post script the piano comes to america

post script the piano comes to america

fiction
edward w pritchard

see the piano comes to america-parts 1-10 and up in Harford about wiley

draft 1

Wiley was in the new boutique and was so busy he was thinking about hiring an assistant. He was thinking carefully because that was a big decision in the beauty business.

After a 12 hour day Wiley was relaxing, still at the shop, by disassembling, sanding and eventually staining a dilapidated piano Dexter, his partner had bought and moved to Hartford, Connecticut from Adkins Va. The Piano was was made in 1843, and Wiley had found out yesterday that it was made in England according to the markings inside the piano.

Dexter, Wiley's partner, was returning to his old self. Dexter was adjusting to the new job at the insurance company and this afternoon him and some people at work were going to a minor league baseball game. Wiley was going to get a few minutes to himself and he wanted to get started with turning the old piano into his desk for use at the shop. Wiley had an image in his mind of just how it would be when finished and he was excited to start the mountain of work required to do before he could sit at his new desk.

Wiley had several tool cases that he had bought himself over the years for such projects. Back in Ohio, when he had set up his first boutique he often worked all night dry walling and cutting molding and staining wood and doors.

The piano was in bad shape because it had set out in the weather in Virginia. Wiley carefully removed each piece of wood trying to get to the steel skeleton that supported the old piano. The finish veneer was long gone and the outer wood was dry and brittle and shattered to the touch.

As he took off a bottom panel Wiley found an envelope in the old piano. It was old, faded and sealed.

It was addressed to my Dearest Husband but the ink was faded, smudged and barely readable. Wiley decided to open the envelope. The letter inside read:

My Dearest Bradford:
I was so proud when you received your Doctor of Divinity. I left Connecticut willing to travel through Pennsylvania and come to Ohio where I knew no-one, happy to be at your side. Traveling In Pennsylvania, I patiently endured the insults and sour judgment of the Minister's wives hurled at me just because I wanted to study philosophy, my passion.

When you lied to me however, and attempted to beguile me concerning my most important dream, I knew I can no longer be with you. I have decided to return to my grandfather, please know I will always cherish and love you...

Wiley stopped reading lit a match and carefully burned the letter and envelope. It was too personal to read further and Wiley decided that although it had happened long ago he would respect the woman and not pry into her heartache. He did however look at the signature of who had written the letter and it was a woman named Olivia.

As the letter burned Wiley returning to work wondered what had happened to Bradford and Olivia long ago and began to speculate on that as he continued his renovation of the old piano.

end
For more on Olivia see the piano comes to America part 3