Chapter Six – First Lesson
Christina's POV
After I greeted Carman at the front entrance I went straight in the direction of my room. It was surprised that I remembered the way. When I arrived in the room I closed the door behind me and placed my bags on the huge bed. I then began to hang my clothes in the wardrobe and place them in draws. As I was slipping my now empty bag under my bed there was a knock at my door. I straightened up and said "Come in". The door opened and Monsieur Pascal walked in "Good evening, Christina. You settling in alright? He asked and I nodded. "Wonderful, well I'll let you finish unpacking. And just so you know you don't need to come down to the stage this evening, we begin rehearsals for the Saturday performance, tomorrow at ten o'clock in the morning. So you can stay in here tonight or go and explore, whichever you choose, just don't disturb the rehearsal that's taking place downstairs at the moment. Dinner will be served at six-thirty in the dining hall, alright?" I nodded again "Yes, thank you Monsieur." I said.
After he left the room I looked up at the clock on my wall, it said quarter-past four, loads of time till dinner. So I opened my other bag and placed my other things in various places round the room. Once I'd finished I put my other bag under the bed and stepped over to my dressing table. There was a beautiful bunch of white roses in a vase. I leaned to inhale their perfume and it was wonderful. I had always liked roses, red ones meant love and white ones made me think of snow. The thought of roses reminded me of a song, and I instantly burst out singing.
(Christina)
Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens
Bright copper kettles and warm woollen mittens
Brown paper packages tied up with strings
These are a few of my favourite things
Cream coloured ponies and crisp apple strudels
Door bells and sleigh bells and schnitzel with noodles
Wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings
These are a few of my favourite things
Girls in a white dresses with a blue satin sashes
Snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes
Silver white winters that melt into springs
These are a few of my favourite things
When the dog bites, when the bee stings
When I'm feeling sad
I simply remember my favourite things
And then I don't feel so bad
After I finished the song I fell back on my bed and let out a gush of breath. Then I heard a familiar male voice in the air "Christina" I sat up quickly and looked around but there was no one there. I got to my feet "Who's there?" I asked, even though I already knew who it was "Christina it's me" his voice replied. I strode over to the door and just as my hand touched the handle his voice spoke from behind me "Christina, I'm here" I turned round and tried to work out where his voice was coming from "Where are you? I can't see you" I said stepping back to the centre of the room at the foot of the bed. "Look at your face in the mirror. I am there inside." When my face turned to look at the mirror, what I saw surprised me. It wasn't as if I was looking at a mirror it was more like looking at a window, because standing there inside the mirror. The Phantom of the Opera.
I backed up against the end of the bed in surprise, and just like earlier he held up a hand to calm me. "Have no fear." He said and I straightened up looking at both my faded reflection and his masked face. "Come to the mirror Christina. Come to me." He said beckoning to me with his index finger. I walked forward and as I approached, the mirror miraculously moved aside like an automatic door making me gape. I took hold of his outstretched hand and he led me forward into the dark stone tunnel that stood before us. I looked back to see the mirror slide back into place.
It was unbelievable. A secret passage on the other side of the mirror. It was like something you read in a book or watched in a film. We didn't walk too far along the stone tunnel. We stopped in front of a mahogany door that was in the left wall. The Phantom let go of my hand, took a key from his pocket and unlocked the door. As he opened it he turned back to me "Wait here a moment while I get the lights" And with that he disappeared into the dark room. I stood alone in the dark clenching my fists. But in no time at all there was a blaze of light and he was back holding out his hand. "Right this way now" I took his hand and entered room. The walls and floor were grey stone just like the corridor and gas lights lit up the room. On one side of the room there were two fancy chairs in the corner and on the other side was a huge magnificent black piano. I stepped over and stroked my finger over the smooth polished wood "Do you like it?" he asked. I turned back and nodded "Oh yes it so exquisite, the one we have at home is badly out of tune and can hardly play a good tune." He came forward and removed his fedora, showing a lovely crop of black hair that was gelled back. He placed the fedora on the piano, but for some reason he kept his mask on which I found very curious. He sat down on the piano bench "Why don't your parents just have it repaired or sell it if it doesn't work?" he asked. I shook my head "No Dad says it's too expensive to have it repaired. And he won't sell it because it belonged to his Grandpa Gustave who was a great musician. That piano was his most prized possession and Dad said that Grandpa Gustave had begged him to keep that piano, in case it came in useful some time." "Your Father sounds like a very kind man" he said smiling. "Yes he is" I said.
He flexed his fingers and placed them on the keys "Right Christina, Let's start." And his fingers began dancing over the keys. We started with a few vocal warm ups which were easy enough. Then I sang through the aria I was going to perform on Saturday night. After I finished the song he told me to remember to feel the space around me and make my voice fill the whole auditorium. And most importantly to stay calm and relaxed. I sang through the song again following his advice and helped me massively. His face was full of so much excitement as I sang, he looked as if he didn't want this moment to ever end.
When I finished the song he closed the piano lid "I think that'll do for today and we'll continue tomorrow." Something came into my head. "Don't you think someone heard us out there?" He shook his head "No Christina, this room is sound-proof so no one heard us. But if I press this here" He pointed to a black nail in the wall "You would be able to hear the music in your room. That was the way I taught your great-great grandmother. I never brought her in here so I let the music fly into her dressing room." He went over to one of the chairs and sat down, he gestured to the other chair. "Please, sit down" he said. I walked over and sat down on the other chair. "So you were serious about being alive that many years ago, and knowing my great-great grandmother?" I asked and he nodded "Yes it is true and the reason that I'm still alive today has always been a mystery to me."
I then remembered the story that Meg had told me. "When I was talking to Meg earlier she told me quite a bit about you." He smiled "I have always admired young Meg Gilson because of her great intelligence. I especially liked it when she stood up for you when that rat bag Rosetta insulted you. It saved me from having to intervene." I stared at him confused "If you were there this morning, then where were you? Because I didn't see you anywhere" He leaned back in his seat "I was hidden up in the rafters above the stage where no one could see me." I almost giggled "My, you can certainly get yourself around like you own the place" He winked at me which really made me giggle. "It is like I own the place because I know where all the secret trapdoors are and they're useful for getting me around in secret without anyone seeing me." I pointed to the door "And the mirror in my room is one among many?" he nodded. "And if you remember I disappeared behind that statue on the roof?" I blinked "Yes of course, I heard a small clamp when you vanished, it was a trap door. I guess you should be called the Trap-Door Lover instead of The Phantom of the Opera." He laughed "If I was called that then everyone would understand how I can disappear right before their very eyes." I nodded "Yeah, I guess you're right."
The Song in this Chapter was
My Favourite Things - The Sound Of Music
