Page 8 of From Now On

‘So…’ Sasha asks, ‘what do you do for entertainment around here?’

‘I’ll show you,’ Duke says excitedly.

‘No, it’s okay,’ Charlie begins but Duke is already racing into the hallway, turning to beckon the others as they follow him.

Duke pushes open another door. ‘This,’ he announces, ‘is what we do.’

‘Wow.’ Sasha spins around taking everything in. The piano, the saxophone, guitars, a microphone. Everything crammed together in the space where a dining table should be.

‘Yes. Wow,’ Duke says proudly, wondering why Charlie and Nina aren’t saying anything.

‘And that?’ Sasha points to the words on the gold wall written in large, black swirling letters. ‘That’s a bit different to Live, Laugh, Love.’

‘“All The Things You Are” is Mum’s favourite song. She sings it to us. Ow.’ Duke rubs his ribs where Nina has jabbed her elbow. He doesn’t think there is anything wrong with Mum singing them her favourite song.There are lots of different versions. When Ella Fitzgerald sang it, she made it happy, but Sarah Vaughan made it feel sad. Mum would sing it fast in the day and then slow before bed, changing the words to suit them all. They weren’t a promised kiss or a breathless hush but other things; clever, funny, kind.

‘Who are all these people?’ Sasha studies the framed black and white photos hanging on the walls.

‘They’re all jazz musicians.’ Duke points to one. ‘That’s Duke Ellington; I’m named after him although his name was Edward really. He was a pianist, but I prefer the saxophone.’ Duke sticks his finger towards another. ‘That’s Nina Simone. She was a singer. Our Nina can sing, and I think she’s just as good although sometimes she’d rather just play her clarinet. And that—’ he leads Sasha to another photo ‘—is Charlie Parker. He was a saxophonist but Charlie’s better at guitar and piano, aren’t you, Charlie?’

‘I don’t play anymore,’ Charlie says.

‘You don’t play?’ Duke’s mouth drops open, his hands on his cheeks.

‘We’re not all as obsessed as you,’ Nina jumps in. ‘Honestly—’ she rolls her eyes at Charlie ‘—Duke is basically always playing. It’s because he hasn’t got a life.’

‘Musicismy life. Well, music and Billie. I would literally die without them.’

‘Dramatic, much,’ Nina mutters.

Duke stares intently at Charlie, trying to understand him. ‘So, you don’t playandyou don’t write anymore?’

‘No.’

‘This is so cool,’ Sasha claps her hands together. ‘Can you play something for me?’

Charlie says no at the same time Duke says yes.

‘Please.’ She smiles at Charlie, but he doesn’t smile back.

‘No.’

She glances at the wall again. ‘All the things you are, Charlie: boring—’ she counts them on her fingers ‘—secretive, party-pooper…’

Duke imagines someone on the toilet pooping out a party. The bowl overflowing with balloons and streamers. His dad trying to clear it with his plunger. He smiles.

‘What are you smiling at?’ Sasha asks him.

‘Oh, he’s always smiling to himself. He’s weird,’ Nina says.

Duke forgets his daydream and looks to Charlie to ask him again if they can play a song but he has left the room. Heisa fun sponge.

‘Nina?’ Sasha asks. ‘I’d love to hear you sing?’

‘Umm. Okay.’ Nina switches on the amp and Duke picks up the saxophone. It’s heavy but he’s stronger than he looks.

‘“I Wan’na Be Like You”?’ he asks his sister.

‘No. That’s babyish—’

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