Jack of Diamonds by Bryce Courtenay Page B

talked to Miss Floss when you were outside wid your mama and she says to give you a dollar, so I am only followin’ orders. She says you may call her “Miss Frostbite”, like the other musicians, except for yours truly. I call her Floss because we bin together even before the Jazz Warehouse. Miss Frostbite be the name she prefers for musicians and staff, and now, because you been in a jam session, you are like family.’
    My head was still full of what had just happened on stage and I accepted the dollar without really taking in what he said. It was too much money for a boy to have, and I was going to walk home and present it to my mom. ‘Thank you, Joe, for letting me play in the session. It was the best thing I’ve ever done! Will you please thank Miss Frostbite for my dollar and everything?’
    ‘Our pleasure, Jack Spayd. You done real good today, earned your respect wid them other cats. Your mama will tell you what she and Miss Floss discussed this afternoon. Now you better get goin’, son. You are welcome to jam wid us any afternoon you want.’ He grinned. ‘Only one rule: no drinkin’ rye whisky or bum wine before you come to work. No bottle allowed wid you on stage. Miss Frostbite, she don’t tolerate inebriation.’ He paused. ‘You know what inebriation mean, Jazzboy?’
    I nodded. ‘Being drunk.’ I’d read it in a book and looked it up at the library.
    ‘Hey, that’s good!’ he said, laughing. ‘You is even gettin’ yo’self educated. Not too many jazz men had that privilege when they was young.’
    Of course, I couldn’t wait for my mom to get home that night, and when she arrived it was hard waiting until she’d settled down and I’d handed her the King George. She took a sip of tea and then said, ‘I suppose you want to know what happened in Miss Byatt’s office, Jack? It’s been going round and round in my head ever since, and I couldn’t hardly concentrate at work.’
    ‘Same for me!’ I exclaimed.
    ‘Did you eat your sandwiches?’
    ‘Yes, they were nice. Now can you please tell me what she said,’ I begged.
    ‘No, first tell me why she wanted you to stay back.’
    ‘Mom, I asked first!’ I protested.
    ‘Yes, but if I know everything that happened it might make more sense, I mean, me and her this afternoon, in her office,’ she replied.
    So I sighed and told her about jamming with the band and explained that I hadn’t seen Miss Frostbite again. Then I fished in my pocket and handed her the dollar.
    ‘What’s this, Jack?’ she said, surprised.
    ‘Miss Frostbite gave it to Joe to give to me for the streetcar.’
    ‘Oh, so she must want you to go on with the harmonica, too.’
    ‘What does that mean?’ I asked fearfully. ‘Joe Hockey said I could sit in on the jam session any night I liked.’
    ‘She wants you to learn to play the piano, Jack.’
    ‘The piano!’ I was shocked. ‘What about my harmonica?’
    ‘She says you’ve got a huge talent but you need to study classical music as well as jazz. She says you’re not too old, but you should have started when you were seven.’
    ‘The piano?’
    ‘And learning to read music.’
    ‘Read? You mean like what’s on a song sheet?’
    ‘Yes, I think so. You know, like the music notes the musicians have on those stands in the rotunda.’
    I liked this idea a whole lot. I supposed it was like another kind of reading, only music reading. ‘ Really , Mom? She said that? But where could I learn? And how would I practise?’
    My mother nodded. ‘Aha, that was exactly what I was thinking but she said never mind the details – if I gave my permission she’d take care of the rest. In fact, her exact words were, “Leave the details to me – the piano and the tuition, Gertrude. Just let me have your boy.”’
    ‘Have me? You mean go and live with her?’ I exclaimed, appalled.
    My mom laughed. ‘No, of course not! How could I ever part with you, Jack? No, she meant give her permission to pay for your training,