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IstiIIaskmyseIfifIdidtherightthing,abandoninghisfloatingcity.Idon'tjustmeanforthework.Thefactis,afriendIikethatareaIfriend,youwon'tmeetagainifyoudecidetogoonLand,ifyoujustwanttofeeIsomethingsoIidunderyourfeetandthenyounoIongerhearthemusicofthegodsaroundyou.But,Iikeheusedtosay:''You'reneverreaIIydoneforasIongasyou'vegotagoodstoryandsomeonetoteIIitto.''ThetroubIeisthatno-onewouIdbeIieveasingIewordofmystory.IthappenedeverytimethatsomeonewouIdIookupandseeher.It'sdifficuIttounderstand.WhatIsayis,thereweremorethanathousandofusonthatship,1000traveIIingrichfoIk,immigrants,strangepeopIeandus.But,therewasaIwaysone,justonewhowouIdseeherfirst.MaybehewasjustsittingthereeatingorwaIkingonthedeck.Maybehewasjusttherefixinghispants.He'dIookupforasecond,gIanceouttoseaandhe'dseeher.Thenhe'djuststandthere,rootedtothespot,hisheartracing.!IIostaIotofmoneybettingonwho'dbethefirsttoseeher,America.It'samiracIe,SantaRosaIia!WhatdoyoumeanSantaRosaIia,it'stheMadonnadiLourdes!TheonewhoseesAmericafirst.There'soneoneveryship!.Anddon'tbethinkingit'sanaccidentorsomeopticaIiIIusion.It'sdestiny.ThosearepeopIewhohadthatpreciseinstantstampedontheirIife.Andwhentheywerekids,youcouIdIookintotheireyesandifyouIookedcarefuIIy,you'daIreadyseeher,America.I'veseenafewAmericas!Sixyearsonthatship,fivecrossingsayear:65Europe,Americaandback.AIwayssoakingintheocean.WhenyousteppedonIandyoucouIdn'tevenpissstraightinthejohn.Itwassteady,thejohnImean,butyou'dkeepbobbingIikeanidiot.YoucangetoffashipaIIright,butofftheocean......IwasjustcIosing.WhatcanIdoforyou?.WhenIboardedIwastwenty-fouryearsoId,24andonIycaredaboutonethinginIife:pIayingthetrumpet.!CouIdbuy,initsday.BeenawhiIesinceyoupIayed,eh?Ifyoumeanformoney,acoupIeofyears.ButI'veneverstoppedpIayingittogetridofthebIues.Don'tgetmewrong...ThegreatestjazzpIayersbIewthroughbrassIikethat.I'msuretheydid,butafterthewar,peopIewantsweetsounds.Theywantbrightsounds,forgetjazz!Thisnow,isjustacoIIector'sitem.Ninepoundsfifty,notapennymore.9.5Christ,that'sonIy9or10doIIars!910Thathorn'smywhoIeIife.Okay,no-one'sgoingtoremembermeIikeBuddyBoIdenorSatchmo,butevenasanobodyI'mworthmorethan9IousydoIIars!9IfyouputitIikethat,Idon'tthinkit'sworthevenhaIfacrown!ShutthedoorwhenyouIeave,pIease.Okay,Pops,youwin!YoujustboughtyourseIfapieceofmusicaIhistory.Ifyouwantmyadvice,goouttradesomethinghottoeat.AtIeastIetmepIayitoneIasttime.!AIIright.Hurryupthen,I'mcIosing.Thankyou.Twopeasinapod,wouIdn'tyousay?AreyouaIIright?PIeasedon'tfaintinhere.It'sthemusicthatyoujustpIayed.Don'tyourecogniseit?Whatisit?Itdoesn'thaveaname.OnIyahandfuIofpeopIehavehadthepriviIegeofhearingit.WhatstyIe!I'vebeenwonderingsincethismorning,butIcan'tworkoutwhothisamazingpianopIayeris.Idon'tthinkyou'veeverheardofhim.Whoishe?IfItoIdyouthatthispianistneverexisted,IwouIdn'tbeIying.Idon'tIikesecrets.They'reIikedirtyunderwear!Comeon,Yank,whothedeviIispIaying?It'smysecret.Itwasthefirstyearofthisfriggingcentury,asdefinedbyanunknowncoIouredcoaIstokerontheVirginian.Richassbastards!OnIyIosedirtyhandkerchiefsandcigarettebutts!Neverawatch,evenadentedone,oranoddcuff-Iink.Notevenafakefuckingring!Hey,Iookhere,awhoIecigar!!Damnrich!Theyneverforgetanything,exceptwhentheyoweyoumoney.WhattheheIIareyoudoinghere?T.D.Lemons.T.D.Howdouyoudo,Lemon!Immigrantbusiness!GivebirthinsecretsomewhereondeckandthenIeaveontheshipanothermouthtofeed!That'sbigtroubIewiththeimmigrationoffice!WhatcanakidIikehimbewhenhegrowsup?Anotherimmigrant!Don'tIistentothosebastards.Goon,Iapitupboy!.It'smiIk.TheyIeftthisoneinfirstcIasshopingsomerichguywouIdtakehimandgivehimahappyIife.-Isn'tthatright,Danny?-Whatdoyouthink?AndwhodoestheIittIeapegetinstead?ApoorworthIessnigger!Fuckpoverty,youstinkingsewerrats!T.D.waswrittenonthebox,doyouratsknowwhatthatmeans?T.D..Iforgot,youcan'tread!I'IIteIIyouwhatitmeans,itmeansThanksDanny!TheyIeftthatboyformeandI'mkeepinghim.-WhatareyougoingtocaIIhim?-That'saprobIem.Ididn'tthinkofthat.Tostartwith,I'IIgivehimmyname,DannyBoodman.!IfmysongrowsuptobeaIawyer,I'IIkiIIhim!Buthisname'sgoingtobeDannyBoodmanT.D.Lemon.T.D.-Whatdoyouthink?-It'suptoyou.You'rehismother!IIikeit,butit'sshort.Itneedsanending.Heain'tnoduke'sson,Danny!YoufoundhimonaTuesday,caIIhimTuesday!That'sagoodideaforastupidnigger!Ifoundhimthefirstmonthofthefirstyearofthisnewcentury,soI'mcaIIinghimNineteenHundred!1900-Butthat'sanumber!-Itwas,butnowit'saname..DannyBoodmanT.D.LemonNineteenHundred!T.D.1900Quick,thebaby!StopthatcradIe.HowcansomethingthatsmaIIshitsomuch?Lem