The Rockin' Rodents

Getting the Band Back Together

Pitch Perfect had been Ger's dad's dream all his life. A way to make money off his second passion after beer. An accomplished musician (Though small Ballycraicsdown had a long proud musical tradition, which made Ger and the band's inability to play well, something of an embarrassment), he'd had the idea of setting up a music shop in a town in the middle of nowhere.

In the beginning, things had gone well, but then Ger's dad began to drink away the profits as he toured with bands from Pub to Pub, in the local traditional music scene. Ger and his mum took over the day-to-day running of the shop. In the Summer, Ger spent most of his days there and hung out in the love shack in the evening with Ari and Ger. He and his mum had started stocking bread, milk, and newspapers after old Ms. McCarthy had retired from her local shop, and Pitch Perfect now, seemed like some anomaly in the time and space continuum as people went into a music shop and came out with pasta and Tiramisu

Unlike on previous occasions, Jerry hadn't disappeared. Ger didn't have time to listen to Jerry's stories and the mouse took to exploring the shop, aghast at the quantity of half-eaten crisp fragments and fluff rapped jellies the local kids had let drop to the ground.

"Don't you sweep up in here?" Jerry asked as Johnny burst into the shop. Whilst the adults of Ballycraicsdown met in the bar, the local teenagers treated the shop as a community center youth club. Although this time Ger had texted Johnny.

"What's the story morning glory?" Johnny swaggered in with his usual greeting.

"We need to get the band back together," Ger said. Jerry Lee mouse jumped up up several shelves scarpered along with the top one and leaped down on the counter besides Ger, taking up a position of moral support.

"You've changed your tune, I thought you said we were wasting our time?"

"Yeah, but then I realized that we only have this Summer before you and Ari head off for Uni and I'll be here repeating the sixth year." Ger said. His family problems had made studying impossible this year and Ger had decided to repeat the year and then go to University.

"All right, but what about Ari? She'll be lucky if her father lets her see daylight."

"We'll go talk to Mr. Allahabad. Convince him that we've got a chance of getting on the telly. It'd be great publicity for the nag's head," said Ger.

"Have you got a plan B?" asked Johnny.

"No, You?" said, Ger shrugging his shoulders.

"No, well lock up the shop and let's go" replied Johnny relieved to see his friend in better spirits. Although if he knew why that might not be the case. The boys then headed off to the local pub to see Mr. Allahabad.

The Nags Head was a typical Irish country pub. All wood paneling, brick-a-brac, and stained glassed windows announcing brands of beers and whiskeys. The acrid smell of stale beer met the two boys as they came in. Mr. Allahabad was cleaning out the run-over trays beneath the beer taps.

He grimaced as soon as they walked in.

"You two. You're barred!" he said as soon as he saw them. He'd gotten most of the truth out of Ari when she'd gotten home last night.

"Wait, Mr. Allahabad. We just want to talk. Just hear us out, and then we'll leave," said Johnny. At that moment Ger noticed that Mrs. Allahabad was also there, wiping down the tables before the regulars would start to come in.

Ari's mother was a short, plump woman, who rarely spoke. Mr. Allahabad gave a sharp-sounding order in Arabic and she took a shopping basket and left the bar. She smiled at the boys as she passed, and for a second Ger saw the similarities in her round warm face that she shared with her daughter.

"Listen, I don't want to hear it. You two stay away from my daughter. She's a good girl, with a bright promising future. Stay away from her."

Ari's father said abrasively. The boys could tell from his tone that this was a lost cause. They looked at each other and retreated out of the Pub.

"Hey! Where are you two going? That was your plan kid!" shouted the mouse after Ger, and shaking his head went after them.

When they turned the corner they were surprised to find Mrs. Allahabad waiting for them her shopping basket still in her hands.

"Don't worry boys. I will speak to Mr. Allahabad and get Ari's music back," she spoke softly.

"That's all right, I don't think he'll change his mind."

"He will," she said gifting them with that warm smile again.

"That's something you don't understand. We may wear this in public." she pinched the silk of her veil.

"But in the privacy of my home... What's the English expression. Oh yes, I wear the trousers." and again the smile.

The boys looked at each other for a moment not knowing what to say until finally, Ger spoke.

"Thanks, Mrs. Allahabad. This is important to us and Ari."

"Did you know Ari was born on a train? Yes, as we crossed the border to Turkey on our long journey here. There was a drought, and many people went without water that Summer. It was in all the newspapers. My daughter came into the world kicking and screaming and she will always need to confront the world. She should do it with music." She left them with her words and went off to do the shopping her husband had asked her to do.

"What a woman!" said Jerry Lee mouse.

Ger looked at Johnny. He just smiled and said, "Rock on!"