The violin string snapped during my mother’s favourite song

Dear Delyara, I played violin at my mother’s funeral today. She had asked for a particular folk song, one she sang while cooking and always performed slightly out of tune. I practised until I could play it without looking at the music. Halfway through the second verse, the E string snapped. The sound was sharp enough to make several people gasp. I stood at the front of the church holding the bow in the air while the loose string curled beside my hand. For a second, I wanted to leave. Then my aunt began singing. Her voice shook. Another relative joined, then another. Soon the entire church was singing my mother’s song imperfectly, too slowly, and in several different keys. I lowered the violin. Nobody needed it anymore. I had believed my responsibility was to give Mother the beautiful farewell she requested. Instead, the instrument failed, and the room became full of ordinary voices that knew her better than any polished performance could. The broken string is inside my pocket. It cut my finger when I removed it, and there is a small spot of blood on my sleeve. I think Mother would have laughed at the whole thing and complained that everyone sang the last line wrong.