This seems to be a common English assignment; rewrite the ending of a story the way you think it should've been done. That's what this little story is. Two Kinds was written by Amy Tan and tells the tale of a girl, Ni-kan, and her coming of age. It's a great story, I highly recommend it.

Two Kinds

An Ending Redo

Waverly had come to stay with us for two and a half months while her mother was in China visiting some old friends. I had not been excited about her becoming my sister, even if it was only temporary. Actually, I had refused point blank until I got a small bribe from Mom.

I was almost to the top of our stairs when I saw Waverly coming out of my room in more of her stylish clothes. She took one look at me from head to toe: pug puppy slippers, happy bunny pajama pants that said "dumb" all over them, a matching happy bunny shirt, and my goofy Peter Pan haircut sticking up in all directions.

"You must've climbed the Tree of Ugly, and hit every branch on the way down." She sneered.

"Ha ha. Hey, I didn't know that Halloween had come early, very scary mask." I said back. I was just past her up at the top of the stairs when I pushed down the rest of the flight.

I then ran into my room which she had been in for 2 days now and it was already beginning to look more like her old room. I quickly turned around and locked my door before she could get in.

After checking the lock, I went over to my dresser and picked out some clean jeans, a hooded sweatshirt, and some shoes. After putting them on, I turned to my mirror and combed my mess of hair out. It was now 3:45 pm so without another delay, I raced down the stairs and out to the front door, to the hallway, and down to the floor below us without getting caught by Waverly.

After a lazy 10 minute walk down to Mr. Chong's apartment, I was finally standing in front of his door. He had told me that it was okay if I let myself in so I did.

I found Mr. Chong waiting for me by the piano. "Sit down." He said. I did and then he told me that today's practice was going to be two hours instead of the usual one.

"Why?" I asked.

"I got some information about performance," he began, "you haven't really practiced, have you?"

"No," I sighed, "I was having so much fun getting away with stuff that I just caught up in it. Sorry I let you down."

He watched my lips carefully until I was finished and then said that he had a special surprise for me. He told me to play Pleading Child to the very best of my ability and that he would play another part called Perfectly Contented. We played those two together until I had finally gotten Pleading Child down perfectly like I should've done before the performance.

We played the two parts and then just as we got done with them, I heard a knock on the door. It was 4:15 so I figured it was Mom coming to remind me to come home.

"Someone at door?" he asked when I raised my head to the sound.

"Yes," I replied.

"Can you get that?" He said, "I'd like practice music more."

"Okay." I said.

I stood up from my seat and went to get the door. I was already saying to myself what I'd tell Mom when she asked why I wasn't home yet. Today we're practicing an extra hour, okay? I was totally shocked when I opened the door and Waverly was standing on the other side.

"Wrong room smarts." I said.

"No, you're mom and Mr. Chong wanted me to come here today. Don't give me that open mouth. It makes you look like a fish." She said in a matter-of-factly voice.

I hadn't realized that my mouth had come open until she said that. Waverly in my piano lesson…why? I had no idea what Mom and Mr. Chong were up to so I played it as cool as I could.

"Sit down next to other on bench." Mr. Chong told us. "Ni-kan, play your Pleading Child part. Waverly, I heard you used be good on piano. Try play this." He said pointing to Perfectly Contented.

He wants us to play the songs that go together…why? I was still thinking hard on this question when it suddenly dawned on me. They're two halves of the same song… He and Mom want us to put aside our differences and get along, like in these two songs.

Waverly and I played through them a couple times. Waverly hitting quite a few wrong notes and at first I'd just laugh and say something sarcastic, but as she got better we were getting along better and the song was sounding like a song.

By the fifth or sixth time through the song we both played it perfectly, together. We even laughed when we'd gotten done. Laughing with Waverly, not at or vise versa. Incredible. Mr. Chong must be a miracle worker. I thought. We then left at about five and got up to our apartment still laughing and saying how good we were together, kind of like true friends.

My next lesson, with Waverly, was scheduled five days from the last lesson. It was on a Saturday morning this time, at nine thirty. We were both ready to go at nine so we grabbed two waffles and unfroze them together, while getting excited about this lesson.

Mom was reading the morning paper at the table when she heard me or Waverly say Mr. Chong's name she broke into a small, steady roll of tears.

"Mom, what's wrong?" I asked.

"Mr. Chong die late last night, said in paper." She said, getting choked up by the second. "Funeral tomorrow."

At the funeral the next day I was terribly sad at first, then I thought of what Mr. Chong would've wanted me to be like. He would've wanted me to be happy that I'd learned a song with Waverly. And that I had a new aspect on life now, to be my personal best.

I found myself smiling through the tears, hugging Waverly like a sister or good friend, as the closing song began on the piano. The clear crisp notes of Perfectly Contented and Pleading Child began as everyone filled out of the cemetery.

Mr. Chong had taught me many things, but the most valuable is to always be your best. If you're 'perfectly contented', that's just great.