All that Jazz (A 1964 love story)

All That Jazz

Some starting notes in case you get confused. The words in Italics are thoughts (except for the song that Tim sings). This story is set in 1964 just after the death of James Powell, the location Is Harlem, New York City and the riot that the couple attended was the Harlem Riot of 1964. (I am so sorry if any of this info is wrong it has been a good while since I wrote this short story)

 "Now folks, to close out this sweet evenin'. We got Timothy to serenade the night away. So give him a round of encouragement!" The crowd inside the hidden jazz club, The Sweet Sound of Jazz, were fired up as they let out a round of cheers and snaps. They haven't had a decent show since Freddie Hubbard, and even then a select few saw him. Including the lovely caramel-smelling Denise. Denise was a hard one to please; she was rarely appeased and the countless lover boys showed just that, but the moment the 'serenading Timothy' stepped on stage she was slapping her hand over her mouth.

The sound of the cheers and snaps ceased as they saw the clean-suited white man. Even though the club was welcome to just about anyone it wasn't common to see a white person in the vacancy, because they never wanted to be close to a 'dark-skinned heathen'. Denise rolled her eyes. It's just gonna be another helpless white boy who wants to take pity on the less fortunate. She thought. Denise was going to take her fake silk shawl and walk right out into the windy night until she heard a sweet, thick, and heavy voice pull her back to her seat and paralyze her.

"Even when it's dark outside

You still bring a shine to my eyes

But without you underneath me today

I can't even see through the stars

I can't help but think of you when we're far apart"

The jazz club sounded as if dead, as if no one was there and the club were out of business, as if everyone there had their mouths sewn shut, as if everyone left and it were just the lonesome voice alone in the empty haven.

"Whenever I see you, there's a peace in my life

So I wrote this poem, to show you my love

If you don't reciprocate quick enough

I might be with the stars above

Thank you, my love"

Seconds and minutes passed in silence. The people all sat still as if starstruck. Especially Denise; she had never heard such a heart-gripping piece of art in her life. It was as if Timothy was looking at her, and her only in the wide sea of people. Like they had suddenly had a one-direction conversation and everyone in the room disappeared. It didn't last for long as Denise tore her eyes away finally coming back to the once silent room; now rowdy from the man's singing. Everyone reveled in the way he sang like he was fearless when he was up there and no one could stop him, but in all actuality Timothy was petrified. So, many questions were passing through his mind. Was he going to be criticized? Did the lyrics sound good? Did his voice crack? What if they kick him out? He could have sworn he sounded like a frog belting sounds from his throat as he quickly walked off the stage. He walked out the door cutting between the stage entrance to the rest of the club, but he was stopped halfway through the threshold by a caramel-smelling figure.

"What is a lavish man such as yourself doing in this hidden little Jazz club." The words fell like honey from her round lips. Timothy finished his final step through the door heading toward his booked table in the far back of the establishment. Denise followed.

"Well, if you must know love, I like Jazz, and all the other clubs don't really give as much of the aura of 'Open Sesame' as I would like it to." Timothy slithered around the booth into the seat right in the middle of the table. Denise followed.