Cindy at Music Camp By Teek © 2019 Chapter 15 The Gifts

Mr. Elks house was full of adults. Upon seeing them all, Cindy grabbed Samantha’s hand and dragged her back to her bedroom. Jessica followed behind.

“What’s wrong Cindy,” Jessica asked when they reached the bedroom?

“Can’t do this,” Cindy said in panic. “I . . . I’m sorry for taking sissy’s dress. I know I wasn’t supposed to have it on outside of my bedroom.”

“Samantha, go get Mrs. Elks,” Jessica directed. “Quick! She’s having another panic attack.”

As soon as Samantha was out the door, “Listen Cindy. Everything is okay. It is just you and me in your bedroom at Mr. Elks’ house. No one is going to make you do anything you don’t want to do. It is okay that you are wearing a dress. I may not like them, but you do. You have worn girl clothes all week. You have four friends here that will make sure you never have to do anything you don’t want to. We are here for you; however, you need us.”

Cindy hugged the Molly doll tight. Her eyes suddenly went wide and she went running off to the bathroom.

After going potty, Cindy just sat there. Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door.

“Cindy? Are you okay in there?” Barbara said through the closed door. “Can I come in?”

“Yeah, but only you.”

After telling Samantha, George, and Jessica to go out with the others, Barbara cautiously entered the bathroom. Cindy quickly noticed that Barbara had a Goodnite in her hand.

“Why is this happening to me,” Cindy asked?

“Your body has trouble when it is under stress. It apparently lets your pee out without your permission. That isn’t nice of your body is it.”

“No, it sure isn’t,” Cindy responded.

“Some people have that problem. Most kids outgrow it eventually, but until then you can wear a Goodnite if you want to have a little bit of extra protection in case of an ‘accident’,” Barbara was down at eye level with Cindy. “Did you make it this time?”

Cindy put her head down and quietly said, “No.”

“It is okay honey,” Barbara said. “Let’s get you cleaned up and then we can talk about what got your body so stressed that it couldn’t hold its pee anymore.”

Changed and in the bedroom wearing a Goodnite under a pretty dress, Cindy tried to explain that she felt panic when she saw all the adults in such a small space. She described some of the flash backs that hit her, from being at her friends Birthday party when Mom found her in the party dress, to the time in Wal-Mart dressed like that with the bowl haircut and Mom loudly telling everyone she was a boy and needed boy underwear for camp. Cindy said that no one in the Elk’s house had ever done anything bad to her, so she couldn’t understand the panic. Seeing all the people in the house, Cindy couldn’t get out of her head being surrounded by all the kids when Ariel tried to beat her up.

“I just got really really scared Mrs. Elks,” Cindy explained. “When I saw all those big people, I felt all the same feelings I did during the events flashing through my head. It doesn’t make any sense. Some of those things happened more than two weeks ago.”

“You poor dear,” Barbara rubbed Cindy’s back. “None of us realized how much you were impacted by the events over the last three weeks.”

Raising her voice a little, Barbara called out, “George, Samantha, and Jessica, come in here please.”

“Were not in the hallway, we are out in the living room with everyone else,” Samantha tried to claim.

“Don’t be silly Samantha,” Jessica reprimanded. “She already knows we are out here, and you saying that proved it.”

The three of them sheepishly walked into the room.

“Now, could one of you please help out by going and getting my husband?”

Since Samantha and George were heading straight for Cindy, Jessica turned and left the room.

“Cindy,” Samantha cautiously started. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” Cindy said bringing Samantha into a hug. “I’m fine.”

“Mrs. Elks,” Samantha asked. “What did Cindy do now? Why is she in trouble with all those grown-ups?”

“What do you mean,” Mrs. Elks asked in confusion.

Samantha and George explained how Mr. Elks was acting when he showed up to bring the group to the house.

When Mr. Elks entered the room, the look on Barbara’s face told him that he was in trouble, “Okay, what did I do now?”

“What you said to Cindy was completely unfair. It is not her fault your life has been turned upside down. You should ask for more kids with her talent turning your life upside down. You triggered her PTSD, and you probably had no clue that you did it.”

“I am sorry Cindy,” Mr. Elks said getting down in front of her.

“The last three weeks have put Cindy into a bit more of a traumatic stress state than we figured. She is going to need a counselor and based upon how she responded to a room full of people, I worry about tomorrow,” Barbara went into Mr. Elks. “Now, you are going to tell Cindy the news. Get all the adults in the other room to sit down. We will come in and the adults will tell Cindy their news. Then all the extra adults will leave. We will have our regular top five dinner, and then the top five will decide what happens next. Do you understand Hunter?”

“Yes Barbara,” Mr. Elks said. Turning back to Cindy, “Cindy, I have been convinced by all the adults out there to reveal the winner of the Best Performer competition tonight. You are that winner Cindy.”

Jessica and Samantha started screaming and jumping up and down congratulating Cindy.

“One of the prizes for winning the competition is a gift. The adults out there all decided your gift should be something way more expensive than the camp can afford, so they got it for you. They would really like to give it to you tonight, instead of you getting it tomorrow at the end of the concert. Since they got your gift, the money the camp sets aside for the Best Performer gift was available. Barbara came up with a good way to spend the money, but it requires Samantha to agree to the idea.”

“Me?”

“Yes, Samantha,” Barbara interjected. “You and Jessica have been Cindy’s best friend through all of the issues over the last two weeks. You made a huge sacrifice a week ago that gave Cindy the strength to make it through the last week.”

“What did I do?”

Cindy smiled and hugged the Molly doll really tight.

“You let Cindy borrow your dolly all week,” Barbara said with a huge smile. “Without Molly by her side throughout this week, I am not sure Cindy would have been able to stay all week.”

“Molly is great like that,” Samantha said with pride. “She got to come to camp with me, to help me be away from Mommy for so long.”

“And when you saw that Cindy needed more help than you, Molly got lent to Cindy,” Barbara said with a smile. “That is such an amazing thing for a little girl to do. Molly has been with Cindy for every moment since you lent her to Cindy. We were going to have Cindy’s gift be a Molly doll of her own, but then we discovered they retired the doll. We thought about getting her a different American Girl doll, but we knew how attached Cindy had gotten to the Molly doll. This is where you come in Samantha. If you got a brand-new American Girl doll, could Cindy have your Molly doll? We talked to your mom and she said it was up to you.”

“Okay,” Samantha said with some hesitation.

“No,” Cindy interjected. “Molly is Samantha’s dolly. I can’t take it.”

“No, I want you to have her Cindy,” Samantha said with some hesitation. “I would still have an American Girl doll, just a new one. This way you would always have something to remember me by, and I would always remember you with my new American Girl Doll because I get her because of you.”

“Mr. Elks can I make a phone call really quick,” Jessica interrupted. “I think I have something to sweeten the deal, but I need my mom’s permission first.”

“I don’t see why not,” Mr. Elks said standing up. “If you know your phone number, we can call from my daughter’s room. It should be quiet in there.”

Well Jessica was off making the call home, Cindy got out the Unicorn picture and gave it to Samantha. Then Samantha started to explain to Molly what was about to happen and why. When Mr. Elks and Jessica came back, Samantha was controlling Molly and Cindy was controlling her panda bear while they had a conversation with each other about what their new life together was going to be like.

“Okay, Mom agreed and said she would bring them tomorrow,” Jessica declared.

“Agreed to what?” asked Samantha.

“Bring what?” asked Cindy.

“I have three American Girl dolls. Mom is going to bring all three and their books. One will go home with each of us.”

“Really,” Samantha questioned?

“This way, each of you will be going home with two American Girl Dolls and one of them will always remind you of your time with me.”

Samantha and Cindy both jumped up and gave Jessica at big hug.

“Well, I think we have the American girl doll settled. Now, let's address all the adults in the other room,” Mr. Elks said. “Jessica, George, and I will go out and settle the adults down. They will all be sitting down when you come out Cindy. When we are ready, I will have Jessica come back and get the rest of you.”

Five minutes later Jessica was back, “Okay, they're already for us. Let's go.”

Holding hands, the three girls walked out into the living room. Jessica brought the two younger girls over to the empty love seat which George Anne Marcus were standing behind. Sitting there, Cindy looked out at the group of adults all sitting at various places in the room.

Mr. Davies was the first to talk, “Cindy, your music has impressed all of the adults in this room. Three of the people here tonight are conductors and would like you to perform during one of their concerts. But Cindy, you are not the only impressive player we had the honor of listening to. The judges of the best performer competition told us about the five very talented musicians they had chosen to be in the top five positions. When I heard that tomorrow all five of you were performing an original composition written by Jessica and then edited by the group, I wanted to hear it. Mr. Elks was gracious enough to let me hear the recording that you had made at the beginning of the week. Since some of us are not scheduled to be here tomorrow, and the only recording we have heard of this performance is a week old, we are asking if the five of you would be willing to put on a performance for us this afternoon?”

George, Marcus, Jessica, Samantha and Cindy all Looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders.

“Okay,” Jessica spoke for the group.

The kids got their instruments out and gathered around the piano in the room. They played the piece for the collected audience. At the end, there was a standing ovation.

The adults looked at each other and appeared to be communicating without saying a word.

“Mrs. Dulles,” Mr. Frost broke the silence. “I need you to start negotiations with all of these children’s parents. We are not sure where and when, but we want to put them in a concert.”

With the kids all still in shock and looking at each other, Mr. Stoltzman got their attention, “We have all listened to your individual performances and even one of your Rock’n Roll performances Marcus. Individually, you are all quite impressive and together you rival any orchestra. Some of us got the privilege of hearing Cindy play on a professional flute and the difference such an instrument makes when in the right hands is absolutely amazing. Cindy, we wanted you to have a professional flute. With your talent, you shouldn’t be playing on a student flute. Miss Cramer, Mr. Davies, Mr. Frost, Mr. Frances, and I have all chipped in to buy you this silver flute. It is probably a bit fancier than what Santa would bring you. It is a $10,000 flute, so take good care of it.”

Candie Cramer gave Cindy a flute case.

“The rest of you could also benefit from instrument upgrades before you start performing on the professional stage,” Mr. Dine said. “We couldn’t afford you all getting $10,000 instruments, so we have come up with some creative ways to give you upgrades. Jessica, we have arranged for you to get a used professional grade electric keyboard with all 88 keys and the feel of a real piano. George Winston was upgrading his and will give you his old one.”

Jessica’s jaw dropped, “The George Winston?”

“The one and only,” Mr. Elks said. “He was very impressed by the performance you put on for the Judges and that you won the original composition contest this year.”

“Marcus,” said a man that the kids only knew as one of the judges. “You presented us with the biggest challenge. We couldn’t figure out which instrument to upgrade. In past years you were an Electric Guitar player but this year you are competing on the piano. We finally gave up. Although we figured you would prefer a new electric guitar, they are so personal we couldn’t just go out and buy you one. So, as the Rock’n Roll music journalist for the New York Times, I proposed giving you a gift card to a music store that sells both high-end electric guitars and electric keyboards. Tomorrow after the concert, your Mom and I are taking you to buy a new guitar or keyboard with a $2,000 gift card. Strangely, when I talked to your Mom, she said she would chip in another $2,000 if you really are going to perform a classical style piece on the piano at the concert.”

Marcus laughed, “She would say something like that. I told you Mr. Elks, she would do almost anything to hear me play classical music on a piano again.”

“George,” Jess Gillam continued. “I got my first real professional instrument when I was your age. After making a few phone calls, we found out that the lead French Horn player on the New York Philharmonic was buying a new French Horn. He is willing to give you his old one. New it cost over $15,000. It should be here by noon tomorrow. That should give you some time to practice on it before the concert.”

“Wow,” George responded. “I am honored. To just have someone I have never met give me such an expensive French Horn.”

“George,” Jess said. “Helping the next generation of talent can be quite rewarding. You are good, very good. We all at some point upgrade our instruments. The question is what we do with our old one. You provided a French Horn player the chance to pass on a cherished instrument to someone with real talent and the potential to take that same instrument farther than they had.”

“Samantha,” Mrs. Dulles said. “It was my job to find you an instrument, since I am the only one of the group that has ever played the violin. You currently have a 1/4 sized violin and I was trying to find you a 1/2 sized violin that will work for you as you grow over the next few years. Finding a violin in your size was easy, finding one that was not for beginners was harder. I think I found one you will like. Your Mom said your favorite color was purple, so I made sure your new violin had a purple case.”

Mrs. Dulles handed Samantha a purple violin case. When Samantha opened the violin case, the first things she noticed sitting on top of a PURPLE violin, were three packages stickers: Vampirina, Sofia the First, and My Little Pony stickers.

“Oh, Thank You, Thank You, Thank You,” Samantha hollered out as she jumped up and down. “A purple violin, and you even got me new stickers to put on it.”

“Of course, sweetie,” Mrs. Dulles said. “I have a daughter myself, and she taught me the accessories are often more important than the thing being accessorized. We couldn’t upgrade your violin without giving you stickers to put on it. I hear you have been watching Sofia the First and Vampirina this summer and I saw that your old violin also had My Little Pony stickers on it. I hope those three will meet your needs for accessorizing.”

“Cindy,” Mr. Davies said. “I am going to stay around to hear you tomorrow at your concert. I want you to play your new flute, but please keep the plugs on the keys you still struggle to reach due to your age. Take the plugs out of the keys you have no trouble reaching. After the concert, practice without the plugs if you want, but for tomorrow, let the audience hear you at your best. If you want, later I can help you decide which plugs to leave in and which to take out.”

“I did struggle a little with yours today, it is only on two or three of the keys that I would still need the plugs tomorrow. Okay,” Cindy reluctantly gave in. “But then they come off and are not going back on.”

“You are one determined little girl, but that is one of the reasons you are so good at playing the flute. You know how it should be and work to make it that way,” Mr. Davies smiled at Cindy.

“Okay,” Mrs. Elks announced to the room. “All of this is a little overwhelming for Cindy and the others. Thank You all for coming over, but it is now time to go unless you are one of the judges.”

As the adults said their goodbyes, Cindy, Samantha, and Jessica went to Cindy’s room. Cindy was on one side of the bed, and Samantha on the other. They were both examining the contents of their instrument case. Samantha stood at the end of the bed watching the two of them. She wanted one of them to just start playing, but neither one was even close to playing a note. Every little detail was examined. Jessica figured she was finally about to hear some music when Samantha got out the bow and was playing an imaginary violin with it. But alas, this was only to try out the bow. When Cindy finally got the flute all put together, Jessica was sure she would hear some music, or at least a note or two. It was not going to happen though, for Cindy’s attention switched to the key plugs. Samantha finally got the violin up to her chin, with the bow in her other hand, but before a note could be played, she put the violin down and started putting on stickers. They had to be placed just right, so they could be seen while playing.

“Will one of you play something already?” Jessica blurted out.

Cindy and Samantha looked at Jessica in confusion.

“Fine, fine, fine,” Jessica stated. “They are new instruments and you want to take in the experience, but their instruments. How do they sound?”

Samantha picks up the violin and bow and looks at Jessica. Then she starts to play.

“Are you serious?” Jessica asks. “First time playing and the song you chose was Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star? You’re such a little kid at time Samantha.”

“Thanks,” Samantha smiled. “Much better than being a grouchy old lady.”

Cindy laughed.

“I am not!”

Cindy saw where this was going and picked up her flute. Before the next comment could be made, she sat down on the floor, crossing her legs under her and started to play. The action had the desired effect, both Samantha and Jessica stopped and looked at Cindy.

“Wow Cindy,” Jessica said when the music stopped. “Flight of the Bumblebee. You know that makes an amazing Flute and Piano duet. We should do it sometime.” Link to YouTube: Flight of the Bumblebee

“I would like to hear that,” Mr. Frances said as he stood in the doorway. “I was wondering what the first song would be for each of you. Twinkle, Twinkle is more like what I would have done. To start with Flight of the Bumblebee, now that is ambitious.”

“Thank you, Mr. Frances,” Cindy said. “My biggest challenge with that one is maintaining enough air flow to get me all the way to the end without stopping for a breath.”

“I understand,” Mr. Frances stated. “Most kids your age will take deep breaths in several times throughout the song. I didn’t hear one from you.”

“My music teacher at school gave it to me as a breathing exercise once, to teach me not to stop the music just to breathe. I have been practicing it ever since. It is easier doing it as a duet with the piano, for then I have some parts and the piano has some parts where the other doesn’t play. Perfect breathing points. If it wasn’t for those two fighting. . .”

“We weren’t fighting,” Jessica and Samantha said in unison. Then looking at each other, “Jinx!”

The room erupted into a fit of giggles.

Cindy pulled out her tablet and started tapping away. She then handed it over to Samantha. Perching her lips together with a few nods of her head, she looked at Cindy and smiled, “Let’s do it. Jessica wants to hear us really try out our new instruments.”

Mr. Frances looked at the two of them and knew by the looks on their faces that this would be good.

After some tapping on her own tablet, the two of them prepped for playing. Then with a nod to each other, they started. Link to YouTube: Mozart's Duet for Flute and Violin

When they finished playing Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Duet for flute and violin, the remaining people from the other room had made their way to the bedroom and were now clapping at the performance.

“First time for either of you on that song, wasn’t it,” asked Mr. Frances? “Not one mistake either. So impressive.”

“Oooo . . . Oooo . . . Oooo,” Samantha said as she started tapping on her tablet to find the sheet music. “Let’s do this one next.”

She showed Cindy and they smiled at each other.

“This song expresses how we feel at the moment,” Samantha said as she got her violin in position and waited for Cindy to get the music on her tablet. With a nod to Cindy they started.

From Aladdin, they played, A Whole New World. Link for YouTube: A Whole New World

“Hunter,” Mr. Frances stated. “They are doing this with brand new instruments and with songs they have probably never played before. And they are playing the songs like they have been practicing for months.”

“Child prodigies are quite amazing, aren’t they?”

“Beyond amazing, and you have had two so young with you for two weeks.”

“There was a reason you put those two in the one and two positions in the Best Performer Competition. Just amazing.”

“We got first and second place. Little’s got first and second place,” Samantha shouted with glee as she bounced up and down.

The group was moved out into the living room and the five kids played various songs together. Some they did all as a group, while others were done in small groups or as solo performances.

At dinner Samantha found a booster seat at the table to help her be up tall like everyone else, and at Cindy’s seat she found that she was sitting on two thick books called ‘phone books’. She had never seen anything like them before. They were just full of people’s telephone numbers. It was a strange thing, but she didn’t complain. She liked the added height, so she didn’t have to sit on her knees to eat.