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Photographer in the Park	By : NutsAboutHarry Category: Singers/Bands/Musicians > Joshua Bell Views: 1770 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not know Joshua Bell (Do you think I'd be writing fan fic about him if I did?) the following story is TOTAL FICTION the prouct of my extraordinarily overactive imagination. No profit of any kind is made from the writing and publishing of this story!

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Josh woke the following day feeling like he’d been hit by a truck. Wincing as the sun stabbed him in the eyes he rolled over and groaned as a wave of nausea washed over him.

‘God that vodka is evil’ He moaned ever so slowly sitting up.

After sitting still for several long minutes he got out of bed and raced to the bathroom where he emptied the contents of his stomach into the toilet bowl.

For several long minutes Josh retched over the bowl then stood to start what was left of the day. He brushed his teeth so hard his gums bled then spend half an hour under a scalding shower. He had just finished shaving and was walking into the bedroom a towel knotted low around his hips when his Blackberry rang again. Wincing as the shrill noise drilled its way though his brain he flopped down on the bed and answered not taking the time to take note of the caller I.D.

‘Hello big brother you sound like shit’ his youngest sister Rachel said matter-of-factly.

‘Hello to you too Rach’ Josh groaned.

‘I’m guessing by the sound of your voice you ripped into some of that Russian Vodka Mom told me about last night’ Rachel went on.

‘Last night what time is it?’ Josh groaned.

‘New York Time? Two thirty in the afternoon’ Elizabeth said.

‘Fuck I just passed out for twenty four hours’ Josh groaned flopping back onto his pillow and immediately regretting it as another wave of nausea washed over him.

‘Well you would after drinking a whole bottle of Stolichnaya’s finest’ Rachel said dryly ‘how’s your head?’

‘If I hit myself over the head with the Strad it would hurt less’ Josh said bluntly.

‘How much did you drink?’

‘You sound like Mom’

‘How much did you drink Josh?’

‘A bottle and a half’

‘Fucking hell!’ Rachel cussed incredulously ‘are you serious? That’s three pints! Mom is going to have a fit’

‘No she’s not because you’re not going to tell her’

‘What’s up with you J?’

‘Oh I dunno it wouldn’t have anything to do with the fact my girlfriend and mother of my three kids dumped me by text would it?’ Josh said sarcastically.

‘J I’m not disregarding what Lisa did to you but why did you take three months to tell anyone?’ Rachel asked ‘Mom told me you didn’t even tell George til the end of your tour’

‘I didn’t feel like telling anyone anything’ Josh said ‘I wouldn’t have said anything if Mom had guessed something was up’

‘Don’t you think we would’ve noticed eventually?’

‘Of course but-‘

‘If you hadn’t answered the phone someone from the family most likely Mom would’ve come up and bashed down the door to see if you were alright you know that don’t you?’ Rachel said.

‘Oh bullshit’

‘Bullshit nothing’

‘I would’ve and the school orchestra is in rehearsals for the Halloween concert at the end of the month’ Rachel said.

‘Rach I’m fine really’ Josh said ‘okay my head hurts because I drank like an alcoholic with a credit card and I think life stinks at the moment because the woman I thought I was going to marry dumped me in a text but as I said to Mom when I got home from L.A I’m not going to kill myself I-‘

‘I’m surprised after three pints of vodka you didn’t kill yourself’ Rachel said dryly

‘Rach I’m fine’ Josh said.

‘No you’re not’

‘But I will be’ Josh insisted ‘and to show you how I’m not going to sit and wallow in my own self misery I’m going to Central Park for a jog’

‘Josh you sound like crap I’ll walk around on my hands for a month if you can walk let alone jog’ Rachel said.

‘Okay then I’ll go and just sit by the duck pond pondering on the latest going ons of the world’ Josh said ‘I’ll read a book if that’ll keep you happy’

‘It will J’ Rachel said ‘I’m glad you’re alright. Terry and T.J will probably ring through too Mom said she rang them too’

‘Who didn’t she tell?’ Josh yelped ‘I hope she didn’t tell Aunty Maggie that woman can’t keep her mouth shut to save herself’

‘No Josh she didn’t tell Maggie only Terry, TJ and me’ Rachel said ‘but Maggie is going to find out you’re back on the market again when you turn up at Thanksgiving without Lisa you know that don’t you? And then she’s going to want to set you up with every female she knows of like she tried to do with Terry before she met Chris’

‘Well I’m going to have to find a date before then aren’t I?’ Josh said dryly.

‘Naw just turn up dressed in leather pants and a mesh tank top and pretend to come out the closet and that’ll shut her up’ Rachel said with a great snort of laughter.

‘No it won’t then she’ll try and set me up with every gay man she knows’ Josh countered.

‘Yeah most likely’ Rachel said with a giggle ‘I’m not saying you have to go and find someone I suspect you don’t fell much like looking at the moment but you can always say you’re seeing someone and stop at that. You know Uncle Rob will probably tell her to shut up anyway’

‘Hmm so how’s school going? Any budding strings players I should know about in the Orchestra?’

‘Yeah there’s one boy that looks like Adam Lambert and plays the electric viola like a heavy metal guitarist’ Rachel said enthusiastically ‘he’s brilliant really he is’

‘How old is he?’

‘Seventeen, he wants to go to Jacob’s but I reckon he should audition for Julliard or the New York Conservatorium’ Rachel said.

‘Is he that good?’

‘He’s brilliant J seriously he could make the Viola cool’

‘I might have to come down and see him play then’ Josh said his interest peaked despite his hung over state.

‘Well that was another motivation for ringing you’ Rachel said ‘d’you want to come down for the week leading up to the Halloween concert and tutor the kids a bit? You haven’t done it for twelve months’

‘Yeah alright count me in’ Josh said ‘and you want me to perform at the concert too don’t you?’

‘Am I that obvious?’ Rachel asked sheepishly.

‘I’m not the only one in the family who inherited Mom’s obvious genes’ was all Josh said.

‘Ha ha, I’ll be in touch alright J? I have to leave for school, a teachers life for me’

‘Thanks for ringing Rach you can let everyone know I’m not dead or dying’ Josh said ‘have a good day okay?’

‘Sure thing big brother later gator’

‘After while ‘dile’

After hanging up Josh quickly dressed (Ignoring the persistent waves of nausea) swallowed a couple of Excedrin pills and headed outside. He made his way to Central Park and walked steadily for half an hour, past the mid afternoon joggers, horses and their riders and to his disgust several obviously and revoltingly in love couples walking hand in hand. Finally he came to a stop at one of the park benches on the banks of a duck pond slightly out of breath and his brow covered in a light sweat. He took the opportunity of being in relative tranquillity to recall the situation three months previously after the last concert in Paris when he’d received the text from Lisa

Josh left the stage on a high after the last concert in France he had just performed a third encore and the rush of yet another successful show permeated the whole orchestra.

‘Way to go boss that one kicked ass!’ Amy his principal violist called enthusiastically holding her hand up.

Josh grinned and slapped the younger woman a high five.
‘Your solo was brilliant Amy’ he said ‘seriously’

‘Aw it’s nuthin’ Amy said going bright red ‘you’re a shit though improv? The first thing that popped into my head was Bad Romance!’

‘And the audience went Gaga for it’ Josh said laughing at his own joke ‘let’s see how it goes in Madrid huh? We might go it again, got any more Gaga in your repertoire?’

‘Oh yeah loads’ Amy said ‘the things you decide to learn when pissed at a Julliard frat party eh?’

‘This one time at band camp....’ Pete the principal flautist said with a snort ‘the violists at Julliard are the psycho ones Bell Amz is being modest when she describes it as a frat party. I didn’t know you could do that with a viola’

‘Fuck off Pete everyone knows what flautists do with their instruments when they’re to shitfaced to play properly’

‘Nah that’s the horn players’ Pete said with a snort ‘they’re the horniest geddit huh?’

‘That’s not even worth an eye roll you moron!'

Laughing at his two friends friendly bickering Josh returned to his own dressing room and immediately packed away his Strad. He had just padlocked the case and was heading for the shower when his Blackberry beeped with an incoming text message.

Grinning and knowing it was most likely from his long time girlfriend Lisa Josh dropped his towel on the nearest seat and strode over to the dressing table. Picking up the device and unlocking the keypad he pressed ‘read message’

What he read was devastating.

‘It’s Lisa, I can’t stand this anymore Josh I’m sick of waiting for you to come home I’ve been doing it for too long and I’m done we’re done. Jo, Ben and Sam will be in your life but I won’t be. I’ll leave my key with Pascal at the desk’

‘Fuck!’ Josh cussed ‘Oh no, no no no no no!’

Taking several deep breaths Josh read the text again.

Joshua Bell world famous concert violinist and classical recording artist had been dumped by text message.

Josh sighed loudly.

‘Aw come on luv cheer up it mightn’t ever happen’ a feminine voice said in a broad Australian accent.

Josh looked sideways to see a tall red headed woman wearing heavy eye makeup and sporting a small piercing below her bottom lip setting up a camera tripod.

‘It did’ he muttered tucking his legs under himself.

‘Care to share?’ the woman said placing an elaborate camera on the tripod then screwing a long range lens onto the front.

‘Not particularly’

‘Nah I probably wouldn’t want to talk to a total stranger about my deepest and darkests either’ the woman said selecting a memory card from within a small pouch ‘especially in the middle of New York a city with one of the highest crime rates in the States. Don’t worry darl I’m not going to molest you’

Josh despite feeling annoyed by the woman’s cheerful disposition couldn’t help but chuckling.
‘That’s a pick up line if I ever heard one’ he said in amusement watching a pair of black swans swim by six cygnets between them.

‘Hadn’t thought about it that way but I suppose it could be’ the woman said with a giggle ‘I’ll have to give it a go next time I’m out clubbing’

‘You don’t strike me as the clubbing type’

‘Ooh we’re analysing total strangers now are we?’ the woman said in amusement peering through the viewfinder of the camera ‘now you can’t make me believe that wouldn’t be a pick up line for you’

‘My parents are psychologists I’ve picked up an few people reading skills over the years’ Josh said dryly ‘it’s not a pick up line’

‘Alright then using your skills analyse me then’ the woman said with a grin pressing the shutter button at the precise moment a duck took to the skies.

‘I think we need to talk for longer than a minute for me to do that’ Josh said ‘even Freud wouldn’t be able to analyse someone with that little information’

‘True true. So what’s ya name luv? I like to know the names of people I talk to even if they are total strangers’

‘Joshua’ Josh said ‘but no one calls me that’

‘What do you prefer?’

‘J or Josh whatever’s good for you’ Josh said.

‘I’m Louisa’ the woman said holding out her hand ‘but only my Grandma calls me that. I prefer Lou, Louie or even Za. Take your pick’

‘Ah Louisa the third Von Trapp child’ Josh joked shaking Louisa’s hand.

Louisa rolled her eyes.
‘You’re not the first person to tell me that in my life’ she said returning her attentions to her camera ‘that’s why I normally introduce myself as Louie or Lou. Mum has a thing for the Sound of Music and decided when she was pregnant to name her kids after the Von Trapp children’

‘So is there a Leisl, Freidrich, Kurt, Brigitta, Marta and Gretl?’ Josh asked with a hearty snigger.

‘Leisl yes, Freidrich yes, Kurt yes’ Louisa said snapping a picture ‘there’s only four of us. After Kurt was born Mum and Dad decided four was enough. All four of us have spent our entire lives hating our names’

‘Why would you hate Louisa?’ Josh said in surprise ‘is a nice name very pretty’

Louisa went bright pink.
‘It’s not like we hate our names as such we just hate the constant references to the Sound of Music’ Louisa said adjusting a knob on her camera ‘Freidrich belt the shit out of a kid at school once when he wouldn’t stop singing So Long Farewell and Leisl bailed a girl from her P.E class up against a wall with a mop when the girl wouldn’t stop calling her Von Trapp. After that no one messed with us’

‘Did you belt anyone or hold them hostage with a pitchfork?’

‘Nah, my thing was threatening to insert my Dad’s golf umbrella up the arse of anyone who dared make a reference to the Sound of Music. I didn’t need to do anything after Leisl went boonta, Fred went to a different school’

‘And you’re telling me a total stranger all this?’ Josh said in mild surprise ‘why?’

‘Ah you’ve got a friendly face’ Louisa said cheerfully.

‘Ted Bundy had a friendly face’

‘Yeah he did but he was a homicidal maniac’ Louisa said taking her camera off its tripod ‘you’re not a homicidal maniac are you?’

‘D’you think if I were I would admit to it?’ Josh said with a wry smile.

Louisa laughed heartily.
‘No you wouldn’t’ she said with a grin ‘but I like to think I’m pretty good at reading people and you’re not giving off homicidal maniac vibes’

‘Oh gee thanks for that’ Josh said ‘that’s just made me feel a whole lot better’

‘Needed the pick me up eh?’ Louisa said sympathetically aiming the lens of her camera at a lone black swan that was busy preening itself on the bank of the pond.

‘Yeah you could say that’ Josh said leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees and steeple his fingers under his chin ‘the last few months have been less than rosy’

‘Are things getting better?’

‘They’re neither getting better or worse’ Josh said.

‘That sucks’ Louisa said ‘I know exactly what that’s like. I’ve been there myself’

‘So how long does it take for things to move on?’ Josh said exhaling in a rush ‘it’s been three months for me so far’

‘Well it totally depends on what the catalyst was to set off whatever you’re worrying about but in my case it was about six months’ Louisa said sitting down to change the batteries in her camera ‘what happened to you? Did you discover the person you were about to marry fucking your best friend on the day you were due to get married? Because that’s what happened to me’

Josh’s eyebrows disappeared into his fringe.
‘That wasn’t my situation’ he said with a sigh ‘but sort of similar’

‘I can tell you’re not wholly comfortable talking about what happened to you so let me guess’ Louisa said ‘d’you mind?’

‘Nah’

‘You and your wife, girlfriend or domestic partner are no longer together and not because of something that happened on your part’ Louisa said walking a few paces away and snapping a picture of a huge group of birds who were squabbling over a whole loaf of bread that someone had thrown into the water.

‘You’re getting warm’ Josh said.

‘And I’m guessing you were with this person for a long time’ Louisa said adjusting the settings on the back of the camera.

‘Yeah a fair while on and off’

‘Childhood sweetheart?’

‘Nah not quite’

‘Hmmm’

‘That’s an analysing ‘hmmm’ Josh said in amusement.

‘Hmmmm it is’ Louisa said with a giggle the left shoulder of her blue baby doll blouse falling off her shoulder revealing a thin black bra strap.

‘D’you come here often doing that?’

‘Now that’s a pick up line or an interrogation line from a cop’ Louisa said with another giggle absentmindedly adjusting her blouse sleeve.

‘Neither’ Josh said with a grin ‘I don’t pick up strangers in the park, and I’m not a cop’

‘You mean photography?’

‘Yeah’

‘Yeah when I have the time’ Louisa said ‘I’m between temp jobs at the moment so I have the time to indulge in my hobby. Since I’ve been in New York I’ve come to Central Park at least once a week. It changes all the time and is a photographers dream. Last week I was in Times Square that’s a brilliant place to go. I’d love to go on New Year’s Eve that would be awesome’

‘New York is a pain in the ass on New Year’s Eve’ Josh said screwing up his nose ‘I usually go home for that’

‘Where’s home?’ Louisa asked seizing the opportunity to snap a picture of an adolescent rat scurrying across the path.

‘Bloomington, Indiana’ Josh said ‘so what do you do?’

‘I’m an Equine Veterinarian’ Lisa said ‘I’ve been doing temporary jobs at various clinics all over the States since arriving five years ago but I’ve finally decided to settle in New York there’s nothing permanent in Kentucky at the moment and that’s where any vet serious about their craft wants to work. There or Pennsylvania but I don’t like Pennsylvania’

‘Is there much call for a horse vet in New York?’ Josh asked curiously.

‘About now there is, especially around Belmont and Saratoga’ Louisa said ‘that’s why I came here. I applied for every horse related vet job that was advertised in the American Veterinary Association Journal last week and I’m hoping something will come up it’s been a month since I’ve had any contact with horses’

‘D’you work with cats and dogs and birds and other animals?’

‘Of course I work with any animal but horses is where my heart lies’ Louisa said ‘I did a couple of weeks fill in work in an ASPCA clinic in Queens when I first arrived but that finished and I’m looking for something a little more permanent. After five years I’ve had it with temp work’

‘I’d imagine that would get frustrating after a while’ Josh said after a long pause.

‘Hmm so what do you do?’

‘I’m a musician’ Josh said ‘violin specifically’

‘Oh cool I love the violin!’ Louisa said ‘I played a bit in high school and university’

This comment piqued Josh’s interest.
‘Oh yeah d’you still play now?’

‘Nah not much’ Louisa said sitting down to take a break ‘I haven’t really got the time. I would like to though’

‘D’you have your own instrument?’

‘Yeah several’ Louisa said ‘I sort of collect them’

‘Sort of?’ Josh said with a raised eyebrow.

Louisa took several long draughts from a bottle of spring water.
‘Well yeah, I do’ she admitted sheepishly ‘it’s where most of my money goes really buying up and restoring old violins’

‘How many have you got?’ Josh asked deeply interested by this point.

‘Thirteen’ Louisa said doing a quick count on her fingers ‘I’d love a Stradivarius but they cost a fortune and so very rarely come on the market. I went to a Christie’s auction in London a few years ago when one was sold just so I could see one in the flesh and it was an almost spiritual experience’

That comment made Josh laugh out loud.
‘Well they are the pinnacle for a violin player’ he said ‘thirteen? God I don’t think I’ve owned that many in my life’

‘Most violin players haven’t’ Louisa said ‘most of mine are too small for me to play. I have a sixteenth sized one that’s the length of my hand. I only have that in a PVC display case. I have the first one I ever bought and my latest purchase is a Hades polymer resin electric violin I got in London. God the sound on that is divine’

‘D’you have a preference acoustic or electric?’

‘Nah both are good’ Louisa said retrieving a bag of chocolate jelly babies from her backpack ‘you’d know both have their qualities. Depends what sort of music you’re performing and what effect you’re trying to put across. The acoustic one I find is best for the traditional oldie worldy stuff like Mozart, Bach, Tchaikovsky, Strauss, Dvoøák etcetera but the electric violin is best for pop rock’

‘What’s your favourite genre?’

‘Oh I love love love popular music’ Louisa said enthusiastically ‘the Beatles, Lady Gaga, Aerosmith hell even Justin Beiber sounds better on a violin. I heard a busker in L.A earlier this year play 'Baby’ on an electric violin and it sounded brilliant and I absolutely hate that song. You should see some of the stuff on YouTube that is out of this world’

‘Yeah there’s some good stuff out there’ Josh said ‘god you know for two complete strangers we’re having an awfully in depth conversation aren’t we?’

Louisa flashed him such a dazzling smile it momentarily made Josh forget about his vodka induced headache.
‘Yeah we are’ she said brightly ‘good isn’t it? Cheaper and just as effective as paying a therapist huh?’

‘I think so’ Josh said ‘though I’m not sure my Mom would agree’

‘Nah probably not’ Louisa said ‘so you’re a violin player. Solo or orchestra?’

‘Solo’ Josh said acutely aware that she was watching intently ‘just finished a tour two days ago’

‘Oh yeah was it good?’

‘Yeah brilliant I like touring’ Josh said ‘it’s great going all over the world seeing various cities and countries but it is nice to come home too’

‘I’d imagine so’ Louisa said ‘I feel the same when I go home to Australia. It’s always going to be my home where my family is but I’m settled in America now you know?’

‘Even with all the moving you’ve done?’

‘Yeah even with all that’ Louisa said ‘I love the culture, the history, the scenery oh and the amusement parks. The ones back home aren’t a patch on the ones here’

Josh laughed.
‘Yeah the amusement parks are pretty good’ he said ‘though I haven’t been to one in a long time’

‘You ought to go especially now that you’ve finished touring’ Louisa said ‘let your hair down, veg out, eat shit food and sleep in til midday. Get drunk every weekend and take your time sobering up. That’s what I do on my holidays. Live like every day is your last day Freidrich calls it’

‘That’s a good motto to live by’

‘Yeah it is’

For the rest of the afternoon Josh sat on the park bench chatting to Louisa as she worked both totally losing track of time. It was only when their only lighting was some path guide lights that he became aware of the time.

‘Shit it’s seven thirty!’ he cussed after a cursory look at his watch ‘I’ve been talking to you for five hours!’

‘Is that a good thing or a bad thing?’ Louisa said in amusement as she packed away her long range lens.

‘God thing good thing’ Josh said standing up and stretching ‘made me forget about how much vodka I drank last night’

‘Ah a heavy night on the sauce huh?’

‘More than a little heavy’ Josh said cracking his neck ‘so what’s up for you now?’

‘I’ll just make my way to Pieces that little Italian eatery on fifty sixth and have some tea before going to Grand Central and taking the subway home’ Louisa said sipping up her lens bag.

‘Ah I know Pieces that’s near my apartment’ Josh said ‘d’you want to go there for a coffee?’

Louisa lit up.
‘Sure sounds great’ she said brightly ‘maybe you can tell me where I can find a good Luthier in Manhattan I have a viola I need restoring’

‘You play the viola as well?’ Josh asked in interest as they left the duck pond and began walking down the path to the nearest exit gate’

‘Yeah not very well though’ Louisa said ‘I’ve never had a lesson I’m self taught. There’s some good educational stuff on YouTube and that’s where I pick up a lot on technique’

‘Have you ever thought about taking lessons?’

‘Of course but my passion is the violin so I’m happy enough just messing about on the viola for now’ Louisa said cheerfully ‘and besides I’m a vet not a violin player. I play for my recreation not for my supper’

‘You’ve not tried busking then?’

‘Nah not for ages’ Louisa said slinging her camera bag over her shoulder more securely ‘did it when I first arrived in L.A pulled in a shitload of cash which gave me a little time before I had to find a job’

Josh and Louisa left Central Park and walked the two blocks to Pieces a smart little Italian eatery in the heart of Manhattan. They each ordered a meal and a drink and sat down at the back near the kitchen from which emerged the most alluring smell of roasting garlic.

‘You’re staring at me’ Josh said in amusement as they sipped at some water.

‘Yeah because you look familiar’ Louisa said screwing up her nose and furrowing her brow ‘I reckon I may have seen you somewhere before’

‘Well everyone in the world is supposed to have a twin’ Josh said ‘maybe you saw them’

‘Hmm maybe’ Louisa said cocking her head to the side like a curious puppy ‘alright then d’you know a good Luthier in Manhattan? Now that I have an apartment here I’m settled and have the time to get my viola repaired’

‘Yeah go to Paolo’s on Fifth Avenue’ Josh said ‘I get my bows re-haired there’

‘And they’re good?’

‘Best in the business’ Josh said ‘they’ll be able to tell you straight away if your viola is worth restoring or not’.

Fifteen minutes later their meals arrived.

‘Alright I propose a toast’ Louisa said holding up her lemonade.

‘To what?’ Josh said swallowing a mouthful of tortellini.

‘To us, to hell with past miseries’ Louisa said with a grin ‘and to hell with our exes for making us miserable’

Josh couldn’t help but laugh at Louisa’s optimism.
‘Cheers’ he said clinking his glass of coke against hers.

Then it came.

‘Now I know who you are!’

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Photographer in the Park