The piano and percussion table formed a right angle. Nestled in between them was Jack's chair. The other people in the room were preoccupied, so now seemed to be a good time. The lights were pleasing and the ceramic room hummed with a pleasant sense of expectation, despite it mostly being a bathroom-inspired facility.
"You guys jamming? You mind if I join you?" asked a young man.
"Sure, play if you can," replied Jack. The young man grabbed a small hand drum and sat down. Then the pianist began to play.
He started repeating a short chromatic motif, slowly and quietly at first. Jack picked up his violin and began to imitate the piano, sometimes verbatim, sometimes altering the rhythm or harmonies. The percussionsist started to tap the drum, which, despite being singular, was somehow able to create a wide range of tones. The ensemble built upon their foundation, sowing odd notes and rhythms here and there that blossomed into new themes, new areas to explore. The music branched and split into fragments that came together to form a richer whole.
A loud crescendo signaled the edge of a precipice, and the music soared up uncertainly before crashing into the next section. The pianist began a cascading series of arpeggios, highlighting chords over which Jack played a passionate melody on his uppermost string. The drummer provided a steady beat while Jack continued to play, putting all his feelings into the tune. It wasn't long before Jack felt that somehow it wasn't good enough, his violin wasn't loud enough, there was some link missing from his heart to his hands, as if he were trying to squeeze an apple through a plastic straw. In frustration, he jumped into the air and landed a few feet away.
He walked over to the stairway. There, a silent Indian man stood, looking out over the scene. Without warning, he tipped backward and fell down the stairs. Jack cried out in alarm as the man twisted himself in midair so that he slid down the stairs on his back. All the while, his face betrayed no hint of emotion.
"WHOA! Are you okay?!" Jack yelled. The man made no response as he reached the bottom of the stairs. He carefully picked himself up and walked slowly back up the stairs. Jack surmised that the man had avoided injury by the way he'd controlled his fall.
"Wow, that was very smooth!" Jack said in genuine admiration. The man said nothing, his expression blank.
