The Williams House; Chapter 6: Winter Wonder; Pgs. 131-133

.     The very evening on the day Will mentioned how quiet it was, the whole family went to a concert hall to hear a symphony, and so you see, Will did not have his quiet for very long. It was, in fact, to be a grand performance of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, culminating in his winter theme, and the orchestral music would be very refreshing to all the recent excitement within the Williams house.
.     Moonlight was gleaming on the December snow covered ground as the “flying carpet” rolled to the concert hall. Maria was swinging her feet back and forth on a seat by herself, looking out and imagining herself as on her way to play in a great performance. Many of the others were scattered, looking out windows or watching the street lights dance in the bus, casting shadows of seats and heads, and trees and other vehicles throughout the bus.
.     It was a dead land, and yet very much alive. The trees were barren, the flowers long ago disappeared, all the grass covered up with snow, and not a single bird to sing the welcoming of the moon. Instead, some chimneys were puffing smoke, heaters were on in the vehicles, laughter and cheery faces could be seen through windows and keyholes, and some boys could be seen throwing snowballs at one another in a front yard. Some bells were ringing at street corners, with a red metal bucket to collect the charity of those passing by. ’Twas the season of good cheer.
.     And a cold wind to counter it, thought Will as he stepped off the bus into the evening air.
.     “Come along, everyone,” Mr. Williams instructed. “Let’s get indoors quickly.”
.     The concert hall was a very grand place. Like a castle, thought Margaret as she looked around at the pillared halls, red carpets, and large curving ceilings. Everyone was dressed very nicely, and people spoke in hushed voices and quiet whispers. An usher greeted the Williamses at the entrance to the grand concert seating area, and they found their seats and sat down.
.     If you have ever been to a concert hall and heard a live symphony, you will know that there is some time in waiting before everyone is ready, and you can hear the grand and pleasing sound of the instruments tuning up. Then there is a hushed silence and a lot of clapping as the conductor walks out onto the stage, and then another hushed silence before the grand first notes of the symphony begins. And no matter how many times you attend a symphony, that same feeling of quiet anticipation and then great elation is always felt.
.     Lilly and Ann were held in silent wonder. Will, Johnathon, and Timothy were captivated. And Margaret, Susan, and Maria were watching and listening with gaping mouths. When it was over, some of the youngers were asleep, with the music still tolling in their minds, while the olders were still humming the tunes to each other, allowing the rhythm to enter their hearts and tap their feet.