Take Me to the Water

PART 7 // Uncle Calvin

Life seemed to snap right back into Uncle Calvin after I laid my hand on him. Almost instantly he became joyful again, and he started to care more about me and Leah. Now, he'd talk to us and ask us how we were doing, and if we needed anything. He also cared more about the house, and he got the entire place restored, furnished, and painted. Little by little, I watched as things came together. A couch here, a lamp there. He even bought a TV for the living room, which even Leah was happy about.

Leah still rarely talked to me, but every night we'd sit in the living room and watch episodes of I Love Lucy and The X-Files. She'd sit quietly on her couch, I'd sit quietly on mine, and we'd watch TV until we fell asleep. Our house was finally starting to feel like a home, and it especially did when Uncle Calvin began playing music again.

The only thing Uncle Calvin brought with him from Georgia was his saxophone, but he hadn't taken it out of the case since we came. The case just sat in the corner of the dining room collecting dust until one night, as Leah and I watched TV, I peeked over to the dining room and saw Uncle Calvin opening up the case. He examined the golden instrument lying inside like it was a newborn baby in a crib, and he smiled. He carefully picked up the saxophone, and then took out a cloth and wiped the instrument off gently and precisely. I could tell by how he handled the saxophone that it meant so much to him.

When he was done cleaning the sax, he put a new reed inside of it, made sure everything was tuned, and then he gave it a blow. Just the sound of the instrument made him smile. He pulled the sax away from his face and examined it, impressed. He then put it back up to his mouth and played a jazzy tune. I didn't know the song he was playing, but I was instantly mesmerized.

I got up from the couch and went over to where he was playing and began to snap my fingers with a smile. There was something about the music that made me feel free, and made me want to dance. Music always made me feel this way. I used to love hearing my dad and Uncle Calvin play together in our living room back home, and I didn't know how much I missed it until Uncle Calvin brought his sax back out.

Uncle Calvin chuckled at my snapping and continued to play with his eyes closed. Leah wasn't amused and she turned the TV up louder to drown us out, but neither of us cared. Uncle Calvin kept playing, and I kept dancing. It felt like the old days. The only thing missing was my father—and of course, my mother. When Uncle Calvin finished playing his tune, he looked at me with a smile.

"How about me and you start a band, baby girl? How's that sound?"

I smiled from ear to ear.

*******

Uncle Calvin wasted no time putting a band together. He rounded up a few men he knew from the plant who played instruments: Felix, who sold us the house, played the guitar and his brother Gary played the bass. One night, Uncle Calvin, came home excited and yelled for me and Leah to come downstairs. We didn't know what was going on, but we both hurried down and stopped in our tracks when we saw Uncle Calvin and Felix wheeling an old piano inside.

"Look girls! Check it out!" Uncle Calvin said, excitedly." Me and Felix found it on somebody's curb."

My jaw dropped. The piano wasn't in the best condition, but it was a piano, and just the sight of it made me happy. Leah didn't care though. She smacked her lips and went back upstairs.

"I can't believe you interrupted me for this junk!"

She stomped her way up the stairs and Uncle Calvin waved her off.

"Forget her!" He said as he and Felix continued to wheel the piano in. "One man's trash is another man's treasure! What do you think baby girl?"

"I love it!" I said, excitedly.