"What a coincidence?" I thought to myself. "How come this person know what I'm playing?"

    I was working on Clayderman's sheets, which I later discovered its popularity far above I'd expected. I didn't mind it then, after all, everybody might be capable of managing Mariage D'Amour in three months. I continue my journey down the pages.

    Two weeks later, I heard the melody through the wall that was so familiar to me as if the very one I'd just made the last night. That was a little bit shocking to me. "Okay, we could be playing on the same collection." And again, I didn't think much. "What am I to worry? I play better than whoever that could be does." And please believe, I'm not flattering myself. Who can run before he learns to walk?

    The "photocopying" proceeded.

    I was much ahead of C. With three scores completed, I found C still strangled by the first one. But C seemed to refuse to give in. Not even finishing the first one, C decided to leap. Like a child in front of various cakes, grabbing a piece form each but not bothering tasting or even chewing, C simply left the first one undone and went on to the second on the "copy list".

    And then I grew suspicious.

    What was that for, copying what I'd played? Am I serving as an sampler? Or, to be a little wicked-minded, was C trying to make me a camouflage so that whenever or whatever he (It took me years to find out who this is and to discover that he's actually younger than me by one year.) didn't play well, he could evade the blames on the false deeds and let me be the target in the neighborhood?

    So the initial happiness to have another pianist as a neighbor evaporated. Although I still play the piano, I no longer touch the Clayderman's. Instead, I choose the ones untraceable, unpopular, but still pleasant to ears not only mine but those of my friends and family. In deference to the experiences, I'd avoid tracks like Theme from Titanic, Canon in D major, etc. You might like what I play if you have an affection for MIchael Nyman's OSTs.

    I'm going to isolate Mr C, ha ha…