Chapter 6 6

It's Sunday.Naturally, I was very reluctant to go.But God also refuses the beauty of adults.First, I don't have any urgent cases and I have to work overtime to deal with any emergencies, and second, I didn't receive a call from Phil.Not even a flu.Since he couldn't find any excuse, he had no choice but to hold a large bouquet of flowers, and unknowingly came to the corner of 94th Street, Riverside Avenue, and stood outside the door of Louis Stein's house. "Aha!" the hostess yelled loudly when he saw the flowers I brought. "What's the matter with you?"

Mrs. Stange hurried up and kissed me on the cheek. "Come in and meet our underground band." Mr. Stein gave me the order, and put an arm around my shoulder at the same time. There are eleven or two musicians in the room who have already set up the music stands, and they are all in their positions.Tuning while pulling the fox.Grab while tuning.The atmosphere is lively and the volume is turned up loud.There is no extraordinary furniture in the room, only a grand piano with a black light.From a huge window I could see the Hudson and the Palisades. ①The Palisades is a series of cliffs on the west bank of the Hudson River, more than ten miles long.

I shook hands with everyone.Most of them are a bit like adult married pimps.Or if they are still young, they all look like little puppets.Seriously, why am I wearing a tie today? "Where's Joe?" I always had to ask, to be polite. "She doesn't get off work till eight," said Mr. Stein. "You'll meet her two brothers first. Marty's on the horn, and Davy's on the horn and flute. You see, they won't." Go the same way as Mom and Dad. Only Joe has touched the strings in a way." Both brothers are tall, but very shy.Brother David is even more shy of strangers, he waved his clarinet to say hello to me.Marty shook my hand and said, "You're welcome to our animal concert."

① It is suspected to be a humorous statement borrowed from some animated film. "I don't know anything about it, Marty," I confessed uncomfortably honestly. "For example, if you say the word 'pizzicato' to me, I'll take it for a dish of veal cheese." ① This word is a musical term derived from Italian, meaning "plucked strings" (that is, you don't use a bow on the violin, but use your fingers to pluck it). "It's close, it's close," Mr. Stein said. "I don't need to say polite words. You are not the first one to come here as a listener."

"Really?" I asked. "Is it still fake? My father has passed away. He didn't know a single note back then." At this moment Mrs. Stein called out to me: "Oliver, please tell him that we will wait for him. If he won't come, you can play his cello." "Be patient, my dear," said the host. "I've got to entertain, lest he be uncomfortable." "I'm not uncomfortable at all," I said politely, too.He sat me down in a chair that had collapsed a bit, and hurried back to join the band's performance. They played really well.I sat there and listened to what my prep-school buddies called it, "Weird's Fun."Now there will be a piece by Mozart, then there will be a piece by Vivaldi①, and there will be another piece by Hiri②. Forgive my ignorance, this is the first time I have heard of this composer’s name.

① Vivaldi (1678-1741): Italian composer, most famous for his violin concerto "Four Seasons". ② Lu Li (1632-1687): French composer and court musician.His works include operas "Alquiste", "Daisy", and ballet comedy "The Lover" (cooperating with Molière). After the day, I played a song from Monteverdi, and then enjoyed pastrami, which was the first time I had tasted such delicious beef.During this interval of eating, the tall and shy brother David whispered to me in private. ①Monte Verdi (1567-1643): Italian composer, who wrote the operas "Orfeo" and "Ulysse's Homecoming".

"Are you really a hockey player?" "That's a thing of the past," I said. "So may I ask you something?" "Please tell me." "How did the Lin cavalry team play today?" "Huh, I forgot to look," I said.He was obviously disappointed to hear that.But how can I explain this to him?Oliver, who was obsessed with ice hockey back then, because he only knew how to study the law, even forgot to watch the match between the Boston Bruins, the overlord of ice hockey he worshiped every day, and the Lin Cavalry today! That's when Joanna came and kissed me.In fact, this seems to be just her routine.Because she kissed everyone.

"Did they drive you crazy?" "Nothing," I said. "I'm glad to hear that." Suddenly, my heart moved, and I felt that what I said was not polite at all.The harmonious atmosphere that my soul enjoyed that evening was not only infected by music.I can feel this atmosphere everywhere.There was such an air when they spoke.There is also this atmosphere when nodding to each other after playing difficult passages.There is only one thing in my own past experience that is somewhat similar to this, and that is the excitement when we, the Harvard ice hockey players, cheered each other up and tried to "tamp down" each other.

But here, everyone is working hard, but they are sitting together and playing music.I can feel that there is such a strong feeling everywhere... It should be said that it is true love. I have never been to such a world. Only when I was with Jenny did I feel like this. "Joe, go get your fiddle," said Mr. Stein. "Are you crazy?" the daughter rebuked him. "My violin is long gone..." "Your mind is on medicine," said the father. "We should spend half the time playing the violin. What's more, Bach's works haven't been touched today, so I'll keep them for you."

"I won't pull," Joanna resolutely refused. "Okay, okay, Oliver is waiting to hear from you." This made her blush.I hurriedly signaled to go over, but she didn't understand. That's when Mr. Stein turned around and mobilized me. "It's useless for me to tell my daughter. You should persuade your friend to get her tuned up and ready to play." Before I could react, Joanna, whose cheeks were already as red as kirsch I was relieved. "Okay, Dad, it's up to you. But I can't pull it well." "It's a good pull, it must be a good pull," he replied repeatedly.As soon as his daughter left, he turned around and asked me, "Do you like the Brandenburg Concerto?"

My heart suddenly tightened.Because although I don't know much about music, I am very familiar with these Bach concertos.Didn't I propose to Janney when we were walking along the river at Harvard after she played the Fifth Brandenburg Concerto?Isn't this piece of music the prelude to our union?Now that I have to listen to this piece of music again, I feel like a knife is piercing my heart when I think about it. "How do you like it?" Mr. Stein asked again.Only then did I realize that he was asking for my opinion with good intentions, but I haven't replied to him yet. "Yes," I said, "I like all the Brandenburg concertos. Which one do you play?" "Come to the whole set! Why should we favor one over another?" "I'll only play one song," the daughter called out pretending to be angry.She had already sat down in the violin booth, and was talking with an old gentleman who shared a music stand.Everyone tuned in again.But because I had some wine when I was resting and refueling just now, the volume turned out at this moment is much louder than before. This time Mr. Stein decided to come and be the conductor. "Is there anything Lenny Bernstein is better than me? It's just that his hair is prettier than mine!" He tapped on the podium—a TV would be the podium. ①Leonard Bernstein (1918—), a world-renowned American conductor, composer, and pianist.Lenny is Leonard's nickname. "Listen up, everyone," he said suddenly with a German accent, "I want you to raise the half-tone and start playing. Do you hear me? You have to raise the half-tone!" The whole band is poised, just waiting to start.He also raised the pencil and was about to swip it down. I held my breath, thinking that I should not suffocate to death. Then there was a sudden roar of cannons. The cannon hit the door, but it wasn't really a cannon, but a fist.Not only is the volume too loud, but - if I'm allowed to criticize - the tempo is not even in the slightest. "Open the door!" A voice that was neither human nor strange yelled. "Could it be the police?" I saw that Joe had already run to me unexpectedly, so I hurriedly asked her. "The police in our area will never visit." She laughed as she said it. "Because it's so unsafe. It's not the police, it's Gojira upstairs. His real name is Temple, and he just can't see people having a good time." ① After the 1950s, Japan produced a series of films featuring "Godjira".The "Godzilla" in the film is a "prehistoric monster" who was awakened by the hydrogen bomb test.The movie was released in the United States. "Open the door!" I looked around.In terms of numbers, there are about twenty of us, but all the musicians in this group look ashen.It can be seen that this guy nicknamed "Gojira" must be very difficult to mess with.But old man Stein opened the door anyway. "I'll kill you bastards who can't die! What bad Sunday is not like this, I have to discipline and discipline you-listen, don't let you have such a blah blah blah!" As he spoke, he approached Mr. Stein step by step.Calling him "Godzilla" could not be more appropriate.He was huge and covered in hair. "But Mr. Temple," replied Mr. Stein, "our Sunday activities are always over at exactly ten o'clock." The monster snorted: "Fart!" "It's over at ten o'clock, but I think you just close your eyes and ignore the facts!" Mr. Stein said. Temple stared at him with staring eyes. "Don't piss me off, old man! I've had the end of my patience, but I'm going to be rude to you!" There was hostility in the tone of "Gojira".I could see that the guy couldn't live without stepping on his neighbor, Mr. Stein.Now his purpose seems to be fulfilled. Stein's two sons were obviously a little scared, but they still came over to embolden their father. Temple continued to let him yell.At this time, Mrs. Stammer had also come to her husband's side, so Joanna, who was with me, also quietly walked towards the door. (Are you going to help? Or bandage the wound?) Things happened very quickly.Seeing that it has reached the point where it is on the verge of breaking out. "His grandma! Don't you bastards know that disturbing the peace of others is a crime?" "Excuse me, Mr. Temple, but I think it was you who violated the rights of others." I actually said this sentence!Before I realized that I wanted to say such a sentence, the words had already come out of my mouth.What surprised me even more was that I had stood up and walked towards the uninvited guest step by step.The guy then turned around to face me. "What are you doing here, white-faced boy?" asked the monster. I thought he was several inches taller than me, and at least forty pounds heavier than I was in terms of build.Let's hope those forty pounds aren't all long muscles. I signaled to the Stein family that I will handle this matter.But they still stayed where they were. "Mr. Temple," I went on, "have you ever heard of Section 40 of the Penal Code? It's about trespass. Threats of bodily harm are also against the law. And number . . . " "What are you--a cop?" he murmured.Apparently he had some dealings with the police. "I'm just a little lawyer," I replied, "but I can send you to the classroom to take care of yourself for two days." "You're scaring people," Temple said. "Not to scare you. But if you want to solve our matter quickly, there is another way." "What way, you goblin?" He deliberately shook the faintly bulging muscles twice.I secretly felt that the group of music masters behind me were sweating for me.In fact, I also have such a little bit in my heart.But I took off my coat calmly, lowered my voice an octave, and said politely: "Mr. Temple, if you really don't want to take it easy, I can't help it. I can only take it easy--students must take it easy--and beat your plasticine head to the ground. " Mr. Stein popped a bottle of champagne after the noisy guy had scurried away ("It's the real thing straight from California").After drinking, everyone unanimously proposed to choose the loudest one to play among the familiar pieces. As a result, Tchaikovsky's "1812 Overture" was played, which was really full of energy.Even I got a copy: I play cannons (the instrument used is an empty trash can). After a few hours the performance was over.Time also passed too fast. "Come back next time," Mrs. Stein said. "He's definitely coming," Mr. Stein said. "Why are you so sure?" she asked. "He likes us," Louis Steinland replied. That's about it. Needless to say, sending Joanna home is naturally my task.Although it was very late, she still insisted that I accompany her to take the No. 5 bus back.The No. 5 bus has been going along the Riverside Boulevard, and at the end it meanders into No. 5 Street to the end.She was on duty today, so she looked a little tired.However, she was still in high spirits. "Why, you were wonderful just now, Oliver," she said, and reached out and laid her hand on mine. I secretly asked myself: What does it feel like to let her hold this hand? I just can't tell what it feels like. Joanna was still excited. "Temple will never dare to show his face again from now on!" she said. "Well, let me tell you, Joe—it's no big deal to be tough with a rough guy, and even a badass like me can do it." As I said that, I made a gesture with both hands, so this hand was withdrawn from her hand. (Do you feel relieved?) "but……" Her words did not go on.When I kept saying that I was just an athlete with no brains over and over again, she might have been a little murmured in her heart.In fact, I don't mean anything else, I just want her to know that I am really not worth her time in vain.Seriously, she was so nice.People can also be considered pretty.Anyway, as long as he is a normal man and his feelings are not abnormal, his impression of her will always be the same. She lives on the fourth floor of a building near the hospital.There is no elevator in the building, and I walked her all the way to her door, only then did I realize why she was so short.Because she always had to look up and look straight at me when she was talking. I also feel like I'm short of breath.That would never be because of the stairs (remember, I used to run for exercise).I even gradually felt that when I was talking to this smart and gentle female doctor, why did I have such a faint sense of panic. Perhaps she thought my affection for her was more than a "platonic love".Maybe she thought... If this is the case, then how good is it? ①It means love beyond sex. "Oliver," said Joanna, "I was going to ask you to come in. But I have to go to work at six o'clock in the morning." "Then I'll come back next time," I said.Immediately, I felt that the lack of oxygen in my lungs improved immediately. "That's kind, Oliver." She kissed me.Such a light kiss on the cheek. (The whole family likes to come and kiss people.) "Goodbye," she said. "I'll call you back later," I replied. "Had a great time tonight." "I'm feeling it too." However, I felt unspeakable unhappiness in my heart. On the way home that night, I came to the conclusion that I needed to see a psychiatrist.