Finding a Way Out of Silence

43

Starsky is worried when he realises how long it has been since Hutch played any music. What can he do about it?

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The apartment had been filled with silence for a few weeks now. While Starsky understood how wounded his partner’s soul has been, he was beginning to worry. What if the silence became a permanent fixture?

They had made no plans for Sunday. Sometimes a day apart, catching up on the mundane was both necessary and enjoyable. They could each do the things they liked doing which might not be of interest to the other. In Starsky’s case, this meant washing and waxing his car, reading car magazines and watching a monster movie. For Hutch, it would usually mean tending to his plants and listening to and playing music.

Over the last few weeks whenever Starsky had popped by, he’d found no evidence of music. The piano lid was firmly closed. The guitar was sitting gathering dust in a corner. The silence was making Starsky’s heart ache for his friend.

How could he help restore the melody to Hutch’s home? He had pondered the question for some time. It was only this last week that a slightly wild idea had occurred to him.

Yesterday had been spent scouring the local music store for a suitable score, which had proved trickier than first supposed. How to find something uplifting but not so upbeat that it would rankle Hutch’s sensitive nerves? Personally, he’d go for something in the rock n roll genre but he knew Hutch preferred folk music. After much deliberation, he found something he felt would fit with his aim and was a song they both liked.

Now armed with his guitar and the scored duet, he made his way up the stairs to Hutch’s apartment. He knocked and then let himself in.

He could see that Hutch was in the greenhouse tending his growing jungle. Starsky left his guitar by the couch and walked on through. He leaned against the door frame and watched his partner contentedly puttering.

“Afternoon.”

Hutch nodded to him.

“Hutch. When you were at the dentist on Friday, Dobey cornered me.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah, he was twisting arms to take part in the fundraiser for the Police Widows and Orphans Fund next month.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah, he made me sign us up to do a guitar duet.”

Truth was Starsky had sought Dobey out and volunteered them but he wasn’t going to tell his partner that.

“Oh.” Hutch carried on watering with his plants. After a moment he said, “I’m not in the mood to get up on stage, Starsky. I think you’d better ask Evans to play. He’s pretty good on a guitar.”

“Oh…You sure?”

“Yeah, I’m sure.”

“Mind if I practise here?”

Hutch shrugged.

Starsky went and made two coffees. He dropped one off to Hutch before settling himself on the couch and getting his guitar out. He spread the sheet music over the coffee table and began picking out the second guitar part, humming along as he did so. After half an hour of practice, he was starting to get the hang of his part. Once or twice he heard Hutch humming along and smiled to himself.

He took a break to read the sports section of the paper. Hutch came in and settled on the easy chair with the novel he was working his way through. Starsky waited a little while and then picked up his guitar again and started strumming chords. Hutch carried on reading.

“D’ya think this is an okay choice for the fundraiser?” Starsky asked. “I figured most people know it and would like singing along.”

Hutch lifted his head and nodded. “Perfect choice.”

“Evans, should be able to play the lead okay, shouldn’t he?” Starsky asked innocently.

“Yeah…let me take a look at it and see how difficult it is.”

Starsky smothered a grin.

“Sure.”

Hutch dusted off his guitar, looking somewhat surprised that there was even dust on it.

“Must have been a while since I played anything,” he muttered.

Very soon, he was working out the chords and playing each line through a few times. Starsky played along at various points and soon they had the timing down pat.

After a little while, Starsky suggested, “Shall we try it all the way through?”

Hutch nodded and Starsky counted them in. He let Hutch sing and only joined in later with the repeat of the chorus:

All the leaves are brown
And the sky is gray
I’ve been for a walk
On a winter’s day
I’d be safe and warm
if I was in L.A.
California dreamin’
On such a winter’s day

As the final chord echoed away, Starsky smiled at his partner.

“Thanks for the practice. That sounded great. Hopefully, Evans will say yes to playing with me.”

Starsky packed his guitar and the music away. He got up and headed towards the door.

“See ya tomorrow, Blintz. I’ll collect you for work.”

“Okay…Gordo?”

“Yeah?”

“If it’s okay with you, I think I’d like to play with you at the fundraiser.”

“You would? That’s great! We can practise again next weekend. See ya in the morning.”

As he walked down the stairs, Starsky heard the soft sound of a guitar being strummed.

“Am I good or am I good?” Starsky thought as a huge grin broke out on his face.