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His eyebrows furrowed in deep concentration as he gently plucked a string on his bass. A few strands of his hair fell forwards with his head’s movement. His eyes were narrowed, focused on the instrument he held in his lap. That string sounds a little flat…
Making a humph sound, Mike reached with his other hand and twisted one of the little knobs at the end of the bass’s handle, tightening the string a bit. Another pluck graced the newly tightened string. He smiled. Good, it sounds much better.
“That’s my girl, Aurora.” Aurora, this is the name of his beloved double bass. This bass has been with him since he joined Genesis, no since he first picked her up at a music store. He has been playing her ever since. She was only five years old.
It was a well-known and unwritten rule that a musician must take special care of their instruments. The instruments make the music. Not the musician. The musician is merely there to harness the abilities of the instrument that chooses them. Moreover, it was not he who had chosen Aurora. Aurora chose him.
“Yo, Mike!” Came a male voice. Mike found himself being snapped out of his own silent world and he looked up from his chair. He spotted the youngest and newest member of Genesis, Phil Collins. Phil stood nervously at the edge of the doorway, casting a nervous glance around the room. The poor lad has only been a part of the band for a few months and he was already an accomplished part of the band, but he has yet to feel comfortable with everyone.
“What’s up, Phil?” Mike felt his lips curl into a smile, which served to ease the boy’s nerves a bit. Phil coughed a bit, giving himself some time to gather his thought. Poor boy. He is so nervous.
“Peter was wondering if you were done with your sound check yet. The show’s about to begin.” The nineteen year old replied softly.
“Give me a second.” The bassist added.
Phil nodded and walked out.
Alone with Aurora again.
Mike looked back at the bass in his lap. Her sleek black body caught the light of the overhead light, making her shine even more than before. His lips curled upwards again. Aurora looked beautiful.
“Tonight’s the night, love.” He murmured to his instrument. He plucked her strings one last time and the sound that greeted his ears was loud and melodic. This was her way of telling him that she was ready. The British musician finally rose to his feet, taking Aurora with him. Placing the strap around his neck, he walked out of the room and stepped to the stage.
The others were waiting for him, each one giving him their own greeting. He received a smile from the front man, Peter Gabriel as he approached his side.
“You and Aurora ready?” Peter asked in a teasing tone. Mike chuckled with a nod, responding in an equally teasing tone, “If you, Piper and Belle are ready.”
The two laughed a bit but the laughter quickly ceased as the curtain opened, revealing everyone. Mike closed his eyes a bit to soak in the music. Peter’s voice, Phil’s drumming, Steve’s guitar playing, and Tony’s keyboarding—everything was in perfect harmony. As soon as Peter uttered the first word, Michael John Cleote Crawford Rutherford plucked the strings, adding his own part to the song. His fingers tickled his bass, strumming and moving at a fast but steady pace. Each pluck vibrated from deep within the heart of Aurora, making her thrum with life.
He smiled at this. Aurora was singing and only he could bring that out in her. She sounded just like she did during rehearsal, only a thousand times better. Aurora was his heart. She gave him the strength to keep on playing. Only Aurora could make him come to life just as only Mike could make her come to life. No one else in the world understood his fondness for the double bass, except maybe for Peter.
Mike picked up his head and threw it back, causing his long dark hair to fall from his face. This was going to be Aurora’s best performance yet.