Band (Part 3 of 3)

Every morning when school started, we had the bugle call. Several of the best brass players in the school and one drummer assembled to play the bugle call. When I was in fourth grade, the drummer was Steve. He thought he was the most important person in the school and he was, actually, because when the bell rang to signal the start of the school day, the drummer gave three taps and then the bugle call began. Most mornings, the band room was locked, as was the instrument room where the drum equipment was safely stored. Steve had special permission to keep the snare drum he used for the bugle call in his class room. That was fine, until Craig took the other drum home.
When the bugle call was over, Steve took the drum back to his room. And he always kept it there -- even when I had to use it for band!
Every time I had band practice, I had to go down to Steve’s room, walk in, ask the teacher if I could talk to Steve, and then beg for the use of the drum. I hated doing that since all those sixth grade kids gave me a look that said, “Get out of here you little scum!”
So one day I just left the drum in the band room -- and it got locked in there overnight. The next day the bell rang and the bugle call began shakily. Everyone wondered why there was no drum accompaniment. I found out at recess.
Steve came up to me, “Don’t you ever do that again!” He had me up against the wall. He had two sixth grade hoods with him. “I couldn’t get the drum out of the band room because of you! Just watch yourself from now on.” Then he slugged me in the stomach. It sure hurt but I thought how funny it was with big Steve and two other guys threatening to kill me, yet I was so defenseless. I smiled. Steve got madder, “Don’t laugh kid. I can hit a lot harder.”
Luckily, Craig brought the other drum back to school. He didn’t fix it at all, but at least it was back. Steve went on to junior high school and the next year both Craig and I were the only drummers in the advanced band. Craig was far better than I was, but he didn’t want to do the bugle call. So guess who got to do it? Me.
On the first day of school for my fifth grade year, I stood at the center of the school with the best of the band. The bell rang and I gave the three taps on the snare drum to start the bugle call.

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