Music of the NightPain coursed through Ruth's gnarled, knotted hands. Hands twisted by arthritis. Hands that once made audiences cry as they hovered over the Steinway keyboard. Hands that the New York Times once called the hands of an angel. Now she was the one crying. She thought about her wasted life. Her magnificent silk robes replaced by raw clothing. She now wore appropriate clothing to clean the concert hall where she once performed. His dreams were shattered on the rocks of reality. She brought this work close to the stage that had brought her so much joy. Tears clouded his eyes, obscuring his vision. Never again would she hear the thunder of applause or experience the ovation of thousands of people. Those days were gone. When she took the stage, the audience held their breath. Even in the largest concert hall, you could hear the slightest sound. If someone among those sitting around coughed, that individual would turn with a frown in their direction. You could almost hear an audible sigh from the first note. The audience was hypnotized for hours by the reverberation emitted by the great one. Groaning, she painfully picked up the cloth and polished brass handles of the main doors. Through those doors thousands of excited people rushed to hear him. It seemed like a lifetime ago. “Yo, Rosie.” Ralph called. " What are you doing ? You're about to be done with these doors hours in advance. » “Sorry Ralph, a kid got knocked over in the third row. It took a while to clean it up.” » Ruth said in response to the name she had adopted for her new life. Well, you better hurry up. Mr. Wheeler will be here any minute to check out the scene. He wants everything to be perfect for the Christmas concert on Sunday. » "I'll be done." » Ruth assured him. 15 minutes later...... middle of paper ...... tears of joy fell on the knees of the soiled dress. Then the theater burst into thunderous applause. Confused, Ruth looked at a standing room only crowd. The sound man had accidentally left the outside speaker on. Alerted by the police, Mr. Wheeler was the first to arrive. Passersby on their way to work were attracted by the music. The hope, joy, and tranquility that flowed from Ruth’s finger seemed to tug at their hearts, giving them hope. They entered the theater for this unexpected concert. Once the seats were filled, they stood in the aisles. Ruth's music is different today. Oh, she can still mesmerize the audience, but her performances are pleasingly excellent. She plays with obvious passion. As for all those who feel the touch of the Master's hand. In the night, his song will be with me. Psalms 42:8Merry Christmas © 2013Darrell Case