James Kelman - Dirt Road

She put her arm round his waist and leaned into him like a cuddle. He was still holding the accordeon-case. I knew you would, she said.

Yeah, he said and smiled. I went to yer house yesterday.

We left early morning.

Yeah the afternoon it was.

You came in the afternoon? Oh but you should have called.

I didnt have yer phone number. Ye forgot to give me it!

I did? Oh my God.

It doesnt matter anyway, I dont have a phone.

Oh Murdo.

No, well, I mean…

I am so sorry!

No like I was going to Allentown anyway so…I needed an accordeon.

But we were bringing one for you!

…

We were bringing one for you Murdo.

Murdo smiled. He said, It’s just I needed to rehearse a bit so like I knew there was one in the pawnshop.

Sarah gazed at him.

You come by bus? asked Gene.

Murdo didnt look at Gene. Then he did look at him. He was just ordinary, looking back at him, expecting him just to say what it was, whatever: I came by bus, yeah. Murdo nodded.

Sarah made to touch his hand. Murdo shifted position slightly. It was the wrong Lafayette, he said.

Pardon me? said Sarah.

There’s all these different Lafayettes like on the map…? Ye didnt tell me which one. So the one I thought was in the state of Georgia. Near Chattanooga.

Oh God.

Then I found out it was the state of Louisiana. It was another Lafayette altogether. Lucky I had a map.

What about your Dad? Didnt he know?

What?

Where Lafayette was? Didnt he know?

No. No, he didnt — well I didnt ask him. I mean I did and I didnt. What I mean is like well I didnt tell him. I didnt tell him I was coming.

Sarah was puzzled.

He would just have said no.

Oh Murdo.

Murdo shrugged. My Dad is just like… I didnt tell him because there was no point.

He’ll be worried.

Yeah well maybe, but he doesnt have to be. Murdo sniffed and shook his head. He knows I’m here now anyway so it doesnt matter. He’s coming.

Oh that’s good, said Sarah.

Murdo looked at her. He lifted the accordeon-case and gestured with it. Yer Gran said to leave my stuff in the truck.

Hey… Gene took the accordeon-case from him, opened the boot of the car next to the truck. Safer in here, he said.

He settled the accordeon-case inside. Murdo passed him the rucksack. Thanks, he said.

You bet. We better get ready.

Yeah. Sarah smiled at Murdo, then touched his hand. It is so good you came.

Yeah, he said. It is, it’s great. He pointed at the venue. What a brilliant place!

Sarah laughed.

Gene said, The old Jay Cee; cant ask for more!

Sarah walked on in front. Gene hesitated, waiting for Murdo. Murdo also hesitated, so then Gene walked on, following Sarah around the side of the building, across the little platform and in through the emergency exit door. Before entering Gene turned to Murdo: You know the Zadiks?

No.

We got their drums and bass man they are tight, they are tight. Yeah.

They’re playing with us? asked Murdo.

Yeah.

Brilliant.

Yeah. Gene grinned.

*

Along the corridor Gene and Murdo waited ahead of Sarah. Behind her Queen Monzee-ay sat in the tiny room where she and Sarah dressed. Soon Joel appeared down by the entrance into the main area, and paused there with his hand on the door handle. He grinned seeing Murdo: Hey Murdo!

And he gestured at them to come forward. Gene walked on, then Murdo, with Sarah immediately behind, and out into the main area. They had to pass the bartender, the old guy with the hat who stood there with his arms folded. By now the club was more than half full and all tables taken. They stepped up onto the stage and into their positions. Joel had set out their instruments. Murdo pulled on the turquoise accordeon and tinkered with it. Gene was tuning his guitar and Sarah was leaning to talk to somebody down from the stage whoever that was, Murdo didnt see and wouldnt see, was avoiding the slightest eye contact with the audience and anybody in it. It was just something, he didnt do it. Getting into his own space. Although if Dad was there. Maybe he was. It would be good if he was. It didnt matter about stuff anyway because that was that. Although he felt like laughing, laugh laugh, hoh di hoh; he touched the keys: that particular sound the turquoise had, jees, yes, beautiful. Okay. That was that, his teeth clicked, they were clicking. Oh well, that was teeth, teeth clicked. The drummer and bass guitar from the Zadiks were onto the stage and chatting to Sarah. Probably they knew her. Of course they did. Everybody did! Queen Monzee-ay’s granddaughter. Murdo saw them looking at him, and he nodded; they smiled in reply. So whatever. The time it was now, ha ha, he looked at the ceiling. Sarah was by the edge of the stage talking to somebody, whoever, Murdo looked to the rear, the drummer getting ready, the bass talking to Gene.

Then a silence, scattered applause. Murdo glanced around. Queen Monzee-ay had appeared at the backstage doorway. The old bartender held her accordeon and waited with it. She was wearing a type of gown that made ye think of Africa. She stood in that upright way the same as Aunt Edna. When she came forwards she did it like a march, hands at her side and pausing only by the step up onto the stage. This was one of the greatest moments in Murdo’s life. The musicians as well as the audience applauded while she raised slightly the right side of her dress, and stepped up onstage. Murdo laughed suddenly but stopped. Greatest moments ever, in his entire life. He felt this as strongly as ever he could feel anything. Queen Monzee-ay circled the front of the stage, still in a march, gazing out at the audience. She paused by the centre mic, and raised her forearms. Now the bartender stepped up and handed the accordeon to her, her accordeon, the fanciest ever ye saw, just this beautiful beautiful amazing-mazing thing. Queen Monzee-ay said: Thank you Vinnie, and he returned offstage. She stepped behind the mic while pulling it on and adjusting the straps; she was staring out at the audience like ensnaring them, looking straight into their eyes because then what could they do? nothing, nobody could do a damn thing because she was in control, this was Queen Monzee-ay, and she was looking straight at them, she was the one, she was the hero. She was, just the best ever; ever.

Did she wink? Maybe she did. She gave a beckoning wave, drawing everybody in, into my parlour, and delivered the opening lines of the track “C’est Moi” — one written by my sister, Queen Ida.

And she delivered the opening lines as a statement: Come listen to my story; I come from Louisiane.

And she looked around the audience, then she said, I play my music on an old accordeon. And she stepped back, but still to the mic she sang in close:

Ooo la la.

And all of the musicians and very many members of the audience responded in a shout:

Je suis comsois

People were onto the floor immediately. Queen Monzee-ay sang on from then. Sarah on le frottoir, Murdo accordeon, Gene on that strong-sounding blues guitar. On backing vocals Sarah, Murdo and the Zadiks drummer who also called line-end responses to Queen Monzee-ay in that jokey style, in French as well as English. The Zadiks bass played with great shoulder movements, like a tough guy walking, all the time looking to Queen Monzee-ay. Him and the drummer gave a fullness but a fighting rhythm that was just like the best because here she was, this was her, here in this very space, she was the tough guy walking, she was the one, she was Queen Monzee-ay. It was like what she had said about Aunt Edna: really it was her, she was the one made the tough guys quake, she was the Lady.

Once ye got it that was that. Murdo played in to the bass, so this best-sounding rhythm section; bass, drums and accordeon, freeing up Gene firing off on lead guitar, and freeing up Sarah too so she could play in to Queen Monzee-ay which was how Queen Monzee-ay wanted it herself. Sarah’s laughing eyes.