3UNEXPECTED CHAPTER 3
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Finally, the competition was over. The judges got together and had a conference, bending their heads close together. Not long after, one of them stepped onto stage and made a speech, "I must say that all of the candidates played extremely well and the judges had a hard time deciding who the winner should be. However, after much deliberation, we have decided to award the grand prize of $3000 to." Tom and his father leaned forward in anticipation as Tom held his breath.
"THOMAS WHITMAN!"
The audience burst into applause as Tom sprinted up the stage to receive his prize. Bright, glaring flashbulbs assaulted him as he shook hands with the judge.
When they got home, the father proudly waved the $3000 cheque before his wife's face, saying joyfully, "I told you he would win, didn't I?" The mother shrieked in delight and swept Tom into her arms, nearly crushing him as she covered him with kisses, saying, "Oh! My good boy! My good boy!"
Tom was overwhelmed by the response from both his parents. Confidently, he exclaimed, "Dad! Mom! Just wait and see! I'll be the greatest pianist ever when I grow up! Just wait and see!"
The father grinned and tweaked his son's nose, "In that case, when you perform at Carnegie Hall, remember to invite your mother and I to attend, alright?" "You've got a deal!" The father hugged his son and said, "Now that's my boy!"
Soon, the father signed his talented son up in an international piano competition. The grand prize was $50000 in cash and if Tom were to win the competition, he would instantly become one of the most sought after concert pianists on earth!
So began the days of hard work. Tom's father supervised his practice strictly, rapping his knuckles at every mistake he made. Frustrated, he would jump up from his chair and yell, "The competition is only 2 weeks away, boy! There's no time to lose! I know you can do it! Remember? You won that last competition! You must win, you hear me? YOU HAVE TO WIN!" He would then twist the boy's ears mercilessly. Many times, Tom had wanted to cry, but he held back his tears, afraid to irritate his Father further. Very soon, 'panda eyes' bloomed after he stayed up night after night to practise under his father's watchful eye. "Must practise, practise, practise! If you don't practise, how are you going to win, boy?"
Even his mother noticed the sudden change in the boy's lethargy. At night, she would whisper to the father, cautiously, for he was easy to anger these days, "You know, I think you are pushing Tom too much." "Too much!" he bellowed, "You must be crazy! Don't you want him to win?" Too frightened to say another word, the mother mumbled 'yes' and cowered beneath the covers, while the father muttered, "All crazy! But yes, the boy MUST win!"
The day of the competition drew near and the father got into a madder frenzy. He now forced poor Tom to forgo his meals in order to have more time for practise. The boy would have starved to death if his mother had not sneaked some food and water to him when his father was not looking. Eager to meet his father's demands as well as seeking dwindling praise from him, Tom asserted himself even harder. However, his father never ceased to complain and demanded that Tom play the competition piece over and over again. So, Tom was more than relieved when the Competition Day finally arrived.
Tom watched closely and listened attentively to the other candidates' performance. After much comparison, he figured that he stood a better chance to win. That boosted his confidence and he started feeling eager to perform. Finally, it was his turn. Tom confidently walked up the stage and bowed amid thunderous applause. There was complete silence as he sat down and started playing. He was sure of himself. After all the practice, he knew exactly where he should build up the volume and where he should soften. All went smoothly until halfway through the piece.
All of a sudden, Tom felt his hands become clammy. Beads of perspiration trickled down his forehead and he suddenly felt faint. However, he remembered that he had a song to play and forced himself to hold out to the end. Unexpectedly, another dizzy spell slammed him hard and Tom was forced to play with his eyes shut. Now, his fingers were running across the keyboard all by themselves. He could not see. He could only feel. Accustomed to the piece, his fingers naturally played everything the way he had practiced. Without prior notice, there was an eerie silence and to his horror, Tom realized that all other noise had been shut out of his ears and only a loud and consistent buzz remained. Desperately, he pounded on the keys, as if to assure himself that he could still hear. "It's ending soon! It's ending soon!" he told himself and strained himself to complete the song.
Suddenly, it was over and Tom collapsed onto the keyboard. Immediately, there was roaring applause and the audience gave him a standing ovation. To them, he had demonstrated a dramatic finale, and they continued to clap. Then, they realized that something was wrong, for Tom did not rise to take a bow. There was a hushed silence as the compere rushed over to Tom.
"He's fainted!"