He played the violin with his heart on his sleave.
All his emotions, resonated through his body and onto the bow.
He played the strings, with melodies powerful enough to stop time.
His melodic sounds, captivated their hearts.
His name was Jack. He was the Violin Man.
For 45 years, he played his music at the Cafe Shop on 21st Street. And day after day, night after night, the customers came in, to drink their coffee, eat their muffins, and hear him play.
The Cafe Shop was a town favourite. When it first opened in the summer of 1952, the owner, Samuel, was lining up the patio chairs and tables. They had new bright red and yellow striped umbrellas too. The smell of new white paint on the walls, and fresh bread rising in the oven brought the place to life! For the first two weeks, business was slow. But after a few months, word got around town, about Samuels Joint, and the place had a buzz of electricity like no other. Back then, they closed at 10:00pm. And somtimes, the place got SO busy, that they had to beg people to leave. Life was Good.
When Jack was hired to play the Violin, that's when business doubled! Men, Woman, and even Boys and Girls, danced to his music. It was a place to forget about your worries for that brief moment in time. Friends, Family, Lovers, and even Tourists came to experience the spectacle!
After another night of playing, Jack puts his Violin and Bow away. He stares at the walls which have faded from their origonal white color. He looks at the floor, which has cracks and marks that have their own stories. He takes a moment to think about how many couples fell in love while he played his violin over the years.
The Cafe Shop is quiet. It's only 5:00pm, but there is still one customer drinking his coffee. The shop closes at six now. People just don't come anymore.
As Jack closes his Violin Case, he sits back, and melts in his chair. He looks over at Samuel, who is turning chairs over the tables.
Samuel walks up to the last customer.
"Hey there, Steve. Time to go home."
Steve hands over three dollars for his coffee, and shakes Samuels hand. Half his face is smiling, and the other half is sad. With a slight nod, he leaves the Shop.
Samuel looks over to Jack. "Well, it's finally closing time Jack"
Jack takes a deep breath. He asks Samuel if he could close the store tonight...
"Sure", said Samuel. "Just don't forget to turn off the switches."
As Sammuel opened the door, a howl of winter wind stormed in. It was snowing outside. The door slammed shut. And with the impact, Jack closed his eyes, and felt his heart skip a beat. He managed to find the strength to get up, and put on his jacket and scarf. He strapped his Violin around him, and headed for the front door. He didn't look back at the Shop. He turned off the Switch. And Locked the Door...
...He put on his gloves, and stood there for a moment. He thought to himself...
...thousands!...
...with a cheeky smile, he put his hands in his pockets and walked with the wind behind his back, home.
