Jacky’s Song

Jacky wouldn’t speak, except for yes and no.

She was sitting up in her hospital bed, coloring, when I first went in. Although she didn’t say a word, Jacky’s eyes lit up when I turned the keyboard on, little red lights running up and down the keys. I invited her to try out some sounds. After experimenting a little, Jacky settled on a cluster of black key with a slow but rhythmic melody. Jacky nodded yes when I asked if I could sit beside her and join her song.

We sat together on her bed for several minutes, using only the music to communicate.

I asked her to think of what picture the music made her think of, then invited her to draw that image while I continued playing. Jacky got out her crayons and busily drew while I continued playing her song.

When she finished, I stopped the music and looked at her drawing.

“I see a house, and two girls.” I said.

Jacky nodded yes.

“Is one of them you?”

A nod.

“Who is the other one?” I asked.

“My sister,”Jacky said. And then she smiled up at me.

Jacky’s mom spoke up then, telling me of Jacky’s 8-year old big sister at home. The girls were very close and weren’t able to see each other through this period of hospitalization because her sister had a cold and wasn’t allowed in the sterile hospital environment.

Through music, Jacky had found an outlet to express the loneliness she felt without her sister’s companionship.

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