The value of trash

Gus watched with a frown as a few young kittens made fun of a piano that had been brought in with the trash a few days ago, making jokes of how it matched the new kitten that had joined the tribe, white and black and completely useless. He approached the group and told them that it wasn't true, both the kitten and the piano had their uses. One of the kittens a white and black patched tom, by the name of Alonzo if Gus remembered correctly, rolled his eyes and asked him why.

"This piano was famous, every now and then it chose one human that would be able to play it, but just once, the music would be the most amazing music everyone had ever heard though."

The days long ago crowds came around just to hear the sound of that piano when it had chosen someone again at last.

But one day the piano was lost, it had been on a ship being moved from the mainland of Europe to England that got wrecked in a storm, and eventually people forgot about it. It wasn't till many years later that the wreckage of the ship washed ashore and someone found the piano that it was ever seen again. Nobody remembered it though and it ended up in an auction house that was mostly used to auction the belongings of people who had died and had no family to inherit everything.

One Tuesday morning, at nine am sharp the auction house began it's weekly auctions with an old grandfather's clock, next up for bids, in the rear of the room was the piano, it looked worn out and it was a bit out of tune, nobody bid on it and it was put aside.

The auctions continued and many bids were made, on pocket watches of gold and beautiful vases from the days of old. It was beginning to near the end of the auctions and suddenly the shouting of bids stopped as a beautiful song started playing. The auctioneer stared with open mouth to the rear of the room and everyone turned their heads to look at the worn out piano that was a bit out of tune.

Charles, a Lord by blood although his father had spend all the old moneys in gambling, drinking and wenches, had entered the auction house, hoping he might be able to salvage some of the things not bid on when the auctions were over. Thanks to his father's way of living all he had were the clothes he wore, which weren't in a very good state, his coat was torn and he had a hole in one shoe.

A worn down piano had grabbed his attention and before he knew what was happening he started to play.It was a strange tune that came from the piano, even if it was a bit out of tune it sounded amazing, but the most amazing thing was that no-one had ever heard a tune quite like it before.

The kittens, especially the cocky Alonzo, jumped as suddenly a tune started playing from the piano, it was a tune they had never heard before. It was beautiful and entrancing, even the kittens would admit to that later.

After listening to the amazing music for a while a man stood up and said loudly, "one thousand pounds for that piano I'll give."

Not wanting to miss the one chance to get a piano with such beautiful tones, even when a bit out of tune, more people got up, two thousand, three thousand the bids went higher and higher and as they did the bidding grew tense. But Charles just sat there playing the piano, not aware of anything but the beautiful visions the piano gave him, he could imagine a ball room with him playing the piano in front of many rich lords and ladies and he was well dressed and had a nice house.

Eventually a five thousand pound bid came from the crowd and nobody could top it, but suddenly, not even aware that he was doing it Charles sadly whispered, although his voice was heard loud and clear by anyone in the room.

"I would give all that I own if you could be mine, but all I can bid is this bottle of wine."

The auctioneer cried out,"Top that bid if you dare. Just give him the piano, maestro play on!"

The piano stopped playing all of the sudden and the kittens looked at it confusedly before turning to Gus again, wanting to know what had happened.

But Charles had vanished, every single person chosen to play that piano would only ever play it once, the visions it gave too much to handle for the fragile human mind and like all the others before him Charles had let the piano take him body and soul. It wasn't a cruel fate, the piano did not send them to hell, but they weren't send to the human's version of Heaviside either. But for Charles it was amazing, for until the next person played the piano he got to play it and watch the people dance and when the new player arrived he would be allowed to join in the festivities.

"But since Charles there's been no more humans capable of playing the piano, so now every now and then it cries out,'let me once play for you.'" Gus finished the tale, smiling at how amazed the kittens had been and they walked off talking about how amazing the piano was.

The kittens now had learned some respect for the less obvious treasures life had to offer, Gus was certain of that. It was amazing what having a little friend in the right place could do.

"You can come out now, they're gone," the old tom called out gently.

A small tuxedo patterned tom stuck his head out of the piano, "I hope you don't mind me interrupting your story it just seemed right to have the piano play."

Gus smiled at the young kitten's bashfulness, he'd get over that eventually though, "you did well, it will take a while for them to figure out that there was someone inside the piano playing it."

"But what if they find out it was me?" The kitten cried out, suddenly scared of what they might do.

"It will be our secret and for them until they find out that it was someone it will be magical."

"Magical?" The young kitten's eyes were shining with pleasure and hope at that idea.

"Yes magical, in a way you'll be very magical to them."

And before Gus could say anymore the kitten had hugged him and bounced off happily to his human's house, he could be magical! He would show everyone how magical he could be, and they'd like him and praise him, like Gus had done, even Alonzo would be amazed by him.