London Harmony: Feel the Beat (5 page)

I woke to my alarm in a fantastic mood. I flopped on top of Percy, who was on my bed and gave him a big hug as his wagging tail twapped me. I yawned, stretched, and grinned, remembering the colors of Belle's hushed voice last night. She had worried about the lolly I had left in the case and took the time to drop it off.

I hopped up and Percy was there at my side, his heat and weight against my leg. I absently dropped a hand to scratch his ears. “Go downstairs for breakfast boy, I'll be just two shakes.” His purple whimper shot through me then I heard him pad out and down the hall to the stairs, his nails clicking on the wood floor. That reminded me, I'd have to trim them soon.

I stepped through my shadow world to the loo and went about getting ready for the day, I could already smell the divine scent of bacon in the air from downstairs. Mum frets so. I've tried on many occasions to be the first up so I could make breakfast for her, but she would always hear me downstairs and join me, shooing me out of her domain.

I took a little longer than normal. I didn't normally wear much makeup. Mostly just lipstick or gloss. It was such a hassle to work on my eyes since I needed to wear my glasses to see what I was doing. That made it next to impossible. Not to mention I really hated drawing any attention to my eyes. But I felt like looking my best today for some unfathomable reason.

I went about carefully applying eyeliner and a smidgen of shadow, working around my lenses and using that ten times magnification mirror mum had clamped to my counter-top when I couldn't. I shrugged at the results.

I tried to give my lips depth the way Rayleigh could with her satin lipstick and gloss, but I looked like a bloody prostitute. I decided I'd have to ask her how she does it as I wiped the mess off and started over with just a simple application.

I started catching the beat of the world outside and the sounds in the house and danced and sang as I finished dressing. Instead of my normal busking attire, I went with some smart slacks and a white blouse. It felt odd not dragging my equipment case downstairs with me.

I walked in and mum cocked an eyebrow as she was placing a plate full of pancakes on the table. “You're going to church with me this morning?”

I blushed and said, “No. Have to pick up my gear at Broken Note and thought I'd busk a little. I have a gig tonight with Ray.” Mum gave me another appraising look then shook her head with a smile.

We sat and chatted as we ate. I somehow, accidentally, dropped a strip of bacon on the ground to Sir Percival's benefit.
Oops, so clumsy of me.
Then mum tilted her head and asked, “Were you up last night? I thought I heard someone moving around.”

I shrugged. “One of the tinkers from the repair shop dropped something by I left at the shop yesterday.”

She nodded. “So they bother us at home in the middle of the night?”

I replied quickly, “It was my performance money I left in the case. She didn't feel comfortable leaving it in the shop overnight, what with it not being the most reputable of neighborhoods and all.”

Mum looked me up and down again then quirked her eyebrow again then stuffed a big bite of pancake in her mouth.
What is she on about now?

I felt embarrassed for some reason, then looked at the time on my mobile I hopped up quickly with my plate and rushed to the sink. “I'm late.”

Mum stood and stepped over. “Then don't worry about this, I'll clean up. Off with you now.” I kissed her on the cheek and she said, “Mwah!” then she added as I rushed out with Percy “Shall I wait up?”

I called back as I made my way to the door grabbing the bag with my change of clothes for tonight, “I'll most likely be late. Better odds than not, Ray will commandeer me at the Garden.”

Mum stepped into the living room. “Taa. Be careful.”

I nodded and slipped out. I took a deep breath of fresh air and marveled at the grin I'd had the entire morning, without knowing what put it there.

I nervously drummed on my legs on the Tube ride to the repair shop. My eyes closed, soaking in the colors, and feelings of the sounds around me as they forged the melody of life. I almost missed my stop I was so engrossed in it. We emerged topside and made our way to the shop and paused at the door. The closed sign was hanging in front of me. I looked through the glass and saw Scooter at the back counter with his feet up, reading what looked to be a tabloid.

I tapped at the door and he looked up and put his feet on the ground. He grinned and waved me in. The door was unlocked. We entered and walked up to him and he did a double-take. “Are you wearing makeup Abigail?” He tilted his head and grinned in a teasing manner.

I blushed and averted my eyes. “Shut up you wanker.”

He started unclipping Percy and said as he grinned at me, “Hey now, I was just teasin'.”

I looked around the store, it was darker than normal with just a light above the counter where he had been sitting. I looked back to the closed sign on the door. “I've never been here on a Sunday.”

He shrugged as he shooed Percy through the curtain. “Well, that would be because we're normally closed on Sundays.”
They had opened just for me?
“But Tink made you a promise, so here we are. She was here until midnight last night and then was in three hours ago to finish up. Dyfal donc a dyr y garreg.”

I nodded. “She dropped my busking earnings by last night on her way home since she lived nearby.”

He smiled crookedly and said, “She lives in the opposite direction.”

He cocked an eyebrow like he was waiting for his words to sink in. A few moments later he exhaled in frustration and nudged his head toward the curtain with a grin. “Let's get you your gear so I can get back home to be a proper layabout.”

He offered his arm and I placed my hand on it and he pulled the heavy curtain aside and we stepped into the work area. It was mostly dark except for a bright desk lamp at Belle's workstation. She was kneeling, giving Percy a right good scratch. I couldn't help but smile.

Then I looked around, the place seemed eerie and shadowed. There was a wrongness about it I just couldn't place before I realized what it was. It was almost silent in there. The sounds of the tinkers that always gave the place life was deafeningly absent. For someone with normal hearing, it was most likely peaceful, but for me, my hearing affecting all my senses, it was unnatural. The only sounds present was the brownish green undertones of the furnace and the bright purple-reds of Percy's collar jingling as Belle ruffled his ears.

She looked up and smiled at us as she stood and started walking over. I quickly tore my glasses off and stuffed them into my pocket. Scott made a gruff sound at that. A shadow stepped in front of me and her voice strummed a string inside me again. “Hi, Abigail. You ready to see the Frankenstein's monster?” The tones and colors splashing then vibrating slowly away. I could smell and taste honey again. I idly wondered if it were something she wore or if it was her voice that triggered the taste.

I smiled involuntarily and nodded. She said, “Okay, follow me.” The shadow moved off and I was acutely aware that I didn't have the handle of Sir Percival's harness in my hand.

I admonished myself and put my glasses on with both hands so I could see where I was going. Scooter uttered an aborted snicker and I backhanded him in the gut for his troubles. He chuckled and disappeared back through the curtain.

I reached her station and she looked up at me. She looked mad and I could taste the sour tone as she said, “You don't have to do that around me.” When I tilted my head and furrowed my brow, she locked both eyes on my good eye and clarified. “I couldn't give two shits about your glasses. You act ashamed of them or something and it is sort of pissing me off.”

I blinked at her, catching my hand half way to the glasses. She looked upset. Then she continued as she grabbed a screwdriver off her counter-top and held it up and said, “They are a tool, they aren't you.” She slapped the screwdriver down on the counter in a bright red spike that lanced into my skull.

Then she locked eyes with me again. “They are something useful that enable you to do something you can't do without them. They can be something destructive, or if used right, can be used for something constructive, help create something beautiful.”

I didn't know how to respond. I was a little put out that she was lecturing me, and I could feel anger swelling. Another part of me actually listened to what she was saying and knew she was right, but I'm stubborn and didn't want to concede to her. Yet another part of me was bloody turned on by her outburst... not many people raise their voice to me, they always treat me like I'm fragile.

She tapped the tip of the screwdriver on the counter in little pings of red. It knocked me out of my thoughts. I blinked then looked at her. She said, “There you are, I thought I lost you there. I'm sorry I went off like that, just a little tired, didn't get much sleep last night.”

I tilted my head, she did look knackered. I shrugged and gave an apologetic smile. “No it's fine. I could use a good tongue lashing now and again.”

She smirked and my eyes flew wide. “That came out wrong! You know what I mean you evil woman.” Then I covered my face with my hands, it felt like it was on fire, I haven't felt this embarrassed in a long time.

She was chuckling and the sound was like music to me. “I'm sorry Abi, I just have a dirty mind. But seriously, you don't need to feel self-conscious about your glasses. You're stunning and the glasses don't matter.”

I peeked between my fingers to see the earnest look on her face with mischief twinkling around in her eyes. I dropped my hands and took a deep breath. Then she caught me off guard by asking straight out, “How much can you see without them?” She glanced quickly at Sir Percival.

I blinked a couple times, I have never felt comfortable discussing my eyes. She caught my hesitation. “I'm an insensitive muppet. Never mind.”

I brought both hands up again hesitantly then made a decision and grabbed my glasses as I said, “No, it's okay. I'm just not used to talking about it.” I took my glasses off and looked in her direction. “I can only see less than a hand width in front of my face. The world is a blur of bright and dim spots intermixed with shadows. I can see the general shape of you just there but that's about it, it is better when you move, the motion of the shadows help me track better.”

I shrugged and put the glasses back on and said without meeting her eyes, “The glasses are hyperocular lenses with ten times magnification. Then I can see maybe ten meters.”

She smiled. “Ten times? Wow, that's cool. May I?” I looked at her outstretched hand like it was an alien object. She wanted to see my glasses? I hesitated, then took them off and held them out. A second later she was saying, “This is brill! I could use these for when I'm soldering.”

I stood there feeling self-conscious again and wrapped my arms around myself. The world came into focus as she slid my glasses back on, there was concern in her eyes. She smiled, causing me to smile back involuntarily. “Those are awesome.” She was staring at my good eye. “Do you mind if I ask...”

I cut her off, I didn't want to share anymore, it was bringing up feelings I thought I had gotten over a decade ago. It shouldn't be this hard to share something that is ancient history. “I'm sorry Belle. I really need to get to work.”

Her smile left her and she was all business.
Had I insulted her?
She pulled my case; well it looked like my case with mickey mouse ears; in front of me. She started talking, “I replaced the inverter with a line conditioning model.”

She opened the case and showed me the new unit mounted above the battery, it had bigger cooling fins than my prior one and I noted that it had four outlets instead of one. The little power bar I plugged into it so I would have enough outlets for the equipment was absent. Two cords were plugged in, leaving me with two usable. That was actually bloody fantastic.

Then she slid out my pedal assembly drawer and there was a Gimbal and Wittley eight pedal looper. It was an older model, the Phantasm 500. I must have been drooling because the hard look on her face was replaced by a smile that was heating me up again. It looked so natural framed by that unnatural blue hair that looked so right on her. How did she pull that look off so flawlessly? Maybe it is that she is so comfortable in her own skin. She has an air of, this is me and I like it, if you don't, feel free to fuck off.

I had been looking at the Phantasms for a year now, and keep promising myself I'd upgrade when I updated my setup. She saw this in my eyes and she grinned then said, “I figured that instead of just bodging together the same type of setup you had before, a one piece unit would serve you better until we can determine what you want in your new gear.”

I blurted, “I love it!” Then I calmed down and said in a calmer voice, “I mean. I've been lusting after the Phantasms, I was already set on the 500 or 700 when I updated my equipment.”

I tilted my head to look at the mouse ears. They were large disc-shaped plastic drums. I furrowed my brow and she smiled. “This is just a clunky prototype, we can call it Street Gear v1.0. I thought a lot about how you mentioned setup and teardown time and how it affected your performance time. It seemed important to you. Soooooo...”