeed! (Wolfie’s wife was Constanze)
Music and gardens just do go hand in hand or key to hand 😉
Lovely!
Thanks Dale! I’ll go correct the spelling forthwith. What a musical week at FF!
Tee hee!
Indeed! How could it not be?
Such a sweet story – really enjoyed reading it, Andrea.
Susan A Eames at
Travel, Fiction and Photos
Thanks Susan!
Gorgeous! I really loved this!
Thank you so much Jennifer!
Dear Andrea,
Music and horticulture hand in hand. Colorfully melodious tale.
Shalom,
Rochelle
Thank you Rochelle
A great image – and message. It just needs something to get them interested.
I think they’ve been waiting for this dream to come to “fruition” for a long time.
What a perfect way to lure the children away from their sentient activities.. Well done!
Thanks Violet! Getting them outside can be a bit of a challenge, these days!
Definitely the way to capture the interest of the children! Good one.
I like to think the outdoors can still inspire young people! Thanks Sandra.
I’m wondering what qualities the pair to Constance’s sensible shoe possesses
Not sure I understand the question, but I imagined her in sensible shoes and horn-rimmed glasses, as a person who’s not fussy, but is determined.
Lovely, I was imagining all the excited kiddies 🙂
Thanks draliman!