The girls were purely mad I was sure of that. The uproar they were generating was unbelievable. All I could make out was laughter and a definite tussle.

After a few minutes which seemed like forever I was sure they had forgotten all about me, and although I was blind to their spectacle I felt like a pervert just standing there.

Slowly retracing my steps back to the bench, my hands fervently hunted for something. I wasn’t sure what until I found it.

My hand clutched the pyramid box as I pulled it close. Gently placing it on the top edge of my piano, I flicked the little pendulum. A steady beat ensued. That perfect rhythm.

I closed my eyes and envisioned that it was her heartbeat. That woman with the soft accent. That woman who hums every night. What would it be like to hold her in my arms? To feel her touch?

But that would never happen. As I let the pendulum tick, I glided my fingers over the ivory keys. Starting with just one note, then the next chord. Soft and minor. I played the sorrow of my heart.