The next week, Malachai received a phone call on his cell. It was from the Commissioner of the County Fair. His daughter was at the party that they’d played and decided to ask her father if he needed a local band to play the fair. She’d recorded a small portion of the show on her cell phone and showed it to her Dad. The Commissioner asked that the band try to do an equal amount of covers and original material to give the people of the county a glimpse of the kind of talent they have in the their own back yard. When Malachai hung up the phone he was ecstatic. “YES!” he shouted.
His cry of joy rang out so loudly that his mother actually interrupted the massage she was giving his father to see what was going on. “Is everything ok, Malachai?” Brie asked.
“Oh, shit, Mom, I’m so sorry and please tell Dad I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt his massage. I’ll keep my elation down until you’re done and I’ll tell you then. I’m really sorry.”
She laughed. “I’m sure your Dad will forgive you as long as whatever you’re so excited about warrants such excitement. Just be sure to tell your Dad what the problem or excitement is when he walks out here to get his water after his massage when I’m done in forty- five minutes.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Brie left the room and Malachai called Logan and Caleb. “We’ve got another gig!”, he laughed softly when they answered their phones.
“Really? What is it this time?” Logan asked.
“One of the girls that was at the party we played last week was the daughter of the County Fair Commissioner. I just got off the phone with him. He wants us to do a balance of covers and original material. Isn’t that awesome?”
“Hell yes it is!” Caleb said. “I’ve been wanting to play some of the stuff we wrote for a while now. So, when is the gig?”
“Last night of the fair, which is in two weeks, and we have an hour.”
“Have you told Jordan yet?” Logan asked.
“I’m gonna text her after we’re done on the phone. I can’t call her because she’s in school. And after I do that, I have some class work to do myself.”
“You got that online course through Loyola?”
“Yep. I’m neck deep in Business Administration. Thankfully, they’re only sending me the books for four classes a semester so we can work on music as well.”
“You gonna follow in Uncle David’s footsteps and get your triple BA?”
“I’m not sure. I know I’m going to study Theology after I’m done with the Business Admin. And FUCK Poly Sci. I will NOT study Political Science. Dad can have the field all to himself in the Draiman family”, Malachai said with a laugh.
“I’ve noticed that your parents always seem to be studying something”, Caleb said.
“Yeah. Mom’s always trying to stay up on the latest massage techniques and modalities and Dad just like to read. When Jordan and I got in from the party last week the whole family was watching some crazy thing that Dad recorded on the DVR about Aliens and Ancient civilizations. My family is full of nerds, me included.”
Logan and Caleb laughed. “I’m gonna be sure to tell Uncle David you said he’s a nerd, Malachai”, Logan said, breathless from laughing.
“Go right on ahead, fucker. You know what, he’ll agree with me. He’s a nerd, Mom’s a nerd, I’m a nerd, Jordan and Jacob are nerds, Maddie’s a super nerd, the quads- all four are nerds, Jessi and Marc are nerds too. The Draiman family is nothing but nerds!”
--------------
After thirty minutes of arguing with Logan as to whether or not his family was full of nerds, Malachai texted Jordan to let her know that they’d landed another gig and that if their parents’ gave permission, he was going to pick her up from school that afternoon. “It’s a good thing I’m at lunch right now because I just fell out of my seat because I was celebrating. Talk to Mom and Dad and let me know something soon”, Jordan replied.
“As soon as they come downstairs. Dad’s getting his weekly massage. I was so excited that Mom walked out of the massage to see what I was making noise about.”
“Dad’s gonna kick your ass. You know that, right?”
“Yes, Jordan, I know. Get to class and I’ll text you as soon as I have an answer.”
Brie came down the stair to see her oldest son sitting at the kitchen table, his book scattered around him and his lap top in front of him. “What are you up to now, ‘Chai?” she asked.
“Just trying to get some of this class work knocked out so that we can rehearse today. We’ve got a gig next weekend at the county fair.”
“Is that what you were so excited about earlier when I came down?”
“Yep. Oh, I was wondering if I could pick Jordan up from school today for rehearsal.”
Brie shrugged. “As long as your Dad doesn’t have a problem with it, I don’t. I know you’re a safe driver.”
“Thanks, Mom. I’ll as Dad when he stumbles down the stairs. Oh, by the way, Mom, Logan’s going to tell you and Dad that I called you both nerds.”
“Did you?”
“I sure did. I said the entire family was full of nerds, myself included.”
She laughed. “Nice. Well, as long as you put yourself in there, I can forgive you. I’m sure that your Dad will too.”
--------------
David came down the stairs without having to lean on anything to walk. “Those just get better and better with every week”, he said as he opened the refrigerator door and grabbed a bottle of water. He eyeballed Malachai. “Now, boy, you had BETTER have a REALLY good reason as to why you interrupted my massage.”
“I do, Dad”, Malachai said and looked up from his books. “We landed another gig at the fair.”
David nodded slowly after taking a long drink of the water. “Really? How did you land that?”
“One of the girls that went to the party last week is the Commissioner’s daughter. She recorded a little of the show and showed it to her dad. He called me and asked if we’d be interested. The gang has already told me to use my discretion when accepting gigs and it’s next week end- the last day of the fair. We have one hour and he wants us to play an equal ratio of covers to original material.”
David leaned back against the counter and took another drink of water, then looked at his wife. “What do you think of all this, Brie?” he asked.
“I think that the fair is good publicity for them, and I’m sure by now, that all of those kids that went to that party last week has let friends out of state hear their music. Soon, they’re going to be traveling. The fair is just a stepping stone.”
David nodded. “I agree.” He looked at Malachai. “It’s great news. You seem to have a fine business mind. I’m glad that you chose Business Admin as your major.”
“Thanks, Dad. Oh, can I pick Jordan up after school so that we can go straight to rehearsal afterward?”
“You might as well pick Jake up after school too and bring them both home. Jordan won’t want to go to rehearsal in her school clothes. She’ll want to go to rehearsal in her jeans and heels. You know your sister.”
Malachai nodded. “Yes, sir. You’re right.” Then, he had a thought. “Dad, can we have rehearsal here in the studio? That way we don’t risk ruining the piano by trying to move it over to Caleb’s house.”
David shrugged. “Let everyone know. My studio is your studio, as long as you’re rehearsing and NOT fucking with my equipment, Malachai. I mean that. That equipment is expensive and you haven’t earned to money to replace it yet.”
Malachai nodded. “Yes, sir. I’ll be sure that Caleb knows not to mess with the equipment.”
David laughed. “Stop reading my mind, Malachai. You’re as bad as you mother is at times.”
“Dad, you really shouldn’t broadcast so loudly. I bet Jessi and Marc heard you across town at school.”
----------------
Malachai sent out a mass text to his band mates, Jordan included. “Rehearsal at mine and Jordan’s place in the studio. Fuck with the equipment and your die a slow painful death. Practice starts one hour after Jordan gets out of class for the day to give me to time to pick up all of my siblings AND to give Jordan time to change her clothes”, the text read. When he got no response, he was sure that everyone understood what was going on. Thirty minutes before Jordan and Jacob were due to get out of class, Malachai took off to be waiting at their school to pick them up. It was always good to be thirty minutes early to the school that that particular set of twins attended. That way he could get them and get the hell out of dodge.
“Jake and I will be the first ones out the door. Apparently, Dad called and gave clearance for us to leave a little early so that you can get out to Maddie’s school, then the other kid’s school to pick all of us up”, Jordan texted to Malachai as she and Jacob walked down the hall.
They walked through the door as Malachai finished reading the text. “You two are so slow”, he joked with them through the opened window.
“Ah, blow me”, Jake joked back. “It’s not my fault that Ms. Rock- diva-licious over here had to stop to primp in the way out.” He elbowed his twin sister in the ribs gently.
“This is one bitch that as to look good no matter what she’s doing”, she said with a laugh.
No comments:
Post a Comment