Souls & Spirits | ONC 2024

Commonplace

Aster carried his violin case and shoved it to the backseat before getting on board. “I was just wondering,” he looked at Mrs. Ray, “I don't mean to sound unprofessional, but I need to know who I'll be working with.”

“You don't have to worry about that,” Daisy mentioned whilst Aster had caught a glimpse of his reflection on the rearview mirror and hadn't realized how disheveled he looked. His short raven hair looked messy beneath the flat cap. His five o' clock shadow was getting thicker and uneven. It didn't sit well with his thin frame. “Just play along and you'll fit right in. The band are old friends of mine, hun.”

“She used to sing for the band.” He shifted his gaze to look at Mr. Ray who was focused on the road.

“Really?” Aster grinned.

“Used to? Are you sure about that?” Mrs. Ray gave her husband the side eye.

“It has been a long time since you've performed with the dukes.” Blaise insinuated almost in a teasing tone. Daisy looked at Aster through the rearview mirror and turned it slightly in her direction.

“The band was called the Dandy Lions before rebranding, now they're just called the Daisy Dukes.” She pulled out her make-up bag to dab some blush on her cheeks as she looked at her reflection on the rearview mirror.

“Never heard of them.” Aster shrugged.

“It's understandable. You've been out of town.” Mr. Ray stopped the vehicle while they were waiting at the stoplight. “I almost forgot to ask you something;” Mr. Ray readjusted the rearview mirror at the center to get a glimpse of the vagrant. “Tell me Aster, how long have you been fiddling?”

“Excuse me?”

“What he meant to say was how long have you been performing.” Mrs. Ray clarified and saw the playful smirk on her husband's face, “Honestly, hun. You shouldn't be using mind games on the boy. Nevermind him, Aster. Blaise here has a bad habit on slipping trick questions from time to time. He did the same thing to me when I started working for him with the band.”

“It was just a question, dear.” Blaise stated, still having that smug look on his face.

“In one of his quirky questionnaires, he asked if I used a secret technique to sing.” Mrs. Ray told Aster while the entrepeneur looked at the stoplight as if he was casting a glare for the the lights to change color. “Do you want to know what was the trick question?” She looked directly at the vagrant while her husband clutched at the steering wheel, looking intently at the stoplight, “Was howling part of the the rehearsal or you needed a—”

A loud honk interrupted the question.

The stoplight turned green and the cars weren't moving. She couldn't tell if her husband was had done it on purpose or he was getting impatient with the cars that were in front of them. They both looked at Blaise for a couple of seconds but when he opened his mouth, a loud honk cut him off.

Aster had to stifle a laugh, he was worried about making a bad impression that he had almost forgotten how they were just ordinary people with their own flaws and virtues. It was sort of reassuring in a way that he could be a part of it.

In his peripheral vision, Blaise had turned to the right while his wife and the fiddler had kept talking to know each other a little more since the only topic they had in common was about performing and sleeping on the streets.

“Finding a place to stay is not really easy to find nowadays. When I was on the road we had to make tents out of cardboard boxes and sharing a blanket with 5 guys wasn't an ideal vacation trip.” Mr. Ray mentioned.

“At least it was in good company. It gets really cold at night without having a cardboard to cover oneself in. I found a couple of strays on my way to the park yesterday, there were four dogs fighting for a piece of moldy lasagna. When the hunger pang hits, it really hurts. Anything seems appetizing, even raw meat.” Aster pressed his hand on his stomach just remembering it. He wasn't sure if he was imagining it but he was certain that he saw an establishment.

A cafe that had an elegant sign with an illustration of a dandelion with flowery calligraphy written above: Dandy Cafe.

Aster kept staring at the sign then his gaze shifted towards the number of clients that could be seen through the glass window. The proprietor parked the automobile before Mrs. Ray dismounted the vehicle.

“We're here.” Mrs. Ray singsonged, breaking Aster from his trance.

“Oh, right.” Aster opened the car door and carried the violin case with him before closing the door just as Blaise activated the lock. Aster had surveyed the cafe as he followed Mrs. Ray inside.

The cafe was teeming with clientele, Aster looked at the rows of seats and tables full of happy customers consuming their meals. Some of them taking a couple of hors d'oeuvres and soft drinks to go. The door chimed before Blaise stepped inside and he noticed how the vagrant stared at the food.

Aster was looking at the menu board, the fact he didn't have a single dime to pay for one meal was what really made his stomach roil.

“Do you want anything?” Blaise asked, Aster wanted to decline but his stomach had a mind of its own, grumbling. Aster blushed, feeling his gaze.

“No wonder.” He shouldn't be self cautious. He should be happy. He was getting a chance to audition. He was going to eat a full course meal. “It's out of pity. Look at you! You're pitiful!” Aster tried to ignore those negative thoughts when he found a pastry he liked. “A donut would be nice.” Aster admitted before Blaise called one of his employees to give him a glazed donut.

“Try one. It's on the house.”