Post by daicadwallader on Jul 15, 2010 13:57:12 GMT -5
Dai Cadwallader blushed and hid his face behind his bangs, then stuck his head around the corner. No one was standing in the stair case landing, so he crept out and gently placed his violin case on the ground and unpacked his instrument with trembling hands. He kissed the instrument lovingly on the neck and scroll, whispering a soft prayer of thanks that it had survived the climate change from that of Wales to Alaska without cracking, then lightly strummed the strings. He lifted his violin into concert position and set the bow on the strings, gently gliding it over the so he could here the notes and correct their pitch. Once finished tuning, he softly began playing the appalachian lullaby, "Pretty Little Ponies." He closed his eyes and rocked back and forth in time to the almost gloomy, longing flow of the melody that originated at his fingertips and in his soul. It had been his brother's favorite song.
Dai took a breathe and ceased playing, then started anew and sang along as his brother used to when he would play, forcing himself to use English instead of Welsh so that he might begin to get used to the language. Besides, Cadoc had always preferred the English language for this particular lullaby. It's less the flowing nature, he had told Dai, made the song seem all the more eerie and enchanting than Welsh, a nature full of round, curving vowels, ever would.
"Hush a bye
Don't you cry
Go to sleep my little baby
When you wake
You shall have
All the pretty little ponies
In your bed
Momma said
Baby's riding off to dreamland
One by one
They've begun
Dance and prance for little baby
Blacks and bays
Dapples and greys
Running in the night
When you wake
You shall have
All the pretty little ponies
Can you see the little ponies
Dance before your eyes
All the pretty little ponies
Will be there when you arise."
Dai's voice broke and he dropped to the ground against the wall, crying and shaking from the force of his silent tears, then emitted a single low, mournful shout of anger and frustration.
"Cadoc! Dwi yn methu ti! Pam y rhaid i chi fynd, i farw? Dwi yn methu ti gymaint. Mae'n ddrwg gennyf, felly, yn drist iawn. Eich farwolaeth oedd fy fai, yn union fel y wraig, ond gallaf fod yn well. I addewid." He took a deep shuddering breath and added repeated his vow in English, "I promise, Cadoc, to be better. For you I can do it, I think, I know. I promise."
Dai took a breathe and ceased playing, then started anew and sang along as his brother used to when he would play, forcing himself to use English instead of Welsh so that he might begin to get used to the language. Besides, Cadoc had always preferred the English language for this particular lullaby. It's less the flowing nature, he had told Dai, made the song seem all the more eerie and enchanting than Welsh, a nature full of round, curving vowels, ever would.
"Hush a bye
Don't you cry
Go to sleep my little baby
When you wake
You shall have
All the pretty little ponies
In your bed
Momma said
Baby's riding off to dreamland
One by one
They've begun
Dance and prance for little baby
Blacks and bays
Dapples and greys
Running in the night
When you wake
You shall have
All the pretty little ponies
Can you see the little ponies
Dance before your eyes
All the pretty little ponies
Will be there when you arise."
Dai's voice broke and he dropped to the ground against the wall, crying and shaking from the force of his silent tears, then emitted a single low, mournful shout of anger and frustration.
"Cadoc! Dwi yn methu ti! Pam y rhaid i chi fynd, i farw? Dwi yn methu ti gymaint. Mae'n ddrwg gennyf, felly, yn drist iawn. Eich farwolaeth oedd fy fai, yn union fel y wraig, ond gallaf fod yn well. I addewid." He took a deep shuddering breath and added repeated his vow in English, "I promise, Cadoc, to be better. For you I can do it, I think, I know. I promise."