The Gift I Never Thought

“That was a wonderful performance! I have not seen such an impressive show. It was certainly worth the money that your mother and I paid,” my Aunt Yim said.

I beamed, delighted. “Thank you, aunt. But of course, we made quite a lot of mistakes here and there. That was the best that we could do, nevertheless.”

“Well, what do you expect from a technological university that does not even have a musical faculty to begin with?”

—

“Did you know that it has always been my dream to perform in an orchestra?” my uncle asked. “Unfortunately, it has always been a dream that never came true.”

“It has always been my dream, too,” said I. “I have been very fortunate to have achieved such a feat.”

“Yes, I could see that. There were times when I wondered if you were a little too obsessed with music. But judging from the way you manage your studies in university, I came to realise that one is never too obsessed with music. I am so glad you proved me wrong.”

I kept quiet.

“By the way,” he continued. “What was it that made you got interested in music, particularly the piano?”

I cleared my throat. “Well,” said I. “I was actually inspired by you.”

My uncle raised his eyebrows and looked straight at me in the eye. “Me? What do you mean?”

“Don’t you remember that many years ago when you were still in Ipoh, and living together with grandmother, there was a piano at home where you would occasionally play? I saw you playing it once, and I was captivated by it. I was even more marvelled when both you and your wife actually played a duet, too.”

“Really? It’s amazing how a trivial playing can spark off something great, resulting in your success today.”

“Yes, but Aunt Yim has been instrumental in bringing my interest this far,” I replied.

“How so?”

“Well, my parents did not really intend to buy me a piano in the first place when I started learning music. Aunt Yim, thinking that I would really need a piano to play, actually bought me one without my father knowing. He was shocked and speechless when the piano dealer telephoned to tell him that a piano is about to be shifted to my house!”

“Ah, yes!” my uncle interjected. “That was also the same time when Aunt Yoke got your family a television, right?”

I chuckled. “Yes, and it is still serving us well.”

“Aunt Yim must be proud of your achievements in the musical field then. I don’t think she really expected you to be somebody great in music. In fact, you are the only one in the Yau family who have achieved high levels in music. Your other cousins did not even do their Grade 8.”

I was thinking of the old Kawai piano then. It was just an ordinary-looking, black coloured piano which served me well from my first to the eighth grade. It never crossed my mind that I would one day actually pursue my Diploma studies in piano. But I did, and I required a different piano. Therefore, I traded in the old piano, and got myself an upright grand piano. It was a good upgrade for me, and Aunt Yim was pleased to see that her investment had been re-invested in something even bigger.

—

“Guo Zheng, if there is a recording of this, don’t forget to get your father to watch it, too,” said Aunt Yim, beaming with pride.

“Oh, I definitely will, aunt,” I replied.

“I want one of the recordings, too, if you could get me one. I want to bring it back to the Netherlands and show to the rest of the family this wonderful performance,” she said.

“Yes, let this be a good souvenir for your aunt,” my mother interjected.

“I can rest assure you that a recording is imminent. It’s just a matter of time now,” I said.

—

“Your story reminds me of the day when your Aunt Yim bought me my first tennis racquet and my sports gear,” my uncle said. “That was quite a few years after she left for the Netherlands. When she returned, she found that her siblings were deprived of the luxury that some other families could enjoy. Our family, in particular, was poor and she knew that we could not afford to play games like tennis. She was filled with compassion and pity for us.”

He continued, “Therefore, one day she said, ‘Come, let’s get you a tennis racquet and sports gear so that you could learn how to play a decent game of tennis.’ And she took me to a sports shop where all the sports equipment are sold. Without so much as bargaining, she bought me my first ever full set of sports gear and a tennis racquet.”

“I was the happiest brother at that moment. Never had I dared to dream that I would have the opportunity to play tennis. Therefore, with all the gear and equipment that I had, I began training, and eventually I actually played for the Michaelian closed tournament and won!”

“No wonder you are still so good in tennis,” said I, laughing. “I actually never knew you could play tennis!”

“Yes,” said he. “But this goes on to prove how your Aunt Yim has somehow changed our lives. Her purchase of the tennis racquet for me has given me a chance to excel in a game that I never thought I would play.”

“And her purchase of the piano for me has brought my musical studies to a level that I never dreamt of achieving. And it has brought me farther than just to achieve a Diploma. Her investment actually paid off right in front of her eyes, don’t you think?”