We walk for hours. There isn't much left for me to ask right now. A lot of these feel foreign and I still find it hard to believe in some ways. Then I realize no one actually talks about what exactly our curse is. Perhaps that's something I will only know when I get to Europe and find out from family members.
I find that we are just hitting the city as the world is just awakening. I feel so exhausted from the walk. Asphodel looks as though she is worn out, too. I see a hotel sign a little farther up the road. We look at one another and smile. This is a break we need. I can't imagine what we can do with my idea, but I suppose I will find it out. It's fake it until you make it right now.
The city welcomes us with a smell of exhaust, the sound of busy bodies and street performers hoping for some bread to hit their instrument cases and a smell of so many foods I can't keep track. My mind dances around the thoughts of being able to make enough money to keep going.
I know we can do this. It is but a matter of figuring out stuff to keep pushing. I start to list off the stuff needed to perform musically on the streets. I can only hope that this all works out in the end. We need at least a mic, a guitar and an amplifier. I should get some picks and maybe a few sets of extra strings.
I think back to when Melinda taught me at age six. The way to tune the guitar by ear. The smell of warm metal. Everything is vivid in my mind, like it was just yesterday. The feeling of the strings under my fingers. The aches from the hours of practice still burn my fingertips.
I know I have put the practice in. The question is how strong is my magic. I know some of the basic laws I should be aware of. I get lost in my mind for a moment.
"You need to start visualizing. If you want to have a clear image, I suggest you start figuring that out," Asphodel says.
"Okay, but what does that have to do with me working magic? Let alone with how we do?" I ask.
"Look Annie, with the idea of visualization, it's a key to a basic magic called manifestation. This basic magic can do a very large range of things." She answers. "The clearer you visualize, the easier to manifest the result." She adds.
"I see." I say.
We walk along for a while before we come into a small pawn shop. I dart into the back of the dreary water damaged shop. Asphodel follows me in, reluctant because of the strength of the smell of mould being present in the shop. A large man stands at the glass counter and glares at us both as each of us passes him. I can't wait to see what they have for guitars.
The wall has only six guitars, two are electric, the other four are acoustic guitars. I see two small pocket amps that only one has the auxiliary cable for. I smile and pick up the Amp with the chord and face the electric guitars. I smile as I see one being a sun burst coloured less Paul epiphany replica, the other being a pink and sparkling Fender Stratocaster knock off. I just grab the knock off. At least it is still going to play.
Asphodel shakes her head and sees we are going to be damn near out of money. We only can afford a meal after this. Already I am itching to get set up to play. My stomach audibly disagrees with me and puts food first.
"Someone's hungry." Asphodel teases me with a laugh.
"Guess so, but I wanna get to playing." I admit.
"Annie, sometimes patience is important." Asphodel says.
"Fine. I suppose you're right. I just want to get to New York. I'm hoping Garth is gonna be meeting us there." I sigh.
"Me too, Annie. Me too. " Asphodel, let's an audibly loud sigh.
I walk out from the pawnshop and leave Asphodel to pay with the clerk. I can't focus. My stomach growls and is giving me aches. My mouth waters. Before long, Asphodel comes out with the equipment. She points one way and walks the direction pointed out. I follow with haste.
"How's a burger sound?" Asphodel asks me.
"Sounds good." I agree.
"Alright, then we got a place to check out." Asphodel announces.
"Alright." I say.
The distance we have walked already would be ideal to have a rest. My legs feel like rubber and I am near ready to collapse. The only relief I find is the refuge that rest will come soon. We enter a Diner that is crafted out of an old trains Caboose Car. It seems like a quaint place to eat.
We enter through the front sliding door. We stay close to the outer wall near the window and keep our equipment close. The waitress drops the menus for us to look at.
"Drinks?" The waitress asks us.
"Coffee, for both." Asphodel says before I can even think.
"Right." The waitress heads off into the serving station.
"Asphodel, do you think I'm gonna be strong enough?" I ask.
"Yeah." She smiles.
I nod, and she does, too. She is trying to keep me reassured. With food in my stomach, it's easier to not feel so down and out about the idea. We finish up eating, paying our bill with the last of our cash. I don't consider this a place we will be back to enjoy again, although, who knows? I sigh as we lug the equipment outside.
"Where do I setup then?" I ask Asphodel.
"Should be a place in city hall." She replies.
"And where is that?" I ask.
"Follow me. I'll get us to look at a map." She huffs.
"Well, what if we just played by that coffee shop?" I say, pointing to a sign that says 'The Daily Grind' which I find clever.
"Annie, leave it to you to find a funny named place." She laughs. "Well, we can try it." She shrugs.
"Alright, let's get moving." I smile as I take the lead and head to the coffee shop.
It seems Asphodel is not pleased or concerned on either end. We walk into a warm, earthy toned shop with cream coloured seating. The place is quaint and quiet. The baristas stare at me and Asphodel as we enter. I shudder.
"Welcome. How can I be of service?" A young male, who appears about seventeen, speaks to me.
"Y-yeah, actually. I was hoping we could do a plug in and play? Try to drum some business up?" I ask the young man.
"Well, that's up to my boss." He rubs his neck. "Uh, Tommy, we have someone with a question for ya," He says to the other barista.
"Oh?" the other barista turns about, appearing mid thirties with a bit of male baldness starting atop his head.
"Yeah, that's me, sir." I sigh.
"What's the issue, lass?" he says to me.
"We wanna set my lil sister up for busking." Asphodel speaks for me, seeing my discomfort at this moment grow.
"Sure, no funny business, though." He emphasizes as he finished his sentence.
"Thanks, Tommy." I say.
"No problem kid, you bring in a customer, you can play here all week, deal?" he smiles as he extends a hand for the handshake to seal a deal.
"Let's see how we do today first, pops." Asphodel spits out.
"Your sisters got flare." Tommy says to me.
"That, she does. Though love her to death." I laugh.
"Well, then." Asphodel huffs.
"So what's there to set up?" Tommy asks, nudging the other barista, who still is nameless. This place apparently doesn't believe in name tags.
I grab my guitar, amp and the cables. We start setting it all up, bringing the amp and mic outside to the front of the shop. I smile widely. This is where I find the magic that lays within. this is how I discover my talents, I hope.
I sit on the stool they loaned me for setting up out the front. Asphodel goes back in and enjoys a coffee, talking with Tommy. I know I've got to play something. I take a breath, putting my amplifier to volume five, setting the treble at four and the bass at six. I slip my guitar into a neutral tone, bridging and sigh.
I turn to face inside for a moment. I face the street again. I turn on my microphone and haul a deep breath in. It comes down to this moment. Make it or break it. I close my eyes, feeling my fingers find their way to the 'G' chord position before I pull my pick from the strings in the neck. I tune the guitar to standard 'E' tuning. I find myself put the capo on fret two.
The world vanishes as I let myself feel the music flow from me and my guitar. I play 'Country Roads' by John Denver. Before I finish the song, I notice a group forming before me. I hear the change hitting each other in my guitar case, making me open my eyes to see the group applauding. Asphodel leans against the coffee shop door, a shaking her head.