Music to His Ears

   The melodious strains of Street of Dreams by the Stan Kenton Orchestra wafted out into the hallway. I walked into Uncle Billy's apartment and turned down the volume of iPod docking station.
   Billy, sitting at the kitchen table, looked up from his smart phone. "Hey, why'd you do that?"
   "All of your neighbors may not be Stan Kenton fans, Uncle."
   "A classic like that? With Art Pepper?"
   "It's good ... but too loud for you to be playing with your door open."
   "I'm just trying to educate the stiffs around here," he said.
   "They might appreciate it more if it's not in their face," I said.
    Billy leaned back and looked at the clock on the wall over the sink. "Well, it's about time you got here."
   "Gee, thanks ... I'm feeling much better," I said.
   Billy reddened slightly. "Oh, yeah ... I forgot you were sick last week ... what was it?"
   "An inner-ear infection ... at least that's what the doc said it was."
   "Bummer ... but at least you're better now, right?"
   "Yeah ... more or less ... I'm not at one-hundred percent ... but getting there."
   "Well, that's good ... I wasn't sure I could depend on Clara to take me to Manny's this week."
   "Is she out of town again?"
   "No ... but you never know with her ... she's always peddling books somewhere."
   I nodded. "My hat is off to her ... I wish I had her drive."
   "Well, at least you can drive me to Manny's."
   I shrugged. "Yeah ... I can do that ..."
   Billy stood and walked over the docking station. "I wanna hear some decent music on the way."
   He disconnected the iPod and grabbed a set of ear buds from the counter.
   "Uncle, I can play whatever you want on the car radio."
   He disconnected the iPod and grabbed a set of ear buds from the counter. "Maybe ... but I'm not taking chances."