I instinctively dashed to the attic door and slammed it tightly locking it immediately.
"What going on Mum?" cried out Nicole, confusion and panic swept across her snow-white face as she clung to her flute.
"Shhhh...Someone is here." I said, panic trickled into my eyes. The panic soon drained from Nicole's ghost-white face and curiosity began to shine through.
"Who Mum? Who is it?" she asked, her red eyes gleaming.
"Let me go see." I sighed as I slowly made my way to the attic door, opened it quickly and shut it behind me even quicker and ever so gently, locking it before I cautiously went down the stairs.
As I entered the den, I heard footsteps in the kitchen. My heart began to race and my breath quickened as I grabbed a poker from the fireplace, the end gleamed red. I slowly walked to the kitchen door and was met by a man.
"Father Pritchard?" I breathed as I saw the local preacher standing in the doorway. My heart rate fell and my breath began to return to normal as the old preacher bowed his head and began to speak.
"So sorry to bother you Madame Demira, but I had become worried about you." He said his voice wavering a bit.
"Oh it's fine. You just startled me is all." I said as I hid the poker behind me.
"Expecting some unwanted visitor I see." He said as he noticed the poker.
"Yes... I never know these days. Please come into the den and sit down." I said as I walked to the fireplace, returning the poker.
The preacher walked slowly into the den and hesitantly sat down on the couch.
"Why have you come?" I asked, stoking the fire.
"Oh forgive me Madame, but you have not been at church recently and I feared something had happened." He said apologetically.
"Oh it's quite fine." I said, pausing as I noticed his expression grew still.
"That sound." He said breathlessly as his stare cut through me, that's when I heard a soft murmur coming from the attic.
Father Pritchard got up as if in a trance and began to walk to the stairs; I followed him being cautious of my footing as I climbed the stairs. He stopped at Nicole's door and looked at me hesitantly, I nodded, unlocked the door, and he slowly opened it.
"My word." He said as he saw Nicole sitting by the window sill playing her flute. The melody drifted between Father Pritchard and me as he stood motionless, soaking up every sound.
"So beautiful... How old is she?" he inquired, his eyes never leaving Nicole.
"She's two today." I lied as Nicole noticed our presence... Her true date of birth didn't matter at the moment. It would call for a great deal of explaining that I had no time or patience for.
She stood hesitantly and as father Pritchard began to walk towards her, she began to back away. Her eyes filling with fear.
"It's alright dear child." He said softly, trying to coax her out of the corner in which she cowered in.
"Nicole?" I said softly, "It's safe now. He won't hurt you."
At this Nicole walked towards us hesitantly and stopped a few feet away from us.
She trusts no Man... She never will...
"Father Pritchard would like to hear you play your flute." I said calmly as I saw the fear in her eyes grow like a raging fire.
"Fa... father?" she said, confused.
"No Nicole.. He's not your father... He's a preacher.. I shall explain later..." I said, sighing...
I must choose my words wisely...
"Let us go to the den." I said ushering the preacher out of the attic.
Father Pritchard walked down the stairs, I behind him, and Nicole right beside me... Her red eyes gleamed with apprehension as she clung to my dress.
"It is fine." I whispered to Nicole hoping to calm her a bit with no success, "He just wants hear you play your flute."
"Ok Mum." She said, her voice quivering and her flute clutched tightly in her pale hands.
As we entered the den, Father Pritchard sat back on the couch and began to ask me a ton of questions.
"When did she learn to play this?" was the first and the only I could answer before being amerced in a sea of words.
"Today." I replied. As I said this, his face grew pale and his eyes filled with wonder as Nicole began to play her flute ever so softly.
"So young... and so talented... Madame Demira, you have a very gifted child... Did you say she was two? My word."
"She knows so much as well... Her vocabulary is of double most children's..." I said, as the preacher became entranced by Nicole's sad and longing song.
"Madame Demira, if I may have the honor, when she is of school age to teach her?" he asked hesitantly.
Shocked by his question, I nodded my head slowly sending sparks racing through his eyes.
"Excellent. I shall come over once a week until then to check on her progress. If I may?" he inquired.
I nodded again as he slowly walked over to Nicole and spoke softly to her. That's when she laughed, not one of her true joyful laughs but a giggle none the less; he patted her head and wished her a happy birthday. He left the house in a cheerful manner, shutting the door softly as he left. Nicole raced over to me and jumped into my lap as soon as he was gone, attacking with a billion questions.
"He said that he was going to let me play on a real piano MUM! I can't wait." She cried, her eyes shining in the firelight.
"Very good," I said smiling as she hugged my neck tightly, "Now go get dressed he will be coming over for your birthday party tonight."
"Party?" she said, her happiness draining, "There will be other people there won't there MUM?"
"Not many, close friends... Don't worry." I said, trying to coax out her happiness once more but failing.
She dashed up to her room, her flute in hand, slammed the door behind her and began to play once again.
Tonight was going to be a realization factor for us all...
