Requiem for a Violin

Story Submitted by Andrew:

Mona had listed on her profile that she played the violin.  I like the violin, and in a message to her, I asked her if I could hear her play it sometime.  She said that she hadn't picked it up in a while and that she'd have to unpack it, but that she'd be glad to.

On the date, I took her out to dinner, and she said that she had a surprise for me.

After dinner, she took me to her house, she said, "to hear me play the violin."

I was flattered that she'd do such a thing for me, and I looked forward to it.

"But we have to unpack it, first.  It's in the attic."

She led me upstairs and turned on the attic light.  When I say that it was a megalopolis of boxes, I'm not kidding around.  Aside from a small patch right where we stood of breathable space, the room, which was sizable enough on its own, was packed, packed with boxes, bags, and furniture.

I turned to her.  "We don't have to do this right now."

She said, "Then when else?  You want to hear it, and there are two of us.  I think I know where it is.  We just need to clear a path."

It was about an hour into the process and the twelfth time she opened up a box and said, "Oh my God!  My old toys!" when I said, "I'm really okay not hearing the violin this time around.  Seriously.  It's very sweet of you to want to–"

She wheeled on me and said, "I know exactly where it is.  Fine!  I'll get it right now!"

She climbed, in her dress, over a far pile of boxes.  Her dress snagged on a box corner, she leaned down to free it, lost her balance, and fell clumsily onto the wooden floor.

She cried out.  I helped her up and brought her downstairs to her bedroom.  Her father, who had been home, came by to make sure that everything was okay.  Aside from bruising her arm, Mona was all right.

He asked us what we were doing in the attic.  Mona said that we were looking for her violin.

Her father laughed and said, "We gave it to your Cousin Stephanie, remember?"