by Winston Thorpe

Created on: June 13, 2008

The day the music died

Nobody could actually remember, now that is everybody but Maikie herself. She has been the Organist of the Church of Pollekwakie since it was first built some 80 years ago. Before that she used to play the piano for the congregation in the town hall, that was used for church services, agrucultural union meetings, political ralleys and of course, Saturday night entertainment, normally dancing. She was only a girl of 14 years old then. Not a pretty girl precisely, but clever and a talented mucician. Took up piano lessons from Miss Breggie at the age of 6, who would refuse payment for her lessons, on account of her being such a joy to teach, sometimes knew more than Miss breggie herself. Read all the books on music that she could find in the little library across the post office.

Then the congregation announced that they had enough money to start building a Church. They got the plot for free from one of the rich congegants, which went a long way to make the building a dream come true for everyone. About halfway through the building process, the next project came to life, getting money together for a Pipe organ that would be befitting of the temple that the town fathers envisioned.

And because of her love of music and the fact that she was a lonely child, she threw in her whole weight behing this project. She baked cookies every afternoon and sold them to the neighbours and everyone in the region, untill no one could stand eating another biscuit. Then she started making doilies and other embroidered things, selling these to who ever would buy them. Even her father, the town's banker was astounded by the amount of money his daughter poured into the organ fund. And it is not if she had much else to do, except playing the piano. She was kind of the "ugly duckling" of the town. She would be the one staying home on Saturday nights, not being asked by the young men to the dance in the hall. Sometimes she would snug out and go all by herself, and she would be the one sitting in the darkened corner, unnoticed, keeping the rhythm of the song with her foot. Nobody ever paid much attention to Maikie, except her music teacher.

Then one day there was a new group of young men in town. "Land surveyors," her father said. "Paid by the government to come and investigate and plan a new road up North." And the whole town was curious about this bunch, living in the hotel. Strangers were not something that you see around Pollekwakkie everyday. One afternoon on

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