Tally Tots III
“I had to go to the music store today,” Andrew explains his tardiness to Joe, Rob, Ross, and Zubin.
“Was it fun? I bet it could have been fun,” Joe asks.
“It could have been fun, but it wasn’t. We had to look through all the old pianos. Apparently I need something constructive to do,” Andrew rolls his eyes.
“Old pianos?” Ross looks very confused.
“Yeah, the ones that other people used to own,” explains Andrew in a knowing voice.
“They don’t own them anymore because they died,” Rob adds.
“Or, they could have been stolen by the music store’s owners so they could make money without buying the pianos,” Ross enthusiastically throws in.
“Or they just didn’t want the piano anymore for some reason,” Zubin tries to be the voice of reason to Ross’s imaginative option.
“My idea is possible,” Ross sounds indignant.
“In what world is that idea possible?” Zubin pushes for realistic ground. The two boys go back and forth a bit before they are in danger of shoving each other to the ground. Like all little boys do, Rob, Joe and Andrew tell each other who they think would win an actual fist fight between their two friends.
“Did you get a piano?” Joe interrupts their fighting. Zubin and Ross stop just short of tackling each other to the ground in order to prove their respective points.
“Yes. It comes next week,” Andrew laments.
“Practicing an instrument isn’t so bad,” Rob assures his friend.
“Especially if that instrument is actually yours,” Joe gives Rob the eye. Rob shrugs and avoids eye contact.
The boys stumble across an old, dented can in the street and subsequently forget about the piano discussion. They play a version of kick that can that involves kicking the can as hard as you can at the others in hopes of whacking them on the head before they can duck out of the way. The next day, Zubin brings a brand new Frisbee for them all to throw on each other’s roofs and see how long it takes to get them down. The kid whose house takes the longest to get the Frisbee down from wins. Ross’s house won as they never retrieve their toy. Similar distractions take up the remainder of the week.
In what seems like no time, the five boys are crowding in Andrew’s living room, starting at the newly arrived piano. Careful not to actually let anyone see them touching the thing, they creep around to get the whole effect. It is a natural wood colored, grand piano. They go on top of it. They crawl underneath it. It was there, on the underside of the piano that they found writing. While the inscription is partially faded away, there is still some letters that the boys can make out. Those letters read J. E. _ _s_u_ _ s.
“Dude! Your piano’s name is Jesus!” Ross shouts out in excitement. The five friends all collapse in a fit of giggles over the piano’s new name.