Banjo of Destiny by Cary Fagan Read Free Book Online Page B

“What’s in that giant purse of yours, Birnbaum?” It was Damien Mills. “Let me guess. Your portable crib?”
    Luella came up to him as he was putting the bag inside his locker.
    â€œGee, thanks for the idea of bringing the banjo to school,” he said. “I’m Mr. Popularity.”
    â€œThat’s because they don’t know what’s in it,” Luella said. “Just wait till lunch time. You can play outside.”
    â€œNo way. I’m not completely insane.”
    â€œCome on. You want people to hear. Otherwise you wouldn’t have brought it.”
    Jeremiah sighed. The truth was he did — kind of — want people to see his homemade banjo and hear him play.
    â€œOkay,” he said. “But I’ll probably have to transfer to a different school afterwards. Maybe even a different planet.”
    Usually lunch time seemed to take forever to arrive, but today it came all too quickly. Luella and Jeremiah ate in the cafeteria. Then they went to get the Flower Power bag out of his locker.
    Spring was ready to become summer and the trees were green and full. Flowers filled the air with their scents. Bees hummed as they winged by. Students in their uniforms sat on the lush grass. Some threw Frisbees on the lawn.
    Jeremiah and Luella walked to a maple tree and sat on the ground. Jeremiah undid the zipper on the side of the bag and pulled out the banjo. He started to tune it.
    â€œWhat the heck is that? A garbage can on a stick?”
    Of course Damien Mills would have to show up.
    A few people on the lawn laughed.
    Jeremiah started to put the banjo back in the bag.
    Luella smacked Jeremiah on the arm to make him stop.
    â€œDon’t you have anything better to do, Damien? Like set the science lab on fire again?”
    â€œThat was an accident.” He turned to Jeremiah. “So what is that anyway?”
    â€œA banjo,” Jeremiah said quietly.
    â€œCan you play it?”
    â€œA little.”
    Luella looked at him. Jeremiah put the pot on his right knee and positioned his hands. He started to play “Barlow Knife.” He made a couple of mistakes, but then he got into the rhythm of it.
    People stopped talking to listen. He played it a few times and finished with a brush of his fingers across the strings.
    There was a scattering of applause. Someone even hooted.
    Jeremiah didn’t dare look up. Instead he started to play “Shady Grove.” He didn’t have the nerve to sing the words. Out of the corner of his eye he could see three or four kids move closer.
    â€œCool.” He looked up and saw Damien Mills. “Can you play something else?”
    Jeremiah played “Little Gray Mule.” It was a fast tune with a lot of double-thumbing. He played it a little too fast and it almost got away from him, but he got to the end.
    The bell rang. His heart now racing, Jeremiah put the banjo back in the bag. For the first time he felt like a real musician.
    Luella nudged him with her elbow as she stood up.
    â€œNice going, Hayseed.”
    â€œHayseed! ” cried Damien. “That’s a good name for you. Hayseed Birnbaum. See you at the square dance, Hayseed.”
    A couple of kids laughed. He heard somebody repeat the name Hayseed.
    Jeremiah just shook his head. He knew the moment had been too good to be true.

9
    Something by Bach

    â€œ WHAT ARE YOU having for lunch, Hayseed? Grits?”
    â€œHey, Hayseed, it’s time to milk the cows!”
    â€œHayseed, your grandpa just fell out of the rocking chair and lost his false teeth!”
    Jeremiah didn’t know what grits were. But it didn’t matter. Even some of the kids who had liked his playing were calling him Hayseed. Jeremiah just kept his head down and didn’t answer. But if Luella was around it was a different story.
    â€œHow would you like me to knock the hay out of you ?”
    â€œJust what I need,” Jeremiah said to her at their lockers.