been pampered for as long as she could remember; never once had she needed to worry about anything until three years ago when she had to face poverty alone in addition to school and work. She realized now how ungrateful she must have seemed in the past, never making an effort to return her doting parents’ love and not even answer their letters. It must have been very hard for them to let her go, she comprehended presently; they must have worried sick about her as much as she was worrying about Tom. “I’ll have to write them soon,” she said to herself. Hopefully, they wouldunderstand.
After the Newport trip, she began to consider leaving her husband; but she hadn’t actually done so only because she couldn’t afford to live alone. Tom’s studio was too small, and neither of them could afford the rent for a bigger apartment. Although it was unforgivably selfish, continuously cheating on Fang Chen, she didn’t feel like she had a chance, she simply didn’t have the money to beindependent.
Two days after Tom left, Yi-yun got a message when she checked his answering machine. Tom had set it up so she could have the access to his machine when he needed to contact her because he wouldn’t be able to call her at home for obvious reasons. “I arrived last night and got some practice in this morning,” he said cheerfully. “I’ll call youtomorrow.”
Too eager to wait, Yi-yun dialed his hotel room and got him on thephone.
“It’s me,” she said breathlessly when she heard his voice. “How do you feel?” She felt the moisture in her eyes risingrapidly.
“I was fine until you woke me up,” hegrumbled.
“Oh, I’m so sorry,” she said with a jolt in her heart. “I didn’t know you were already inbed.”
He sighed. “I told you before. I’m six hours ahead ofyou.”
“I’m sorry,” she said guiltily. “Should I call youtomorrow?”
“No, I won’t have time tomorrow,” he said hastily. “I have to get up really early andpractice.”
“I miss you, Tom,” she wastearful.
“I miss you too,” hemurmured.
Suddenly, he started whining like a child. “Oh, Yi-yun, I’m terrified. What if I’m not as good as the others? What if the judges judge me unfairly? It couldhappen!”
“Don’t be silly,” Yi-yun interrupted him. “You are the best pianist I’ve ever heard,” she said forcefully. “As long as you are doing your best, you’ll be fine.” She suddenly sounded like her mother who had used these exact words when Yi-yun headed for her TOFEL test, the one that would determine her fate. Of course, she ended up scoring well and subsequently got accepted at Boston University. Oh dear, how much I miss her , Yi-yun thought to herself after hanging up thephone.
The next day, she became more and more agitated as the day dragged on. “When will he call me? When will I know?” She couldn’t help thinking anxiously. Did he play well? Did he have a stage fright? What if the judges were unfair or prejudicial?
It turned out that Tom was resting in his room when she finally placed a call using public phone on the street because she was so physically and mentally exhausted from waiting. The first round went well, he told her, and he was one of thefinalists.
“That’s so great!” she gasped. “How many finalists arethere?”
“Eight,” he said. “Tomorrow, the judges will pick three winners out ofeight.”
“You have to call me immediately if you win,” Yi-yun demanded. “Call me atwork!”
It was very painful to wait when there might be some possibility he could fail. If he had, Yi-yun wouldn’t know how to respond because she had such high hope of his winning. By the end of the day, too distraught to work, she hid in the storage room and cried hysterically. “Yi-yun, a call from Prague,” someone called her from thehallway.
She jumped to her feet and ran like a madwoman.
“I won! Yi-yun, I won!” Tom Meyers screamed over thephone.
Tears poured out, and her nose was so sore
After the Newport trip, she began to consider leaving her husband; but she hadn’t actually done so only because she couldn’t afford to live alone. Tom’s studio was too small, and neither of them could afford the rent for a bigger apartment. Although it was unforgivably selfish, continuously cheating on Fang Chen, she didn’t feel like she had a chance, she simply didn’t have the money to beindependent.
Two days after Tom left, Yi-yun got a message when she checked his answering machine. Tom had set it up so she could have the access to his machine when he needed to contact her because he wouldn’t be able to call her at home for obvious reasons. “I arrived last night and got some practice in this morning,” he said cheerfully. “I’ll call youtomorrow.”
Too eager to wait, Yi-yun dialed his hotel room and got him on thephone.
“It’s me,” she said breathlessly when she heard his voice. “How do you feel?” She felt the moisture in her eyes risingrapidly.
“I was fine until you woke me up,” hegrumbled.
“Oh, I’m so sorry,” she said with a jolt in her heart. “I didn’t know you were already inbed.”
He sighed. “I told you before. I’m six hours ahead ofyou.”
“I’m sorry,” she said guiltily. “Should I call youtomorrow?”
“No, I won’t have time tomorrow,” he said hastily. “I have to get up really early andpractice.”
“I miss you, Tom,” she wastearful.
“I miss you too,” hemurmured.
Suddenly, he started whining like a child. “Oh, Yi-yun, I’m terrified. What if I’m not as good as the others? What if the judges judge me unfairly? It couldhappen!”
“Don’t be silly,” Yi-yun interrupted him. “You are the best pianist I’ve ever heard,” she said forcefully. “As long as you are doing your best, you’ll be fine.” She suddenly sounded like her mother who had used these exact words when Yi-yun headed for her TOFEL test, the one that would determine her fate. Of course, she ended up scoring well and subsequently got accepted at Boston University. Oh dear, how much I miss her , Yi-yun thought to herself after hanging up thephone.
The next day, she became more and more agitated as the day dragged on. “When will he call me? When will I know?” She couldn’t help thinking anxiously. Did he play well? Did he have a stage fright? What if the judges were unfair or prejudicial?
It turned out that Tom was resting in his room when she finally placed a call using public phone on the street because she was so physically and mentally exhausted from waiting. The first round went well, he told her, and he was one of thefinalists.
“That’s so great!” she gasped. “How many finalists arethere?”
“Eight,” he said. “Tomorrow, the judges will pick three winners out ofeight.”
“You have to call me immediately if you win,” Yi-yun demanded. “Call me atwork!”
It was very painful to wait when there might be some possibility he could fail. If he had, Yi-yun wouldn’t know how to respond because she had such high hope of his winning. By the end of the day, too distraught to work, she hid in the storage room and cried hysterically. “Yi-yun, a call from Prague,” someone called her from thehallway.
She jumped to her feet and ran like a madwoman.
“I won! Yi-yun, I won!” Tom Meyers screamed over thephone.
Tears poured out, and her nose was so sore
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