The Writer’s Studio, Level I – Assignment #7 April 21, 2008
Preamble: 3rd person narrator, revealing how the character feels. Tone is direct, mood is uneasy. A time in childhood when the world felt different, changed. An event that didn’t directly happen to the character. Focus on what the character felt and did around the event.
Green
Years and ages can be hard to remember for a youngster. He was probably in 6th grade. Perhaps 7th. The first lifetime. There was no routine to settle into. Things had always been as they were. With the unexpected always around the corner. Priscilla was a good 25 years older than Wayne. But sometimes they were the same age. And when they were, it was either for a great game of imagination, or, depending on the winds, she became the
younger sister. He took piano lessons. But never learned to read sheet music. So Pris would teach him the piece and he would memorize each note. She was an excellent pianist you see. He would then pretend to be reading it while performing for his teacher. It worked well. Six years well. There were several weekly rituals but this was the most tiresome. Last minute homework was a close second however. But he was good at that too. Just like Pris was in her day.
The older children were out of the house by now. That is, all but Pris, the oldest. Wayne grew up with Pris. He knew her well. At least her symptoms. When you are born thinking the sky is green you never consider otherwise. All was well in his house with his mom and dad. And Pris. Under that big beautiful green sky. Her favorite color. Almost in the blink of an eye she would be in need. And he would be right there. On her lap. Able to cheer her up. Tell her those thoughts were false. To snap her out of it. And it would work. He would work. Wonders. He always could. She gave him that power. Like the magic coffee he would make for her.
When they could no longer handle her she had to move away. A sadness filled the house. Wayne’s sadness mixing in with that of his parents. His playmate gone. The cigarette smoke cleared. A strange and unexplainable heaviness was lifted. The end of piano lessons.
lovely ^^