Day 18

Muted Melody

Danny sat along the boardwalk, strumming his guitar for spare change. He started slowly, with a mellow tune. The stings cried of love lost at sea and a new one springing forth from the same sea.

As he finished that tune, he followed up with a faster paced hymn of two lovers dancing in the moonlight.

Some people would stop to listen, few dropped change, but a few others didn’t enjoy the music. One or two jokesters dropped trash in the guitar case.

At the end of the day, he managed to charm a collective of five dollars. He spent half of it on a cheeseburger at the burger pit at the end of the boardwalk.

“Danny boy! The regular?” The fry cook greeted him.

Danny nodded in delight.

“Why don’t you play for some joints and stuff? They could use some live entertainment.” He flipped the numerous patties.

Danny shook his head.

“Tell ya what. I got a cuzin, with a bar over on the east side. I’ll try to hook you up.”

The musician shook his head again.

“Can’t be peddling for change all the time, ya know.” The cook placed the greased sandwich before the young man. “Or eating these all the time.” He patted his stomach, “look what they do to me!”

Danny smiled, beginning to chow down on his well deserved meal.

“Least tell me you’ll think about it?”

Danny looked at the cook, unsure of the weight that decision would carry. Danny swallowed his first bite and nodded hesitantly.

“Great! I’ll give him a call tonight. You won’t regret it.”