Later that day, a telegram was sent to our house (Mom refused to have a phone). Mom muttered under her breath, then sighed heavily. She read it aloud to me: Commisioner Pliker has issued a decree that hereby forbids music performance, learning, or anything to do with music. Stop. Any defiance of this decree will result in severe punishment. Stop. My heart fell the lowest it has ever. Music was the only thing in my life that kept my hope alive. I slowly put my head in my hand, letting the words sink in. Mom put her arm on my shoulder. “We’ll figure some way to get around this.” My eyes widened. “But it’s illegal!” I felt Mom laugh a bit. “What are rules if they are not broken? Besides, rules are so flexible that they can be bent without breaking. We’ll keep on keeping on.” I smiled; she was right, of course. I began to sing softly, rejoicing. Mom joined me, and the two of us sang in perfect 2 part harmony.
Fierce banging on the door cut us short. “Open up! That’s an order!”