Editor’s Note: This is an ongoing series which runs each Thursday morning titled the Richland Chronicles, by author Paul Lintern. It is set in the 1860s and tells the story of Richland County through the eyes of young people. The books are available from Lintern for $25 a set, tax and shipping included. Each book is about 120 pages written for intermediate readers (4th grade) with local illustrations. Volume I is Amelia Changes Her Tune. Volume II is Isaac and Wolf Paw Find Their Home. Volume III is Autumn Keeps Her Secret. Volume IV is Mr. Gamble Starts a School. Volume V is Jacob Blows his Horn. Volume VI is Cassie Fights the War.
“Jacob, we get to play!”
Cassie was running into the house and through the kitchen where Emilene and Mama were baking pies.
“Slow down, Missy. Ladies don’t run…” Mama was saying.
“In the house, I know, sorry, Mama,” Cassie interrupted.
“Ladies don’t run, period,” Mama said.
“But Mama, listen, we have been invited to play at the Wiler House Saturday evening, as part of their entertainment lineup,” Cassie said, and then she yelled for Jacob.
“What are you fussing about?” Jacob said, coming out of his room.
“Yes, what are you fussing about?” Mama said.
Mr. Wiler said he would like to have our band play in his hotel Saturday night, just as a warm-up to the main entertainment. About 20 minutes at 7 p.m.
“How did that happen?” Mama asked.
“The men that stopped on the road, in front of our house, that first day we were playing together on the porch, they told Mr. Wiler he should ask us to play. They thought we were that good. Mr. Wiler does business with the Costins and he saw me there, and realized I was part of that group, this family, and asked us to play.
“Something about a recent cancellation of the regulars.”
“What do you say, Mama?” Autumn was quiet.
“I’ll have to discuss this with your father when he comes home.”
“Yes, yes, of course. In the meantime, let’s practice.”
I’ll grab my violin.
“After the pies, Emilene.”
Oh, I guess I won’t grab my violin.
Zimmerkinder, as they now called themselves, had been practicing in the parlor much of the afternoon when Papa got home. They had discovered that to play for 20 minutes took more than one song, and while each of them knew several songs, there were only a few they all knew.
David was no problem; he could dance to anything. Cassie had the widest range of songs on the piano, but not many that Jacob and Emilene could play, and Grace only knew a few songs, although each had many verses.
“We don’t all have to play everything,” Cassie was saying. “But, the songs that Grace knows have choruses that the audience might like to sing, too. We should do those.”
“Are you going to be all right singing in front of a lot of people, Grace?” Jacob asked.
She shrugged her shoulders.
Are we going to be all right playing in front of a lot of people?
Emilene pondered the scene.
People at tables. Old people at tables. Old rich people at tables. What if they expect more from us than we can give?
“As long as we are having fun and playing what we know, and look cute, we will be fine,” Cassie said.
“I can do cute!” David said.
“We all can,” Cassie said.
“Speak for yourself,” Jacob said.
Once Papa was brought in to the story, he asked a lot of questions and made the band play for him each song a couple of times.
“How are you going to sit? Who will keep time? Which song is your best? What lively song do you want to start with? What sort of variety do you have? Where will Grace stand when she sings? What sort of surface will David dance on? Let me see his heels. What will you wear? Will they know that Kinder is the German word for children, so that Zimmerkinder will make sense to them?
“Are you getting paid?”
Nobody had thought about that last one.
Saturday came quickly, and the band improved tremendously, mostly from the hours of practice, of course, and with instruments in tow, the five started to the Wiler House about two hours ahead, to give them time to set up and warm up. None of them knew how to warm up, but they know most musicians did that, whatever it was.
Emilene was glad she had found Mr. Pharris a couple days earlier, so she could play her new songs for him and tell him about Saturday night. She invited him to come, but knew he wouldn’t appear. He did tell her congratulations.
As the troupe arrived at the Wiler House, they were giddy with anticipation. Everything someone said on the way drew giggles from the girls, even if there was nothing funny.
Emilene knew everyone was as nervous as she was.
What if I put the bow to my fiddle and nothing comes out?
They walked into the lobby off Main Street, only a block from Costin’s grocery. It was the nicest lobby in town, rivaled only by the Vonhof Hotel across the street.
As they entered, the clerk looked up then hurried around the counter to talk with them.
“What are you doing here?” the clerk asked.
“We are Zimmerkinder, your seven o’clock band,” Jacob said.
“Band? You are our entertainment? All of you?” He asked.
“Yes, of course.”
“Wait right here, do not move,” he said and he walked into the office.
Soon, another man stepped out, older, with glasses and a dark blue suit with vest.
“These are the ones, sir. They say they are the entertainment.”
“All of them?”
“That’s what they said.”
The man looked at Jacob.
“I’m sorry, there has been a mistake. You can’t play here if those two are with you,” he said.
“Those two? Who two?” Jacob asked.
“Those two.”
He looked at Grace and David.
I don’t believe it.
“Sir, there must be a mistake; Mr. Wiler himself invited us,” Cassie said.
“Well, I am sure he didn’t know about them,” he said.
“That is just not right,” Jacob said. “Don’t get smart with me, young man. We have our policies and our clients expect not to see Negroes on our stage.
“Of course, if the three of you want to play, I suppose that would be all right.”
Emilene felt a burning in her, rising up her back.
“But we are a band, all of us,” Emilene said.
“Not tonight, Missy. Not on my stage. Tonight you are a trio,” he said.
“Now, I am too busy to argue with a bunch of children.”
“We wouldn’t play for you if you were the King of Prussia,” Cassie shouted. “Come on, Band, let’s find a place with real class to play in.”
Emilene stormed out with her, tears welling up in her eyes. Grace and David strolled out with eyes on the floor. Jacob backed out, keeping his eyes on the clerk and the supervior.
“What do we do now?” Jacob said, as the shock subsided.
The others just glumly strolled up the street. Suddenly they found themselves in front of the Costins’ store.
“Hey, let’s play here, in front of the store,” Cassie said. “There’s no piano, but it’s a good spot to make some music.”
“Works for me,” Jacob said, and soon Zimmerkinder was entertaining all who passed by, and many of them were on their way to the Wiler House.
One man told Jacob to take off his hat and put it out front so he could put some money in it. Soon, others were doing the same.
From the second floor, Miss Cole appeared at the window, wondering what band was on the street, and appeared surprised to see two of her former piano students in the mix.
She called down to them between songs and even dropped a couple of coins into the hat from her lofty perch. They were still playing when Mama and Papa turned the corner and were surprised to see their family band out on the street.
They said nothing when the twins told about the clerk and his boss, but Emilene could see something was forming in their minds. As they all packed up to go home, Emilene glanced across the street, and saw a figure in the shadows, turning and walking into the darkening alley.
It was Mr. Pharris.
