Saxophone Man The Saxophone Man’s Soul

Saxophone Man sits in a lawn chair on the corner of Desperate and Lost. His instrument points the way to heaven as the music weeps for his tormented soul. He hauls himself to this corner daily seeking deliverance from his pain -- his song both a petition and a warning. Passersby atone for their happiness by dropping money into his case. Most avert their eyes. Saxophone Man’s gaze pulls them into his mournful red-rimmed eyes, revealing a spirit so tortured even music can’t express the depths.

The keening stops and he sucks thin brown nectar from a flask until it’s as empty as his soul. Saxophone Man gathers the money and lays his horn to rest. He plods back to Hell toting the lawn chair under his arm, as he does each day.

One foggy morning, a child creeps out from the shadows. At first she sways imperceptibly, then her body flows and becomes one with the notes. She dances unselfconsciously, leaping and spinning on the sidewalk in front of his lawn chair. Saxophone Man plays to her. His fingers find a song never before heard in this world. He teases and cajoles the instrument until an avalanche of ecstasy bursts forth that lifts the child’s spirit. Tears stream down Saxophone Man’s full mocha cheeks as his heart fills with joy. His soul is redeemed.

A crowd forms. No one wants to miss this miraculous moment, the flawless marriage of lyrical dance and perfect accompaniment. Each observer hopes the pair will never stop. The child’s footsteps are so light they don’t contact the cement. Saxophone Man’s foot slaps in time with the music. Perspiration drips off his bald head and saturates his thin plaid shirt as the music rises heavenward. The child is now but a blur, her features indistinguishable. She is pure motion and emotion at the same time. Saxophone Man blows a note with no beginning and no end – an enduring resonance of joy.

Onlookers dare not breathe. Time ceases and no one moves save the indistinct dancing form and Saxophone Man’s blurry brown fingers and tapping foot. The reed splits, rending the endless perfect note, and the man slumps forward. He tumbles onto the sidewalk; the saxophone buckles beneath his weight. The blurry form of the child shimmers and fades away. A woman punches buttons on her cell phone and calls for an ambulance, knowing she just witnessed Saxophone Man’s final concert.

Unobserved by the crowd, the child gracefully extends her hand. Saxophone Man’s spirit reaches out and grasps it.
© 2005 Ginger Hamilton Caudill