Chapter 2
New Tricks
"Play that song again for me, Sigmund! Please do!"
"I shall, Lila."
"Oh, thank you! Thank you! I would very much like to dance."
I used to play my best for a girl my age in the town I lived in. I played the recorder, a wooden one my grandfather on my mother's side had made me before he passed. Lila, the young girl, had met me after seeing me in the market place. We had become fast friends.
"That was wonderful, Sigmund!"
"Danke, Lila."
"Um, will you perform a trick for me? Just for me?" I thought about it for a few. My father had told me to save my energy for further training. But Lila was a friend of mine of which I wanted to impress.
"Of course, Lila." I grinned towards her. She cheered for me. I spun around before giving her a smile. "WATCH NOW! As I form a ball of pure fire from my very hands!"
"Oh my!" Lila gasped. She watched me closely, eyes sparkling with amazement. She tossed me daisies when my trick had been done.
"Danke, Germany!" I giggled. Lila clapped for me.
"You're amazing, Sigmund!" She told me. "I love your magic. I really do." I heard my mother ringing her silver bell for me to come home. I bowed in front of Lila.
"I must be going now."
"Will I see you again?"
"Not for a while, Lila. I must train with my father now."
"Okay. Play for me again tomorrow, Sigmund!"
"I will! Auf Wiedersehen!" I ran in the direction of my mother. She waved at me from the top of the hill of which our small home sat on. Her apron and brown hair swayed with the breeze.
"Son, come inside. You must eat!"
"Yes, Mama."
—
"Do the trick again."
"Yes, Papa."
"Good. Very good Sigmund!"
This had been the third time I had done this trick for my father. The third in a row! Each time I did it, my hands burned and cramped up. My skin became rough and numb. But I did as my father asked.
"Again."
"Yes Papa." Finally, the sun had gone down, leaving a subtle purple glow from our sparkles that reflected off the river water.
"Let's head home." My father finally spoke to me. His voice was tired and worn out. I was just as tired and flopped down in the grass. My father laughed. "You must be tired. Don't worry." With that, he lifted me from the grass and threw me over his shoulder. He carried me, all the way home. He must have been so tired, but I hadn't thought of that then.
Once home, the smell of cabbage soup and spices filled my nose. A breath of warmth touched my tender skin ever so and welcomed me home to rest. My mother walked beside my father to my bedroom, where he placed me on my bed.
"Rest, Sigmund." My mother whispered. "You're doing so well. Just like your father." I smiled as my eyes fluttered to a close.
"Like father?" I mumbled.
"Yes son, I'm proud of you." My father said to me faintly. I could feel the tear run down my smooth face. My hard work for the day had paid off. I knew if I kept up the hard work, I would keep hearing that from my father. The praises. I lived on that.
I walked into the kitchen the next morning and found my sister mixing a batter for breakfast. I smiled at her.
"Guten Morgen, Isis."
"Ugh! Leave me be!" She shouted at me. My smile faded as she turned away from me.
"Why are you shouting?" She didn't answer. My father walked in the kitchen and handed me a cup of milk he had just taken from the goats out back.
"Drink and be quick. We must head out again soon."
"But Papa, I wanted to see Lila this morning. I wanted to play for her."
"We have no time for such nonsense! Have you forgotten our training already Sigmund?! Our promise?!" My sister snickered at my father's yelling. I looked down at the floor.
"No, Papa. Of course not."
"Then drink and let's get going!"
"Yes, Papa!" I quickly drank my milk and rushed out to catch up with my father. Outside, Lila was waiting for me. She skipped beside my father.
"Sigmund! Will you play for me now?"
"No." My father told her, just as sternly as he'd told me. He hadn't even bothered to look in her direction. "Sigmund has important things to do at the moment."
"Y-yes, sir." She mumbled. She scurried away, slightly lifting her gown to hop over the grass. With a distraction out of the way, my father led me down to the river again.
"Start, Sigmund." He ordered. I sighed. The trick had started to annoy me.
"Papa, will I ever learn anything new?" My father gave me his signature stern look. I covered my face, fearing more yelling.
"You're right, you've been doing very well."
"Really?" A smile came to my face.
"Yes son, you have. But I would really like for you to get this perfect." Smile, faded.
"Yes, Papa..." I moaned. I performed the trick again. Over and over for another long day. I looked down at my hands, whimpering. My palms were slightly burned.
"Are you hurt?" My father asked me. I shook my head, trying to tough it out. But my face clearly read the answer to that question. My father pulled me over to the river. "Put your hands in the water." I did as he told me. A wave of steam rose in the air, cooling off my palms.
"Thank you, Papa." He smiled down at me.
"Please, tell me when you're hurt Sigmund. I too must rest when I've had enough."
"Yes, sir." My father stroked his chin in thought suddenly. His sparkles slightly brightened.
"Son, I will teach you something new. You'll really love this one!" I looked down at my reddened hands. My father laughed. "It's not the fireball trick again son." My father waved his arm in a huge, circular motion and disappeared in a hail of sparkles that danced in my eyes. My mouth dropped. My eyes widened.
"Papa? Papa!" I felt a tap on my shoulder. Behind me, my father stood with a sharp toothed smile on his bold face.
"You've been dazzled!" He laughed. I laughed with him. He showed me his movements, step by step. After a few tries, I materialized myself yet again into the river. My father's mouth dropped as he ran to pull me out. I smiled at him.
"YOU'VE BEEN DAZZLED!" I giggled. We laughed all the way home.