Another Little Mozart

One late afternoon in mid December Martha, the mother of Jack, who was in her early eighties, told an amazing story about her son Jack while having coffee in the parlor with her neighbors; it was a weekly gathering to discuss the holidays, or just gossiping about people they met at the Food Emporium supermarket, or at Petco. She gently sat in her Queen Anne chair, and leg-crossed, she started to speak. Her gaze went back to Jack's adolescent days when her home echoed with his exciting screams when he played with Snoopy knocking down every toy in his way. She didn't mind, as long as Jack was having fun. Martha opened her diary and stared everyone in the eyes demanding attention, then her story began to unfold while outside the first snowflakes fell on the pine-covered street rekindling the Christmas spirit.

Jack was such a smart cookie, perhaps a-would-be-genius. He thought himself how to play the Yamaha piano by watching her mom play. He sat next to her learning simple melodies. His favorite song was, " Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star. " On Christmas day while her mom was baking cookies for all the neighborhood kids who would stop by to play with Jack, something wonderful happened. She rushed into the living room and Jack was at the Grand piano playing a beautiful melody, she recognized it and was behind herself, " How did you learn how to play? " She asked him. " Easy, mom...I have been watching you for days and I have learned all the notes! " But you are only eight! " She exclaimed by covering her mouth with her hands as Jack giggled." Mom, aren't you going to give me a hug? " " Of course, I am so proud of you, and I can't wait to tell your dad! " She picked him up and hugged him tenderly like the cutest puppy that needed a reward for his good behavior. " Oh little Mozart, play your music until I die! " Her joy was overwhelming as if he had fulfilled a prophecy of a prodigious child.

A week later another wonderful event occurred, Jack wasn't in his room playing when his firefighter red truck and police car, he was putting notes on the staff with a black pencil. He filled out the music sheet completely. His song was entitled, " Sweet, Mom " And being a novice he chose the easiest key, which was the key of C major, but the chords were missing and he hoped that his mom would have put them above the staff to complete the song. Jack was certain it would have been a hit song. Martha realized that her son did what Mozart did when he wrote his first melody, perhaps out of whim, not being aware that he would become one of the most famous composers of his time.

When she entered Jack's room, she panicked not seeing him play, " Jack, Jack, where are you? Her trembling voice vibrated inside the quiet bedroom voice. " I'm here, mom. I have a present for you! " " Oh dear son, you got me worried...I thought you had gone out to play in the backyard with Jim next door! " " No, mommy, ...I was writing a song for your birthday! " " A song for me? " Martha exclaimed fervently. " Yes, a song for the sweetest and dearest mother in the entire world! "

She glanced at it and burst into a joyful cry, " Oh, my God...you are a composer, another little Mozart! " " Thank you, mom...I wrote it because I heard that songs make lots of money, not in Mozart's day! " He shouted with childish, unrestrained joy. " Last evening I overheard you telling dad that you needed money to buy a new car, then this bright idea came to me.

" Thank you, Jack. I accept this awesome present from your beautiful heart! " And saying so, she gave him the tenderest hug ever filling up his freckled face with her happy tears.

Copyright ( c ) 2021 by Andrew Crisci