Tales from the rails

The April Concert

DD was walking home one night, alone. He often did this on Saturday nights to clear his mind. He was a little worried, he had a concert coming up where he was performing. It was all hosted by his teacher, Mr. A. He was worried about the new students that had joined the class, having only been practicing for a few weeks. He was approaching his house when he noticed his light on, in the window was Delilah, watching him. He waved to her and she waved back. He walked up to the front door, unlocked it, and walked inside. He shut and locked the door behind him. He began to climb the stairs and wandered towards his room. The other doors were shut, but his was slightly opened and light was pouring into the hallway. He walked in to see Delilah lying on the bed. She was looking at DD, a smile on her face. "I can't wait for the show." She said, her tail was wagging as DD walked towards the bed. He sat next to her on the bed, putting his head on her soft shoulder. "Do you think we're ready?" He asked. "Nope, but I know we got this." Delilah said cheekily. DD then turned off the lamp on the nightstand and the two laid down. Delilah kissed DD on the cheek, and DD kissed Delilah on the cheek. The two soon drifted off to sleep. The next morning, DD and Delilah had work. They took the bus to Drenk station and headed off to the sheds. They were quite tired, the gray skies and little light from the sun not helping. They woke up Dan with a warm fire and rolled him onto the turntable. The three of them went to the carriage sheds to get David, Clara, and Henry, who had woken up and were ready for the day. Dan backed down onto his coaches and was coupled up. The six then set off to the station, Dan was parked at the platform and was given a red tail lamp on his smokebox, representing a stopping passenger. Billy was at the platform, helping passengers with luggage and taking tickets. Dan was soon ready, his coaches packed with happy passengers and his driver was in Henry's cab. Billy blew his whistle and Dan set off in reverse down the line, giving a, "Peep, Peep!" As he set off. Delilah shoveled coal into the firebox and made the fire burn hot. She kept an eye on the water gauge as they continued along, letting the fire warm the cab a little bit as they got on the junction. Dan was on his way. "Do you think I can watch the show?" Asked Dan as the entered the small valley. "Yeah, it should be by the station so you'll be able to get a good view." Delilah said. "Awesome! I can't wait!" Dan chuffed cheerfully as he began to slow down for the Bluebell Station. Passengers flowed in and out of the coaches, and once the last passenger got in, the coaches shut their doors and Billy blew his whistle. Dan whistled back and started off, some chains being pulled in his cab to make him reverse. Dan and Delilah chatted about how practice was going and how school was for her and what songs they were going to do as he continued on to the next station.

The next day, DD was called into Mr. A's classroom at lunchtime. "Hey DD, think you can do me a favor?" "Sure, what's up?" Can you help sell some tickets to the school? You know, get some kids to come see the show." "Sure, I don't see why not." "Good, also, you might wanna bring your guitar, help sell the tickets." "Okay." DD went to his guitar, it was in the case which had straps on it that made it easy to carry. He slung it around his back and went to the cafeteria. There was a table set up for him with two chairs. He expected someone to be sitting with him. He set up, there were a bunch of tickets that were the tickets and a cash box that had twenty dollars in change inside, broken up in smaller bills. DD sat at the table and tuned his guitar, tightening each string as he plucked along. He took out his lucky pick and strummed a few chords, he was in tune. "Oh my god, I'm working with you?" Asked a voice. It was Mia, she was hanging out with some of her friends as they wandered up to the table. "I guess you are." DD said as he moved the chair, he was going to stand on it and play to get everyone's attention. He looked around, there were at least a hundred people in the cafeteria, being the Sophomores and Juniors. "Ahem! Hello everyone!" DD yelled out, cupping his hands over his mouth to make a small megaphone. Everyone shut up and turned their heads. Rhys, Emma, and Delilah were not too far from DD, and looked at their friend with a puzzled look. "What's he doing?" Asked Rhys. "I dunno." Said Emma. "He's selling tickets." Delilah answered, a smile grew on her face. "I'm going to be playing a song that I've been working on for a bit, and if you wanna see more stuff like this, then come to the Deedburg Concert this Saturday!" He yelled, everyone looked around, "Concert?" "Didn'a play already happen a couple weeks ago?" DD looked down at the guitar's fretboard. His fingers were in the position of E major. He began strumming. "I hear the train a comin', it's rolling round the bend, and I ain't seen the sunshine since, I don't know when! I'm stuck in Folsom Prison, and time keeps draggin' on. And that train keeps a rollin', on down to San Antone." He paused for air, "When I was just a baby, my mama told me, 'Son, Always be a good boy, don't ever play with guns.' But I shot a man in Reno, just to watch him die. When I hear that whistle blowin', I hang my head and cry." He did a little solo, thinking numbers and string letters, "I bet there's rich folks eating in a fancy dining car. They're probably drinking coffee, and smoking big cigars. Well I know I had it coming, I know I can't be free. But those people keep a movin', and that's what tortures me." He repeated the solo, some people were digging it, some cheering and clapping him on, "Well if they freed me from this prison, if that railroad train was mine, I bet I'd move it a little farther down the line. Far from Folsom Prison, that's where I want to stay. And I'd let that lonesome whistle blow my blues away." He finished the song and the entire school was cafeteria for him. The students, the teachers that had come to watch, the lunch ladies, everyone! "Thank you! Thank you! Remember, if you wanna see more, then you can buy tickets here, all week, and they're only five dollars a piece." DD said as he sat back down. Adrenaline was coursing through his veins. "I'll let you handle the rest." DD said to Mia as students began to line up to buy tickets. They soon crowded around the table! Three of them being Rhys, Emma, and Delilah. They were blowing up with excitement. "Where did that come from?!" Rhys asked as put his hands on the table. "You have to buy a ticket." Mia said annoyed. "How did you do that?" Emma asked. "You have to buy a ticket." Mia said, louder and more annoyed. "Where did that guy go so I can ask him to go out on a date?" Delilah flirted. "Yo, I'm trying to sell tickets, either buy one or scram!" Mia yelled. She was completely ignoring the 10th grader right in front of her, holding the five dollars for a ticket. "Come on guys, I wanna go get a drink." DD said as he stood up. He put his guitar away and started to put it over his shoulders. "You're leaving?" Asked a student. "But we want more!" Another added. "Then come see the show, that's why you lined up, right?" DD said, but then he saw the papers and pens. "Alright, let's do this." DD said as he walked back to the table and began signing autographs. On all of them he wrote, "DD Was Here", and made sure tickets were sold. In total that day, 20 tickets were sold, which was all good in DD's book. He then went to get a water bottle from the lunch line to refresh his voice and then chatted with his friends. But soon the bell rung and they left for gym class.