Whilst I was waiting at Avignon TGV I heard Erik Satie’s Gymnopedies being played on a piano
The pianist who was missing some of the more difficult notes was waiting for a train with her cousin
An American woman asked about the pianist and was told that her name was Texas Poem and that she was studying music in Paris
She had travelled south as her uncle had suffered a stroke and was gravely ill
That was all that I heard of the conversation as my attention was detained by the sight of a migratory bird
This bird was resting on a girder that was supporting the station roof but it seemed neither distressed or unwell
I thought it might be sheltering from the brutal heat but I could not be sure
Whilst my attention was diverted the beautiful pianist and her cousin left their theatre
Their train had arrived and they were making their way towards the platform
The station stool was now vacant and the keys of the piano were silent
Yet I could still hear them quite clearly against the background noise