A new kind of music has taken over the town recently.
Louis could hear it – in bars, clubs, and perhaps in some places where a gentleman wouldn’t set foot.Louis was a true gentleman. He was of tall posture. He wore a fine suit, with a bourbon-coloured tie. The handkerchief he had was of the same colour. Most friends and colleagues deemed him good and gallant. No wonder - he minded his own business for the most part, and he was very polite. Even though he was a true gentleman, he enjoyed this new kind of music greatly.
It wasn’t very appropriate for a man of his rank to do so, however. Louis was white. The music was blues.
It’s been a while since black folk had started to inhabit the land that would now be called The United States of America. They weren’t viewed as equals to the fair-skinned, however. They’d find many obstacles set against them: some of them physical, like spaces that they weren’t allowed to enter. Other obstacles were of a different sort. It was the way the blacks were being treated; what rights they didn’t have. Louis had been contemplating all this for some time. “In our day and age, when the 20s are coming to an end, why should they suffer so much? After all, aren’t they just like us?” – he thought to himself. Alas, not everyone shared his beliefs. The man had some other reasons to care; however, that were much more personal.
He finished his shift. When walking out of the building he worked in, he noticed that it had been getting dark. The golden street lights glowed like brass in an orchestra. The cars sounded akin to it as well. The city was lively and busy, just as Louis liked it. “The evening’s nice. I should make it even better for myself!” – Louis thought and reached into his pocket for a cigar.
He didn’t start smoking, however, because a tall woman suddenly appeared out of the blue. She looked stern. Her red hair was tied in a bun – an unusual choice for her. Her lady’s handbag was tightly closed.
- Oh, Claudia! – Louis exclaimed – I didn’t notice you at first! It’s nice to meet you here, little sister!
Claudia didn’t seem to be pleased to see her brother. She pressed her lips. When the man leaned in for a hug, she ignored it.
- Why’d you meet me after work? – Louis asked – Is there something urgent?
- Oh, there is something very urgent. Scandalous, I would even say. - she replied.
- Woah, you seem very tense! – Louis smiled – Did something happen to you? Any unpleasant business?
- Oh, it’s not me, who has been busy recently, is it, brother? – she asked sarcastically – I know your little secret. You should have told me.
Louis stood still for a moment. The man tried to guess what secret he had been keeping but seemed to be out of ideas. He asked her then:
- Is it about that car hire thing that happened last year? I thought I told you…
- Do you think I’m stupid, Louis? It’s not about that! – Claudia gave him a judgmental look.
- I have no idea what you’re talking about.
Claudia opened her handbag and took an envelope from it.
- Do you recognize this? – she asked. She opened it and started reading – “Dear, Rosie. It’s been so long since we last saw each other. I still think about that time you performed at Lambert’s. Ah, your voice! It soared like an eagle, but you, yourself, were like a wild cat on that stage!” … Should I quote any further?
Louis did recognize it. It was a letter to his lover. His sister must have seen him write it. He wondered how she got it.
- “The crowd was yours when you sang!” – Claudia continued to read his words – “You moved so gracefully. I wish I could hold you close and kiss you hard, just like I did after that show”. Louis, did you write that?
Louis was silent for a moment.
- I have no idea what that is – he replied – Maybe it’s our uncles?
- It’s your handwriting, Louis. I know it! – the woman raised her hand with the envelope. Her eyes were piercing the man. Her eyebrows rose.
- I don’t remember writing those words! – Louis said with an impudent irony in his voice.
- That is a lie!
- You are being silly, Claudia. The author wouldn’t forget his lines!
The young man chuckled, thinking that that little joke had eased the tension. He was about to smoke his cigar when Claudia hit his face with his own envelope.
- Do you think I’m a fool? – she asked angrily - Your secret’s name is Rose Bogan. I can even tell you her address, in case you forgot! You’re writing love letters to her!
- Fine, I am! – Louis rolled his eyes – Why do you care anyway? Are you in love with Rosie as well? What’s your problem?
- You know fully well what the problem is.
Claudia crossed her arms. A sudden gust of wind came, but she didn’t move an inch. She seemed resistant and tense.
- Yes, I love Rosie Bogan – Louis finally confessed – I have been seeing her for quite some time. What is your problem with her?
Claudia came a little bit closer and said in a quiet tone:
- You and her? You are a fine man, Louis! She, on the other hand…She…She is a… - Claudia couldn’t utter what she meant.
- She is… what? A blues singer? – Louis asked, seemingly unfazed.
- She is black! – she whispered, though her whisper sounded like a hiss – She is a negro…
Louis sighed irritably. It all made sense to him now.
- Firstly, you shouldn’t say words like that. Secondly, so what? Rosie and I… We love each other, alright? What does it have to do with you…
- You are a white man, Louis – Claudia interrupted, spitting out every word like a bullet from a gun – Don’t you think it’s outrageous? What if our mother finds out?!
Uncomfortable silence fell between the siblings. With yet another sigh Louis started a cigar. He looked away. After a while, Claudia spoke again:
- Who you love is, probably, none of my business. However, it is quite shocking. What would the people say? Can you imagine the face of our lovely mother when she learns that her only son is having an affair with a black woman? What would our neighbours say? And what about our uncle? – Claudia bombed him with questions – This is madness, Louis! You are a fine man, you have a proper job, a stable income, and a lot of friends – and this is how you spend your time! Going to some clubs and venues, listening to urban blues singers?! Seeing Rose?! What about your reputation?
- I don’t care for my reputation, little sister – Louis replied.
Claudia was astounded by his words.
- How can you not care about it?
- Because I love Rosie. I love her and I love her music. That is what truly matters.
Louis looked at his sister again. The woman stood there in disbelief and complete shock. She looked at the envelope again, as if she was trying to comprehend Louis’ relationship.
- I met Rosie Bogan about a year ago. I saw her perform. She was singing “Nobody knows you when you’re down and out”, a Bessie Smith classic. I heard her accidentally, but I’ll forever thank God I did. Have you ever felt hollow in your life, little sister? Completely empty?
Claudia shrugged.
- I guess I have… I feel that sometimes.
- So have I – Louis said – but once I heard Rosie, the emptiness was gone. Her voice, mighty and soulful, was like water to my dry soul. Her song filled me up. She sang powerfully. She sang fiercely. I knew it then – I loved that woman like I loved no other.
- I guess it wasn’t love at first sight, but love at first song… – Claudia said. Louis laughed at her joke a little.
- Yes, it was! Exactly. Rosie became my muse. She showed the world of blues and jazz. She told me about Gertrude Rainey and Bessie Smith, and so many others! I got to know her band – good lads they are! Her brother, Thomas, plays the saxophone. He is a true maestro as well. They are a gifted family, you know?
- I doubt I would – Claudia said with all honesty – I don’t understand this music
- Then come with me, tomorrow! There’s a show in the French Quarter, at seven. You’ll enjoy it!
The next evening the siblings met again. Claudia was as stern and doubtful as yesterday, but her attitude changed, once Rose was on the stage.
Rose started softly, serenading like a nightingale. She didn’t want to give it all away at the start, so she kept to her low register, allowing the pianist more space at times. The percussion came into the chorus. It was light. For now, the band was only enchanting the listener.
The second verse introduced the brass. Louis noticed Thomas immediately. He prepared his saxophone, waiting for the part where he got his solo. The sax solo was truly a mesmerizing time – Thomas’s instrument growled like an animal in a manner not many have heard before. Rose soon joined her brother. It was an improvisation. She hummed a tune with no words, that she came up with on the spot. Thomas’s saxophone and her voice were like birds in a forest – they called and echoed each other. When the final chorus came, Rose squared her shoulders allowing enough space for her diaphragm. She didn’t just sing the last part of the lyrics. The notes she hit were as high as mountain peaks, and whenever the audience thought she couldn’t go any higher, she would. She resembled a puma on that stage. She was in full control, and her voice was truly beautiful.
The song ended. The hall exploded with a grand round of applause. When it got a bit quieter, Claudia leaned over to her brother and said.
- I think I see it now, Louis. Or I hear it, I should rather say – she smiled - You should have taken me to one of those shows earlier. Your lady Rose… She is dazzling.
- Now you get it, little sister?
- I do. I’m sorry for my remarks yesterday. I hope one day she could become as great of a wife to you, as she is a singer.
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