#JustWriteNovember – There is a picture a day to be inspiration for a piece of writing.
To the potential buyer of the house, please let me explain the piano.
I can probably predict what you are thinking but please, read this first before you probably throw it out. Dad didn’t intend to buy a piano that was infested with woodworm. He also didn’t intend to leave it out in the rain that came that night, which is why he left it outside when he attempted to sort out the treatment to get rid of the woodworm. It was only the next day he came to realise that that many of the keys may have been the original, but some were simply bits of painted cheap wood, also infected with woodworm. Mum pointed out how they were not even attached properly and that it was obvious they were not the same as the others.
It is strange. I know there were problems before that day. But for some reason, the piano is all I can remember about their arguments.
Every time mum and dad would argue, it would come back to the piano. Lost keys. Burnt dinner. Even the price of MOT for their car simply linked back due to the ‘wasted money’ dad had spent on the piano.
In the beginning dad would argue that he bought it for her, so naturally she should get rid of it. Mum would argue that as he bought it, it was up to him to remove it.
It stayed.
As Christmas came closer that year, and neither of my parents wanted to move it, I found it was down to me to do something to make it less embarrassing about having an infested, broken and abandoned piano in the garden. It was soon to be my turn for the monthly film night, having made my parents promise to be out that night I just needed to make the house tidy and, well, less embarrassing. I’m not sure where the mannequin came from, but it was my friend Jeff who appeared with it a few days before my film night. I know he had heard a lot about the piano and he had seen it when he came knocking for me for school, I am pretty sure that he would have had spent a week listening to me moaning so I guess he just went out and decided to turn the piano into a conversation piece.
We found an old chair in the garage and put ‘Kirk’ in his place. Why did we name him Kirk? I am not too sure, but Jeff had got really into star trek at this time so this was probably his way of trying to get me to follow the Enterprise and its journey through space. With mum and dad not taking any notice of it anymore they simply didn’t say anything with the addition of Kirk, a Santa hat and other attempts to dress him being placed there. Friday came and, with a few comments about Kirk and his piano, we had some funny pictures taken of us before we settled in the warmth for our monthly film sess.
I think it was the fox that took his left leg the following spring. I know it was the lawn mower that destroyed his right leg a year later. Mum had got tired of the lawn not being cut so went at it when she got back after seeing some of her friends one night. I will always remember the sound of the lawn mower crunching through his leg and my mum, although angry, saying sorry to Kirk for destroying it.
I know you are probably thinking why would you want to keep this piano in your new garden for a house you have just bought. But, over the years you will find a few birds nest there as Kirk seems to keep the local cat away so they can safely leave their eggs and young there. You would also be surprised how much of a conversation piece it can be, plus Kirk is very comfortable being dressed and themed for the different events of the year.
But then again, I have found it to also cause many arguments.
What you see before you now, is 2 years since my dad tried to buy my mum a piano. As you can probably tell, the present didn’t work to help them get along. But tt did help me talk to Jeff more, I think it made him realise what was happening at my home, which will now be your home, a bit more. Jeff, like Kirk, has stuck around for me while everything else has fallen apart. Although Kirk has slowly fallen apart too I know.
I know it looks odd to have this thing in the garden. But for the past two Christmas’ we have decorated it and made his own choir out of snow to keep him company. We often use him at Halloween and set him up on dates at valentine day. Sadly my mum won’t let me take Kirk with us to our new home and dad doesn’t have a garden with his new place so that isn’t an option either. Jeff’s parents, as understanding as they seem to be, won’t let him keep Kirk for me.
So I may not get to return to this town again, you could also just say that the fox came back and finished off the job if I did. But I would like to hope that Kirk and his piano have a few more Christmas’ left in him should he be allowed to stay. For the past few years he has been my friend as the world around me has, I guess like the piano, not stayed like it did before.
Woodworm.
Rain.
A fox.
They have all played their part.
Whatever you chose, I hope you enjoy your new home.
S J Lister. Author 