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We started to groan as he opened the case and lifted the shiny
stomach Steinway and pulled the straps over his shoulders. We hadn't
heard Dud play since the band director got sick before a pep rally
last fall and Dud filled in for the band. Of course, waltzes weren't
exactly what the kids were needing to get their blood up before a
football game. We lost. "You're not going to play that, are you?"
asked Doc, trying to pry his eyes open.
Dud nodded and grinned, popping open the bellows release snaps,
top and bottom.
"Before coffee?" wailed Steve.
"It's a known scientific fact," said Herb, "that music can help
you digest your food and put you in a better mood to start your
day."
Steve pelted Herb with cracker packets. Herb hadn't heard Dud try
to fire up the offensive line with the "Altenhauer Waltz," after
all. We had.
As we were looking to see if the exits were blocked, Dud began to
play. And we stopped and smiled and raised our cups to Dud. The
waitresses smiled. The cook came out of the kitchen.
Hey ... he got good!
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column]
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Dud started with a couple of sweet, flowing waltzes and then
swung into some light polkas. So there we were, at 7 in the morning,
dancing between tables with Mavis and Loretta and keeping them from
their coffee pouring, and we didn't care, and they didn't care, and
Dud kept playing and ...
... Well, I mean the Mule Barn's owner had a point, after all. It
was the breakfast rush, after all, and we were keeping the
waitresses from waiting. And the french toast doesn't cook itself
when Bernie the cook is dancing through the lobby with Mrs. Lawson
from down the street.
So Dud put the squeezebox back into its case and we turned back
to solving the world's problems. But we were smiling more than we
usually do at that time of the morning. By golly, ol' Dud really has
been practicing. We're proud of him.
Doc summed it up best. "Dud ... if you were to play for a pep
rally now, I believe we'd win."
[Text from file received from Slim Randles]
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