Friday Fictioneers — The Concert That Never Was

PHOTO PROMPT ©David Stewart

Every Sunday at dawn, March through to September, the Balderton Brass Band met up for a musical jamboree in a residential area. Their tone-deaf conductor, Jimmy ‘Spring Chicken’ Gilbert, delighted in aggravating his neighbours.

The instrumentalists — all octogenarians or nonagenarians — preferred to exercise their lungs from a sitting position, to put less stress on their knees.

“We will have a concert soon,” said Jimmy, just to keep the pensioners sweet until he’d stolen their souls.

On the bandstand, his tail twitched in time to the music and his retractable horns zizzed beneath his toupee. Off to the next town soon.

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Friday Fictioneers: 100-word stories
Photo prompt: image ©David Stewart

Author: Sarah Potter Writes

Sarah is a British eccentric who writes offbeat fiction, haiku and tanka poetry. When stuck for words, she sketches or paints instead. She's into nature conservation, sustainability, gardening, dogs, natural health, and reading. Her sociability is something that happens in short bursts with long breathing spaces in between.

41 thoughts on “Friday Fictioneers — The Concert That Never Was”

  11. Brilliant, wicked, and oh so funny! It reminded of The Music Man, a story I’ve always loved. It’s about a small time flim flam man who cons a small turn of the last century Midwestern town into buying musical instruments and promises to teach them to play, even though he hasn’t a musical bone in his body. (Actually, it was starring Robert Preston, so he could really belt out a tune, but he never picked up anything more musical than a conductor’s baton in this story.)

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

      1. Dear Sarah,
        I do hope you can find it. It has some really sweet moments, some funny stuff too, and now my sister and I have a running joke between ourselves, all about “The Think System.” If you do find it, let me know what you think.

        Liked by 1 person

      2. The film is on YouTube, Naomi. Not sure if it’s the same version or a remake, but will watch it at the first opportunity when life lets up and I’m allowed the time. Everybody needs me at the moment, which is better than not being needed — just rather exhausting 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

  13. Dear Sarah,

    Your ending helps us understand Jimmy’s devil-may-care attitude. Loved the image of horns zizzing through his toupe and his tail behind him. Could be a Twilight Zone episode. 😉

    Shalom,

    Rochelle

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

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