Monday December 7th, 2009

The exercise:

Decided I needed another day off - I really haven't been getting enough sleep the last few days. Had a better sleep last night, so I'm feeling better today. Lots of resting on the schedule, so I should be back at work tomorrow.

Let's get Monday started with this prompt: too much enthusiasm, not enough talent.

Mine:

The man logged off his computer and pushed himself away from his desk. In one smooth motion he spun in his chair, picked up his duffel bag from the floor, and rose to leave his cubicle at a brisk walk. He nodded to his coworkers as they headed for the lunch room, brown paper bags clutched in their hands as if they were nervous school children.

The man did not join them, however. Instead he took the elevator down to the lobby and exited the building. He paused to soak in the natural light before joining the flow of sidewalk traffic heading east down Tenth Avenue.

He arrived at the small park and was surprised to find that he was the first to make it there - yesterday he had been the last. He checked his gleaming silver watch to confirm the time and shrugged before taking a seat on the raised concrete that edged the flower garden. With another look around he bent to unzip his black bag.

Pulling the djembe drum from its black confines, he reverently placed the African mahogany beauty between his knees. He had paid top dollar for the drum at a specialty shop on the south side but he knew it was worth every penny. He had done his research.

Still finding no sign of the others he had played with the day before, he decided there was no need to wait. He closed his eyes and began to play.

His fingers beat against the goat skin drumhead for the rest of his lunch hour, his eyes remaining blissfully shut. When he stopped at last and glanced around, he was surprised to find that not only had his fellow players not shown up, but the sidewalk around him was quite devoid of onlookers.

He shrugged and returned his instrument to its bag and returned to his office, already making plans to seek out his fellow musicians at other locations in the neighborhood the following day.