The Blue Book

The fourth chapter. Charles Bremner.

'Okay, okay, let's calm down, people!'An almighty rumbling caused by chairs being moved, notes being packed down and discussed, small talk of which part we could do better at and which part we got covered suffocated my attempts to calm down my people, making me want to scream at the top of my lungs to reclaim their attention. I sighed. The woman across the hall, to me it seemed like a hundred feet away, threw me a wondering expression. Her and I had a little agreement. I let my eyes travel over the confidently moving crowd.
Yes, do it.
An even more, actually much more almighty crash erupted the organised chaos. The people froze mid-movement with their instruments in hand, wondering what it was that kept them from going home to their beloveds and families after a session this long. The answer to that would be the huge cymbals I'd asked her to clash together when the noise got to loud.
'Now.' I called over them, with the brightest smile yet this evening. 'Much better! I know that you are all in a hurry to make up for lost time, I know very well, for I am too. But I must reprimand you all a little bit. Please do not ever do that, okay? I have plenty to say even after I say we are finished, and even if I don't, perhaps someone has questions and in either way,' I had to pause for a little breather, trying to make yourself heard in the midst of hundred and fifty musicians was a quite strenuous task 'we all always bow after the last tune! Make it a habit people, your audience and yourself are one, you work hard and put your bodies, souls and brain activity into this and they pay you for an extraordinary show, now let's see what those young backs of yours can muster! Picture an howling, cheering crowd, screaming praises and huzzahs to you! And now: en, to, tre, fire, fem,'I turned towards the double doors and bent my back forward with my arm at my tailbone and the other holding my personal wand stretched out like a soldier giving his salut then straightened myself to my own full height which I'd been told was rather impressive. A hundred and fifty people followed my lead and I smiled both to myself and them.
'Now get out of here!' I grinned. 'I'll see you all tomorrow as always, you, you and you, yes... No, you with the large thing, yes, thank you, I'll see you all, oh, no, it'll only take a minute. The rest of you make yourself gone this very instant! You have wasted enough time here I'd say, go home and tell your mother, sisters, fathers and brothers or cousins or children, wives or husbands, whichever, that you love them! Transfer all that energy that I just got to endure...only joking, the energy I had the privilege to be acquainted with into those three words and make sure that this is all worth it, learn them play a tune and make sure they know why are you absent. Fine, now you can go, do not forget to practise at fifty two page four and remember, always...'
'Bow for your audience. Yes, sir, we got it.'
'Very well.' I smiled.
'Is something the matter, Mr. Bremner?'
'Yes and no, you see, I've gotten myself into something you'd call a predicament.'
'Oh. And I can help? I'll do anything.'
'Now here's the spirit, very good, Mr...?'
'Mulk.'
'Mulk... Aa, yes that's an unusual name. You see we shall have ourselves a little tour you might call it. And I've got everything covered, what program and notes, all in all it's all done, except for one thing.'
'What is it?'
'Our clothes.'
Mr. Mulk blinked once. Then twice, then realised that he should probably open his mouth to say something, then after that it struck him that he didn't know what to say so he closed it again.
'I am... Confused.'
'Yes, I can see that. See, we need to do something...'
'Extraordinary?'
'Indeed! That's it, thank you. And every musician only ever wears black and white, usually, now I want the people to remember us by more than by our spectacular talents.'
'I'm honoured, of course, but, sir, I can't sew.'
'No, I figured as much, but your son I've heard has quite the fingers, as do your wife. Can they help me?'
Mulk hesitated.
'I don't want to ask for anything more of them other than patience, Mr. Bremner.'
'Hm. I see. I suppose I'll have to seek magic elsewhere. Thank you mister Mulk, for your time.'
'I am sorry, sir.'
'Oh, don't be, don't be, friend. It will be spectacular either way. Worst case would be that I'll have to concoct something.'
'Good night, sir.' With that the man lifted his fine black top hat from his dirty blond hair and swung the bag which contained his humongous instrument over his back. That was too bad, really. I had really hoped I needed to search for help with our costumes no longer. Oh, well, I'm sure something will come up at some point.
I myself lingered just a little while longer at the sense of greatness that rested on this scene, gazing up at the high heavy bordeaux coloured drapery and thought of all the musical geniuses and radiating singers it had unveiled. I wandered the fifty feet across the wooden ground beneath me and reminisced of all the dancers that had tapped their feet here in easy dances in plays of deception and sorrow, undeniably happiness and how the people tried to keep her with them, the happiness, and how she retaliated by turning herself into grief and ashes. I looked at the seats where the audience used to applaud for us and payed my respects to all the countless gasps and shocked sounds the men and women had let escape themselves by accident when they mezmerised took in what the artists were showing them. My head turned upwards, stretching my throat and making my jawline sharp as the egg of a butcher's knife and I sipped in the lights high, high above me.
At last I decided that it was time to leave. I too, as I said before, have lost time to make up for.
My coat were tugged gently by the friendly breeze from the docks and I smiled at the refreshing sensation. I locked my eyes at a flower shop and in brisk pace I crossed the cobblestones.
'Charles!' My friend called from behind his desk. I felt for him, he has nobody and neither of us know why. He never found the right people I presume.
'Hello.' I said politely.
'The usual?'
'Yes, indeed the last ones withered only yesterday.'
'I'm sorry to hear that. I might have something,' a pause. The tall, thin man bent behind his desk to search for something, 'here we go. Hello, to you.'He said to a little flower that almost was crushed in his grip. 'This is said to be keeping the other ones alive longer, but I must confess I have got no clue whether it actually works, Charles, so,' another pause, this time to round the desk and open my free hand putting the tiny blossom there, 'on the house.'
'That is extremely generous of you. Thank you, friend.'
'Of course. Today was slow, I thought I'd do some good.'
'You always do, and the time will come where this loneliness of yours shall be a mere memory you can only fathom if you try really hard.'
'Oh, if that day ever comes I will never even think of trying to remember.'
'I understand, but past patches of life are not to be ignored that easily. Life has a way of paying back for such neglections. Always remember every part, should we ignore any bit of it we generally have got to pay the price for it someday. The only thing that puts you into more danger than to not know your history is to know your history and ignore it. And you'd be mad if you do know your history but try and make it repeat itself.' I reminded and took the bouquet of white lilacs and daisies.
'Thank you for the words of wisdom, sir. I shall remember.' The florist chuckled.
'We better, or we shall be all lost in a spinning wheel of reappearing events in human's twisted history.' Those were the last words I spoke for another hour until I came home and told my mother, sister, father, brother, my wife and children, that I love them. I transferred all that energy that I just got to endure...only joking, the energy I had the privilege to be acquainted with into those three words and made sure that this is all worth it, I learned them play a tune and made sure they know why I'm absent.

*****

Great thank you to anyone that takes their time to read this tale, plus a special thank you for @AceofAceTaemin as officially the first voter of The Blue Book. I hope you'll all continue reading. //thefrozenosviva.