Icing on the Cake

Chapter Nine

Position, power, money, or popularity does not a great man make. Even the richest man in the world is poor if he is without love in his heart.
Maria Fontaine.

It was Thursday. Sidney had come on Monday and the party had been held the previous day, Tuesday. That same Monday, Jaden had left and Mary had finally had the chance to hug Jaden. Now, he was coming to the Browne’s house for a visit.
It was early afternoon when he got there. He paid the cab and entered the compound, greeting Peter the gatekeeper and John the gardener. He walked to the house and entered.
“Hello? Anybody home?” he asked as he entered the sitting room.
The house looked like nobody was around though. Well, Sylvia hadn’t known he was coming today so he guessed she would be at work. And Sidney, maybe he was upstairs. Then, the workers, he didn’t have a clue where they were. He considered going upstairs but he remembered he was now a visitor here and no longer a member.
He took the French doors, deciding to check the patio if anybody was there. He passed the pool and got to the patio, relieved to see that Mary, Jane, and Ms. Humphrey were there.
“Oh! Jaden. You’re here,” Ms. Humphrey greeted cheerfully.
Jaden greeted them.
“You’re welcome.” That was Mary.
“It’s nice to see you again,” Jane said.
He grinned this time. “Is Sylvia around?”
“No, she’s not. She went to work today,” Ms. Humphrey answered.
Jaden nodded. “I was passing by and decided to stop and see how everyone’s faring.”
“You saw us yesterday.”
“Anything can happen in a night. Not that I’m praying for anything bad to happen anyway,” he added.
Ms. Humphrey smiled and nodded although she knew there was more to him coming here.
“What about...” He broke off and cocked his head. Was that... music?
“You like music?” Mary asked.
He looked at her. “Yeah, I do,” he replied slowly and paused. “Who’s playing that?”
“Sidney. He loves music too. And he plays virtually every instrument.”
A smile played at Jaden’s lips. “Every instrument you say?”
Mary shrugged. “At least every one he knows.”
“He started learning how to at a very young age. You’ve heard Sylvia’s voice, haven’t you?” Ms. Humphrey asked.
His eyes widened slightly. “No.” Although, now he wished he did.
Ms. Humphrey chuckled. “What a pity! She has a beautiful voice. While she sang, Sidney played the instruments. He knows how to sing though.”
“And Sylvia also knows how to play a few instruments,” Jane chipped in.
Jaden nodded, taking everything in. So, she also knew how to sing. He looked up at the house, listening to the sound of the piano for a while. Then, he looked back at the women sitting there. “Can I go there?”
“Yeah, you can," Ms. Humphrey said. “Sidney’s pretty nice."
Jaden nodded. “I’ll go there then. Can you give me directions?” He couldn’t remember if Ms. Humphrey showed him a music room the first time he was here.
“Oh, yes. Just go upstairs and walk down the hallway. The last room on the left is the music room.” Jane offered.
“Thanks.”
As he made to leave, Ms. Humphrey stopped him. “Jaden, wait! Oh, pardon my manners. Wouldn’t you like to eat or drink anything?”
“No. Thanks for the offer anyway.” He grinned. “I’ll see you all before I leave.”
“Okay.”
Jaden turned and left them. He took the French doors and entered the sitting room. Then, he went upstairs, feeling a little bit strange. As he neared the end of the hallway, the music became louder and he slowed down. The door was half-way open, so he peeped into the room. He saw Sidney sitting by the grand piano which was at the far end of the room. He studied Sidney who played the piano with a lot of emotion. He had this kind of look on his face that you didn’t have to ask if he loved what he was doing, you just knew he did. He guessed he was going to like Sidney.
He pushed the door open and Sidney looked up from the piano, the same time he stopped playing. The yearning Sidney had on his face a moment ago was gone and now, cold eyes stared Jaden down. Now, Jaden rephrased his thoughts a moment ago. Maybe, he wasn’t going to like Sidney after all.
He stepped into the room and slowly walked towards Sidney, stopping only few feet from the piano.
“Who are you?”
Jaden was surprised. He was introduced to Sidney just yesterday and now, he didn’t know him? He glanced round the room. The room was stacked with instruments ranging from violins to guitars to flutes and saxophones, trumpets and drums. He ran his hands over the shiny, black wooden shelf where song scripts and music files were kept.
“You play very well. Who taught you?” Jaden asked instead, glancing at Sidney.
Sidney eyed his back a little. “My dad.” He had a slight American accent.
“You could teach me sometime.”
Sidney huffed. “Not when I don’t know you.”
Jaden turned to face Sidney fully now. He leaned against the wall with his right hip and his arms folded across his chest. “You still don’t remember me?”
Sidney stared at him for a while. No, he didn’t. He shook his head.
“Well, I’m...” What was he to say? “Jaden Ludascott. I worked here recently as a driver. We met yesterday, I suppose.”
“Really? I can’t remember your face... Wait! You were the one Sylvia introduced to me, right?” Sidney asked the steel leaving his eyes a bit.
Jaden nodded.
He looked Jaden up and down. “You look a little bit different today?”
Jaden shrugged. “It had to be the dinner suit I wore that caused that. I hated wearing it anyway.”
Sidney chuckled. “Then why did you wear it?”
Jaden shrugged again. “To impress the ladies I guess.”
Sidney smiled now. “We all hate wearing suits, don’t we?”
Jaden chuckled. “Yes, of course. And ties too.”
“Yeah, that’s hard work too.” Sidney looked at Jaden now with a little empathy in his eyes. “Did you say Ludascott?”
“Yes.”
“Who’s your father?”
Jaden angled his head. “Who do you think?”
Sidney sent him a little glare. “Then why did you work here as a driver?”
Jaden straightened and shrugged. “Personal reasons.”
“Were they made known?”
“Yes, but very late.”
Sidney nodded. “Do you mind if I ask what personal reasons?”
Jaden kept quiet for a while. “Do you mind if I wager on that?”
Sidney leaned back on the chair and thought for a while. “What kinda bet?”
“I’d tell you if you taught me how to play the saxophone.”
A smile twitched Sidney’s lips. “How’d you know I can play it?”
“You’re quite a star with respect to musical instruments and I’ll just say I’ve heard of you.”
Sidney smiled a little. “Okay, then.”
“Perfect. Practice first.”
“Now, that’s not fair. You tell me the reasons first. Then, that’ll be fair.”
Jaden considered arguing but decided against it. Sidney was right. He had asked first. “Okay. Where will I sit?”
“Oh, sorry. Sit over there.”
Jaden sat on a chair by the drums and faced Sidney. He explained everything to him and answered the questions that came after that. Then, they diverted to other topics. They talked about business, travels, parties, their unforgettable childhood stories, and finally, Sylvia.
“Um... Sid, can I call you that?” Jaden asked.
“Yeah, you can.”
“Just so you know, I asked Sylvia on a dinner date.”
Sidney didn’t say anything for a while. And Jaden thought that as the protective brother he was – according to his childhood story – he was going to tell Jaden that there was no way he would allow his sister to go on a date with him.
“When is the dinner?”
“Tomorrow.”
That brought Sidney’s face up. “Well, it’s up to Sylvia to agree or decline. I’m not going to interfere in her personal matters anymore... unless of course it’s required.”
“Okay.”
“C’mon, let’s practice.”
“OK.”
“But before that, show me what you can do.”
Jaden chuckled. “No. I can’t play the sax at all.”
“No not the sax. Say, the piano. And don’t tell me you can’t either.”
Jaden grimaced and stood up reluctantly. Sidney got up and gave way for Jaden to sit down by the piano. But Jaden did not sit yet. He looked at Sidney. “It’s been pretty long since I played any instruments,” he said, trying to convince Sidney to let him off the task.
“But I’ll like to hear you play.” He paused. “Or you could play the guitar.”
Jaden glanced at the electric guitar and nodded slowly. He could try that. The piano had too many memories of his home than the guitar. Sidney picked it up, connected it to a switch, and handed it over to Jaden. Jaden took it and sat down on the chair by the drums while Sidney sat back on the chair he just vacated. Jaden positioned the guitar on his laps. Caressing it, he remembered vividly playing guitar with Keith and also with his sisters. Returning back to the present, he sighed heavily. He spared Sidney a glance and then, plucked a string. Jeez. His hands were a little bit shaky. It had been a very long time since he really played instruments and it brought back memories of his home.
He tried again. Plucking another string, he picked up a note and began playing a song he had always known from childhood. His mum had been the one who’d taught him the song. Slowly, his eyes drifted close as he blended into the song. Welcoming the old familiar sensation he always felt, he smiled sadly as a myriad of emotions attacked him.
He became so engrossed in playing the guitar that he didn’t even hear Sidney applauding him.
“Jaden.”
It was Sidney’s voice that finally brought him back to reality. He stopped playing abruptly and looked at Sidney who was grinning at him.
“Sorry. Did I miss anything you said?”
Sidney shook his head. “Wow. That was great. How’d you learn to play like that?”
Jaden dropped the guitar on the floor and rested his back on the chair. “My dad taught me how.”
“It seems like you have it as a talent.” He nodded. “It’s a good one. Now, I’m wondering why you didn’t make it in the music industry.”
Jaden shrugged. “Maybe, I was never cut out for that.”
“Yeah. So, let’s start. Maybe, you’ll teach me later how to play the guitar.” He got up from his seat.
“Oh please, stop being modest.”
Sidney looked at Jaden. “What? Me, modest? You could tell that to Sylvia when next you see her.”
Jaden huffed. “I heard you could play practically all these instruments.”
Sidney shrugged defensively and picked up the saxophone. “Rumours spread fast.”
“That’s if it’s a rumour.”
Sidney stared at Jaden for a while and smiled. “I think I like you.”
Jaden shrugged. “Ditto.”
And he did like Sidney after all. They practiced for almost an hour and then Jaden decided to go. He shook hands with Sidney, thanking him for everything and then left. His cold stare at first was just a... what was he going to call it now? A gesture to intimidate him, he guessed. He went downstairs and told the women he was leaving.