Page 86 of Dangerous Rhythm

There were pork dumplings, representing wealth. A whole fish steamed with soy and ginger, representing prosperity.Nin gausticky rice cake that symbolized growth. But he found some of the other dishes interesting because they weren’t what Popo would make.Poon Choi, for example, he’d learned, was uniquely a Hong Kong dish. It was a dish brimming with layered pork and seafood, drenched in gravy. It was delicious.

“People in the community used to bring whatever ingredient they had to put into the pot and share with everyone. That’s whyPoon Choisignifies unity,” Ed had explained to him earlier. “We each put different ingredients in our pot today.”

“I didn’t.” Curtis had grimaced.

Ed had just laughed. “You’re a guest in our home. You bring a different blessing to us, Curtis. Don’t you worry.”

With that in mind, Curtis sat on a small ottoman where the children, ranging from three to twelve years old, were waiting for him to play. Perhaps he could bring the blessing of music. The problem was he didn’t know any Chinese songs. He should’ve paid more attention to Popo when she sang for his niece.

“Play whatever you want,” Lina suggested, probably seeing his hesitation. Standing not too far from the kids, she looked gorgeous in her redcheongsamdress. It looked painted on her, accentuating her curves to perfection. It made him drool.

“Play one of your songs, Curtis,” Eric, Ed’s twelve-year-old grandson, requested, bringing Curtis back to his audience.

He quickly racked his brain for something appropriate for the children and the occasion. He settled on an upbeat song he and Ram had initially written about a wild party they’d thrown. But without the lyrics, he thought it captured the spirit of the new year.

“Can you teach me to play like you?” Eric asked.

“Have you played an instrument before?” Curtis went to sit on the floor with the children and patted the space next to him for Eric to sit.

“Yes, a few at school—guitar, keyboard, drums. But only the basics,” the boy answered.

“That’s good.”

“Can I learn, too?” Mei, Lina’s eight-year-old niece, asked.

“How about me?” Tommy, Eric’s little cousin, inquired.

“Of course.” Curtis smiled happily at his little pupils. “One at a time, okay? I’ll show you the basic chords first. Then Eric can try, then Mei, then you, Tommy.”

He looked at Mei’s little sister, Gracie, who just watched her older cousins. “How about you, Gracie? Do you want to try, too?”

“I’m too little.” Gracie stared at the guitar.

“Yeah, this guitar is a bit too big for you, but I can help you make a pretty sound,” Curtis offered.

“Okay,” little Gracie smiled widely.

Joy poured over Curtis when he saw the happiness in Gracie’s and the other kids’ faces as they watched his fingers play the simplest of chords—E minor with only two fingers holding the top two strings in the second fret—and strummed all six strings with his pick.

“Here, you try that.” Curtis handed the guitar to Eric.

The boy executed it beautifully. He did know his basics.

“That’s great. Let’s have your cousins try, okay?” He could tell the boy wanted more. He whispered to him, “Maybe we’ll work on a song later after we teach the others.”

“You want me to help you teach?” Eric asked, eyes wide.

Curtis nodded. “I see you know your chords. So, yeah.”

“Cool.”

Seeing the pride in the boy’s face reminded Curtis of when he’d first picked up the guitar. It had felt as if he’d found a missing limb. Brandon had always had his pencils and paper, drawing anything, anywhere. Callie had had all of her studies and volleyball. But Curtis had tried all kinds of sports. Math had been too easy and boring for him, and reading hadn’t been hisfavorite thing to do. But music called to him. Once he’d bought his first guitar, it had barely left his sight.

Curtis placed the guitar on Mei’s lap and helped her position her fingers to make the same chord. On his other side, Eric showed Tommy the finger placements via air guitar. Not to be left out, Gracie came to him and sat on his leg as they watched her sister played a chord repeatedly.

Feeling Lina’s eyes on him, Curtis looked up and found her watching him. She flashed him a smile before she returned to her conversation with her aunt.

At that moment, everything was right with the world.

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