Printer-friendly version

Chapters 16, 17 & 18: Helen’s studies continue. She graduates from Julliard with honors and is ready to challenge the world. There is one challenge that she hasn’t talked much about; however, Fanny knows what Helen is capable of doing. Fanny confronts Helen and Helen admits she has thought about the Van Cliburn Competition for years, and it is coming up in the next year. Helen’s audition is submitted and she is one of 30 competitors accepted for the competition. She meets Jimmy Levine and the attraction is overwhelming.

---

 

Introduction:

Chapters 16, 17 & 18: Helen’s studies continue. She graduates from Julliard with honors and is ready to challenge the world. There is one challenge that she hasn’t talked much about; however, Fanny knows what Helen is capable of doing. Fanny confronts Helen and Helen admits she has thought about the Van Cliburn Competition for years, and it is coming up in the next year. Helen’s audition is submitted and she is one of 30 competitors accepted for the competition. She meets Jimmy Levine and the attraction is overwhelming.

Author's Note:There are references to characters in previous novels, and I would strongly recommend that you read them if you haven’t already done so. Musetta Gigliotti O’Donnell is mentioned and referred to several times. Although she has been deceased for many years before this story begins, her influence is very strong. ‘Musetta’s Waltz’ is not very long and will give some important background. Musetta is a wonderful transgendered woman who overcomes extreme adversity.

This story is the fifth in the series and to date, the entire series covers nearly 100 years and five generations. The first story is “The Heart of the Beholder” and deals with the early life of Mike and Jo O’Donnell. “The Narragansett Fork” is about Fanny, the O’Donnell’s adopted daughter and a rather remarkable individual. It is in this book that we first meet Musetta. “Musetta’s Waltz” is her autobiography and the third book in the series. “Who Is Sylvia” is the story about Sylvia O’Donnell and how Phil Esterházy wins her. That brings us to the current story, which takes place 37 years or so after the end of the previous story.

Being transgendered or intersexed is not the main theme of this story. This is a story about a rather large family where two people happened to be intersexed and another, now deceased, was transgendered. This is a story about how people find love, over and above everything else.

There is a little mystery that shouldn’t be too hard to figure out. The clues are there. There are 34 chapters plus a prologue and epilogue. The story is complete. I am not sure how it will be posted. Regardless of the voting and comments, or lack there of, I will post it until completion. I’ll try not to let hurt feelings get in the way.

My thanks must go to Holly H. Hart for taking time from her harried life to correct the multitude of errors made while creating this story.

This work is copyrighted by the author and any publication or distribution without the written consent of the author is strictly prohibited. This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance of the characters to persons living or dead is coincidental.

---

 

It would turn out that Bob and Misty also found a physical attraction. The intellectual one would continue to develop. The four of them had really been lost souls of sort. They were lost in a big city, and each had broken off relationships: probably for the right reasons. When they found out they could make music together in more ways than one, the whole group became a unit. They started doing much better in the competitions, and began to realize their careers were going to take a direction slightly different than they originally intended. The whole was greater than the sum of the parts.

Helen did lay down the law as far as Arnold and Jenn were concerned. He was not to move in, and if Jenn’s grades suffered, they were currently good enough to get her off of probation, Jenn would have to find somewhere else to live. Jenn’s grades did not suffer, and their romance flourished.

Helen took to the advanced classes like a duck to water. Many of the students continued to wonder why she was there; however, Helen felt she was absorbing immeasurable bits of knowledge and refinement.

The first year went by in a flash. Helen’s San Francisco based agent booked her for several concerts, and Helen realized that going home for the summer was not an option. So, she stayed at the flat. She ended up with 14 concerts, and had at one stretch, only a little more than a week when she could go home to see her family.

Some strings, no pun intended, had been pulled, and Helen’s piano quintet sans her piano were able to go to the Aspen for nine weeks for additional training. It had not been lost on most of the staff at Julliard that Helen was an outstanding instructor. She had the ability to establish rapport with the students regardless of their instrument of choice. She probably would have never been able to get into Julliard on her skills as a violinist alone, she had never really studied it, but she knew what she heard, and had the ability to convey what was needed to the string players.

Jenn had matured greatly between her sophomore and junior years, and decided, as did Arnold, that they would become ensemble players. It wasn’t going to be easy. Bob and Misty had also come to the same conclusion. They were young, and suddenly had the world by the tail; or so they thought.

The two years at Julliard zipped by faster than she would have thought. There was a huge amount of work and a lot of pressure. Helen did have several things in her favor. She was good, very good, and she knew it. She was also very unassuming. She listened to her mentors and accepted what they told her; however, she maintained her individuality.

There were a number of graduation exercises. She was tested in chamber accompaniment, solo piano, and with orchestral accompaniment. She felt strongly that she had ‘aced’ them all. She had not studied to be an accompanist, that course was much heavier than the course of study she took; however, one of the goals of Julliard is to develop well rounded artists regardless of their course of study.

Graduation was a ‘Big Deal’. There would be many dignitaries from the arts as well as supporters of the arts. The Mayor of New York would be there as well; however, since one of his children was graduating, that was not a surprise.

All the graduates received copies of the press release announcing the upcoming graduation:

Juilliard alumna Megan Smithson (2050, Group 60 in Julliard’s Drama Division) will deliver the commencement address at The Juilliard School's 167th Graduation Ceremony to be held Friday, May 20, 2072 at 11 AM in Alice Tully Hall (located at Broadway and 65th Street, NYC). The award-winning actress also will receive the School's honorary Doctor of Fine Arts from Juilliard President Paul W. Joseph, who will address the 275 graduates (124 undergraduates and 151 graduates) from Julliard’s Dance, Drama, and Music Divisions. Composer/arranger/conductor/ record and film producer Jonathon Symbiote,
Pulitzer Prize-winning composer and Juilliard alumnus Richard Stevens, stage director/soprano Lincola Novotny, legendary dancer Adrienne Wilson, and philanthropist and opera singer, Dr. Frances Hereford will be present to receive honorary degrees as well.

There were also biographies and pictures of the distinguished guests. Helen read the announcement, and a thrill ran through her. At last she would be able to meet the Academy Award winning actress, the woman who was some of the glue that held her together those first years. They still corresponded via the internet, and Helen sent off a quick message.

It was quite a reunion. Aunts, uncles, brothers and sisters: it was a huge crowd, all things considered. There were several gasps from the crowd when Helen and Megan rather spontaneously embraced. They both said afterwards that it just seemed the right thing to do. They had been friends for ten years, and they were finally face to face. Few outside their families would ever understand the sudden emotional greeting.

After a gasp of astonishment, Sylvia was the first to realize the reason for what they had just witnessed.

“So, that’s who it was,” she whispered to Phil.

“Was what?” whispered back the astonished Phil.

“She’s the woman that Helen has been corresponding with all these years. I’m going to give her a big hug, too, as soon as I can.”

Before the diplomas had been given out, there were also a number of awards presented to the graduates. Helen proudly accepted two: Best Solo Piano Performance and Best Performance with Orchestra. She did not win for her chamber performance. She did receive very positive comments though. The main criticism was that she needed to hold back a bit, that she sometimes tended to dominate. She was not an accompanist in spite of what she had accomplished with her little group. She was a leader and teacher. Her group needed her the year before, and now they were on their own. They would always remain friends, and Jenn and Arnold’s first daughter would be named Helen.

There was a private reception that afternoon and the Esterházys, Sean and Hilda, Katherine and John, Fanny and her John were all there. Fanny had received an honorary doctorate from Julliard many years before to go along with her Doctor of Medicine and many of the older members of the school knew her and certainly knew her children and nieces and nephews. Fanny knew Megan, and had stood with her in an after Oscar ceremony as they showed off their Oscars: Megan for Best Actress, Fanny for Best Film Score. The picture had also been selected as best Picture and had received eight Oscars in all.

For years there had been rumors circulating among the scandal sheets that Megan Smithson was actually a transsexual, and some used as evidence the fact that she and her husband had adopted three children, never having had any of their own. Childhood pictures surfaced that definitely showed Megan as a young girl going through her school years. That slowed the rumor mill for a while. On that particular Oscar night there was a lot of champagne flowing, and the diminutive Fanny took the much taller Megan aside.

“Megan, I want to thank you for what you have been doing for my young niece. She won’t tell anyone who she’s been chatting with on the net, although I am sure it’s you. All she would ever say was that she was a famous actress.”

“Your niece? I don’t think I understand.”

“My niece is Helen Esterházy, and someday she is going to be famous like you are. You have made things a lot easier for her, and I think you have given her a goal. You have been somebody she can look up to

“I haven’t told anyone my suspicions; however, I think I am correct. I am a medical doctor, along with being a composer and musician. I have been dealing more and more over the years with children and adults with certain issues. My step grandmother was transgendered, and my niece has your interesting condition. By the way, I think you should play my step grandmother if they film her life story.”

“Well, you are right about me, and Helen is a sweet, sweet young woman. She has become so positive about things. There’re several young ladies I correspond with and she stands out with how she has accepted things. It’s been a pleasure talking with her. She is very smart and very pretty.

“It’s never been proven one way or other, but there have been several famous actresses of whom it was alleged had this little problem. I’m sure it will get out some day.

“So, who was your grandmother, or should I even know?”

“She was Musetta Gigliotti O’Donnell.”

“Of course she was. I must not be thinking very clearly. She thought so highly of you. I would love to take that role. God, I cried and cried when I read her story.”

It wasn’t really too many years later and now Helen was standing with her aunt and idol as photographs were being taken. Sylvia made good her promise, embraced, then held Megan to her.

“So Helen, what are you going to do now that you have been cast out of the academic world into the real world?” Fanny asked.

“My agent has several concerts lined up and is looking for more.”

“Does he have any big venues lined up?”

“Not really. He’s working on getting some recordings done. None of the big companies seem to be very interested, in spite of the good reviews.”

“Helen, you have everything going for you. You are an outstanding talent, the equal of your grandmother and Aunt Katherine. You are exceptionally beautiful. Unfortunately there are dozens of other very attractive and very talented pianists out there.

“You can make a good living going from venue to venue while gradually working up through and to the great orchestras. I think you need to leapfrog all of those others, and take your place among the best, where you surely belong, and not go through this gradual ascension. It will waste your time and make your life too uncertain. You should be at the top, calling the shots. If you can do that you can write your ticket, have a life, find a husband and raise that family you want.

“I wouldn’t be saying this if I didn’t think you could do it. It will be tough, but I think you are ready. You just need to commit to it. There’re probably two hundred other pianists hearing versions of this conversation right now. Some of them may be talking to themselves for that matter.”

“Fanny, I think you are talking about my trying out for the Van Cliburn Competition, aren’t you?”

“No, I am talking about your winning it. What do you think?”

“The thought scares me to death.”

“Good, if it didn’t, we could probably stop thinking about it right now. Mom and I talked about it. I think the clincher was when you won the Embarcadero Competition. You carried that off very well.

“I know you can do it. There are a few months before you have to send in your audition recordings, and I think you can send them some great stuff. The only weakness you have is the chamber area, and it’s not much. We’ll work on that. How’s that little group you’ve been working with?”

“They’ve come a long way in two years. Once they found out they liked each other, things really improved. Do you have something in mind?”

“As much as I would like to work with you at home, the quality of the musicians out there just can’t come up to what you have here. You are an adult and have been for a long time. Any career decisions you make are your own; however, and your parents, sister and I have talked about this, there isn’t a lot of time to get ready. The competition is just a little more than a year away.

“You haven’t given me any negative vibes, yet. Do you want to do it?”

Helen hardly hesitated, “Yes, I want to do it. I want to do it very much. I want to show them that this backwoods girl is more than just a pretty face with nice tits. And, Fanny, I want you to help me. Let’s get started!”

“The competition is a bit of an endurance test. I am sure you are aware that you will start with a 50 minute piano solo. It is critical. You have to get their attention and hold it. You have the power, but you are going to have to show your soft side, too. Have you given it any thought?”

“Only every day for the last six years or more. I know it’s been done before, and if it’s done correctly it can make a very favorable statement. I want to start with the Mussorgsky, Pictures at an Exhibition for the Preliminary Round. For the Semifinal Round I have gone back and forth on the second piano solo among Schumann, Schubert, and Chopin. For the quintet, I want to do the Brahms’ Piano Quintet in F Minor. It was Gramma’s favorite and yours, too. In the final Round, for the third solo I am back to the same choices. I made up my mind a long time ago that I wanted to do the Mozart 21 for the first concerto because it’s so sweet. Then I want to do the Rach 3. I know it’s done a lot these days, most of the time poorly; however, I love it and respect it. I want to do it with the original, ossia cadenza, and I don’t want to leave a note out.”

“What did you have in mind for Schumann?”

“I was thinking of ‘Carnival’ and ‘Scenes from Childhood’.”

“Nice choice, what about Schubert and Chopin?”

“The Impromptus were my first choice. There’s a lot of technique and emotion. For Chopin, I thought about one of the sonatas and a Nocturne.”

“If you want my opinion, and I think you do, you should do the Schubert for the second solo and then do Schumann for the third. Schubert is so melodic and a very nice contrast to the Mussorgsky. Yes, I think your choices are perfect.

“John and I had a lot of fun when we lived here 55 years ago, and we decided we’re going to get out of Redding for a while. Everything is going very well with the foundation. I don’t have to worry about it any more. It just goes on and on. If you don’t mind, John and I will move in on the first floor. It will be vacant, and the second floor is going to be vacant soon, also. We’ve decided we’re going to make it a student flat also; however; we won’t do anything with it until your ordeal is over.

“You are going to have to pace yourself and peak at the right time. I’ve seen competitors drop out because they literally hurt themselves practicing too much. We certainly don’t want that. Above all, you are going to have fun. If you don’t make it to Fort Worth, the thought is preposterous, of course, you will still have a great career.

“Now I want to talk to this string quartet of yours.”

“This is Sam Torrance for WRR, 101.1FM Radio reporting from backstage at Bass Hall. Today’s participants in the Preliminary Round will be starting in about thirty minutes, and if this group of five performs as well as the first group we’re in for some very enjoyable music. All of last night’s performances were very well received by the audience. It only remains to be seen what the jury thinks. Two performances stood out in the opinions of the audience members I was able to talk with.

“Aleksei Nesterenko is a giant of a man whose delicate finger work belies his size. He played an arrangement of Russian folk songs with variations that was simply superb. Mr. Nesterenko is 28, and his skill reflects a lot of honing in his homeland of Ukraine. Little is known about him, and he doesn’t have a website.

“There are two Koreans in the competition this year. We heard from Seon Hwa Lee last night, and she was the opposite of Mr. Nesterenko. There is a huge amount of power in her tiny frame. She gave a very controlled performance of two Chopin sonatas that seemed to catch the eyes and ears of the audience. The other Korean lady, Ji Young Oh, will be playing this afternoon.

“Today will also be our first look at the young California pianist, Helen Esterházy. Miss Esterházy a recent graduate of the Julliard’s Masters in Music program. She has a strong west coast advocacy, and won a small competition there several years ago when she was a student at Humboldt State, wherever that is. She has had several strong reviews, including her debut with the San Francisco Symphony. The word is she is short on talent but very pleasing to the eye. Still, she was selected among the 30, so she must have something.”

~*~

“This is Sam Torrance reporting from Bass Hall and the Van Cliburn Piano Competition.

“I made a comment yesterday about one of the performers I had not heard. I said something to the fact that one of the performers was reported to be short on talent but pleasing to the eye. I took a lot of heat for that comment, and although it did not originate from me, I stand corrected. The comment was definitely out of line, and a certain well known composer let me have it between the eyes. The fact she is Miss Esterházys’ aunt has nothing to do with it.

Miss Esterházy gave a remarkable performance of Mussorgsky’s ‘Pictures at an Exhibition’, and received a standing ovation from the normally staid audience. Miss Esterházy is definitely in the hunt.

“There were some other strong performances. The Argentinean, Constantino Rocca gave a strong rendition of Schubert’s Wanderer Fantasy and The Earl King. Other performances were good. The Frenchman,….”

~*~

“This is Sam Torrance at Bass Hall reporting the results of the Preliminary Round.

“It surprised no one that Aleksei Nesterenko is among those advancing to the Semifinal Round, and I would have to think that he has to be one of the favorites going into the semifinals. Also advancing, and no particular order, are the two Korean entries, Miss Seon Hwa Lee and Miss Ji Young Oh, Miss Michele Redman of the United States, Constantino Rocca of Argentina, Lloyd Benchley of Great Britain, Neville Arbuthnaught also of Great Britain, Nakahiro Ozaki of Japan, Eduardo Romero of Mexico, Bradley Adamonis of Canada, Rachel Hetherington of the US, and the surprising Helen Esterházy of the US. The latter has become somewhat of a crowd favorite. She is strikingly beautiful and quite tall.

“Standing with me is Dr. Fanny Essegian, Oscar, Grammy and Pulitzer Prize winning composer. She has been kind enough to let me interview her for a few minutes.

“Dr. Essegian, I have done some homework since my gaffe the other day and find out that your niece is just one of many fine musicians in your family. What is it; there have been at least seven graduates from Julliard? That is certainly impressive.”

“Thank you Sam, for letting me talk with you. First of all, my name is Fanny. That’s the way I am with everyone. I am 77 now and it’s too late to call me anything else.”

“Well, Fanny, your niece’s performance was very impressive. How do you think she stands in the competition?”

“I guess it’s a moot point. She advanced. As far as how well did she do, she won, pure and simple, and she will win everything barring some unforeseen disaster. She’s just getting started.”

“Thank you Fanny for those unbiased comments.

“This is Sam Torrance at the Van Cliburn Music Competition returning you to the WRR FM studio.”

~*~

There were a number of locations where the contestants could practice. The local university provided several places, and Helen was working on several passages she felt needed refining. She was recording them; then playing them back. The modern day recording devices allowed her a reproduction that was as close to real as possible. She played back a portion and was making some notes when she heard a polite knock. She looked up to see a vaguely familiar face at the window. She motioned for the man to come in, knowing that he probably wouldn’t be able to hear her.

“Miss Esterházy, I’m sorry to interrupt your practice; however, I wanted to talk to you about a business proposition. I talked with your parents and aunt, and they said if it was alright with you, I could talk with you.

“I’m James Levine, Jimmie. We met at the reception, but didn’t get to talk. I work for a major agency in New York, and regardless of the outcome of this competition, we would like to sign you on. We, I, feel you have unlimited potential and would like to offer you a contract.

“I first saw you play in San Francisco, and was very impressed.”

Helen looked at the man who had expressed interest in her career. He was tall and based on his name and appearance was probably Jewish. He appeared to be very fit. His sleeves were rolled back and his forearms were very muscular and covered with thick, dark hair. He was quite handsome, his shoulders were broad and the hair on his head was thick and curly. He had obviously shaved closely, but she could see his beard was very heavy. His dark eyes sparkled.

Helen felt a stirring in her groin that she had not felt since her trysts with Jenn. “Well, er, I already have an agent in San Francisco and I don’t have any problems with him. Uh, I don’t know. I’ll have to think about it when all of this is over. Thank you for asking.”

“I understand. Your agent is a good man. Give it some thought. When this competition is over, the world is going to be at your feet. Here’s my card. I’m sorry to have disturbed you. Best of luck.” He extended his hand, and Helen took it. She felt a tingle in her spine. “Thanks for the opportunity to talk with you.” He turned and walked out of the room, carefully closing the door behind him.

Helen turned back to the keyboard, turned on the recorder, paused, shut off the recorder, picked up her music, turned off the lights, and left the room.

Helen returned to the hotel, and after freshening up, met with her family for dinner.

“You seem awful quiet tonight. Anything wrong?”

“Not really. An agent came by the practice room this afternoon. He said he talked to you.”

“That would be Mr. Levine,” Fanny interjected. “He’s very reputable. He graduated from Julliard the year before Demi. Ah, here comes Demi, now. I’ll let her tell you about him.

“Demi, your sister met Jimmie Levine today. Tell her about him.”

“Actually, I met him very briefly at the reception, but I didn’t get to talk to him,” Helen said before Demi could respond to Fanny. “He seemed very nice. He wanted to sign me up with his agency. I told him I was already working with Myron Stacks in San Francisco. I don’t have any problems with Myron, and Mr. Levine said he was a good man.

“It was kinda interesting. He said he was at my San Francisco debut. Then I realized he was sitting in the front row during the preliminary round. I imagine he is checking out all the competitors,” Helen reflected as she turned to her margarita.

“He’s a hunk, isn’t he,” said Demi, finally being able to get a word in. “His family runs a very reputable agency in New York. He tried to sign me up, too; however, I told him the same thing you did: that I am happy with Myron.

“Jimmie’s a very good musician. He could be playing in any of the better orchestras right now. He is going to inherit the business one of these days and he has an MBA from Columbia.

“I think you are interested, no?”

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

“That’s what I thought.”

~*~

“This is Sam Torrance at Bass Hall for WRR FM, 101.1. We have just been privileged to hear three days of absolutely fantastic music. The solo recitals were outstanding, and there was little to find fault with in the quintets. The audience has been pretty much in agreement that the Ukrainian, Nesterenko is still in command. His performance of the Dvorak quintet was among the best I’ve heard. Most felt that the young Helen Esterházy did very well with the Schubert, but may have held back in her performance of the Brahms. It was a very solid performance; however, some thought it lacked spark. Well it’s in the jury’s hands now.

~*~

“I’ve blown it Fanny. I was just awful. I couldn’t have done worse if I had wanted to,” Helen sobbed into her aunt’s shoulder. “How can I face everyone who came to see me? I’ve let them all down.”

“You did nothing wrong, Helen. You played it exactly the way I wanted you to. If you don’t advance, it’s my fault. You held back just right. That’s a Piano Quintet you were playing, and there were five members of an ensemble playing out there. It’s not a piece for piano with string accompaniment. The balance was perfect, and if the jury doesn’t realize that, they shouldn’t be a jury. Let’s just wait until the jury has its say.”

“I don’t know. When I walked out, I couldn’t see you guys, but I saw Mr. Levine in the front row. For some reason, it was nice to see him there.”

“They’re getting ready to make the announcement, Helen. Fix those eyes, and get ready to go back on stage.”

Helen did a quick repair of her makeup, and then stood in the wings, expecting the worse.

“Ladies, gentlemen, and competitors; the following six competitors are advancing to the final round. The names are given in reverse order of the order of their performances. Those advancing are: Helen Esterházy, Constantino Rocca, Bradley Adamonis, Seon Hwa Lee, Lloyd Benchley, and Nakahiro Ozaki. The competition will resume in two days. The best of luck to everyone. Don’t forget the piano marathon going on for the next two days.”

There were handshakes and hugs, commiserations and tears, looks of extreme disappointment, elation and relief.

~*~

“This is Sam Torrance of WRR FM, 101.1. The competition has been going pretty much as was predicted, that is until today. The competitor who many thought was a sure thing to win the competition has not made it to the finals. Aleksei Nesterenko did not make it into the Final Round much to the surprise of many. Some of the intelligentsia felt that he was technically very good, but didn’t know when to hold back. There is little doubt that his presence will be felt on the concert tour; however, it won’t be here.

“As to the remaining competitors, they are all relatively unknowns. Many feel that the Argentinean, Constantino Rocca, has the inside advantage; however, there seems to be a bit of a support group for the young Californian, Helen Esterházy.

“Well, the Final Round starts in two days.”

~*~

The next few days were hell. Helen’s attitude and mood had gone up exponentially. She was almost manic. Her family was there for her; however, it took Fanny and Demeter to rein her in a bit. She had a fifty minute solo recital to go over, who knows how many times, and she had two concerti to rehearse with the orchestra. Then she had to perform the same. This was no time to crater in exhaustion.

The final round took place over five days. Helen did have one problem, and he was the Argentinean. Rocca was also performing the Rach 3 for his final concerto. He was also performing the Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto Number 1.

~*~

“This is Sam Torrance with the final report from the 29th Van Cliburn competition. In the end, it came down to two performers: the domineering Argentinean, Constantino Rocca, and the remarkable Helen Esterházy. We’re waiting for the jury’s final decision and announcement.

“Immediately after the final performance, I had the opportunity to talk with Melvin Kapinski, music critic for the New York Times. Here’s what he had to say.”

There was the sound of some electronic switching and a change in the background noise.

“Sam, we have seen some rather remarkable performances these last two days, and in my mind it boils down to two performers: the Argentinean, and the Californian. Rocca gave two powerful performances. Miss Esterházy performed two concerti exactly the way their composers probably envisioned them.

“Rocca dueled with Tchaikovsky, and I am not too sure who won. The performance was dynamic, powerful, and bombastic. I think he tried to beat Rachmaninoff into submission. One never beats Rachmaninoff at anything. Yes, the audience loved his performances. They raised the hair on the back of your neck. I’m not sure if it was for the right reason.

“Conversely, Miss Esterházy danced with Mozart. She was strong when she had to be and delicate where it was needed. She and the orchestra were in complete accord. I felt the orchestra was having trouble keeping up with Rocca. In the Rach 3, Miss Esterházy was like a lion tamer. One can never really tame a lion, and one can never beat Rachmaninoff into submission. Instead, Miss Esterházy read Rachmaninoff’s mind. She made the piano do what Rachmaninoff wanted it to do, and that was to be an instrument that expressed his music. She put the lion through his paces. She didn’t have to try to intimidate him. At the end, they took their bows together and walked off stage being very good friends.

“If Miss Esterházy doesn’t win this competition, I will quit my job.”

The sound changed again and returned to the live report.

“There you have it from someone who is considered to be one of the more objective music critics around.

“The jury has been in seclusion for a while. That sometimes indicates there’re problems. Wait, here they are. Let’s listen in.”

“Ladies, Gentlemen and Competitors, this has been a most interesting competition. The panel selected 30 competitors, and anyone of them would be a worthy recipient of the medal awards being presented tonight. It’s not easy to make these decisions; however, the jury was in 100 percent accordance with the three Medalists.

“First of all, there are some individual awards to be presented:

“The winners, note I said winners, of the Steven De Groote Memorial Award for the Best Performances of Chamber Music and a cash prize of $15,000. There are two winners this year. They are Miss Seon Hwa Lee and Miss Helen Esterházy.”

Fanny gave a fist pump and a barely audible, “Yes!”

There are five Discretionary Awards given to competitors not making the finals. Each of the Semifinalists not making the finals was awarded $12,000. The three finalists not receiving medals will receive $25,000, U.S. concert tours and career management for three concert seasons.

“Now for the Medal Awards. Third Prize includes a recording contract, U.S. concert tours and career management for three concert seasons, a cash award of $50,000, and the Van Cliburn Competition Crystal Award. The award goes to Constantino Rocca.”

After the applause settled, the judge continued.

“Second Prize includes a recording contract, U.S. concert tours and career management for three concert seasons, a cash award of $50,000, and the Van Cliburn Competition Silver Medal. The award goes to Nakahiro Ozaki.”

There were many cheers, especially from the Far East contingent.

Fanny and the rest of the California group were on pins and needles. Helen was either among the also-rans or she would take it all.

“As I said earlier, the jury was in complete accordance with the three medalists. There was some discussion about second and third place; however, there was complete unanimity about first place.

“First prize includes a significant contribution by American Airlines toward domestic and international travel during the three year tour, a recording contract, international concert tours and career management for three concert seasons, a sterling silver trophy cup, a cash award of $50,000, and the Nancy Lee and Perry R. Bass Gold Medal.

“The winner of the 29th Van Cliburn Competition is----Miss Helen Esterházy.”

After the cheering and applause subsided, Fanny was heard to mutter, “Short on talent, my ass.”

There was a champagne reception afterwards for the Finalists and guests. The Esterházy, Essegian, O’Donnell clan was a substantial portion of the crowd, and the fact a number of them were award winning musicians made their acceptance quite easy. The contestants and their mentors (if present) mingled freely for the first time since the opening.

Helen was wired and couldn’t stop talking. For the first time in her life, at least since that fateful day eleven years before, the self doubts were gone. She was making the rounds and accepting the congratulatory handshakes and hugs from the other competitors.

Fanny was talking with a number of the teachers and other professional musicians and having a field day. Yes, she had mentored Helen; however, her recently deceased mother, Helen’s grandmother, had been a very strong influence. The bottom line, though, was that the victory was Helen’s. She had the talent and the work ethic to get there.

The thing that Fanny was proudest of was Helen’s winning the Chamber Music Award. It had been her greatest weakness. When she had taken on four relatively foundering string players and helped them find themselves, she had also taken herself on as an unexpected student. Fanny worked harder with her on that aspect than anything else, and because of it, not only did Helen win the competition, four string players had developed into an outstanding ensemble.

Helen had finally gained a moment’s peace and quiet, having just returned from the restroom. She was looking out the window at the parking garage across the street; really just staring into space. It was starting to sink in. It was still quite bright outside, and it would be almost an hour before the sun set.

“You look like you could use a drink.”

“What? Oh hi!” She looked at the empty glass she was holding and back at Jimmie Levine. “How about some champagne; I don’t think I’ve had too much.”

“Be right back. Don’t go anywhere.”

He returned in seconds and handed her a tall flute.

“I knew you were going to win. I knew it when you played the Emperor in San Francisco.”

“No you didn’t,” she said with a slightly scolding tone. “What were you doing in San Francisco?”

“I was there on business. I had just graduated from Columbia, and my dad sent me out to talk to Myron Stacks about joining forces with our agency. I’m never one to miss a good concert, and I notice that the San Francisco Symphony was having a concert featuring the winner of the recent Embarcadero Piano Competition.

“Well, I saw your picture and I said wow! even if she can’t play the piano, I’ve got to see her. Well I got to see you, and my goodness can you play the piano. I decided then and there to follow your career.

“It was the following fall when I was trying to drum up some business with the up and coming singers at the Met that I ran into an attractive blonde who could really sing. She was damn near as tall as I am, still is for that matter. They were taking a break, so I approached her. After talking for a few minutes, I realized how stupid I was. I hadn’t connected the names. She is that gorgeous sister of yours; the one that is standing over there with that good looking Italian guy.

“We had a very nice conversation, but she was loyal to Myron and that was when I found out you were with him, too. That made perfect sense.

“She told me you were going to be at Julliard for your Masters Degree. She said it was a given that you would be there. I found out a lot about your family history that day: your Aunt Fanny, Katherine, Sean, your cousins.”

Helen realized there was something about Jimmie that she really liked, and she thought she knew what it was, besides the fact he was good looking.

“Jimmie, you talk too much. That’s OK, though. I just realized that the whole time you’ve been talking to me, you’ve been talking to these (indicating her eyes), not these (indicating her breasts). Guys seem to get hung up on my tits all the time.

“Whoa, maybe I’ve had too much to drink after all.”

“I don’t think so,” said Jimmie, as he smiled at her. “You’re just letting off some nervous energy you’ve kept bottled up these last weeks.

“Look, do you have any reason you have to stay here much longer?”

She thought for a second, no more. “I don’t think so. There’s a bunch of stuff I’ll have to do next week, I imagine. What do you want to do?”

“I’d like to take you out to dinner and maybe some drinks. I know you haven’t had much to eat today, and right now I’d say you’re running on vapors. What do you say we blow this joint?”

“Sounds good to me: let me tell the others. I’ll need to get out of this gown, though.”

Helen dragged Jimmie over to her folks. “Mom, Dad, everybody, Jimmie and I are going out to dinner. I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Come on,” she said, turning to Jimmie, “the hotel’s next door. What did you have in mind for dinner?”

“How about the Stock Yards? I could use a big steak.”

Her astounded parents watched as she led Jimmie out of the reception area.

“What in the world got into her,” exclaimed Sylvia.

“Oh, she’s in love. She’s grown up, Mom. My baby sister’s grown up.

“Don’t worry about Jimmie. He’s a good man. I think he’s found his princess. Just like I found my prince,” she said hugging Arturo to her.

The hotel was actually a block away. Jimmie was taken a bit back by Helen’s enthusiasm. Helen excused herself and headed for the exit with Jimmie following closely. They made their way in the hot late spring early evening down the street to the hotel. She led him up to her room, and headed for the bath unzipping her gown on the way. Jimmie sat on the edge of her bed and shook his head.

“Do you think Levis are OK?” she shouted.

“Sure, but I’ll be over dressed.”

“Just a sec, I have something here that you can wear.”

She had changed into some skin tight Levis and a t-shirt. The shirt was dark green. It said “HUMBOLDT STATE” in gold letters on the front, and above the number ‘25’ on the back it said “LUMBERJACKS”.

She had a folded shirt in her hands. “Here, take the pins out of this. Lose the coat and tie, and you can fake it. I got the shirt for my brother. I can probably afford another one.” The shirt was in a western style that would probably be ludicrous in New York, but would probably go unnoticed in Fort Worth.

She returned to the bathroom, let her hair down and brushed it out. Jimmie dumped his coat, tie, and tux shirt on one of the two king-size beds. The black suspenders didn’t look too out of place with the shirt.

They walked through the lobby and didn’t look too extraordinary. The doorman hailed a cab, and opened the door for the couple. “Congratulations, Miss Esterházy. Have a nice evening. I haven’t seen you since this morning, by the way.”

The steak house was loud and crowded, and, surprisingly, she had no trouble maintaining her anonymity, not that most there would have the foggiest idea who she was. Many pianists have little trouble maintaining their anonymity in public; however, when the winner of the Van Cliburn Competition was a six foot, blue eyed blond, with a spectacular figure, that might change very quickly. Still, six foot, well endowed, blue eyed blondes were not that uncommon in Texas, although many had made it in that direction due to talented plastic surgeons and beauticians.

They had a great dinner and probably too many margaritas. They talked about her life. They talked about his life. He was 28 and single. He was a musician and played part time with several orchestras in New York when they needed a substitute. He liked the family business, and because of his musical education he could establish excellent rapport with their clients.

“Jimmie, ever since I met you I have wondered if you were any relation to the great Metropolitan Opera conductor James Levine.”

“I get that question a lot. I don’t think there is any connection. He was from Cincinnati. My family has been Brooklyn located forever. Obviously, there is a music connection. It would have been nice to meet him; however, he would have been well over 100 when I was born, had he lived that long.

“It amazes me about the music talent in your family. I was going through the archives and found some recordings your grandmother made. My goodness, she was good, and she did it with a minimum of training. I think her Rachmaninoff recordings are still among the best. They rank right up there with Horowitz, Ashkenazy, and Argerich. Then you had to spoil all that with your performance today. Thank God, all of that was recorded.

“What a spitfire your aunt is. How did she end up being so short? I mean all the other women I’ve met in your family are close to six feet or taller.”

“Fanny was adopted. You mean you didn’t know that? A lady wrote a very nice biography of her early life. It’s an interesting story. She is filthy rich and gives most of it away. She grew up in a home for disadvantaged children. Her mom died giving birth to her, and her uncle put her in the home when she was only a few days old. Her uncle was nuts and killed some people, and in the course of the investigation, Gramma and Grampa O’Donnell discovered she existed. The problem was no one knew where she was. With the help of a detective friend, they found her and the rest is history.

“What was neat was that Fanny fell in love with my grandparents before she ever met them. She was a bit of a prodigy and started playing the piano when she was less than three. She saw Gramma get her first two Grammies on television. She made the lady who ran the place let her stay up late so she could watch.

When Gramma and Grampa found where she was, they heard her playing Chopin. She was eleven and her fate was sealed. She moved in with Gramma and Grampa the next day, it was all legal, as they had been appointed as her legal guardians if they ever found her. They adopted her the next year. She helped Gramma raise her brothers and sisters: mom, my aunt and uncles.

Gramma was so proud of her when she got into Julliard. Then Fanny told her she wanted to be a doctor. She eventually got Gramma to go back on tour.

“Mom could have been a professional musician, she’s an outstanding guitarist. However, she and Dad are real outdoorsy, and that won. Mom’s the Botany Department Chairman, and Dad’s the head of the Department of Forestry at Humboldt.”

The check had been sitting at the table for quite a while, and they realized the restaurant was nearly empty. Jimmie left a sizable tip, and they headed for the exit.

The street on the north side of Fort Worth was deserted when they left the restaurant, and Jimmie had the cashier call a cab for them. It was still warm, and the redolence of the stockyards was very evident as they waited.

The interior of the cab was chilly, and Helen slid up against Jimmy as the cab made the relatively short journey back to downtown Fort Worth. Helen gently picked up his hand and placed it on her thigh, keeping his hand covered with hers. The message was obvious.

She had the cab stop at the side of the hotel, and used her door card to open the door leading to the elevators down the hall. They didn’t say anything.

Once inside the room they gently undressed each other beside the bed. She admired his slim but muscular body, and he worshipped hers. He pulled her to him and they devoured each other. His hands gently slid from her waist up her sides and gently cupped and caressed her breasts. Then they slid back down and cupped and caressed her beautiful behind. Her hands dropped through the thick wiry hair on his chest and belly and found his sizable erection. She gently caressed him, measuring him and liking what she found.

“Jimmie, get in bed. I have to take care of something. I’ll be right back.”

She took care of things in the bath and cleansed herself, finishing with a little perfume in the right places.

Jimmie was lying on his side watching Helen walking proudly across the floor toward him. Her breasts swayed gently with her motion. He knew she was beautiful; he just had trouble believing how beautiful she was. She slid in next to him and pressed her breasts against his chest. The feeling of his thick hair rubbing against her sensitive nipples added to her already aroused state.

“Jimmie, you need to know some things about me. First of all, you don’t have to worry about getting me pregnant. I can’t have babies. I hope you don’t mind because I have no intention of ever letting you get away from me. Second, I have never done this before, and I have been waiting for you for a long time. Finally, I have a warning. Demi said that if you don’t treat me right, she will hunt you down and kill you. Do you have any problems with any of this?”

“None what so ever my shikseh princess. I’m sorry you can’t have children. I hope that doesn’t mean you don’t want any. We can always adopt. As far as your never having done this before, I’ll try to be gentle.”

“I don’t have a hymen, never did. I have a birth defect I inherited from Mom and Dad. I have always been a woman, with a few exceptions, in every way in my mind, body, and soul. It’s just that I have an X and Y chromosome, and….”

“You have CAIS. Oh, my wonderful darling. That doesn’t matter in the least. You are the most womanly women I have ever met. I know another woman like you and now I understand that demonstration at your graduation. You two knew about each other, didn’t you?”

“Yes, we have been friends for years. We met in one of those special chat rooms. You were at graduation? I don’t remember seeing you there.”

“I wish I had been there. No, I just saw the pictures and heard the story from several people. They wondered why she was hanging around with your family afterwards. We’re her agency, and she told us about her condition, so we could be prepared if the shit ever hit the fan.

“Enough of that. Right now I have to make sure Demi doesn’t kill me.”

Demi would only hug and kiss him whenever they met.

~*~
Author's Note: Next: Karen meets Fanny and continues to learn about the Esterházy family. We learn a bit about Persi and Demi’s youth and what a wild pair they were. Then we learn about Demi’s love of singing and opera.

Thanks again to Holly H. Hart for her very professional assistance.

Portia Bennett

---

If you liked this post, you can leave a comment and/or a kudo!
Click the Good Story! button above to leave the author a kudo:
And please, remember to comment, too! Thanks.