AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“This is good news then, jo?”
Bernard looked so hopeful, Gil smiled and said, “Jo, it is.” He wouldn’t divulge the uneasiness creeping through his thoughts. He’d laid out a fleece and trusted God to answer at tomorrow’s competition. Was this salary improvement a sign that he would be sent back to New York?
Chapter Thirty-Four
Ava
Neither Mama nor Papa believedher story about having a headache and insisted she come to the celebration. After all, they wheedled, she’d done so much work on the boys’ uniforms, she should see how they looked. So Ava gavein.
She had to admit as the boys marched past, with the exception of Herman guiding the goat cart at the very front of the band, the boys appeared as professional as any of the other bands. She tried hard not to look at Gil, but her traitorous eyes sought him out anyway. And regret smote her. How handsome and respectable he appeared in his dark suit, but why hadn’t they decorated a jacket for him, too? The next time the boys performed, he should have one. But then she pushed the thought aside. He might never lead the boys after today. A uniform would be a waste of time and money.
The parade lasted more than an hour, and by the end of it Ava’s head pounded for real. So many people. So much noise and dust and activity. She longed for a quiet place to slip away. Papa found a small grassy spot in the shade of a towering cottonwood and left her and Mama there while he bought lunch for them. While they waited for his return, Joseph, Earl, and Herman passed by, still using the goat cart. Mama called them over.
Joseph left his brothers with the cart at the edge of the street and ambled to them, a relaxed smile on his face. “Goodendach,ladies. Are you having a good time?”
Mama folded back the brim of her bonnet and beamed up at him. “We are. I was so happy to see Earl participating. What a clever idea, using the goat cart.”
Joseph nodded. “Some of the boys in the band thought of it. I was surprised when Ma approved it, but I think she knew how much being in the parade meant to Earl. And Herman has had so much fun, he’s begging Ma and Pa to let him try playing my trombone in the band.”
Ava gave a start. “Has someone volunteered to direct the boys’ band after Gil leaves?”
Joseph shrugged. “You’d have to ask Gil about that.” He shifted from foot to foot. “It’s nice to see you ladies, but I should go. Pa sent us to get good seats for when the bands play in front of the judges. I’m sure the front row will fill quickly.” He took a step toward the street, then turned back. “If you’d like, I’ll save some spots for you. You’ll want to see and hear everything well, too.”
Ava started to refuse, but Mama spoke first.
“That would be very kind of you, Joseph. Thank you.”
He tipped his hat. “I’ll see you a little later then.”
Ava touched her mother’s arm. “Mama, we don’t have a child in the band. We should leave the front row for parents.”
Mama sighed. “You’re right. I was only thinking how hard it would be for me to climb up in the stands. A selfish thought. When we go, we’ll have Joseph free up those seats for someone else.”
Imagining Mama having to climb rickety stairs changed Ava’s mind. “Nä, you take the seat on the front row. Papa and I can stand to the side instead.”
Mama nodded. “That is a good compromise.”
Papa returned with a brown sack. He sat, opened the sack, and pulled out some kind of long, plump sausages in buns and three bottles of Dr Pepper. He grinned as he handed them the odd sandwiches. “The vendor selling these said they were featured last year at the World’s Fair in St. Louis. So I thought we should try them.”
Mama examined hers from several angles. “Ach, Bernard, maybe we should have brought something from home. This looks inedible.”
Papa took a big bite of his. He waggled his eyebrows and said, “Mmmm. Try it. It’s good.”
It was surprisingly tasty, especially when washed down with the warm, sweet, fizzy pop. Ava enjoyed every bit of her lunch, and by the time she finished, her head no longer ached. Such a blessing.
Papa gathered up their empty bottles and put them in the sack. Then he stood and held his hand to Mama. “The second part of the competition will start soon. Let’s go to the arena and find the Batys.” He helped Mama to her feet, then gave Ava the same assistance. As he released her hand, he suddenly patted his pocket. “Oh! I found something you will need when we get there.” He slipped his hand into his pocket and removed the folded piece of paper Gil had given her. He pressed it into her hand.
Ava automatically gripped the page. For reasons she couldn’t understand, her heart fluttered. “W-where…?”
“I found it lying on the entry table and was concerned it would be misplaced.” Papa briefly cupped her cheek. “Come. It’s time for us to cheer for our band and their leader.”
Gil
The boys stoodin a straight line, instruments in hand, eyes glued on Gil’s face. He kept an encouraging smile fixed on his lips, but underneath, his heart was banging worse than the clapper in the church bell alerting the surrounding countryside to a prairie fire—positively raucous. Three other bands had already played, all performing well-known songs, and he would judge their execution as excellent. The fourth group finished to rousing applause, whistles, and cheers. This competition was tougher than Gil had imagined, but he wasn’t nervous for the boys. He had full confidence in them. He was nervous about one person in the audience.
Thanks to Earl telling him, he knew Ava had come. How he wanted her to hear the soul of this song. How he wanted her to realize it was him unashamedly laying his soul bare in front of witnesses. Would she set aside her resentment and open her heart to listen?
“Next,” the announcer hollered, “is the Falke Boys’ Band under the direction of Mr. Gilbert Baty.”
