Part 14
The rest of the parent free week went down in studying and learning to sing. Wes had decided that on Christmas they would sing a song called: Sound of Music at their parents' Christmas party. Mrs. Beiste and Tanaka didn't think it was a good idea, but at the same time they thought it was amazing to hear the boys sing.
Wes had tuned the piano and they used that to practice. A lot of people stopped by outside to listen to them sing and sometimes to hear Wes play. He was amazing on the piano. His fingers danced over the keys and his voice was that of an angel. They hadn't seen Eric or Brett for quite some time and it was boring the boys thought, what Wes thought they didn't know. But one morning when they were going to run a few errands for Mrs. Beiste they had another adventure.
As they were returning home they heard barking and looked up.
"Andrew", Jeff grinned. It was Ms. Lark's dog. Ms. Lark lived in the biggest house on Cherry Tree Lane and a lot of people were jealous of her, Admiral Boom for one. He couldn't understand why she had such a big house. Andrew was a very nice dog and very spoilt, but he didn't let that stop him from going out and having fun with other dogs. Now he came running up to them and stopped in front of Wes barking a lot.
"Slow down", Wes said calmly. "I don't understand a word of what you're saying."
"Bark bark", Andrew sounded.
"Again?!" Wes asked and rolled his eyes. "It is the third time this year."
"Bark, bark."
"Yes of course."
"Bark." With that Andrew turned and started to walk away. Wes followed and so did the boy.
"What did he say", Jeff asked curiously.
"Thank you", Wes answered calmly.
"Where are we going?" David asked.
"To my uncle Arthur."
"I thought we were out shopping for Mrs. Beiste", Blaine remarked.
"We had a change of plans."
"Did Andrew really say thank you", Thad asked.
"Of course."
"I don't think he said anything", Nick said.
"You know best of course", Wes said and they walked on.
They got to a part of the city that looked rundown and spooky. As they walked Andrew started whining.
"For goodness sake Andrew", Wes said and looked at the dog. "You worrying doesn't help anyone. Why don't you go home and rest?"
"Bark", Andrew said and turned and walked away. The boys watched him go and then followed Wes to a door that looked nicer than the most. On it was written: Arthur Carmichael. Wes knocked on the door and it opened. They saw that it was Eric, how did they know? His hair was combed back.
"Oh Eric I'm glad you here", Wes said and they entered.
"I came the moment I 'eard", Eric answered and closed the door behind them.
"Well how is he?"
"I've nevah seen 'im as bad as this and that is the truth", Eric answered as came up to them. Wes walked towards a door and Eric followed.
"'ow about them", he asked and pointed at Wes' students that were coming too. "It's contagious ya know. I 'ad to send Brett out back ta calm down."
"I'm 'ere!" Brett suddenly called and ran up to them. He grinned at the boys and then kissed Wes' cheek. Eric decided to not be worse… so he kissed Wes on the lips.
"We have time for love later", Wes scolded the two. "Now show me in."
"Of course", the twins answered and headed for a door. Wes turned to the boys.
"Behave yourselves now", he said sternly and they got to the door. Brett and Eric opened and ushered the boys inside. The boys thought they'd meet a very ill man, puking or something but they found something else completely. An older man was sitting in the roof, laughing happily.
"Oh my", he said when he saw them. "Oh bless my soul. If it isn't Wes Montgomery with the Banks-boys."
"Uncle Arthur you promised", Wes said sharply.
"I know I know", the laughing man said. "But I just *giggle* couldn't keep it in. Someone told me this fantastic joke and when I started I couldn't stop and now I'm up here!" He laughed again and they boys found his laughter really contagious so they started to laugh too.
"Don't you dare", Wes hissed and they stopped. "You'll only make it worse. It's really quite serious."
"Yes whatevah you do keep a straight face", Eric told them.
"Last time it took us three days to get 'im down", Brett added and chuckled. But a withering glare from Wes made him sober up. The boys looked at the laughing and floating man. He started to sing:
I love to laugh
Loud and long and clear
I love to laugh
It's getting worse ev'ry year
As he sang he made acrobatics in the air and the boys started chuckling and laughing. As did Brett and Eric. Wes was the only one that was composed.
The more I laugh
The more I fill with glee
"You're no help at all", Wes snapped at Eric and Brett and they sobered up again, but the boys kept on laughing.
Arthur: And the more the glee
The more I'm a merrier me
It's embarrassing!
The more I'm a merrier me!
Everyone but Wes were laughing happily and almost crazily and Wes was getting enough of it. He looked between Uncle Arthur and the boys and the twins before he sang:
Some people laugh through their noses
Sounding something like this "Mmm..."
"Dreadful", Wes said dully and the twins stopped laughing. Wes looked at Arthur Carmichael as this tried to stop laughing but it sounded more like hissing.
Wes: Some people laugh through their teeth goodness sake
Hissing and fizzing like snakes *hiss*
"Not at all attractive to my way of thinking", Wes said sharply and Uncle Arthur stopped laughing and looked at him in shock. Brett put his arm around Wes' shoulders.
Brett: Some laugh too fast
Some only blast - ha! –Wes rolled his eyes.
Eric: Others, they twitter like birds
"You know you're two are as bad as he is", Wes asked the twins while nodding at the floating man.
Twins: Then there's tha kind
Whot can't make up their mind
Arthur: When things strike me as funny
I can't hide it inside
And squeak - as the squeakelers do
I've got to let go with a ho-ho-ho... – They were all, but Wes laughing again and now the twins floated up to Arthur.
And a ha-ha-ha...too!
"How nice", Arthur said and shook hands with Brett first and then Eric. "I was hoping you two would turn up. We always has such a jolly time." Wes glared at them before crossing his arms and turning away from them in annoyance.
Arthur & Twins: We love to laugh
Loud and long and clear
We love to laugh
So ev'rybody can hear
As they laughed Jeff and Nick started to float too and was heading upwards.
"Oops don't you two start", Wes said, grabbed their feet and pulled them down again… and then did the same to the other boys that was about to float up. "Come back down here."
The more you laugh
The more you fill with glee
And the more the glee
The more we're a merrier we!
But the second time Wes couldn't stop the seven boys as they floated up into the roof to the twins and Arthur.
"Oh welcome, welcome", Arthur said while laughing. "Make yourselves comfortable."
"Yes pull up a chair", Brett said and they laughed again.
"I must say you are a sight, the lot of you", Wes told them from the ground as he watched them laugh and float around.
"Speaking of sights", Eric said. "That reminds me of me cousin. 'e 'as a nice job in a watch-factory."
"In a watch factory", Arthur asked. "What did he do?"
"'e stands around all day and makes faces!"
Everyone laughed again.
"He makes faces for the watches", Thad chuckled happily.
"You made that op", Brett laughed happily and his brother grinned.
"Such behavior", Wes said and shook his head. "This is the most disgraceful sight I've ever seen, or my name isn't Wes Montgomery."
"Speaking of names", Brett said happily. "I know a man with a wooden leg named Smith."
"What's the name of his other leg", Arthur asked and they all laughed hysterically again. Wes looked at his pocket watch.
"Now boys it's time for tea", he said. "I will not have my schedule interrupted."
"Oh please stay", Arthur said. "Look I have a splendid tea already boiled."
"And it's getting cold", Wes said sternly.
"Well I had hope that maybe you…" he trailed off and the boys all stared as the table started to move and came floating up towards them.
"Splendid", Arthur said. "Thank you very much. Keep your feet back, clear of the bread and butter. Now watch it children."
"I knew 'e could bring it op", Brett said happily. "And a propah tea it is too."
"Next thing I suppose you'll be wanting me to pour it out", Wes said as he watched them. Then he shook his head. "Oh well if I must, I must." And with that he came floating up and "sat down" between Brett and Eric.
"If you stop behaving like a flock of laughing hyenas", Wes said as he looked around and poured the tea. "Two lumps Uncle Arthur?"
"Yes please", Arthur answered and took the offered cup.
"Eric? Brett?"
"No sugah for us please", Eric said and kissed Wes' cheek.
"I'm so glad you came", Brett told Wes and kissed his other cheek.
"It wouldn't have been any fun without you", Nick added.
"Drink your tea boys", Wes said calmly.
"Nice weathah we're 'aving this time of year don't ya think", Eric asked and looked at Uncle Arthur.
"Oh yeah, yeah", he answered. "Speaking of weather… The other day when it was so cold a friend of mine went to buy some long underwear. The shopkeeper said to him: 'how long do you want it' and my friend said: 'well from about September to March'." Everyone, except Wes started laughing and making spins and turns in the air, crazily.
"Will you please sit properly at the table", Wes said as he drank his tea and the others soon did, but not before Brett and Eric could steal some kissed from him.
"I'm having such a good time", Arthur said. "I wished you could all stay up here at all times."
"We probably have to", Blaine said. "There's no way to get down."
"Oh no there is a way", Arthur said. "Frankly I don't like to mention it. 'cause you have to think of something sad."
"Then do get on with it please", Wes told him and the twins and Arthur started to think.
"Let me see", Arthur said. "I've got the very thing. Yesterday, when the lady next door opened her door there was a man there. And the man said to the lady: 'I am terribly sorry I just ran over your cat'."
"Oh that's sad", Jeff said.
"The poor cat", Trent said and they all started to sink towards the floor.
"And then the man said: 'I'd like to replace your cat'", Arthur continued. "And the lady said: 'That's all right with me but how are you on catching mice?'"Everyone started laughing again and Wes gave Uncle Arthur a tired look.
"I'm sorry", Arthur told him. "I try very hard but everything just ends up hilarious."
"Oh I've got one", Eric said. "It's also about a cat."
"Whot is it", Brett asked.
"It was the man and 'is wife. She went away to visit a friend in Glasgow. When she was there 'er 'usband called and told 'er that the cat 'ad died."
"Aw", Nick said and looked sad.
"Yes and she got really upset ya see", Eric continued as they all started sinking. "She told 'im that 'e couldn't tell 'er like that. She told 'im to tell 'er on the first day that the cat was sittin' on tha roof, tha second day 'e'd tell 'er the cat fell down an' on tha third 'e should tell 'er that the vet said 'e wasn't going to make it."
"What happened then", Fred asked as they were now nearly close to the ground, Wes watching them from above.
"Tha next day 'e called 'er again and said… 'Your mum is sitting on tha roof'."
Everyone started laughing again and got up to where Wes sat at the table. They were all laughing and spinning around in the air merrily.
"That will be quite enough of that", Wes said and looked at his watch again. "It's time to go home. Shannon is waiting for the groceries."
Wes started to sink gracefully towards the ground.
"Oh that is sad", David said and the boys also started to sink although… not quite as graceful.
"That's the saddest thing I've ever heard", Arthur said and they all landed on the ground. Wes had already walked to the door.
"Come along boys spit-spot", he said and the Banks-boys got up and walked up to him.
"Must you really go", Arthur asked and sounded sad. "People come to see me all the time and we have such a lovely time and then they have to go home. And I'm very, very sad about it." As he said the last he buried his face in his handkerchief.
"Don't worry", Thad said happily. "We'll come back soon."
"We had a lovely time", Fred added and picked up the groceries Wes pointed at before leaving with his brothers.
"Keep an eye on Uncle Arthur boys", Wes told the twins.
"Of course", Eric said.
"Thank you."
Wes and the boys left and hurried home. On the way the boys kept giggling or chuckling at the jokes they'd heard.
When they got there they saw that their parents had gotten home.
"Mother!" Nick called and ran up to her and gave her a hug. The boys followed suit and hugged their mother, she hugged them back and kissed them gently on the cheeks or the forehead.
"Oh children I'm so happy to see you", she said and smiled at them. "Did you behave? What are those things you are carrying?"
"Oh!" Fred exclaimed. "It's for Mrs. Beiste! Come on boys!" The boys hurried towards the kitchen and left their teacher with their parents.
"Have they behaved", Will asked calmly.
"Yes they have", Wes said calmly. "They have done their studies and been very well-behaved. Except for at a tea party today but that was not completely their fault. Sad to say their host was not the most well-behaved and he influenced the boys. They are fine now."
"I see… what kind of behavior?"
"The hyena-like."
"I see… tomorrow is the Christmas party. Will my sons be ready for that?"
"Of course."
"We want you to join us as well dear", Emma told him. "You have become quite the celebrity around here and Shannon and Ken are also taking part."
"Of course ma'am", Wes said. "The boys have a surprise for the two of you that they will show you tomorrow. It is mostly for you Mister Banks."
"Me?" Will asked confused. "Whatever for?"
"They want to show you that you did not have to give up on your dream all those years ago. They want to show you that you can be happy again and live your dream even though you are not a young boy in love anymore."
"And how are they going to do this", Will asked suspiciously.
"It is a surprise. But I know you will be happy and pleased and insanely proud."
"I am always proud over my boys."
"Good", Wes said. "Now if you excuse me, I must go help Shannon bake those hundreds of cookies for tomorrow."
He walked away and Will watched him… a bit nervously. What was this man doing now?
The next day the party started in the afternoon and it was a nice dinner and a lot of talking. There was no music, everyone knew that it was forbidden after all. Wes found himself surrounded by parents that wanted to know if he wanted to work for them instead. They were trying to bribe him with everything you can imagine but he refused to let them. He told them things like:
"I am not a horse that can be lured by sugar thank you very much." Or "Do I look like a monkey that dance for treats?" Will was watching it all rather smugly. His sons were hanging around with their friends but sometimes spoke with grownups that asked them questions, although Fred stayed clear of the bank people and they of him. Will hadn't gotten in trouble for what happened. "The life of finance is not for everyone" his bosses had said and sent him home with not even a warning. Fred was right now talking to Carole Hudson who was a nurse at a hospital. What it was about Will didn't know. His boys were spread out and he saw Blaine sit rather close to one of the Hudson boys. What was his name again? Conrad… no… Carl? Was it Charles? No he was sure the name was short. It was Carl, Cole or Chris.
"Kurt", he heard someone call and the boy left his son's side.
"Right, Kurt", Will mumbled.
"Watching our sons flirt ey Banks", Mr. Burt Hudson said as he joined him.
"Yes", Will said. "They looked really cozy."
"I can sense a great future for them… together."
"I do too… but we have to keep it under wraps. Not everyone is finding love between the same gender as anything good yet."
"Well we do and that really all that matters. I hope you have noticed how that Smythe boy keeps sending your youngest one looks."
"What?" Will looked around and saw Nick sit with a cute girl, talking happily. He then looked for Sebastian Smythe and saw him across the room, not watching Nick.
"He is not interested in Nick", Will said calmly.
"Nick?" Burt asked confused. "I meant Thad."
Will chuckled.
"Thad is not the youngest", he said calmly. "Just the smallest."
Suddenly there was a clinging from a crystal glass and Will watched his sons' teacher in confusion.
"The Banks-boys has something to entertain you all with", he explained and the boys got up and hurried up to him by the piano. "But first they want their father to know that they all love him very much and that they are doing this to remind him of that… and for the love of his real true job as a father and a teacher. They want him to know that even though tragedy strike-"
"You can't give up on your dreams", Thad jumped in and his brothers looked at him in confusion. They didn't know of what Wes, and now Thad, was talking about. "Father your dreams still live on and we don't want you to be unhappy just thinking about them. We want you to be happy, always and we want you to remember that just because she is long gone she still speak to you through the music. Mother is also there, loving you deeply and especially the man you really truly are… a musician."
Will felt touch and a bit angry. He was about to cut in when the boys started to harmonize and sang:
The hills are alive with the sound of music
With songs they have sung for a thousand years
The hills fill my heart with the sound of music
My heart wants to sing every song it hears
Everyone looked a bit misty-eyed because it sounded so amazing. Will himself was crying.
My heart wants to beat like the wings of the birds
that rise from the lake to the trees
My heart wants to sigh like a chime that flies
from a church on a breeze
To laugh like a brook when it trips and falls over
stones on its way
To sing through the night like a lark who is learning to pray
Will stepped forward and joined in with his boys:
I go to the hills when my heart is lonely
I know I will hear what I've heard before
My heart will be blessed with the sound of music
And I'll sing once more
All the guests cheered loudly and clapped their hands and Will hugged his children close to him, crying and thanking them. Loving them. Wes smiled as he sat by the piano and Will then turned to him.
"You taught them this", he half accused.
"Yes", Wes said calmly. "They are talented."
"Not as talented as Mister Montgomery", Trent hurriedly cut in. "He can sing and yodel and dance and play many instruments."
"You are exaggerating Trent", Wes said calmly.
"No he doesn't", David cut in. "Sing something for us… please?"
"No", Wes said.
"Oh come on", Blaine begged. "Everyone wants to hear!"
The guests all agreed.
"Sing something cheerful dear", Emma said and smiled at him. "Or you could sing with the boys."
"Oh can we do that about the goatherd", Jeff asked and gave his teacher his best puppy eyes. "Please?"
"The Lonely Goatherd", Carole Hudson asked. "I have not heard that song in years."
"Please Mister Montgomery", the Banks-boys begged. "Please." He sighed and turned to the piano and started to play and then sang:
Wes: High on a hill was a lonely goatherd
Lay ee odl lay ee odl lay hee hoo
Loud was the voice of the lonely goatherd
Lay ee odl lay ee odl-oo
Folks in a town that was quite remote heard
Lay ee odl lay ee odl lay hee hoo
Lusty and clear from the goatherd's throat heard
Lay ee odl lay ee odl-oo
His students joined up around him and joined into the singing:
Boys: O ho lay dee odl lee o, o ho lay dee odl ay
O ho lay dee odl lee o, lay dee odl lee o lay
Wes: A prince on the bridge of a castle moat heard
Lay ee odl lay ee odl lay hee hoo – Trent jumped onto a chair.
Trent: Men on a road with a load to tote heard
Lay ee odl lay ee odl-oo
Their parents and everyone else laughed merrily as Wes and the boys performed.
Boys: Men in the midst of a table d'hote heard
Lay ee odl lay ee odl lay hee hoo
Wes: Men drinking beer with the foam afloat heard
Lay ee odl lay ee odl-oo
Will took over the piano as Wes got up and moved to a girl in a pink dress. Jeff followed because he had been eyeing this girl. Wes put his arm around the girl.
Wes: One little girl in a pale pink coat heard
Lay ee odl lay ee odl lay hee hoo – Wes moved away and Jeff got close to the girl and sang:
Jeff: She yodeled back to the lonely goatherd
Lay ee odl lay ee odl-oo
Wes was now by this girl's mother and she beamed at him as he sang:
Soon her Mama with a gleaming gloat heard
Lay ee odl lay ee odl lay hee hoo
What a duet for a girl and goatherd
All: Lay ee odl lay ee odl-oo
As Will played the instrumental part people started dancing, Jeff with the girl in a pink dress.
All: Ummm (ummm)
Odl lay ee (odl lay ee)
Odl lay hee hee (odl lay hee hee)
Odl lay ee . . .
(yodeling)
Jeff: One little girl in a pale pink coat heard
Wes: Lay ee odl lay ee odl lay hoo hoo
Jeff: She yodeled back to the lonely goatherd
Wes: Lay ee odl lay ee odl-oo
Wes: Soon her Mama with a gleaming gloat heard
Lay ee odl lay ee odl lay hmm hmm
What a duet for a girl and goatherd
Lay ee odl lay ee odl-oo
All: Happy are they lay dee olay dee lee o
Soon the duet will become a trio
Wes: Lay ee odl lay ee odl-oo
All: Odl lay ee, old lay ee
Odl lay hee hee, odl lay ee
Odl lay odl lay, odl lay odl lee, odl lay odl lee
Odl lay odl lay odl lay
Boys: HOO!
As the song ended everyone applauded and cheered for the boys. The boys all grinned and Wes smiled softly. He got a few handshakes but then moved back so he was no longer in center of attention. He never liked to be that in a crowd where he barely knew anyone. He did not feel at home amongst all these rich people. After all… he grew up in an orphanage and stayed there until he was kicked out for being… magical.
TBC
Malurina - Maybe ;)