A Treasured Saxophone

It was Friday afternoon and Maya had just arrived home from band practice. She flung open the front door, ran into her room, and hid her school bag underneath the desk. And then, almost reverently — as if it were a sacred object — she stood her saxophone case in the corner, right next to the music stand. Though Maya adored playing music more than anything else in the world, she would really appreciate being able to skip a Saturday rehearsal once in a while.

Never mind. It was over for today. She quickly grabbed her backpack and threw in some pyjamas, undies, a t-shirt, a toothbrush, and a book. Taking one last glance around the room to make sure she hadn’t forgotten anything, Maya dashed out of the door. She was off to spend the weekend at her grandma’s house!

Maya was a big girl now, so she could travel there all by herself. She made her way to the bus stop where the bus was already waiting, ready to whisk her away. As always, her grandma was standing in the village square when the bus pulled in, eagerly awaiting her arrival.

“Hello Maya, sweetheart,” she said, greeting her granddaughter with a joyful smile and a big hug. “Let’s go straight to the house. I have a surprise for you.”

Maya’s eyes twinkled with curiosity. What could it possibly be? She had celebrated her birthday several weeks ago, and her Name Day was still months away. As for Christmas, well, that was even further ahead. Feeling excited, Maya scurried inside.

On the kitchen table sat a bulky black case. Her grandma smiled and nodded, gesturing towards it. “This belonged to my father, your great-grandfather. It was collecting dust in the attic for a long…