This is part 2 in a series that took place in a different New York at a different time. Since I am taking liberties with the time line the bulk of the story is between 1967-1977. I will let you the reader decide what took place and when. There will be plenty of clues along the way. I hope you enjoy thiis journey as much as I did. We left off with me running through the museum of Modern Art looking for unc so we could look at a little art and tell him about Bart. I found him outside in the garden area smoking his cigar and people watching. He could sit for hours watching people. This was his hobby I guess. What it did do was make him a pretty good judge of people and their potential behavior. After finding him and filling him in, I had to get him up and moving. This was no easy task I can tell you. The trick to get unc moving was to ask first and then give the impression you had all day to wait. So I sat down next to him and told him a little about my encounter with the guard and his offer of a free tour. Knowing full well if I had any chance of getting him to go I would have to sweeten the deal quite a bit. As we sat there I racked my brain, all the while being careful not to tip my hand . Having had a bit of success previously I went with the strongest bait first. It went something like this: " Unc I heard this guy talking about Clint Eastwood being here earlier ." No response so I waited a few minutes and asked " Do you think he's here to set up a directors viewing?" Unc turns his head blows out a lungful of smoke away from me, then turns to me and says " Boy don't you start up with no foolishness Clnt Eastwood and his movies. Why would he want to come to a place like this , when he lives in Hollywood.Just how dumb do you think I am?" Here he laughs to himself and shakes his head saying "Jody, what gave you the idea that he was here? That guard? I bet he was just pulling your leg." The hook nearly set I give him just a bit more line by saying nothing. I hang my head and start mumbling something he can't hear to myself. Unc gives me a little tap with his elbow and says " Well I'll be, you're actually upset he had a little fun with you?" I look up at him and say " It's not that. It's just I told him I was going to bring you and he said 'o.k.' we would get a free tour. I would love to see his face if we did show up. People don't get much past you." Taking a deep draw on his cigar, he puts it out by scraping it back and forth the gray slate floor tiles. Standing up brushing his pants he starts to walk to the entrance. I stay sitting with my elbows on my knees and chin on my hands. He looks back and jerks his head while puckering his lips towards the door. I know what that means. We're going. I jump up and run to get the door for him saying " Follow me unc, I know the way." Starting to skip along unc says "Take your time boy, I ain't in no mood to be running after you.You hear me?" I smile and say "Got it, no mood, got it, take my time ." At this he snickers, by now I know pretty much what makes him laugh. So it's off we go ever so slowly. Unc walks slower than anyone I ever met. It has taken me years of practicing to keep up without making myself nuts. The trick is a slow shuffle step that extends but comes back before you actually step. It's hard to explain, but if you want a challenge try to walk looking normal and barely moving forward. Along the way unc stops to look at some of the art. Rubbing his gray beard he nods his head making a hmmpff sound. I ask " Unc whatcha lookin' at?" Unc smiles and says " I know that painting. A copy of it is at an old jazz club I used to go to. I always thought it was like how jazz should looks like." Knowing unc can't read I go to check out the title and artist. Shocked I say " Unc, you like this? Do you know who did this? The greatest artist of all time. Pablo Picasso! The name of it is 3 musicians" Unc smiles , but says nothing. I continue " This is great you pick out what you like and I'll tell Mama that's what we saw. She'll be impressed cause you got good taste!" Raising his index finger he says seriously "Boy don't you lie to your mama. As for all that taste stuff you saying, don't be telling nobody nothing . All I said was I'd seen that in a jazz club." Pretty sure I was on to something I said " O.k. pick another one you like and let's see if my idea works." Unc shakes his head saying "Ahhh, That one in the far corner. Now let's get move on if you want that tour. He ain't gonna wait all day" I run over and check. Smiling swing my arm out and say " I told you it's Picasso again. It's called Ma Jolie, and it has to do with music." Unc concentrates and rubs his chin slyly saying "Umm, I see it now, that's pretty clever. Maybe I do have a little something something." Now beginning to feel left out I say "Where? What do you see show it to me." Unc walks me over slowly with his hand on my back and like Merlin moves his other hand explaining that it's done in cubes and layers of cube. If you look at it like papers on a desk all shuffled around you can catch glmpses of what's really under there. She's playing the guitar or something similar."I read what was written about it underneath and this is what it said: "Ma Jolie", Paris, winter 1911-1912
Oil on canvas, 39 3/8 x 25 3/4" (100 x 64.5 cm)
Pablo Picasso (Spanish, 1881-1973)
"Ma Jolie!" (My pretty girl), the refrain of a popular French song, was Picasso's pet name for his lover Marcelle Humbert ("Eva"). These easily legible words, inscribed with a treble clef at the bottom of the canvas, form a stark contrast to the nearly indecipherable image of Eva playing a string instrument.
"A triangular form in the lower center is strung like a guitar; below the strings can be seen four fingers; an elbow juts to the right; and in the upper half, what may be a floating smile is barely discernable amid the network of flat, semitransparent planes. So although the figure appears to disappear into an abstract network of flat, straightedged semitransparent planes, together these elements suggest a woman holding a musical instrument. Thus it manages to be both a representative piece of high Analytic Cubism, while at the same time representing a very traditional theme." I didn't understand it then. My mother said later that unc had a very discerning eye whatever that means. Maybe it's like x-ray vision or something. This launched a love affair with art and museums for unc and I. So back to the story. I took unc up to see Bart and he was glad to meet him. They talked for quite a while until I got bored. I go up on my toes waving and hopping and say in a loud whisper "Hey! Remember me? What say you get that tour a moving along like liitle doggies . Woof Woof!" Bart laughs and says " Sure thing hot shot here we go." He took us all around the museum explaining things in way more detail than I thought necessary. Jeez! What is it with these grownups? Am I going to growup and start wanting to know every little thing about every little thing, I hope not. This turned out to be a great day. I turn and ask Bart "So what's the deal with Clint Eastwood being here?" Uncs ears perk up and Bart says " It just so happens that he's giving a film appreciation class. Show-casing all his films while he narrates and gives a little talk. Would you guys be interested in seeing that tomorrow?" Unc steps forward and grabs Barts hand in both of his and says " Bart if that's true and we can go you've made an old man and a little boy happier than you could ever imagine." Bart smiles and says "They are selling tickets tonight and I happen to have 2 right here. I'm not gong to be able to go . My girlfriend is moving and I promised to help her. So take them and enjoy." I push my way between unc and Bart and say " Bart take it from me there will be more girl friends , but Clint, I mean really, please.." At this point unc bends down and scoops me up saying " Bart, don't you pay this boy no mind. He's just learned to talk, but hasn't learned to stop yet. Now listen I don't want no argument about this.." As he's saying this he's reaching in his back pocket and pulls out his wallet. Putting me down he says" Jody if you want to go, you keep quiet for the next 5minutes or you're staying home .You feeling me? " I nod and shut my mouth with my hand over it so it doesn't pop open. It's been known to do that on occasion, even today if you cn believe that. Unc walks over to the corner with his arm around Bart laughing and joking and hands him what I think l was $200. Bart started to raise his hand and unc said something and Bart just nods and says thanks. If I were to guess what went on it would be like this:" " Woowee that boy can talk a blue streak! I hope he didn't bother you too much. He can be a real handful, but basically he's got a good heart. Look I really would love to take these tickets, but I won't unless you let me pay you for them. " Well that's at least what I think happened. We said our goodbyes. Well rather unc and Bart said goodbye I just waved. The rest went smoothly. We sat through 12 hours of Clint Eastwood movies with him talking about each one in between. I fell asleep and unc carried me back to the Salisbury and we orderd room service. ?? That's right Salisbury steak, I just couldn't resist. Thanks for reading. Jody
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