The Called Part 10

April 29th, 2011 by Wordsman

Dizzy, as satisfied as a director can be with the performance of a mere human actor—when will they perfect android technology?—emerged from behind the camera once more.  She nodded to her brother, pumped the keys on her well-worn trumpet, coasted easily through a couple blues scales, and charged straight into her audition piece.

Peter had his own audition to go to, and an important one at that.  Of the dozen or so law firms to which he had applied, Huston and Thomas was the only one that had called him back.  Crescenton had no shortage of law students looking to get their names out there, and a lot of them had fathers who “knew a guy,” so competition was fierce.  But when he heard his sister start to play, he plopped right back down on the old couch to listen.

This was yet another reason why he had trouble understanding the need for an introduction: whatever her personality might have been, he didn’t see how anyone could deny his sister’s talent.  Though he would never admit it, her playing always moved him deeply, and it takes a lot to pluck the heartstrings of a man who decided he wanted to be a lawyer at age ten.

Just as she avoided the cheap thrill of the four-letter word in her speech, her music did not rely on the simple attention-grabbers.  There were no blaring fanfares, no blindingly fast technical riffs (not that her technique was lacking); Dizzy’s specialty was smooth lyrical passages that carried the human soul as irresistibly as a river in flood season.  One moment he was almost choking up, and the next he was grinning inanely, and if you asked him why he could only say that it was all in the music.

But perhaps there was another reason.  Maybe listening to his sister play called up old memories, evoked nostalgia for . . . but that part of his life was behind him, and it was all for the better, probably.

Of course, it was only after she finished that they discovered that Dizzy, unaware that the camera had continued to record while she introduced her brother, turned it off when she meant to turn it back on.  This discovery led to a thorough examination of the camcorder, a veritable tempest of 100% original profanity, and a repetition of everything they had thought they accomplished.  The delay did not make Peter late for his interview, but, luckily for him, it did keep him from arriving until just before it started.  Sometimes all the preparation in the world is no match for a good old-fashioned adrenaline rush.

Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

Leave a Comment

Please note: Comment moderation is enabled and may delay your comment. There is no need to resubmit your comment.