The Kilcathclyde Tales
Joseph’s Tale:
Meddling
Once upon a time there was a string quintet that auditioned a new viola player. They all liked her playing, thought she was very nice, and liked her very much. She quickly became friends with all four other players but she became especially close to the cellist who sat to her left.
One day the cellist came to rehearsal wearing a brand new outfit. All thought she looked lovely but the violist made a slight suggestion and then she herself rearranged the cellist’s scarf. This improved the look so much that the others clapped and the cellist was very happy.
Later on during the rehearsal, the violist noticed that the cellist’s handbag was broken. She indicated this to the cellist who merely shrugged, as she didn’t know what could be done about it. But the violist took the bag in order to fix it. At first, the cellist didn’t want to allow her bag to be taken, but thought better of it and relented as the violist gestured that all would be OK. Within seconds, the bag was fixed and the cellist was delighted.
Later still, the cellist took out a photograph in a special gilt frame. She admired the special person in it for a moment with a gleam in her eye and a glow on her face, and then showed it to the violist. But to the cellist’s surprise, the violist frowned, disapprovingly. She then produced a photograph from her own handbag and indicated that the cellist should end whatever special relationship with the person in her photograph and that she’d be happier with the violist’s, friend instead.
The cellist withdrew and turned away, looking at the person in the photograph, protectively. The violist reached over and grabbed the cellist’s photograph to take it away, but it slipped from her hand, flew across the stage, and broke. The cellist then ran after the photograph and carefully picked up all the pieces of the frame.
The violist apologized profusely and offered to fix it. The cellist was wary now but eventually agreed and allowed the violist to repair the broken photograph frame. The rehearsal continued.
All of a sudden, one of the cellist’s strings broke. The catastrophe brought the practice to a halt, as the cellist went to her instrument case to get a new string. The violist quickly moved in with an offer to fix the cello but this time, the cellist stated very clearly that she needed no help. The violist insisted and in a bold move tried to snatch the instrument away, but the cellist pushed her back and moved the cello out of her reach.
In anger, the violist charged forward and wrenched it from its owner. It slipped and then spun across the stage, knocked over the cellist’s music stand, which fell on it with a loud crash and destroyed it. This turned over the cellist’s chair which tore the repaired bag worse than ever, spilled its contents onto the stage, and completely shattered the previously mended photograph frame.
When the cellist surveyed the broken bag, photograph, and, worst of all, cello, before her, she dissolved into tears. The violist moved to comfort her but to no avail. She offered to fix the cello but the cellist continued to sob and shook her head, then she offered to buy a new one. But, it was too late, the damage had been done.
The moral is: the best way to help others is to be supportive and encouraging. You cannot sort out another’s problems for them and trying doing so usually does more harm than good.
©2011 Steven Gorman. All rights reserved.
No comments:
Post a Comment