“Mom has a bad cold.” I got home late last night and didn’t see Maggie. I didn’t think much of Cara not being in bed. I just thought Maggie was allowing Cara to stay up a little late, since school was out. “I need to be at the center with Ms K and mom can’t take me. Dad is too far away. Ms Lisa can’t drive. UncleDan, please can you come and take me?” I let out a relieved sigh, easy fixable problem.
“Why do you need to be at the center?” I ask
“Ms K teaches the band kids; they have a concert in three weeks. She said I can come and practice with them, but I won’t perform with them and if I miss two practices, Ms K won’t let me practice with them again. Please Uncle Dan, can you get me there?” she pleads
“Okay, what time do you need to be there?”
“Four.” she quickly answers.
I look at my watch and see it’s two pm.
“I have to be there at least by three thirty pm,” she adds.
“Let me wrap up a few things up and I’ll come and get you. Be ready.”
“Thank you, Uncle Dan.”
“Is your mom there? Can I speak to her?”
“She’s in bed. She doesn't want me to go near her. Can you call her phone?”
“Okay, I will and see you at three, be ready.”
“Love you, Uncle Dan”
My sister picks up after three rings.
“Hello?” Her voice is low and weak.
“Hey, Cara just called me. What’s going on with you?”
“I heard her talking to you, thanks for agreeing to take her. I have Covid, so I can’t take her.” She coughs. “It means so much that you can take her. She never wants to miss a chance to practice with Ms K.”
“You rest and take your meds. I got Cara. Send the center address and all the information.”
“Thanks, Daniel” she says. I hang up with her, and a wash of relief overcomes me. I get to seeher, and might have enough excuse to talk to her. A window has opened.
I call Patrick in to discuss the items that may need my immediate attention and let him know about the new turn or events for the next two weeks. Once we are done rearranging my schedule to fit Cara in, I call Zack, my driver while I’m here in Chicago, to let him know we have a new set of events for the next two weeks.
Truth is, I can have Zack take Cara for this event and not have to be there, but I want to see Ms K and it’s my perfect opportunity to highjack the situation for my own personal intentions.
At two thirty sharp, I’m heading towards the elevator, Zack is most likely ready and waiting.
I run into my cousin, Aaron, who’s also an attorney at this firm and don’t tell him much. He can be a bit of a whiner and start to pull unnecessary situations out of thin air. I just tell him that I’m grabbing lunch with a friend.
Zack weaves through the traffic to Maggie’s place and I look through information about the center. I read everything and there’s no mention about Ms K or the event Cara is talking about but knowing how peculiar my sister and my niece can be, something is happening that’s not publicized.
Soon as I pull up at the house, Cara races out with a box in hand. I bet she was waiting and watching by the window moment as I texted her that I was on my way. She hops right into the back seat next to me. “Hi, Uncle Dan! Hi Zack!” She’s excited, that’s for sure.
“Tell me about this community center,” I ask.
“Ms K teaches kids at the community center for free, and they are trying to raise money for instruments and more music teachers.”
I’ve touched her subject of interest. She starts talking fast. “So, they are having a fund-raising banquet in three weeks, and the band kids are going to perform. Ms K says all her students canjoin in the practice with the band kids. I get to practice my violin with them.”
“I thought she only taught you piano.”
“Yes, but I also play the violin, and I like to play music with Ms. K and this way I get to practice more.”
