The Strings Of Life:
Chapter 46- First Day Of School:
The clock’s alarm went off just as the sun was about the show its light on the horizon. Maestro hated getting up so early, but he didn’t really have any choice in his job. He had to be the first one there to open up the shop, and get everything ready. With all of this, he even had to get Octave up for her first day of school.
Octave was now a filly, and about five years old now, which was the appropriate age for starting school. Her speech impediments were gone, and her vocabulary had improved by a big margin. Her ways of understanding were improved a surprising amount for her age. Her mother had taught her how to be more ladylike when they were out in public of course. She knew how to greet guests and use her manners, though that’s not all she would be taught on. She would be soon taught on proper table manners, and what utensils to use at a fancy diner or restaurant for certain dishes and such. Of course she is just a little filly, and has all the time in the world to learn all of those things. Maestro knew that she needed to be the filly she was, and just have fun in her life whenever she can, Octavia agreed with his statement. It was the same thing Octavia did after her own mother told her nearly the exact same thing. By the time Octave was five, Starlight had managed to give birth to a beautiful filly foal she named Comet Trail, or Comet for short.
It was approximately six-thirty in the morning, and Maestro manages to avoid making Octave’s bedroom door to squeak as he gently opens it. A soft light coming from the hallway gently shined on her sleeping face from the cracked door. Maestro looked down over her and whispered in her ear.
“Hey…it’s time to get up okay? Today’s your first day of school you know.”
Octave groaned and then pulled the covers over her head.
“Okay then…if you insist…” Maestro then made off to the bathroom to get a cold washcloth.
He then set the cold cloth across her face, making her immediately get up.
“Ahh, cold!” she sprung herself up, with the washcloth landing right in front of her on her covers.
“Good morning!” he chuckled.
“Daddy, why?!”
“Get up…now. I have to go to work, and you need to get ready for your first day of school today. Just think, you get to make some friends, make crafts and learn all kinds of cool stuff.” He said.
“But I want to stay with mommy?” she complained, as she got herself out of bed. Her mane was all a mess and incredibly frizzy on one side.
“Mommy will be dropping you off at school in a little while okay?”
“Okay…” she replied, figuring it was daddy who would take her to school today.
A little while afterward…
“Octave dear, your school supplies and everything is downstairs, understand?”
“Yes mother!” Octave shouts down the stairs, struggling to manage her mane.
“Do you need help on your mane sweetie?”
“No…I got-” a big pomf sound was heard, signaling her mane poofed out of management.
“…Can you help me please?” Octave corrected herself.
“I thought so.” Octavia spoke to herself, making her way up to the bathroom post-hastefully, so they would not run late to school. Octavia was a very punctual pony, and hated getting to anywhere even a second late. She made getting to destinations whenever she absolutely had to, a top priority.
With all things said and done, Octave got her things together, along with her backpack. She was told by her mother to have a healthy breakfast of oatmeal and some fruit, which she surprisingly enjoyed. Since the sweetness of the fruit reminded her of the taste of sugary cereal.
“Okay mommy, I’m ready to go.”
“Not yet…just one more thing.”
“But what is it now?” Octave wondered, noticing her mother had something special for her.
“Okay dear, close your eyes okay?” said Octavia.
Octave closed her eyes, as her mother was fastening something around her little neck. Her curiosity went wild as for what could be around her neck exactly. It tempted her to open her eyes even a little bit, but Octavia most of the time was looking to make sure that didn’t happen.
“Okay…you can open them now.”
Octave opened up her eyes to see that she had a little light blue bowtie around her neck.
“It’s…a bow?”
“Close, but not quite dear…it’s a bowtie, see? I knew it would look good on you when I finished it!” Octavia smiled proudly at her daughter.
“What does that mean?”
“Well I actually made this before you were even born, and it just so turns out it even fits perfectly. Oh you look so adorable in this! Well now…let’s be off okay?” Octavia opens up the front door for Octave to move her little legs out onto the front porch.
“Where’s school at mommy?”
“Hop on dear.” Octavia then lowered her body so Octave could ride onto her mother’s back.
“Yay! Piggyback ride! Wait…ponyback ride…sorry.”
“It’s quite alright angel, now then, let’s be off shall we?” Octavia giggled at her daughter’s efforts of trying to use correct grammar for certain terms.
Meanwhile at the music shop where Maestro worked…
“Hey Maestro, this family needs to know more about this Cello!”
“Can’t you do it? I’m helping out a young mare at the moment.”
“No, get over here this instant!” his boss rose across the room again.
“Ugh, so sorry ma’am, I’ll return whenever I can.”
“It’s quite alright, take your time.” the mare smiled.
“Okay, thank you miss.” Maestro took off making his way over to the family post-hastefully.
Maestro wasn’t too crazy about the assistant manager, since the manager was out sick, and understood that Maestro was a loyal and honest worker. But apparently not the other one…he was just a butt to most of the workers there at the music store. He was lazy, sat up around the register or back in his office, and didn’t bother to help anyone. One day there would be some feuding between him and that assistant manager named…well he could care less what his name was to be honest.
As Maestro was on his way of reaching his limit of tolerance from the assistant manager, Octave and her mother made it to the school with a few minutes to spare.
However, as Octavia approached the door, a little filly comes running out through the front doors crying to her mother as she leaves.
“Mommy I don’t wanna go! I wanna stay with you!” the filly cried.
This made Octave feel a bit uncomfortable now, and not as calm as she was when she began to see the school building in site.
“Um…mommy?”
“Yes Octave?” Octavia faced towards her.
“Um…I don’t wanna go to school now.”
“I see no reason why not?” Octavia wondered.
“Can I stay with you for today?”
“No dear, you cannot.” Octavia replied with slight firmness in her voice.
“But…but why?” Octave began to sniff, her eyes then started to water.
“Now sweetie, don’t cry…you should know why you’re here.” Her mother said, as she got down on Octave’s level of height and understanding.
Octave sniffed once more, “No…but why mommy? Why can’t I stay with you?”
“Because you’re at the age where you will have to go to school. Big girls go to school…and you’re a big girl right? Do you remember telling mommy that you are?”
“Um…uh-huh.” Octave nodded a little while wiping her eyes to try and clear herself up.
“See? Now I promise you it will not be scary at all. I’ll even pick you up when school ends okay?” her mother assured her, as she quickly poked the side of Octave’s little belly.
Octave giggled from the tickly feeling, and it made her cheer up quickly and put on a face of positivity as best as she could.
“Okay mommy, um…I’ll try my best! I’ll be the best one in the class!”
“Then I believe in you my little angel…though you are already the cutest one in the class.” Octavia giggled.
Minutes later, Octave looked and waved back as her mother was leaving, eventually around one of the street corners, and out of sight.
So from moving into Canterlot, mishaps, emotional attachments towards a beautiful refined pony, more mishaps, bow-chicka-bow-wow, even more unfortunate events…and now a family of his own. Maestro couldn’t have expected it his life to take such a sharp angle in what seemed to be a pleasant direction of life.
To think he would ever win a musical competition by the skin of his teeth, and by some real luck. To think he would ever meet Octavia ever again after an accident with one of Octavia’s most prized possessions regarding her family. To think he would have to help fight to protect a pony he cared for, and at first didn’t know how to fully express it towards her. To think he would be there for a troubled pony who had been through so much in her life. All of these things and many more he never would have seen coming, and to think everything in the end turned out perfect for him in the end.
Were it not for Octavia, Maestro would have never obtained the insight to manage to get to see his real mother for the first time. Were it not for her, he wouldn’t have known what true love seemed like, and what it really felt like for him.
The different ways and paths of life are like the strings of an instrument. Sometimes you hit the highs, and sometimes the lows. The highs are what keep you on your toes…or hooves in this matter. The lows will try and keep you down, but you need to find a way to keep going and keep in rhythm with life’s highs. Never stay in the low notes, always aim for new highs and new sounds of life. It is what makes life’s notes sound beautiful, be thankful for what you have, and what life has to offer you. You must never give up on what you can do for yourself and others. It does not matter on what everypony else thinks, what matters is what you think you should aim for in your life, what notes will you strive for in your lifetime? That my friend is what occurs if you play the appropriate notes in life…more importantly…The Strings of Life.