Lil' Satchmo
"Stupid junior high kid."
The section leader laughed as he shoved the beginner to the floor, knocking her glasses off. "My spit could play better than you."
The little 7th grader was hurt by these words. It was her first year playing with the high school band and she didn't know of anybody that could show her what to do.
She knew she couldn't play well, but her own section leader, who was supposed to be helping her, didn't give a shit about her.
While feeling around on the floor for her glasses, looking like an idiot, her section continued to point and laugh.
She felt like crying.
Suddenly, she heard a loud noise, as if someone had just been bitch-slapped in the face. "You stop harassing that poor child." An angry voice spoke like a drill sergeant. "Maybe I should have pushed you around a little bit when you were in junior high so you'd know how it felt!"
She felt her glasses being placed in her hands. She immediately placed the glasses on her head and looked up.
She recognized her "savior" as the senior Clarinet section leader, Ginny H. Ginny didn't know that she already knew her, so she introduced herself.
"My name's Gin Hasegawa." She said in a polite tone. The young Trumpet player looked up at her in a confused way. "Umm…" Gin mumbled trying to read the confusion on the girl's face. "You can call me Ginny, I guess. That's what everyone else calls me"
As the Clarinetist started to walk off, the beginner Trumpeter spoke up. "Thanks for getting those sophomores off my back." "Oh, don't worry about them." She replied. "When they were in junior high, they weren't any better than you. Actually, you're better than they were. Keep practicing, I know you'll be the best section leader ever next year."
Her face lit up at these words. "You think I'll actually be section leader next year?" She said in a surprised tone.
"I don't just think you'll be section leader, I bet you'll be drum major in a few years, too."
The words spoken by Ginny encouraged the young Trumpeter. "Thanks, Ginny! I'm gonna work real hard until I'm the best there is!"
The Clarinetist walked out of the band room, satisfied. "Works every time."
Even though what Ginny said was just to encourage that young 7th grader, It all came true. A band director of 50 years commented on her. "She's the best high school Trumpeter I've ever heard!"
15 years later………
Hazel Corinne Pittman is taking a bow on the stage of Carnegie Hall after performing a solo in a sold out show featuring her. A man walks up to her.
"Holy shit! Hazel? It's really you! Remember me.?"
Hazel stress blankly at the man. "Who the hell are you?"
"You don't remember? It's me! Ya know, Steven? Your section leader? The one that taught you everything you know?"
"You must be mistaken." Hazel replied. "My section leader never taught me anything. He was a low-life son of bitch that preferred to push me to the pavement than teach me anything."
Hazel left the stunned man alone, and got into the back seat of her limo, where she drove off to her multi-million dollar mansion, wile talking to her good friend, Gin, on her phone.
End.