PAWNING PEARL- Part 21
There they stood in the hall-way for a long moment, Mr. Ratsik staring at Pearl with open-mouthed adoration, Simon Thambisa stiff-faced and enraged, and a perplexed Thalie watching the little tableau.
“Oh, Mr. Ratsik!” Cried Pearl, “Do come in, sit down!”
“Pearl, I am sure Mr. Ratsik is a busy man. Are you not, Mr. Ratsik?” asked Simon.
Mr. Ratsik did his peculiar little shuffle and twisted his hands together. “Well, yes Miss Pearl. I wanted to speak with you...” he glanced at the glowering Simon, “To you both.”
At a warning glare from Pearl, Simon led the way to the lounge and with a curt gesture, invited Mr. Ratsik to sit down. Mr. Ratsik did so, removing a long slim envelope from his coat pocket and carefully placing it on his knees. Pearl sat next to him on the couch and smiled.
“So! How are you Mr. Ratsik?”
“I am very well, Miss Pearl, very well indeed. Mostly thanks to you.”
“To me?”
Mr Ratsik, leaned forward, cow-eyes shinning worshipfully.
“The violin, Miss Pearl, I not only got the job, but have now been named First Violin!”
“That was Mr. Thambisa, Mr. Ratsik. It is his violin.”
Mr Ratsik turned to Simon. “And to you too Mr. Thambisa, I must give thanks, Sir. Your kindness changed my life. But Miss Pearl, I know it was you brought my misfortune to Mr. Thambisa's attention. I know it.”
“Mr. Thambisa is a most generous man, most kind. All I did was mention your need, Mr. Ratsik.” Said Pearl.
“This is all very pleasant Mr. Ratsik,” said Simon sharply, “But it is getting late. What was it you wanted to speak to us about?”
Mr Ratsik spoke to Simon but gazed at Pearl. “Last week something wonderful happened, Mr. Thambisa. A great violinist, a German gentleman, is here to play with the Orchestra, and in the interval between rehearsals I was playing a composition, my own, and he heard it. He has asked that I play it at the Opening Gala for the season, the day after tomorrow. As a soloist, Sir, playing my own composition.” Tears stood out in Mr. Ratsik’s eyes. “Me, Sir, a boy from the Cape Flats…Playing with the greatest violinist in the world, as a Soloist Sir.”
Pearl reached out and grasped Mr. Ratsik’s hand. “My dear Mr.Ratsik, it is no more than you deserve! Congratulations! I am proud to know you, and that you call me friend.”
Mr. Ratsik held Pearl’s hand as if it was the most precious treasure and brought it tenderly to his lips. “The honour and the pride is mine, Miss Pearl.”
Simon felt hot rage and jealousy rise up in his manly breast. This little wimp was touching his Pearl!
“Congratulations Mr. Ratsik,” said Simon, with a narrow smile, and just then reinforcements arrived. Isaiah wandered into the lounge and stood flabbergasted by the sight of a strange man kissing Mama Pearl’s hand. He immediately sat close to Simon and fixed on Mr. Ratsik his unblinking and unnerving owl-like glare.
“Mr. Thambisa, Miss Pearl, I came to extend to you an invitation to the Concert, and to the Gala Dinner afterwards. As my guests.”
“A party!” Cried Thalie excited, “Mama Pearl, you going to a party! And what will you wear?”
“Yes Pearl,” said Simon, “What will you wear? It is most probably Black Tie for gentlemen, long dresses for Ladies…”
“Miss Pearl will be beautiful, whatever she wears, Mr. Thambisa.” said Mr. Ratsik.
“What about the children? They can´t stay home alone!” Simon turned to Mr. Ratsik with a triumphant smile. “I am afraid we must decline.”
Thalie was jumping up and down with excitement: “No! No! No! Mama Pearl must go! Like Cinderella to meet a Prince! We will stay with Mrs. Markovich!”
A Prince! Thalie was looking at Mr. Ratsik with blatant admiration.
“That is perfect!” Cried Mr. Ratsik with a huge smile, and handed the narrow envelope to Simon.
He opened it and extracted the creamy invitation. He scanned it quickly, noting date and time; black tie…And then his attention was caught by the phrase:
“…proud to present the debut of Mr. Charles Ratsik as Violin Soloist playing his own composition “Serenade for Pearl””
“I don’t want to stay with Mrs. Markovich, I don’t!” said Isaiah with a ferocious frown. Simon’s heart soared. He was proud of his boy. Proud! He winked at Isaiah encouragingly.
“Why Pearl, you don’t want to traumatize the boy further…And it’s not like you know anything about classical music!”
“But Miss Pearl is a most talented soprano! Did you not know?” cried Mr Ratsik, “Why, that is how we struck up conversation. She was singing Mozart’s “Queen of the Night” in the lobby. The acoustics are incredible there.”
Pearl looked embarrassed “I thought I was alone…I had no idea anyone was listening.”
“You have a wonderful voice, Miss Pearl. Wonderful…” And Mr. Ratsik smiled that stupid cow-eyed smile.
“Then Miss Pearl goes, and if Isaiah does not want to go to Mrs. Markovich, Papa Simon stays home with us!” cried Thalie.
NO! Pearl at a Gala with cow-eyes all alone? After he had played a Serenade to her on that dratted violin in front of the whole world? NEVER!
“Well, that is settled,” cried Simon, “Pearl and I will come, Mr Ratsik, and you Isaiah, will stay at Mrs. Markovich with your sister.” And he stared down Isaiah’s outraged squawk with his own flinty-eyed stare.
Simon had a fight on his hands, it was now clear. A fight for his life, for the hand of the woman he suddenly realised he wanted as his wife.
MC
TO BE CONTINUED
“Oh, Mr. Ratsik!” Cried Pearl, “Do come in, sit down!”
“Pearl, I am sure Mr. Ratsik is a busy man. Are you not, Mr. Ratsik?” asked Simon.
Mr. Ratsik did his peculiar little shuffle and twisted his hands together. “Well, yes Miss Pearl. I wanted to speak with you...” he glanced at the glowering Simon, “To you both.”
At a warning glare from Pearl, Simon led the way to the lounge and with a curt gesture, invited Mr. Ratsik to sit down. Mr. Ratsik did so, removing a long slim envelope from his coat pocket and carefully placing it on his knees. Pearl sat next to him on the couch and smiled.
“So! How are you Mr. Ratsik?”
“I am very well, Miss Pearl, very well indeed. Mostly thanks to you.”
“To me?”
Mr Ratsik, leaned forward, cow-eyes shinning worshipfully.
“The violin, Miss Pearl, I not only got the job, but have now been named First Violin!”
“That was Mr. Thambisa, Mr. Ratsik. It is his violin.”
Mr Ratsik turned to Simon. “And to you too Mr. Thambisa, I must give thanks, Sir. Your kindness changed my life. But Miss Pearl, I know it was you brought my misfortune to Mr. Thambisa's attention. I know it.”
“Mr. Thambisa is a most generous man, most kind. All I did was mention your need, Mr. Ratsik.” Said Pearl.
“This is all very pleasant Mr. Ratsik,” said Simon sharply, “But it is getting late. What was it you wanted to speak to us about?”
Mr Ratsik spoke to Simon but gazed at Pearl. “Last week something wonderful happened, Mr. Thambisa. A great violinist, a German gentleman, is here to play with the Orchestra, and in the interval between rehearsals I was playing a composition, my own, and he heard it. He has asked that I play it at the Opening Gala for the season, the day after tomorrow. As a soloist, Sir, playing my own composition.” Tears stood out in Mr. Ratsik’s eyes. “Me, Sir, a boy from the Cape Flats…Playing with the greatest violinist in the world, as a Soloist Sir.”
Pearl reached out and grasped Mr. Ratsik’s hand. “My dear Mr.Ratsik, it is no more than you deserve! Congratulations! I am proud to know you, and that you call me friend.”
Mr. Ratsik held Pearl’s hand as if it was the most precious treasure and brought it tenderly to his lips. “The honour and the pride is mine, Miss Pearl.”
Simon felt hot rage and jealousy rise up in his manly breast. This little wimp was touching his Pearl!
“Congratulations Mr. Ratsik,” said Simon, with a narrow smile, and just then reinforcements arrived. Isaiah wandered into the lounge and stood flabbergasted by the sight of a strange man kissing Mama Pearl’s hand. He immediately sat close to Simon and fixed on Mr. Ratsik his unblinking and unnerving owl-like glare.
“Mr. Thambisa, Miss Pearl, I came to extend to you an invitation to the Concert, and to the Gala Dinner afterwards. As my guests.”
“A party!” Cried Thalie excited, “Mama Pearl, you going to a party! And what will you wear?”
“Yes Pearl,” said Simon, “What will you wear? It is most probably Black Tie for gentlemen, long dresses for Ladies…”
“Miss Pearl will be beautiful, whatever she wears, Mr. Thambisa.” said Mr. Ratsik.
“What about the children? They can´t stay home alone!” Simon turned to Mr. Ratsik with a triumphant smile. “I am afraid we must decline.”
Thalie was jumping up and down with excitement: “No! No! No! Mama Pearl must go! Like Cinderella to meet a Prince! We will stay with Mrs. Markovich!”
A Prince! Thalie was looking at Mr. Ratsik with blatant admiration.
“That is perfect!” Cried Mr. Ratsik with a huge smile, and handed the narrow envelope to Simon.
He opened it and extracted the creamy invitation. He scanned it quickly, noting date and time; black tie…And then his attention was caught by the phrase:
“…proud to present the debut of Mr. Charles Ratsik as Violin Soloist playing his own composition “Serenade for Pearl””
“I don’t want to stay with Mrs. Markovich, I don’t!” said Isaiah with a ferocious frown. Simon’s heart soared. He was proud of his boy. Proud! He winked at Isaiah encouragingly.
“Why Pearl, you don’t want to traumatize the boy further…And it’s not like you know anything about classical music!”
“But Miss Pearl is a most talented soprano! Did you not know?” cried Mr Ratsik, “Why, that is how we struck up conversation. She was singing Mozart’s “Queen of the Night” in the lobby. The acoustics are incredible there.”
Pearl looked embarrassed “I thought I was alone…I had no idea anyone was listening.”
“You have a wonderful voice, Miss Pearl. Wonderful…” And Mr. Ratsik smiled that stupid cow-eyed smile.
“Then Miss Pearl goes, and if Isaiah does not want to go to Mrs. Markovich, Papa Simon stays home with us!” cried Thalie.
NO! Pearl at a Gala with cow-eyes all alone? After he had played a Serenade to her on that dratted violin in front of the whole world? NEVER!
“Well, that is settled,” cried Simon, “Pearl and I will come, Mr Ratsik, and you Isaiah, will stay at Mrs. Markovich with your sister.” And he stared down Isaiah’s outraged squawk with his own flinty-eyed stare.
Simon had a fight on his hands, it was now clear. A fight for his life, for the hand of the woman he suddenly realised he wanted as his wife.
MC
TO BE CONTINUED
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