PHOTO PROMPT © Anshu Bhojnagarwala
Every night for over a week, Anika woke in the small hours to the tinkling tunes from the old clavier. One night, too curious to be fearful, Anika crept from her curtained bed and tiptoed to the porch where the instrument sat.
Shocked, she saw the shadow of a lovely young girl playing the old relic, but it wasn’t old any more. Every key intact, it was lovely and whole.
When Anika told her Amma and Appa, they said, “Anika, you have been chosen. You have the gift. We will purchase a piano for you.”
Just Writing! 
Was it herself she saw, perhaps?
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Maybe. . . . .
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She foresaw her own future it seems. A lovely tale.
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Thanks 🙂
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Mysterious and intriguing. I thought that her Amma and Appa wouldn’t believe her, and would attribute her vision to an overactive imagination. To me, her gift seems to be her psychic ability, as her musical talent hasn’t yet manifested.
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Well, I like that 🙂 Hadn’t thought of it that way .
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Like the others, I’m curious if it is a ghost from the past or a vision of the future.
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I was actually thinking ghost from the past, a young girl passing on the gift to another girl.
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OK. I thought “ghost” at first, but wasn’t sure with the ending, and then the other comments.
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Well, as I said to someone else, you can have it any way you want. It’s not what you look at; it’s what you see 🙂
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What a beautiful story! Almost magical! Excellent write!
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Thank you, Violet 🙂
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Whatever the vision, what a lovely, mysterious tale from the prompt. Loved it.
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Thanks, Iain 🙂
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I wasn’t expecting that ending, and like the possibility suggested by the other commenters that it might be a vision of her future!
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Well, I think you can let it be whatever you want, right? It’s not what you look at, it’s what you see 🙂
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It’s like a fairy godmother story
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Yes! I like that 🙂
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I’m imagining her in years to come playing in front of a huge audience while the shadowy girl watches from the wings, smiles and fades away, her job done 🙂
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Oh, that’s a wonderful postscript! Thank you 🙂
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Dear Linda,
Mystical tale with a sweet ending. Interesting that her parents recognized the gift just by her story. Nicely done.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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I was imagining that if a child saw the girl playing, that was the sign. I’ve sure had a lot of good feedback on this one. More fun to read that than to write it in the first place 🙂
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i’d like to think it wasn’t a ghost. what she saw was her future.
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What a lovely story. And I loved how you made the characters Indian, I’m guessing because the photo was by Anshu?
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Yes, it just seemed the right thing to do 🙂
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A magical tale – lovely.
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Lovely! My first thought was a dream perhaps. But after reading the comments, maybe a ghost makes more sense? But either way, she has a gift!
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Any story like this is open to interpretation, I think. Thanks for your comment 🙂
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Parents often throw a challenge to kids to see if kids are really interested or going through a passing fad. Anika’s parents thought she was really playing well the old piano. But who was playing it actually? Was it Anika’s guiding angel?
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I think that is up to the reader 🙂
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As the others have said, truly magical! Lovely take, Linda.
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To be able to play music is a real gift, just like writing fiction,
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It’s also an awful lot of hard work, Michael! Just like writing fiction!
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But oh, the rewards are wonderful!
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You’re absolutely right, Linda, and they’re lifelong!
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Maybe she saw herself playing.. That’s a good story
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Thank you so much. It was a good prompt 🙂
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Loved this story. Perhaps the “ghost” was her muse?
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Perhaps. Whatever you wish, really 🙂
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So that’s how the gift of music is revealed! I wonder if I’ll ever see a ghost playing the guitar at our home, too. Haha!
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If that’s your desire, then I hope you do!
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Thank you!
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What a lovely take on the prompt, Linda! It has overtones of Georg Handel’s childhood experience, when, in defiance of his father, he had a small clavichord smuggled up to the attic and practised on it until his persistence convinced his parents.
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I did not know that. Thank you!
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Lovely. I hope she kept up with her lessons.
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I’m sure she did. I believe it was her passion 🙂
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It sounded to me like a future or fantasy world where gifts are revealed through visions. I wondered if perhaps the gift might mean more than just a talent at playing, something more all-encompassing, like leadership or bravery or magic. 😊
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And what I love about FF is that it can be anything you want it to be 🙂
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Oh so magical. Love the vision pointing her to her path.
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Thanks for your kind comment 🙂
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You told your story so well. It was a real joy to read.
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Thank you so much 🙂
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You are very welcome.
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Beautiful perspective. Great job!
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Thanks for your kind comment 🙂
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What a lovely story, beautifully told
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Thank you 🙂
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My pleasure 🙂
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That’s so beautiful and magical. If the parents recognize the meaning, I picture it as a family legend, of one of the place that’s been told for generations. Dream or ghost, both works.
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Yes, they both do work. Thanks for reading and commenting.
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Just waiting for the right person to come along. I loved the take on this prompt.
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Thanks, Shirley.
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Mysterious. A lovely, wistful tale.
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Thanks 🙂
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So beautifully told, Linda! I guess it’s open to how the reader likes to interpret—both Ghost and dream work equally well! Loved how you used Indian names for the characters!
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Thank you, Esha. It seemed appropriate.
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What wise parents… she will be great one day… One of our neighbors have a daughter playing the harp, and some summer days we can hear her playing… I can imagine such a music inspiring someone.
This is our neighbor
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Bjorn, thank you so much. Sadly, I was unable to view it because it hasn’t been made available here in the USA. i would love to have heard it 🙂
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I love this tale. It has an air of mystic and magic about it. Well done, Linda.
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Thanks, Russell 🙂
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Very interesting! It seems she may have two gifts… one for piano and another for ghosts!
Great story!
-Rachel
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That’s a good thought, Rachel. Thanks 🙂
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Now, I’m interested in knowing more about Anika’s grandparents and their culture. Most people would tell her it was a dream and leave it at that.
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Must be something that is passed from generation to generation?
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I love that her family went along with it. Whether they believed she had a gift or not, they seemed to understand that she had a desire to play piano.
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I have vivid dreams every night, fortunately or unfortunately they rarely come true.But I am old. I’m happy this young person has her dreams and they come true!
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Never give up hope on having dreams come true, Dawn. I think one of the reasons we write is to fulfill a dream.
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I love the mysteriousness of this story.
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