Page 35 of Still My Forever

Gil

Gil had beensurprised when Joseph showed up for the men’s band practice. At break, his cousin cornered him and explained he’d left very early for McPherson so he could make it back in time for rehearsal that evening. It warmed Gil that he would make such an effort. Joseph also gave Gil the estimate from the silversmith and said he needed to talk to Gil after the practice was over. He said it was important.

Gil had a hard time keeping his focus on directing the men for the remainder of the evening. He hadn’t unfolded the estimate yet, and he was worried about how much it would cost to fix the tuba. He also worried about what Joseph would tell him. After avoiding Gil, now Joseph was seeking him out. There must be a family emergency of some sort. Gil imagined all kinds of unpleasant possibilities as he fumbled through the rest of rehearsal.

When they were done, Joseph helped Gil put away the chairs. Gil waited for him to finally tell him what was so important, but he worked in silence. The tension between Gil’s shoulders increased until a dull ache throbbed at the base of his skull. When he and Joseph finally walked down the stairs to the street, Gil slipped the estimate from his pocket and peeked atit.

He gasped and stopped in the small alcove at the street level. “Five dollars.”

Joseph leaned forward and looked at the paper, too. He whistled through his teeth. “Whew. The silversmith said the tuba would be good as new when he was done, but that’s a lot of money. You can buy a brand-new tuba for only twenty-five dollars in the latest Sears, Roebuck & Company catalog.”

Gil scowled at his cousin. “If five dollars is hard to come by, where would I get twenty-five dollars?”

Joseph grinned. “Maybe you could win it.”

Gil jammed the paper into his pocket. “Are you trying to get me kicked out of Falke? You know how folks around here feel about gambling. How many sermons has Reverend Ediger preached on the danger of seeking wealth through unscrupulous means?”

Joseph rolled his eyes. “I wasn’t talking about gambling. Look—I wanted to talk to you about this.” He pulled a flattened roll of paper from his back pocket and gave it to Gil. “Read the middle part, about the band competition.”

A quick glance indicated there was very little written on the page. Joseph’s obvious excitement intimated there was more involved, but Gil didn’t have time to coax it all out of him. He’d left Timmy with Roald for the evening, and he needed to take the boy home—although he wondered whether his aunt would notice if the boy didn’t return. She’d been awfully eager to send him with Gil that morning.

Gil gestured in the direction of Roald’s house. “Timmy is at Roald’s, waiting for me. If we’re going to talk, we’ll have to walk while we do it.”

Joseph made a face, and for a moment Gil thought he would go the opposite direction. But he fell in step with Gil. “All right. Listen to what I found out when I was in McPherson.”

Joseph told him about a special competition for youth bands at the End of Harvest celebration. Gil’s chest fluttered in excitement when Joseph shared how judges would award cash prizes for the top three contenders.

“And the overall winning band will be invited to play for the governor at the capitol building. Think what a great opportunity it would be for the boys to participate,” Joseph said in the most enthusiastic tone Gil had ever heard him use. “It wouldn’t do you any harm, either. Those judges are importantpeople, handpicked by Governor Hoch himself. If you compete, you could receive some real recognition as a conductor. Sure, it will take a lot of work to get the boys ready, but don’t you think it would be worth it?”

They reached Roald’s house, and Gil stopped at the end of the walkway leading to the porch. He frowned at Joseph, his thoughts racing. If he entered the boys and if they played one of his original pieces, they would surely stand out from the other bands. He could, as Joseph said, receive some beneficial recognition as both a conductor and a composer.

He looked at the flier again, and the date seemed to glare at him. He groaned. “It’s coming up so quickly, Joseph. August 19 is only two and a half months away. The boys have only had a few practices. I’d have to work with them every day of the week to be ready for this kind of competition.”

Joseph threw his arms wide. “So work with them every day.”

“Have you forgotten? I conduct the men’s band. I run a mail route every day.” Except Friday, when he’d hoped to work on his new composition. Not that he’d had time for it yet. Every negative thought in his head found its way to his mouth. “I take care of Roald and his house and his pets—which are multiplying, by the way. Do you want a kitten?”

Joseph laughed and then spluttered something nonsensical.

Gil took the sound as a refusal. “Jo, well, neither do I, but I got some anyway. Five of them, to be exact. And I need to find a paying job if I’m going to get Roald’s tuba back from the silversmith. Not to mention earning train fare so I can return to New York.”

“Maybe the cash prize will be enough to pay for a ticket.” Joseph blurted the comment.

Gil fell silent for a few minutes. The flier didn’t indicatehow much the prizes were, but if the governor was involved, it might be a goodly amount. But there was no guarantee the boys would win. Not with a newly formed band, with members averaging only twelve years of age. It was a fine idea, but not for this year. Not for this band. Not for Gil.

He hung his head. “I don’t know, Joseph.”

Joseph put his hand on Gil’s shoulder. “Don’t say no right away. Think about it. Tomorrow is Wednesday, and folks will be together for the weekly Bible study at church. You can bring it up as a prayer request. The preacher and some of the others might have good advice for you.” He gave Gil’s shoulder a little shake. “Where is that cousin of mine who never backs down from a challenge? Who always comes out on top? Did he get lost in New York?”

Gil detected a slight note of sarcasm in Joseph’s queries, but they got his attention. He stood straight and met his cousin’s gaze. “I’m still here. A little battered from so many defeats in the past few years, but still trying. I’ll do what you said—think about it—and I’ll pray about it, too.” He wasn’t sure he’d bring it up at the Bible meeting, though.

Joseph squeezed his shoulder and let go. “Good. But remember, you have to register by June 16 or the boys won’t be included.”

June 16…ten days away. He gritted his teeth. “I’ll remember.”

Chapter Seventeen

Ava

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