This is my entry for November’s IndieWeb Carnival, hosted by Alex Siraç on the topic of cycles and fluctuations. It’s also my second attempt at flash fiction, coming in at 819 words.
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Before That
The alarm goes off at 6, playing “We Built This City” by Starship — a song he hates so much that he selected it for this purpose. The dog comes in and sits at the side of the bed, waiting impatiently to be let out and fed. It’s still dark. He lies there for several minutes, willing his eyes open and staring at the ceiling. Counting his obligations for the day, Jonathon Tuttle gradually wakes up.
After taking care of the dog, Jon’s morning routine includes an hour of exercise — it’s weights day. Then coffee, breakfast, shower and the 38-minute commute to work. Habitually late, Jon is often rushed and a little grouchy in the morning. His snapping at Lilly replays on his drive in. He’ll text her an apology and heart emoji once he parks.
Jon spends most of his time working as an accountant. He has been at this job 18 months and has received one verbal and one written warning. It is still in the bin by his desk. On the wall, a Kaizen Continuous Improvement poster helps keep him motivated. It was a company gift during his first real job as a bank teller. Work is time exchanged for money that allows him to live the remaining hours of his day. It is the time outside of work that is Jon’s to shape.
When he arrives home, Lilly has made supper. They eat meatloaf and sip wine spritzers at the kitchen table, chuckling at the day’s news. After dinner, they watch Twin Peaks. Halfway through the second season, Leland has just died.
The day’s obligations met, Jon enjoys an hour or two before bed doing whatever he wants. There are several activities available during this time. Jon considers himself lucky to hold many diverse interests.
Lately it’s been shooting hoops in the driveway. The goal is to make a basket whenever prompted. Jon has never been prompted to make a basket, but scenes frequently run through his mind where he’ll need to perform this task in front of lots of people. Maybe at a Celtics game during halftime, or a company event.
After an hour of practice, he sits on the front steps with a beer, wiping his head with a hand towel. His mind repeats a clip of him just missing the free throw to a smattering of consolation applause. One in four through the hoop? Not good enough. Anyway, it’s getting colder and darker in the evenings, and he hasn’t gotten around to fixing the outdoor light.
Maybe he should spend his free time practicing the saxophone instead. He played in the high school band, sitting next to the beautiful Wendy Higgins. He’s kept it up over the years, playing now and then. There must be bands with grownups he could join. It’s decided.
The next day, they have burgers and home fries for dinner. On Twin Peaks, Nadine gets admitted as a student. Jon and Lilly discuss 14-year-old Nathan’s grades. He needs a pep talk and maybe some help with math. Jon will have a talk with him. He still doesn’t mention the warnings at work.
Afterward, Jon goes downstairs to the den and digs through the closet to find his saxophone case. Opening it releases a familiar smell of polish and mold. On top of the instrument, he finds a note written hastily on a torn electric bill. “Don’t bother.” Jon holds the note in his hand for a moment, staring. He doesn’t remember it, but that’s his handwriting.
How long has it been since he played? Two years? Three? Undeterred, he removes the instrument and attaches the neck strap. Attempting to play a scale, he can’t remember the fingering. He has trouble making any sound at all. He wonders if there’s something wrong with it — could probably use a good cleaning.
The instrument finds its way back into the case and the case back into the closet. The note is still sitting on the table. Jon is sitting on the couch, staring at it, wondering if anyone heard him playing. Before shooting hoops he tried his hand at watercolors. A passable rendering of their house leans against the wall. Before that? He was training for the New York marathon, but couldn’t find the time to rack up enough miles. Before that, he’s not sure.
He can hear Lilly upstairs getting ready for bed. The dog hears it too, gets up off the floor and stands by the door, waiting. He grabs the note on the table, crushes it into a ball and tosses it into the bin. Nothing but net. He thinks about the talk he has to have with Nathan and considers brushing up on his high school math. Maybe he could be a math tutor, pivot into a teaching career. Climbing the stairs to let the dog out, Jon browses used math textbooks on his phone.
