Mozart's Sister by Nancy Moser Read Free Book Online Page A

a large sum?"
    "Substantial. The other siblings received three hundred florins
upon their marriage-that is equal to nearly a year's salary for your
father. But we received nothing."
    "Because he didn't become a priest?"
    Mania shrugged. "Your father is a good man and did what
needed to be done. That the family will not make amends brings
me great sorrow"
    I could not help but notice she'd said, "brings me great sorrow" When Papa had gotten upset in the carriage, it had been out of
anger, not grief.

    Mama turned around and we started back. I had one more question to ask. "Why are we going to Augsburg if it brings him such
pain?"
    Mama leaned close. "Revenge can be sweet."
    Ah. So that was it. His family would see that Papa was a success-and so were Wolfie and I. Maybe, if we played extremely well,
his family would run toward us after the concert, take us into their
arms, and say, "You are wonderful and it's been too long. Finally, we
are together at last!"
    I would have happy dreams tonight, imagining.

     

ezy-46-1 )~~L
    Family was everything to Papa. Though, if offered this fact, he
might have hedged and exclaimed that God was more important.
But those of us who knew the truth would see his piety for what it
was: a statement made for the Almighty's benefit.
    We were not so easily fooled.
    Yet, while in Augsburg, just weeks into our trip, amid the roots
of my father's familial ties, I was confronted with a confusing fact:
family was all-important-as long as it wasn't Papa's family.
    "Keeping the proper people away from our concerts? It's the
work of my brothers, I know it!"
    "Shh, Leopold." Mama looked toward the door of our room at
the inn, her hands pressing the air, trying to calm him. "You mustn't
make such sweeping statements."
    Papa purposely faced the door and spoke as if his extended family were directly on the other side. "I can-if it's the truth!"
    Wolfie and I were behind the screen changing into our bedclothes, but we peeked through the slats. I wasn't sure how his family
could keep people away. Or what people were "proper."
    "And my mother . . ." Papa continued. "Though she remains
my mother a thousand times over, she is wretched and has very little
sense. She favors my siblings. She lets them take advantage. She
always has."
    Mama put a hand on his shoulder. "Dear one ... the dowry is an old wound. We've been married for fourteen years now, and-"

    Papa moved away from her touch. "It's an undressed wound!"
His voice lowered. "And you know there are more issues at stake
than that."
    She moved close a second time and took his hand. "I know"
    "I wanted them to see. I wanted them ..."
    She stroked his cheek. "I know ..."
    He grabbed her hand, stopping its comfort. "We played three
public concerts here at the inn. Three. Yet they stayed away. They
had to know we are here. It was in the papers. We are staying at this
ridiculously expensive inn just so ..."
    I peeked at the carving on the ceiling and the velvet on the chair
by the window. I'd noticed it was a better lodging than the others,
and now I knew why.
    He picked up a newspaper that was lying on one of the beds,
opened it, and read, "'Leopold Mozart has afforded the inhabitants
of his native city the pleasure of hearing the effect of the extraordinary gifts which the Great God has bestowed on these two dear little
ones in such abundant measure; gifts of which the Herr Kapellmeister has, as a true father, taken care with such indefatigable zeal."' He
tossed the paper to the floor, then pointed to it. "They realize my
accomplishments and my great success, which my family refuses to
acknowledge."
    Mama picked up the newspaper and folded it carefully. "Perhaps
it is you who should call on them?"
    "Never!" He began to pace in front of the door. "To do so would
be submitting to their authority-a privilege they have never earned."
    "To do so would be to follow God's directive to love one another."
    He stopped pacing and glared at