My 11-year-old daughter took piano lessons
My 11-year-old daughter took piano lessons
then her teacher called and said she hadn't shown up in two weeks.
My daughter Emma loved playing the piano. As a little girl, she would sit down at her grandmother's old piano and start playing small melodies.
Since then, she had been taking lessons for several years.
Usually, every Tuesday and Thursday at 4:00 p.m., she had a lesson.
She ran home after school, grabbed a quick snack, and then headed to the studio, which was ten minutes from our house.
I worked from home, so I always watched her leave from the kitchen window.
A few days ago, her teacher from the studio called me.
Ms. Collins cleared her throat.
"Good afternoon. I just wanted to ask how Emma is feeling. Maybe she needs some help?"
I was confused.
"I'm sorry, what do you mean?"
She sounded slightly surprised.
"Emma hasn't been coming to lessons for two weeks. I know she told me she was sick, so I just wanted to check if she needed anything."
I felt the floor drop beneath me.
Where had my daughter been going for two weeks, if not to piano lessons? She had even lied to her teacher, saying she was sick.
That night, I didn't sleep. I didn't want to scare Emma or scold her.
But I had to find out the truth.
Emma almost never missed piano lessons.
She loved playing. She loved Ms. Collins. This wasn't like her at all.
So I decided to follow her.
On Thursday, she waved to me again and ran in the direction of the studio.
I threw on my coat, slipped out of the house, and quietly followed her.
She walked past the bakery. She reached the turn toward the studio but walked right past it and headed straight toward the park.
She stopped behind a tree, and from where I stood, I could barely see anything.
I watched as she took a lunchbox out of her backpack.
It looked like she was talking to someone.
I stepped slightly to the side to see what was happening.
"OH MY GOD, EMMA, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!" I covered my mouth so I wouldn't scream. ⬇️⬇️⬇️