CHAPTER TEN
“When historians and musicologists discuss the saddest prodigies, the discussion usually turns to Mozart,” said Erica.
“He was born blind and is believed to have been an autistic savant. Remember no one really knew about autism then or understood the odd behaviors of children who had it. Tom possessed the astonishing ability to hear a piece of music once and flawlessly play it back note-for-note.
“He was exploited from the moment someone heard him play. He was born enslaved in Georgia but the poor kid was treated as a circus-like attraction and leased out by his enslaver.”
“Are you fucking with me, Ace? I’ve never heard of this,” said Cam.
“I promise, this is not something I would fuck around about. He became the highest-grossing act of the 19th century—earning his owners the equivalent of tens of millions of dollars.
“Following the Emancipation Proclamation, Wiggins was not set free. Instead, he became the center of bitter legal battles, like a custody battle and everyone wanted a piece of him.”
“That poor man,” said Jane shaking her head. Ace nodded.
“He was placed under the conservatorship of his former enslaver's family, remaining a ward of others until his death. He was forced to perform grueling schedules of up to four shows a day, dying virtually forgotten. No one remembers this man’s name or what he endured.
“Yet, here we are, a hundred years later, finding people doing the same thing to kids. Torturing them for their brains!” he yelled slamming his hand on the table.
“Brother, maybe you step back and we’ll let AJ handle this one,” said Luke. Ace’s own start to his life was somewhat similar. Surely autistic, brilliantly intelligent, barely able to stand the touch of another human until he’d met his wife.
“No,” he said shaking his head. “No, I’m okay.
I’m sorry for my outburst. It’s just, I’ve been where these kids are.
Not understanding the torture. Not understanding why I was different and then finding my gift thanks to Ghost and the others.
These kids have found their gifts but have they been asked if they want them? ”
Luke looked at Ace, then turned to the others in the room.
“You’re right. We haven’t asked one of those children if they actually want to play the instruments or if they think we’re forcing them to play them.”
“Where are they all?” asked Erica.
“In the cafeteria, having lunch and playing with Uncle Alec and Uncle Tailor.”
“That should be entertaining,” smirked Jane. “Let’s take our friend with us.”
“What do we call him?” asked Luke. Jane tapped Keith on the shoulder and signed to him.
“Can you please ask him what name he would like to be called?” she signed. Keith smiled at her, nodding.
“My friends would like to know if you have a name that you like, one you want to be your very own?” The boy signed back and Keith tilted his head back, laughing at his response. “You’re sure?”
“What did he say?” asked Luke. “I couldn’t understand.”
“When he was stealing food for the children in the basement, the ones he thought would wake up, he saw a big sign for a man who plays music and he had a smile on his face.”
“How did he know how to pronounce the name or read it?” asked Jane.
“I suspect his brain sees words like music. The words on paper probably sing in his head. The big sign, probably a billboard, was for the Rolling Stones. He wants to be called Jagger.”
“Jagger it is then,” laughed Luke. “Let’s take him to the cafeteria with us. We’ll introduce him to the other children.”
As they approached the cafeteria, they could clearly see the other children inside. Tailor and Alec, both over six-feet-seven, were seated cross-legged in front of the children as they play their instruments.
“Well, we might have our answer,” smiled Luke. “None of them look like they don’t want to play.”
“Let’s just ask to be sure,” pleaded Ace.
“Of course, brother.” They opened the doors and walked inside, everyone who was eating their lunch was silent, listening to the children. Gaspar, Ghost, Ian, and Nine walked toward their sons and the others.
“Whatever those kids need, give it to them,” said Ghost. “I’ve never been so moved by music in all my life. That’s all they wanted to do. When they were seated and the teachers gave them their lunch, they cried. Alec figured out why. They wanted the instruments beside them.”
“We were worried that they’d been forced to play and they might think they had to play for us,” said Luke. “I guess this tells us they want to play.”
“That’s all they want to do,” said Ian. “Faith, Erin, and Grace had to make a deal with them. Eat first, play second. I never saw kids eat so fast in all my life.”
The four senior statesmen turned to see the boy with Keith and then turned to Luke and the others with look of dark, determined death on their faces.
“Who did that to that boy?” growled Nine.
“The doctors and nurses at the hospital,” said Cam. “We found it and found some interesting things, including a dozen or so dead bodies of kids. The coroner took them all and will tell us what happened, but we’re pretty sure we already know.”
“Jane and Riley said that they opened that boys head and then tossed him in the same room as the others. By some miracle, by the grace of God or the Easter bunny or whatever, that boy’s head healed.
He writes music,” said Eric staring at him.
“He writes the most beautiful music ever according to Bull and Erica.”
They all stilled, watching as Keith signed to the other children that there was someone else who had been at the hospital. The children just smiled at him, not caring about the shape of his head or that one side of his body didn’t move correctly.
Seeing the other children with instruments, Jagger handed them his notes and they all stared at it, then up at him. Turning, Pip handed his guitar to Bull and while Erica took one of the violins.
“Can you play this?” asked Bull.
“I’m darn sure going to try,” she smiled. “You only get to play a masterpiece once in your lifetime.”
As the two began playing, it was as if the whole world stopped and stood still. The children stood as close as they thought possible, feeling the instruments’ vibrations, closing their eyes, as if absorbing every note, every sounds, every chord through their bodies.
When Erica and Bull stopped, breathless, they smiled at one another.
“I’ve never in my life played so fast,” said Bull.
“Me either,” laughed Erica. “But that was the most brilliant piece of music I’ve ever seen.”
Suddenly the music began again. They stared as the children repeated what they’d felt, what they’d seen, and in fact played it better than the professional musicians.
They were so excited when they finished, they didn’t even care that more than two-hundred people were standing and applauding.
“What the hell did we just witness?” frowned Ghost.
“One of God’s true gifts.”