More Than a Lifetime #5: Return to Normal

Chapter 10

Twenty-four hours later, Data was back on board, Spot was with her rightful owner, and it was Friday night.

Ten-Forward was packed. Apparently, this was more than just a little performance, as Will had claimed it would be. At a few minutes before 1900 hours, there were at least 200 people in the room. Dani was surprised there was still an empty table or two remaining near the platform that would serve as the stage. She walked over and, after confirming that they weren't being saved for anyone, she sat down in one of the chairs.

She looked around the room. With this many people in attendance, she was beginning to think they should have held this event in the auditorium. Maybe there was something else taking place there. Then again, even if there were, she knew that Will would much prefer the casual, interactive setting of Ten-Forward over the formal distance of the auditorium.

When the crowd became more hushed, Dani looked around the room to see what had caused the sudden change. Her eyes fell on Ten-Forward's entrance, and she learned why the crowd's noise level had dropped a few decibels. Will and the rest of the musicians in the group had arrived and were walking through the door. As they took the stage and prepped their instruments, everyone clapped. The quintet consisted of a trumpet, a saxophone, a trombone, a clarinet, and percussion. Will, the ensemble's leader, stepped forward to the mic, his trombone in hand.

"Good evening, everyone," he began. "I hope everyone has had a wonderful day. And if you haven't, I hope tonight can be the bright spot in your day. Let me start off by saying that this isn't a formal concert. If you get the urge to get up and dance, by all means do so. Socialize, drink, eat. Whatever you want. Our purpose up here is to help ensure that you all have a good time. So, without further ado, here's the music. Enjoy."

Everyone clapped as Will returned to his seat at one end of the row of chairs, which were arranged in a slight arc, with the exception of the drums, which were situated behind the rest of the musicians. They began with a slightly upbeat tune, which had everyone tapping their feet. Some had even taken on partners and were dancing in an area beside the stage which had been set up specifically for that purpose.

Dani watched Will as he played. The trombone - it certainly wasn't the most alluring instrument. In the wrong hands, it could look awkward and sound awkward, too. But it seemed to suit Will. She couldn't really see him playing anything else. And he played it so well. He had such a command of the instrument. He made it look so easy, never having to distort his features in the slightest to reach those high notes.

When the song ended, the audience clapped, and Will stood and approached the mic. "This next piece is an old Earth favorite, from the twentieth century, circa the 1940s. It's called "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy." The audience chuckled at the title of the song as Will returned to his seat. The song began with a trumpet solo that led into a very upbeat melody with a heavy brass influence. Some of those dancing caught her eye when they started to perform movements that Dani could only guess were swing dance movements. She'd learned a little of it herself when she was in dance classes as a child.

Dani watched and saw that they were actually quite good. They had to have taken classes to get like that. They weren't missing a beat. Dani had a brief urge to get up and join them, but decided against it. She didn't have a partner, and she didn't want to make a fool of herself. She contented herself with simply watching them. She was amazed when the man lifted the woman off the floor and swung her to either side of him before placing her feet back on the floor again. 'They had to have practiced all this before they came here,' Dani thought, watching them as they maneuvered through another set of complicated dance moves from another era. Their movements came to an end as the song did, and once again everyone clapped. Will walked up to the mic again.