Chopin's Étude Op. 10, No. 3

[Le Quinne†]

Swinging his keyboard off his back, he sat down on the luscious grass and laid out the keyboard upon his lap. Now was a moment for sweet beauty in the middle of this most excellent of days. Today McMurphy silently celebrated his one year anniversary of his arrival in America.

The circumstance that brought him here were not one of happiness no, but how things had began to change. How did the sweetness of this new place, unfamiliar to him as the touch of a woman on his blessed Christ, warm him and slowly erode those terrible memories of his homeland.

But still, beyond the memories that still racked upon his soul that had so nearly been drawn into terrible conflicts against the words of the Lord, he terribly missed the rainy plains of England, when morning mist and low cloud embraced the very air around him, chilled him; captured him in their grasp.

McMurphy shuffled out of his bag a set of music sheets, though he knew this piece off by heart for he'd been practising for weeks on his new piano. He closed his eyes, stilled himself, and inhailed.

Breath deep Patrick, breath deep. In the Father's name we dedicate this to, in his remembrance we cast sweet beauty unto this world. Too long have we dwelt in the past, and only now do we rise above it, like the phoenix from the ashes. Dear Lord, hold him in your light, and to you too I deliver this song, so that it may please you to shine light on me again. Amen.

With his prayer completed, he brought his hands upon the keys, and began to conjure in all manners of heavenly grace the most beautiful sound he knew....

[Le Quinne†]

((Sorry for the double post, but the second part was needed to conclude this very short introduction sequence))

As the music floated across the local area of the campus, a few heads turned but no one approached him, questioned him or harassed him. For this he was most thankful, not least because if anyone was to ask him why he played such a sad tune he would have no response, he forgot in his planning of this sombre celebration to create a believable cover. Still, as he began to conclude the sweet melody he wished more people could possibly comprehend the significance of this otherwise small, yet spontaneously odd, event.

When the music finally finished, he quickly gathered up his gear, wiped a single tear before anyone could notice and made ready to enjoy the rest of his day.

((Exit Patrick))