The Widow Sabishane - Part I

Part I

The Widow and the Moon

The Widow Sabishane looked out from her tall bay windows at the vast and dark sea which calmly swayed before her. Her ancient blue eyes scanned the horizon from behind the thick lenses and bulky rose-colored frames that rested atop her small button nose. The Widow slowly turned her head up towards the huge bright moon in the sky and smiled. Her heart swelled up with a feeling of complete fulfillment and pride as she let out a slow and happy sigh. "I do say Mr. Klemmens, this is the largest full moon I've seen in a very long time. It reminds me of my late husband, Rupert, and of when he and I used to travel 'round the world for the Queen of England; doing all manner of mysterious and dangerous things. You remember those days don't you Mr. Klemmens?" said the Widow, her regal accent emphasizing almost every other syllable.

Behind the Widow lounged an extremely large Somali cat on an old black piano bench. The giant housecat's thick fur was ticked with orange and golden flecks and shone beautifully in the bright moonlight; the trademark black stripe of the Somali cat ran down his back like a river of dark ink. Dismissing the Widow, Mr. Klemmens licked his paws distractedly, clearly uninterested in old memories and nostalgic whimsy. The Widow Sabishane scoffed her disapproval and pushed him off of the bench as she went to sit down at the black and white ivory keys of her grand piano. Her joints popped and her back creaked with age as she lowered herself down onto the equally old and creaky bench. Mr. Klemmens shook himself off and looked to find a new spot to nap in. Spying an old mauve recliner close by the Somali cat leapt up onto it, curling up comfortably as the Widow cracked her neck with one quick motion and began to play.  Her thick knuckles moved with surprising grace and speed as her fingers flew over the piano keys like a young virtuoso with no back pain and no arthritis.

Adagio sostenuto, the first movement in Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata, began to echo quietly throughout the large house as it bobbed and swayed on the water. The moon hung over the house like a giant orb of soft light, casting long and twisted shadows through the clouds and across the calm, dark sea before it. The Widow smiled as she played; the notes drifting through each room, touching on each and every memory from her adventurous past with her eccentric husband.

Emanating from the beautiful black piano and its ivory keys, the melancholy notes of Beethoven's 14th symphony swept through a pair of French doors that led into the living room where they lingered to marvel at the great paintings that hung in huge, ornate, wooden frames and the antique furniture that lined the room. They sat on an elegant walnut armchair with hand-carved floras in the arms and legs and a silk cushion from Louis the XV. They carefully browsed a majestic birch-wood bookcase with a rich, golden patina that had been filled with authors of every century and they rummaged through a boulle-style cabinet with a tortoise shell inlay and bronze-etched scrolls.

They skimmed across the hand-weaved oriental carpets of red, black, tan and gray which rested on top of natural hickory floorboards and they resonated in delight as they scaled the old walls of the ancient house, drinking up the smooth scent of the late Dr. Rupert Sabishane's vanilla tobacco that still clung there. They crept through the dining room and swam over the long cherry wood table where the Doctor and the Widow had shared lavish dinners and deep conversations with prominent guests from around the world and where they sat alone together, just to sit and talk. They danced over her fine China dishes with hand painted clouds and over glided over the gold plated dinnerware.  They brushed up against the silk table cloths, extraordinarily soft and welcoming, as the twirled in the air.

Finally, having graced as much of the old Victorian house as they could, the deep notes passed through the walls where they soared out to sea. Here they dove deeply into the water and played along the backs of the great beasts who lived there. They swirled around the silent behemoths, bringing peace and tranquility to their dreams as they drifted off to sleep. Then, in a great rush the steady notes began to surge upward, breaking out of the water and rising into the sky like invisible arms reaching out towards the heavens. The heavy notes danced playfully with each other as they flew into the clouds, higher and higher until they reached the moon itself and the old man who lived there. They kissed his cheek good night and then slowly drifted back down to the seabed where they laid to rest.