"Ha ha ha ha ha," some teenagers laughed at their joke. But to John it was symbolic. That rubber duckie was a memory from a childhood that he had been trying to forget for nearly 45 years.
When John was 4 years old, nothing meant more to him than his best friend Tim. They did everything together. Life was perfect for the two friends until that fateful day in 1969. John's parents decided that their son needed a good education. So they sent him to the Claiflin Musical Institute, an all boys high school devoted to the fine arts. Tim's parents, on the other hand, sent him to the local public high school. These two decisions determined the future of these two friends. Tim became envious of John, an envy that would continue for the rest of his life.
Just 10 years later, when John was 24, he made his concert debut. The crowd was massive. John's father, Harold, met him backstage. "I've dreamed of this moment for a long time," a tear ran down his cheek. "My son," he hugged John, "remember this - you can do anything you set your mind to. And never-ever let anyone stand in your way."
"My baby!" John's mother ran up and kissed him on both cheeks. "I know you can do it - I have faith in you."
With these kind remarks on his side, John confidently walked up to the conductor's stand. "I can do anything," he thought. He picked up the wand, closed his eyes, and lifted it high in the air. With his hands slightly shaking, he started up the orchestra.
He guided the wand through the air and it was an amazing feeling. He couldn't hear one bad note in the entire orchestra. This was the moment he had dreamed of. As he finished off the piece, there was a moment of anticipation. Did the audience enjoy it? Then John heard clapping and opened his eyes. First his mother and father stood up. Then some others nearby them stood. Soon everyone in the 1500-seat theater was standing up. He had done it. John Weston was a success. He walked down to meet a huge mob of reporters and fans wanting autographs. He squeezed through and on the other side he saw a woman he knew from college.
"That was great," Ann kissed him.
John wasn't quite sure what to say, so he said,"Uh...thanks."
Looking back as he walked towards the exit, the conductor stopped for a moment. "That," he thought, "is the woman I'm going to marry."
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday. Every day a new concert to play. John's life was hectic enough without the taking care of his wife and children. He wished he could spend more time with them, but then where would he fit in the music he loved so much? It was a mid-summer day in 1997. John parked his Mercedes-Benz in front of the family's large fashionable house north of New York City. "Honey, I'm home!" John yelled as he entered. His wife stormed into the room in a rage. "What's wrong?" he asked.
"What's wrong? I'll show you what's wrong." She shoved a newspaper under the man's face. It read:
FAMOUS CONDUCTOR HAS LOVE AFFAIR BEHIND WIFE'S BACK
"All these years you've been getting home late! You said you just had extra work to do, and I believed you, but now the truth is revealed! All those years you were lying, John. I was mad enough with you so absorbed in your work, little did I know you were with another woman! You lousy cheat!" she exclaimed as she slapped him in the face.
"I didn't do it," John said, and he meant it. "Those are lies, all lies. I would never cheat on you, and you know it."
"Here you've been revealed, and you lie to me again. Get out!" she screamed, "Get out of my house, and take this with you!" Ann threw their wedding ring at John, who quickly left.
The next day, John, feeling quite depressed, headed off to work from a Holiday Inn.
"The boss wants to see you in his office," said the secretary.
"John Weston," he said, "you're great at the violin and you're great as a conductor. But this article," he pointed to the newspaper from the day before, "has brought me to a simple decision. You're fired."
John slumped out of the office. This just wasn't his day.
Once outside, he bumped into his wife. "Here's the date of the trial. Oh, and find yourself an attorney."
"Who would've wanted to destroy me like this?" John thought. Then he remembered Tim, his old rival. He must've started the rumors against him. He had finally gotten a chance to destroy John's life.
The trial was masterfully staged. Tim had hired an actress to pose as John's lover. John protested he didn't know the woman, but no one was on his side. Ann, his lovely wife, was obviously after his money. The judge decided that in the divorce, Ann would get full custody of their two children, their house, and most of her husband's money. John would keep his car and a few thousand dollars. As he was leaving, the former conductor yelled at Tim, "I'll get you for this!!!" But Tim didn't care. He had what he wanted: an open job at the symphony.
John soon realized his current budget wouldn't suit the life he was used to. All the nice businesses he applied at shunned him, however. He had lost his position in society. Now he was just a guy off the street. After walking out of one establishment he noticed some people trashing his car. "Hey! Stop it! Somebody call the-" he stopped short when he saw four guns pointed at his chest. "OK - uhhh - just a mistake," John said, backing away.
With his parents dead, John had nowhere left to turn. The next day the man blew his money on a pricey violin, sat down on a street corner and began to play. This is what he'd be doing for the next three years.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Elizabeth's butler helped her out of the limo and onto the sidewalk. Dressed in bell-bottoms and a pink t-shirt, she blended in pretty well with the other kids at school. But there was one thing that was different about Elizabeth Crawly besides her waist-long red hair. Her father was rich. Because of this, the other kids treated her like a spoiled brat. Elizabeth, however, definitely wasn't spoiled (her father was gone most of the time, and her mother was dead); and she was the nicest person once you got to know her. Her best friend, Kathryn Moseline, was about the only person she could talk to at school.
After a few classes came the most dreaded time: recess. Elizabeth was unexpectedly invited to play baseball, so she gladly accepted the invitation. "Slammer" Sid Hoppendinger was at the plate, "Fastball" Fred Gross was pitching, Kathryn "Killer" Moseline was on 2nd, and Elizabeth was in the outfield. Then it happened. Slammer Sid hit one out of the park. Elizabeth instantly sprang into action. She ran through the gate, down the street, and landed on the pavement just in time to catch the ball. She was about to head back when she noticed a homeless man playing his violin. Elizabeth dug into her pockets. All she could find was two dollars and a few dimes and quarters. The girl walked over and dropped the change into the man's violin case.
John looked up. "Why that's the largest sum I've received all day," he said. "Sit down, and I'll play a song for you." Elizabeth was glad for an excuse not to return to school, so she sat down and listened. The music was beautiful. It reminded her of listening to the Symphony a few years back - just a bit quieter and smaller.
After he finished the piece, Elizabeth exclaimed, "That was wonderful!"
"May I ask you what your name is?" the man asked.
"Elizabeth Crawly. And yours?"
"John," he paused, as if he had forgotten something. "John-John they call me."
"Have you been homeless all your life?"
"Well, no. You see, well, this is a long story - do you have much time?" John asked.
Elizabeth contemplated the prospect of more boring classes, and decided to stay "Yes."
After John had told her the whole story, Elizabeth was adamant. "How could you've let Tim do a thing like that to you? There's got to be a way we can get back at him."
"Well, I've had a lot of time to think these three years, and I know there's one thing Tim's terrified of: ghosts."
Elizabeth thought for a minute. "That's it!" she exclaimed. "You'll dress up in a white sheet, and fly down from the balcony of the symphony. You'll explain how you died in a gutter somewhere, and when he hears you, he'll freak!"
"But we can't get into the symphony."
"Wrong. You see, my father owns the symphony, and I'm sure he could get something organized.
"Oh. Well but still Tim wouldn't believe me just on those grounds. I'd have to have something only a ghost could get." "Hmmm."
"I know! I have the key to our secret treasure box! He thinks he's got the only one, but I made a copy. That'll have him fooled!" John smiled.
It was agreed that John would use the money to wash his clothes and Elizabeth would pick him up with her butler after school.
The next day, John was in a cheery mood. He waited for Elizabeth and she was there at 3 as promised. He hopped into the spacious limo and they were off. The butler hardly seemed to notice he was there during the short ride to the empty lot in Brooklyn where the chest was buried. John and Elizabeth jumped out at the site. A sign said SOLD and construction trucks were all around. John noticed some construction workers enjoying a drink in a bar across the street.
"We've gotta do this quick," John said. He pointed to a stump in the far corner, "We buried it below that tree." They both began digging. Soon they hit solid wood. John stooped down and pulled out the small chest. "Hmm...I'm not sure which of these keys it is anymore," he said as he began to try them.
"It looks like they're finishing their drinks," Elizabeth said nervously.
"Got it!" John yelled.
"Pipe down!"
"OK." He sifted through the chest. "This'll scare him." He was holding up a faded rubber duckie.
"Great. We've gotta go!" But it was too late. The workers were crossing the street.
"Quick!" John exclaimed in panic. "Run!" But a huge muscular man was in their way.
"Hey!" he poked John in the stomach. "What are you doing on our construction site?"
"Uhhh..." John was at a loss for words.
"Your girlfriend wouldn't want you to act like that, would she?" Elizabeth asked.
While he was pondering that logic, the two raced into the car. "Hit it Frederick!" she said and away they went.
Within a few days, the plan had been arranged. John would float down on an important Friday concert and wreck Tim's career. It was as simple as that.
On the night of Friday, October 13, John Weston was busy backstage at the New York Symphony Orchestra. A technician rigged him up to a long wire hanging from the ceiling. Then John just had to wait until sometime into the concert.
About halfway into it he leaped off the empty balcony. "Woooo!" he moaned, "Woooo!" Tim looked up to see a floating white thing. "You!" John said, pointing at his rival.
"M-me?" Tim stammered, dropping his wand.
"Yooouu destroy-yed my li-i-ife!" John wailed.
"J-j-john?" Tim mumbled, his face growing paler every minute.
"It is I. I di-ied in a gu-utter in Manha-atan! I've brought a present for yo-ou!"
Tim's mouth dropped open when he saw what John was holding - the rubber duckie from their youth.
The crowd and orchestra were captivated by the scene.
"Tell them the tru-uth!" John boomed.
"OK - uhh - I made up the thing about the secret love affair. I did it because I wanted your job and I had wanted to ruin your life ever since you went to that cool high school. The crowd gasped.
"Yo-ou have finally to-old the tru-uth, but I will never-" John stopped when he heard a snap. The beam his wire was tied to had snapped. "Uh-oh! AHHH!" John yelled as he flew towards Tim.
"Ooof!" the two said as they collided. Unfortunately, John's sheet snagged on Tim's shirt, causing it to rip.
"Hey! You're not dead!" Tim exclaimed, gaining his confidence back. He punched John, who punched him back. Then Tim pushed John onto the floor. Tim was about to punch him when John tripped Tim, causing him to fly off the stage and into the orchestra. Alighting from the instruments he had destroyed, Tim lunged at John's legs, pulling him into the orchestra. By this time, members of the orchestra were hitting each other with their smashed instruments, which caused quite a scene. John and Tim lay in a pile of bent up trombones, violins, basses, and flutes. It was a mess. The papers read:
ORCHESTRA DESTROYS ITSELF and
TIM SMITH A LIAR - JOHN WESTON PROVEN INNOCENT
Life was back to normal for John, who got his job back, and in his spare time visited Elizabeth and his own two children. Tim spent a year in jail for his crime; and learned that you have to live your own life and not worry about what others are getting.
And that, my friends, is the story of what happened when a man named John looked up.
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