In The Days of Kay

Path to success

Don printed sheet music. Kay spent hours upon hours looking at the artwork that had been done by these artists on these sheets. Don was an odd man upon Kay first meeting him. He didn't stir up much of a conversation and he seemed to not have an interest in anything. He was so serious in his work.

He sat at his desk for a long period of time and would not say anything when he got home. Then, he would say goodnight to Kay and go up to his room. Upstairs he would go, sulking he would seem to be as he went to his bedroom.

Kay felt as though he was abandoned by this man when he went upstairs at night with his oil lamp. Why on earth did this man have an oil lamp still when he could afford to have lightbulbs put into the house if he wanted it. Kay became alone and sad, but eventually things took a change.

Don began to come around. Late in a night before he went upstairs to his room, he handed a sheets to Kay. Kay was pleased, but didn't say anything more than to give his thanks to Don. That was how Kay came around to the idea of music.

He could sit at night with music and look at those beautiful sheets. The drawings that were displayed he liked so much. They were so romantic looking. Like art he had seen on display before at a art gallery he had been to once on a school trip. That was the only way he was ever able to get into a place like that and he felt guilty. He was only in high school but he didn't know anything about spelling or literature. He did know math and history but he was so bad at everything else.

One was not sure where the history came from but Kay was well informed of this. He visualized those images in the night and were floating in his dreams. He was interested in the music. The format of the words printed on the heading of sheet music. He told Don eventually in a few days thereafter that he was thankful and had enjoyed his work.

Don was impressed that morning as he was making breakfast and had liked what he had said. Took him on as his associate and determined himself to help him grow to be as successful as he was. That was better than completly ignoring the boy. He would grow he thought. He would become a part of his company and be his associate, at his assistant.

That path to success would start with looking over the songs that had been popular since the days when Don had begun nearly twenty years beforehand. Going back to songs that had come out when he was born and as he was a little kid. "After the ball" the first song he remembered being something that was popular. "Swanee River," the song that told the story of the south.

"Ta ra ra Boom de aye," "Daisy Bell," each song on a sheet music in a pile of papers. The art had illustrated by one and published by Don Abrams. "Turkey in the straw," "Yankee Doodle," the songs had expanded to many different regents of the country and not just in the one place that they were in. "Maple Leaf Rag," Scott Joplin had come to at St. Louis and performed in the music hall. Kay never made it to see him play.

His life at the fair had affected his entire life. It was a great spectacle and in a way he was damaged. His interactions with people strange cause it was like he had interacted with every kind of person in the world.

Don brought Kay into the offices where he worked at when he was able to get away from his school studies. Sadly, Kay couldn't understand vocabulary and spelling very well and it was increasingly embarrassing to Don. To the point where he almost wanted to give up on him.

But Don was taking more of an interest and he introduced him to the artist who drew for the sheet music. The man who was currently drawling had a hand for what he was doing. The illustrations were truly beautiful; the kind of art that Kay enjoyed seeing. "I really like it," Kay said. "Thank you kindly," the artist replied. "It's just the kind of art that I like to see; it's not to rich or over peoples heads. "You don't have to evaluate what the art is saying, it's just simply there.

The artist smiled, and nodded his head. he had agreed with what the young boy had said. "You have made an excellent point, but now you are not part of the high society?" He questioned. Don laughed, "No, I'd hardly say Kay is part of the high society, but he's alright." "That's why they call him Kay." "But isn't that a girl's name," the artist said. "Yes, my name is actually Karl, but I was often called Kay by lads as a nick name and it's stuck with me." "Oh," the artist said, "very good."

His speech was broken. Kay had never shared that story to a Frenchmen before or anyone else at all in his life. He was embarrassed and when he got back home he was upset all night. But Don believed in him still. He would continue bringing him to the office; hand him papers to go through, show him every aspect of the work that he did. These were boring things to most people, but Kay took a great interest knowing this could very possibly be the best move for his career.

He would be paid very well. Don would help him with every single detail and aspect of his career. Kay had become a very lucky man; far from the days when he was just ok at things. Kay began to wear a smile more often, laugh and have a good time. And those things were important, especially to Don. Don had wanted to make someone happy. That was something he had never been able to do with all his money and success. Have the ability to make someone just like himself, happy.