The Music Box

I was ten years old when I received a music box for Christmas. It was a standard little music box that sold in just about any department store - white with pink lining and a little ballerina that spun around in front of a mirror. Brahms Lullaby tinkled prettily when the lid was opened. Mum commented on it as it was one of her Dad's favorite piece of music. We were living in England at the time and Mum missed her Dad (from N. Queensland) dreadfully. I loved my little music box which had pride of place on my dressing table and put in the usual array of trinkets that a ten year old keeps.

Sadly, my grandfather passed away the following year. Mum of course was devastated and I tried to understand but having only met Grandpa twice (he called me his little English Rose and was very fond of me apparently)I wasn't much help. I was lying on my bed one afternoon after school shortly after we'd heard of Grandpa's passing when my music box started playing all by itself, with the lid closed. I hadn't touched it since I'd returned from school and I FREAKED. I ran sobbing downstairs to tell Mum that my music box had come to life and I wanted to get rid of it. My wonderful Mum fully believed me and offered to keep the music box on her window ledge to see if it happened again with her. Two weeks later she was making her bed one morning and grieving for her Dad when the music box started playing again, with the lid closed. She cried with joy and took it that it was his way of trying to let us know he was ok - the fact that it was one of his favorite pieces of music only served to strengthen this fact.

I don't know if it was Grandpa or not, but the fact that Mum smiled more afterwards made the freakout for me very much worthwhile!