Village Squire, 1975-02, Page 24As he c+nulucUtt ranted the girl stood
dumbly, staring straight ahead, her face
devoid of color. With hardly a pause for
breath Nabokov berated her for five solid
minutes. Finally, his reservoir of venom
depleated, he stopped.
"Go, be gone with you. Get out of here.
Now. Are you going?"
"Yes maistro," she replied weakly, "I'm
going. I'm sorry."
Nabokov said nothing. The orchestra held
its collective breath as the girl turned to
leave.
tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap
The Orchestra stirred uncomfortably.
Nabokov did not move.
tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap
The conductor spoke, in a quiet, even
voice. "Miss, one moment, what's that
sound?"
The tapping stdpped. Nikoli. Nabokov
carefully crossed to where the sound had
stopped. His hand groped momentarily.
"What's this?" he asked.
"My cane sir."
There was a moment's silence. Someone in
the orchestra tried to muffle a cough. Finally
the conductor spoke.
"How long have you been blind?"
"Since birth sir."
There. was only the sound of Nabokov
shuffling the cane in his hands.
"And you are how old?"
"Nearly twenty sir."
1111. ,aulu, 11n ', !twat hint.; '%a. irregular.
He continued to twist the cane in his hands.
"And you study music, and you laugh, and
there's a friend named Jeff, and
Nabokov broke off. The girl said nothing.
"What's your name?"
"Jennifer, but they call me Jen; Jen
O'Riley."
Nabokov was silent for a long time. At last
he spoke. "I'm an old man but you have lived
in the dark four times as long as I. Pay no
attention to the bitterness of an old man
J en.
He pressed the cane back in her hands.
"Go now, go and find this Jeff."
His voice trailed off as he turned back to
the philharmonic. A tear marked his wrinkled
face. The tapping began to fade in the
corridor, then merged with the tapping of
Nabokov's baton on the stand before him.
"Let us play music, music that laughs."
He raised his baton and the orchestra
picked up the' opening bars. The room filled
with lilting music.
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1i iinlrtiLie etuhiiz11t Notes
(Ijreelt(f IIIerti T1rsi9its
GODERICH
1
1
A
Our notes and Ontario Scenic
Prints are available at selective
stores in Huron and
throughout Ontario.