Sweet And Creamy Dreams

 

            Joe found a spot against the sidewall to lean up against, to maybe sleep and pass the night away. But of course, he didn’t fall asleep right away.  Maurice didn’t either, though his method was to curl up on the floor into a big shaggy, furry doughnut. In the center of that doughnut was Sue with Maurice’s raincoat pulled up over both of them.
            Once they were all settled Sue began to speak.
            “First, I dreamed of my mother. That led me to dreams of sweet milk, naturally. Then I thought of ice cream. Sometimes I think that people love ice cream more than just about anything except maybe true love! And oddly, love and ice cream seem to go together nicely.
            “Then I got to thinking of a dear little ice cream shop. I see it so clearly boys that I can almost touch it! I know we can do it if we are careful and do every thing right. We are basically starting from nothing so we must proceed just right!
            “I don’t know how to do anything but play this guitar,” said Joe.
            “That’s good, because that is the most important part of this whole plan,” said Sue.
            “We have to look at our assets. The best one we have right now is your music, Joe. People will pay to listen. But it’s really important where you play. You need to be strategic about locations. Let me pick a spot for you tomorrow. Maybe I can come up with a rich one!” she said.
            “I can sing,” said Maurice. “I actually did sing with two bands. Can you sing kitten?”
            “Yes, I like to sing, but I don’t have much volume. What I’m thinking is this. Joe plays his songs, Maurice sings with him, harmony you know. I will charm the passers by with my kittenish ways, and collect the cash,” said Sue.
            “We might make enough money to live day to day that way kitten,” said Joe. “But I don’t see how we’re to jump from that to an ice cream shop.  Help me here!”
            “I can’t figure it out either,” grumbled Maurice sleepily.
            “When we get to Branson we’re going to set up outside of one of the recording studios in town, play and sing all day.  If we keep it up every day and the music is good, some producer will see us or hear about us! Joe will have to do all the business, for obvious reasons. Brains don’t matter if one is a cat or a cryptid. OK, next. When Joe signs up with the music producer and gets a hit, he will have quite a bit of money. My lady’s son was one of those producers and I heard a lot of talk about the music business, though I wasn’t paying attention at the time. But I have a pretty good memory.
            “Then Joe can set us up in our shop.  You’d do that wouldn’t you Joe?” she asked him.
            “Kitty, if all of that works out like you think it will, you’re darn right I will!” Joe sounded like he actually believed it could happen. “Anywhere you like, town or country or suburb!  Maybe by a college, that would be a great place to sell ice cream!” he said, chortling at the thought.
            On that happy note, they all finally fell asleep listening to the rattle and roll of the train.
            In the morning the train was running on flat country in the middle of the continent. It was warm already when Joe, and then Maurice and Sue woke. The sun was coming up, but they were still running full speed. Of course, they had no idea when the next stop would be. So, they ate the rest of the deli chicken and drank the water from the milk carton.
            Joe played a couple of his songs. Maurice sang along, once he had heard the words a couple of times, in his piercing falsetto, which sounded very wild and western indeed. Sleeky Sue smiled. All she could think of was that little ice cream shop in Missouri.
            The next stop was in the middle of nowhere, officially. It was a flat dusty town surrounded by flat field full of corn and soybeans. They slipped out of their car easily. This town looked uninhabited to the cast of this drama. Hot flat streets with almost no traffic.
            “There has to be a gas station and a grocery store and maybe a McDonalds here,” said Sue. “Maybe they will let us set up in the parking lot at the grocery or the gas station. I think this town could use a little festivity.” It didn’t look too promising. The gas station didn’t look like a good prospect.  There was no shade at all, and no place to do their thing really.
            The grocery store looked better.  There were some trees in the parking lot and even a bench or two in the shade at the front of the store. Joe went inside with his change from last night and made sure the manager didn’t mind if they played some music outside.  He came back with four burritos, a small can of kitten food and another carton of milk.
            The manager of the store happened to like live music a lot and he asked Joe what his band was called. Before Joe opened his mouth a world of possibilities flashed through his mind, but his mouth said, “Joe&Company.”
            Howard, the manager said, “well there won’t be any confusion there,” and laughed. He walked out with Joe to meet the rest of the band. “So, you just have a singer, yourself and a pet kitty! Okay. Sounds good.” Howard wandered back into his grocery store.
            It was a long day. Most people at least smiled. Country people usually do. They took a break at the McDonald’s for drinks and a trip to the restroom. They made fair money for busking in the sticks.  Sue was right.  The grocery parking lot was a good place. They brought in $97.25. Cash buyers in the store tended to drop their small change into Joe’s hat.
            Some people actually stopped and listened. Some wanted to know the names of the songs and the name of the band, and if they had ever had any recordings made.  One old lady looked at Maurice and said, “where the heck did he come from?”
            “I’m Albanian, ma’am,” said Maurice looking very sincere.
            “Right,” said the old lady and kept on walking to her old green Plymouth sitting under a different tree. “Sure,” they heard the word as she neared her car.
Before they left the store, Joe went in and got a bag of supplies for the night and morning coming up. He said goodnight to Howard, and thanked him, telling him to be on the lookout for their band to go professional.
            After another trip to McDonalds for some warm dinner and a little scrub up in the restroom, they went back to the train line. Their train from last night was still there waiting for them.