and the little girl to try to keep the chickens off it, and I left sure I had just thrown away a new ano But the payments came in, all 52 of them as agreed sometimes with coins taped to a 3x5 inch card in the envelope. It was incredible So, I put the incident out of my mind for 20 years Then one day I was in Memphis on other business, and after dinner at the Holiday Inn on the Levee, I went into the lounge. As I was sitting at the bar having an after dinner drink, I heard the most beautiful piano music behind me. I looked around, and there was a lovely young woman playing a very nice grand piano asked for requests, and when she took a break she sat down at my tabl Arent you the man who sold my grandma a piano a long time ago? It didn't ring a bell6, so I asked her to explain She started to tell me, and I suddenly remembered. My Lord, it was her! It was the little barefoot girl in the feed sack dress She told me her name was Elise and since her grandmother couldnt afford to pay for lessons, she had learned to play by listening to the radio. She said she had started to play in church where she and her grandmother had to walk over two miles, and that she had then played in school, had won many awards and a music scholarship. She had married an attorney in Memphis and he had bought her a grand piano Something else entered my mind. "Look, Elise, I asked, May I ask you what kind of wood is your first piano made of, the one your grandmother bought you? It's red mahogany, she said, Why? couldnt speak. Did she understand the significance of the red mahogany? The unbelievable audacity 7 of her grandmother insisting on a red mahogany piano when no one in his right mind would have sold her a piano of any kind? I think not And then did the old lady understand the marvelous accomplishment of that beautiful, terribly underprivileged8 child in the feed sack dress? No, I'm sure she didnt understand that either But I did, and my throat tightenedand the little girl to try to keep the chickens off it, and I left sure I had just thrown away a new piano. But the payments came in, all 52 of them as agreed sometimes with coins taped to a 3x5 inch card in the envelope. It was incredible! So, I put the incident out of my mind for 20 years. Then one day I was in Memphis on other business, and after dinner at the Holiday Inn on the Levee, I went into the lounge. As I was sitting at the bar having an after dinner drink, I heard the most beautiful piano music behind me. I looked around, and there was a lovely young woman playing a very nice grand piano. Being a pianist of some ability myself, I was stunned by her virtuosity5, and I picked up my drink and moved to a table beside her where I could listen and watch. She smiled at me, asked for requests, and when she took a break she sat down at my table. “Aren't you the man who sold my grandma a piano a long time ago?” It didn't ring a bell6, so I asked her to explain. She started to tell me, and I suddenly remembered. My Lord, it was her! It was the little barefoot girl in the feed sack dress! She told me her name was Elise and since her grandmother couldn't afford to pay for lessons, she had learned to play by listening to the radio. She said she had started to play in church where she and her grandmother had to walk over two miles, and that she had then played in school, had won many awards and a music scholarship. She had married an attorney in Memphis and he had bought her a grand piano. Something else entered my mind. “Look, Elise,” I asked, “ May I ask you what kind of wood is your first piano made of, the one your grandmother bought you?” “It's red mahogany,” she said, “Why?” I couldn't speak. Did she understand the significance of the red mahogany? The unbelievable audacity7 of her grandmother insisting on a red mahogany piano when no one in his right mind would have sold her a piano of any kind? I think not. And then did the old lady understand the marvelous accomplishment of that beautiful, terribly underprivileged8 child in the feed sack dress? No, I'm sure she didn't understand that either. But I did, and my throat tightened