Q is for QUARTET
Welcome to Day 17 of the Third Annual A to Z Challenge!
My theme – my 26 fiction posts will revolve around something musical – it could be anything, as long as it's musically-related… maybe a song title, an artist/band, musical terminology, musical instruments, words relating to sound/rhythm/movement/dance etc.
I have to admit that I battled with this one… really battled… so I have re-posted an old piece, which I changed a little, tweaked here and there and… voila…
MUSICAL ASSOCIATION/CONNECTION. QUARTET – a method of instrumentation (or a medium), used to perform a musical composition, and consisting of four parts.
The wharf was a picturesque hive of activity.
A dozen little, white boats moored at the water's edge, jostled for space, bobbing in the breeze, cerulean-coloured sails flapping, impatient to leave on their maiden adventure.
Crisp notes from a violin, competed with warm cello notes from a nearby string quartet, drifted over to the table and filled the silences of unspoken memories.
"They told me you were dead."
"They told me you didn't care."
“Touché.”
"I searched for you… for a long, long time. I never really stopped looking."
His eyes rested on the lapis lazuli nestled in its chain setting.
A strange sensation, almost dizziness, washed over her, and the notes from the violin skittered across the universe… receded into the distance.
"Do you remember the significance of this?"
"The stone of friendship and truth. How could I ever forget?"
" ——–said to encourage harmony in relationships ——"
" ——–and help its wearer to be authentic," she ended on a sigh, of regret or fatigue?
He paused:"The wearer I knew WAS authentic, genuine… a true friend." The tone harboured two decades of wonder… of unanswered questions.
The boats left the harbour, no more blue sails flapping in the breeze.
Blue had been the colour of significance all those years ago, in another life time.
Her thoughts were mirrored in his eyes.
"Do you remember that last dance…" Gershwin's Rhapsody In Blue lingered on the edges of fragmented memory.
No words were needed. Just a simple nod.
" …the blue dress was certainly a hit…"
" …and I was the envy of every man in the place…"
She touched the pendant – almost reverently. The opaque blue gemstone shimmered, knowingly. The flood of a thousand long-forgotten details blotted out the horror of the last conscious memory… the moment of impact when time stood still …
An imperceptible change and the world shifted to a multi-coloured panorama. A red-and-white striped vendor cart parked under a shady spot. A toddler chased her yellow sunhat which tumbled along the side walk. A purple-suited clown hoisted an orange umbrella whilst he battled to hold on to a cluster of red, black and silver balloons, which escaped into the azure sky.
The quartet had disbanded and the members were busy packing their intruments away.
The blue sails diminished into a row of dots on the water.
* * * * * * * *
GENRE: FICTION
I can almost hear the seaguls…here is yet another one I wish I knew the back story and the follow up to! You leave me with so many Questions…. (:
And The Braids, like their version! +1 (:
There are so many ideas running around in my head… I need to seperate and slot them into perspective… 🙂
*seagulls
*smiles*
triggers of memories…
nicely done! love all the colors at the end…
Memories from another life time…
Love your descriptions in this one, and especially the dialogue. Great job!
<a href=http://www.playwrightchick.com>Texas Playwright Chick</a>
Thanks… I think this is the longest piece of dialogue in my challenge posts.
I like the addition of a storyline to your musical words. This has been a good way for me to learn a few of the terms that I was not familiar with, but more fun to see what you will do with them next. One of the biggest challenges of the A-Z has been for me to maintain a poetry theme… some great part of me wants to break out and be free to write ANYTHING I want… soon… sooon.
I will admit that it hasn't been easy… but the whole aim of this is to challenge myself, see what I come up with. I know what you mean with regards to being restricted to a theme…
You've done well with your poetry theme… created some beautiful haiku pieces. 🙂
Love your use of color in the writing.
Thank you. The initial focus was on blue… I introduced the assorted colours at the end to signify a shift in mood.
Vivid descriptions–I could clearly sense the scene in my head. 🙂
The Golden Eagle
<a href="http://thegoldeneaglesblog.blogspot.com">The Eagle's Aerial Perspective</a>
I'm so glad Golden Eagle… makes me think that I did "okay" with this piece! 🙂
I really like the way you incorportated both the music and the colors into this one. So much said between the two while talking about the significance of the lapis lazuli – NICE!
I love Gershwin's Rhapsody In Blue… it came to mind when I saw traces of blue in the photo, so I included the song in the story, as well as other things relating to the colour blue.
Beautiful, like the sweet memories they obviously shared.
Memories which they are re-living as they meet after a long time…
Very nice! I definitely got a seaside feel to that scene. My favourite part was "The flood of a thousand long-forgotten details blotted out the horror of the last conscious memory" it makes me want to know what that horror was!
Thanks Catherine!
This one has me feeling melancholy. Loving it.
-Debbie
It is sad to be torn apart for such a long time and then discover the deception behind it all…