Souls & Spirits | ONC 2024

Dandy Cafe

Aster had thanked Mr. Ray's generosity and accepted to eat a glaze donut, taking a bite from the treat while Mrs. Ray sauntered her way to the door that was reserved for authorized personnel and walked down a corridor. Once she went upstairs to the second floor, she entered her husband's office to make a business call.

A quick phone call to her former bandmate to inform about the new musician she found. However, the frontman of the Daisy Dukes was sleeping on the couch while the phone rang.

The small bedroom apartment was a mess; bottles of alcohol scattered on the floor, his bandmates and roommates alike remained asleep or unconscious from intoxication. Whilst they recovered from a hangover from the previous night of performing, the ringing was a distant echo.

One of them had stirred from slumber, a fellow saxophonist with messy dirty blond hair, a stubbly five o'clock shadow and arched eyebrows. He woke up feeling drowsy and irritated while wiped his saliva from his stubbly jaw.

The only thing the musician was wearing was a green clover patterned boxer as he staggered from the hangover as his head throbbed while he had to walk across the living room to reach the wall phone as the incessant ringing gave him a raging headache the closer he got to reach it.

Darrell's snoring wasn't helping his case either, so Sy begrudgingly picking up the phone and sighed.

“Hello?”

“Who is it?” Sy asked in a raspy tone as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes with his knuckles.

“Darrell, is that you?” A familiar feminine voice queried over the phone, though he recognized her voice, a rich contralto. It had to be Daisy on the other end of line.

“No,” Sy cleared his throat. “It's Sy, Darrell is still asleep on the sofa.”

“Good afternoon, Sy. Tell Darrell that we got a new musician who wants to audition.” Daisy informed over the phone, Sy on other hand was contemplating if he should wake the sleeping beast or let him sleep off the hangover.

“You know how Darrell gets when he doesn't get his beauty sleep.” Sy commented halfheartedly. “We could use a new trombonist, J.J. is not doing so good either.”

“Sy, the new musician is a violinist. Tell him when he wakes up to meet the new addition to the band.” She suggested.

“If he plays better than J.J. it's fine by me. But listen, if he finds out that you got him the wrong one. He's gonna blow a fuse.” Sy leaned on the wall as he pinched the bridge of his nose to control the pounding headache.

“No he won't, as long as he's buzzed enough to be in a complacent mood it'll be fine.” Daisy rreassured though Sy was having second thoughts which made his head hurt from the hangover.

“Very well, we're going to get brunch at your place.” Sy stated before he heard the phone hang up. Sweet silence, except for Darrell's snoring, the others were almost snoring in sync.

Daisy knew how long they were going to take to arrive, it would take another hour depending in Darrell's disposition to get off the couch.

“Wake up! We're going to the cafe to get brunch!” Sy hollered while some of them woke up, groaning from the hangover. Darrell was still asleep on the couch, snoring while the last of the band members stretched their limbs and yawned.

“I'll go take a bath and wash up.” Ben, the double bass player mentioned as he went to pick up a towel and a pair of boxers in the next room.

“You better not hog the bathroom like last time, I need to pee first.” J.J. commented as he headed to the bathroom first while the large roommate grabbed a towel.

“I'll pick up the bottles,” Morgan picked up the bottles one by one before putting them on the countertop while Darrell snored.

Sy stood in front of Darrell and leaned next to him to call him. “Darrell, coffee is ready.” The frontman opened his eyes and yawned as sat up on the couch, straihtening his back and stretching his arms.

“Where is it?” Darrell asked while he scratched his beard.

“At the cafe, dumbass.” J.J. hollered before he came out of the bathroom.

“You dirty liar.” Darrell grumbled.

“Be glad that I don't have coffee to dunk it on you.” Sy warned while Darrell groaned as he stood up from the couch. “There's a new musician Daisy wants you to meet.”

“About damn time! We need a new trombonist.” Darrell hollered.

“I can hear you.” J.J. barked.

“Calm down, ladies. We're going to get some grub.” Sy stated as he kept Darrell and J.J from throwing hands. By the time they arrived at the cafe, the band got in line to take their orders.

Aster had the opportunity to eat a stack of flapjacks and maple syrup for brunch as Daisy sat across from him as she waited for the band to arrive. The young lad had scarfed down the flapjacks, savoring the sweet taste before swallowing it whole.

"Mmm." Aster hummed, eyes closed. A dream come true.

Daisy turned around to look at the line and recognized one of the musicians. Her wry smile turned bright before she got up and walked towards them before Aster opened his eyes.

His daydream already ended only to realize that Daisy was already gone. Once he finally had caught sight of Mrs. Ray, she was already talking to a large man with a round face and a thick moustache along with three other men. Aster picked his violin case and went to bid adieu to Mrs. Ray.

Darrell picked up a cup of black coffee and received a plate full of oatmeal and an egg sandwich as a side dish while he heard Daisy asking them about the arrangements for the performance, and refreshments of the illicit variety. As he turned around he noticed a young man in rags carrying a violin case as he approached Daisy.

“Thanks for the meal, Mrs. Ray.” The musicians saw the vagrant and then the violin case.

“Gentlemen, meet Aster.” All their eyes were on him, “he's here to audition. He'll become the new addition for the band that is if he makes the cut.”