Writing for Fun
June 2015
The Turn Of A Card - Bob Wendelkin
Terry placed his back pack and violin case on the pavement outside the Clothes Shop. He then took out a Brick and sizing up the window he hurled it with all his might at the window. The brick smashed into the glass and all the alarms were triggered. There were flashing lights and a very loud sound alarm.
Terry stepped to one side and made his way away from the glass that now spread across the pavement. He eased himself down so that he could sit on his back pack and wait until the Police arrived.
After a while a Police Car arrived and two policemen got out. Terry walked over to them.
'Do you know anything about this?' asked one of the Policemen.
'Yes, I can tell who did it,' answered Terry.
'Who?' asked the other Policeman.
'I'm afraid it was me. I chucked the brick through the window, but I made sure no one would be hurt, except perhaps the insurance company, but they rip us off all the time, I stayed here to make sure no one cut themselves on the glass. Now it is your problem,' answered Terry.
One of the policeman got onto the radio to call base that they need some back up to collect a prisoner. About ten minutes later a police van arrived to collect Terry and take him back to the station.
'Well, what's your name?' asked one of the Constables.
'Terry Wheaton,' answered Terry.
'Well, Terry Wheaton, you're nicked. Get in the van,' said the constable.
'Thank you very much; could you look after my back pack and take care of my violin, they are all I have in this world,' replied Terry.
'Get in the Van,' replied the Policeman.
The van took him back to the Station. A little later the Constable who had arrested him turned up and both he and Terry went to the Custody Sergeant where Terry was duly booked in.
The arresting officer gave details of the offence for which Terry had committed. And how he had been arrested and told of his rights.
At this point Terry interrupted saying, 'What he said to me was: Terry you're nicked.'
The Sergeant looked intensely at Terry and said, 'I know you, I put you away when you were just a youngster.'
'Yes, I see you are a Sergeant now. Well done. That's why I'm back as I don't have anywhere else to go. Inside I'm looked after, I'm warm and I'm fed and most important I have people around me; I'm not outside on my own just being lonely,' replied Terry.
'Is that your property and a Violin?' asked the Sergeant.
'Yes, I learnt to play the fiddle and piano when I was inside last time, one of the teachers said that I had a bit of a gift,' replied Terry grabbing hold of the violin and before anyone could stop him he had put it under his chin and started to play.
The noise that he made from the violin was confident as he started to play the introduction to Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto. His skill with the violin stopped the police in their tracks as they went to grab him.
Terry's face changed; he was absorbed into the music, his eyes closed as he bowed the violin strings; he was miles away.
Just then the Inspector came in to find out what all the noise was about. He too was struck by Terry's playing and he also just stood there, listening.
Terry finished his playing and, looked tired and drained, he just stood there with his violin in his hand.
'What's going on?' asked the Inspector.
'Newly released Young Offender, now he wants back inside, so he chucked a brick through a window,' replied the sergeant.
'Anyone hurt?' said the Inspector.
'No one, Sir. I'm no judge but I do listen a lot to Classic Music and I can tell you from what we heard we are in the presence of a great talent. Is there anything we can do for this boy? I know him, he's not really bad, just needs guidance,' answered the sergeant.
'It's not up to me but the Magistrate; he did sling a brick though a window. Perhaps we may be able to do something for him,' answered the Inspector.
* * *
The next day Terry was brought up before the Magistrate.
Somehow the Sergeant felt deeply moved and involved with Terry. When he was his age he was on the point of going off the rails when an older person, a policeman, intervened and straightened him out and put him back on the rails and finally he became a Policeman. In court after the preliminary exchanges and statement of the crime and why he only did it to get a bed. The Magistrate asked if anyone wanted to say something on behalf of the prisoner.
The Sergeant rose to his feet and addressed the court. 'Sir I have heard him play the violin. I feel that for this individual there are two possibilities: one we could send him back to detention and when he comes out we will probably have another life long criminal, or two you could put him into my care and I'll see that we have another musical genius. It is up to you – a lifelong criminal or a talented musician.'
'I'm going to do something perhaps a little unusual I'm going to put him in your care. However, he will have to be put on probation so that the authorities can keep an eye on his progress,' said the Magistrate.
Terry thanked the court for their kindness and he left the court with the Sergeant.
There followed changes in his life's pattern, the sergeant managed to get an audition for him at the Royal College of Music where his talent was immediately recognised and he became a student.
Once in every generation God creates a genius, Terry Wheaton was one such; the college taught him little, but he taught the college much.
Time passed.
* * *
The Sergeant and his wife settled themselves into their seats in the Concert Hall. The lights dimmed and the orchestra started to play the Overture. Then, once the orchestra had finished, they moved on to the second piece of music.
'Ladies and Gentlemen our next piece of music is to be played by a most talented new violinist who is destined to become the major soloist of our generation. I hope you will give a warm welcome to Terry Wheaton who will now play Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto in E.'
As the final notes of the concerto faded the audience broke into thunderous applause. Turning to his wife with a great smile across his face the Sergeant said, 'What did I tell you. The Turn of the Card for him is to be a great violinist and not a criminal.'
His wife replied, 'For him, yes. How would the cards have turned for an ordinary youngster who had no special talents, for him or her no 'Fairy Godfather'; they still need protection, guidance and care, but for them the turn of the card would have been prison.'