Use what talent you possess: the woods would be very silent if no birds sang except those that sang best.
–Henry Van Dyke
The first time Barbara played cello for me, I couldn’t see anything. Neither could she, as with every day, but in my case it was the uncontainable cascade of tears swelling out of my eyes which blurred everything. Rather than blink them away, I closed my eyes & listened. I kept forgetting to breathe, sitting in front of this ancient oak sighing under the bow. I was in love.
Up until that day, I had always admired Cello from afar. And now here I was, meeting her in person. In complete awe, head over heals ensnared by the four strings resonating with my core. With me sitting only an arm’s length in front of her, Barbara was unaware of the spell she was casting on me.
“S*** s*** f*** s***, I can’t see anything”.
The daughter of a famous Dutch cellist, Barbara had mainly relied on her eyes for playing, making her second-nature handicapped when she lost her vision. The music sounded just as sweet to me.
She handed me the instrument. I was as nervous as if I were holding a newborn. Indeed, a new light was being brought into my world. So I held the bow as if holding onto reality, & as I learned the scales, Do Sol Ré La became my new friends. I wanted to spend all my time with them, to become the 5th string: RAH.
From then on, Barbara would wake up to the sounds of Cello & me. She’d make her way downstairs just as enthralled as us.
