Maria's face turned red. She wanted to run away. But her hunger was stronger than her shame. "Please, sir," she said quietly. "I can play piano very well. Maybe I can play some music for your customers and you can give me a little food."
The manager's mouth opened in shock. Then he started to laugh. Soon, other people in the cafe were laughing, too. The sound was loud and mean. Maria felt tears start to come to her eyes.
"You want to play our piano?" the manager said, still laughing. "This is a Steinway grand piano worth more than most people's cars. You think we would let someone like you touch it?"
A woman in a fur coat said loudly, "This is ridiculous. Make her leave before she steals something."
Another man called out, "Security! Get this homeless person out of here."
Maria stood there as everyone laughed and pointed at her. She felt smaller and smaller, but then she looked at the piano again. It was calling to her just like her father's piano used to do. She remembered what her father always told her: "Music is the language of the heart, Maria. When you play, you speak directly to people's souls."
Without thinking, Maria walked toward the piano. The manager followed her, his face getting redder and angrier. "Stop right there!" he shouted. "You cannot touch that piano!"
But Maria was already sitting on the piano bench. She looked at the keys. They were perfect, clean, and white, just like the ones her father used to play. She could almost hear his voice saying, "Remember, Maria, let the music flow through you. Don't think too much, just feel."
The manager reached out to grab her arm. "I'm calling the police," he said.
But Maria had already placed her fingers on the keys.
The whole cafe became quiet for a moment. Everyone was watching her, waiting to see what would happen. Some people had their phones out, ready to record her failure.
Maria closed her eyes. She thought about her father. She thought about all the hungry nights. She thought about sleeping in cold doorways. She thought about the music that had kept her alive when everything else was gone.