Chapter 10 - THE OTHER CHILDREN
The final count was fourteen instruments.
Nine had been unlawfully sold.
Five had irregular records but insufficient evidence to prove theft.
Some were recovered.
Some were gone.
Second Movement dissolved.
A legitimate youth orchestra foundation absorbed the remaining inventory under independent oversight.
Susan volunteered one afternoon to rebuild the tracking system.
Serial numbers.
Photographs.
Signatures.
Annual verification.
A young coordinator said:
“This is intense.”
Susan smiled.
“Property accountability is love with spreadsheets.”
Noah heard and groaned.
“Grandma.”
“What?”
“That’s the most Army thing anyone’s ever said.”
She took it as a compliment.
The children affected by the swaps did not all return to music.
Emily Carson did.
Luke Hart didn’t.
Mason Reed switched from trumpet to drums and was happier.
Justice did not restore everyone to a fictional original path.
It gave them the truth.
That mattered.
Emily told Noah during a group meeting:
“I thought I had gotten worse.”
Noah nodded.
“Me too.”
They sat there quietly.
Two children realizing that their self-doubt had been manufactured by the same adult.
May you like
No inspirational speech followed.
None was needed.
