The Mad Scientist Composer part 2

                *****
    Three weeks later......
    The morning of the move had finally arrived, and all eight members of the Dueck family were scurrying about, packing last minute things.
    “Ma!  Cal’s here!”  Anni called as she peeked out the window to see Calico arriving to help load things up.
    “Good, let’s start loading up then.”  They didn’t have a moving truck, as they would only be taking basic things and leaving furniture and appliances.
    Soon the Excursion and Pa’s pickup were loaded, and there still remained some things.
    “You can put them in my car,”  Calico offered.  So they did, and soon everything was loaded up and they were on their way to Grandpa’s farm, about an hour’s drive away.
    The four younger children promptly fell asleep despite their excitement, and before anyone knew it they were making a right turn into Grandpa’s drive.  Grandpa and the two pups were waiting for them on the front porch.  As soon as Ma turned off the ignition, the six children piled out and ran to Grandpa.
    “Howdy, Grandpa!”  They all shouted, squeezing him in bear hugs.
    “I’ve been a waitin’, what took you so long?”  Grandpa teased, swinging Arthur-Lorenzo up into his arms.
    “Dad!  Should you be doing that?”  Ma scolded.
    “Ah, it’s all right, my arthritis isn’t so bad today.”  Grandpa replied.  And with that, the unloading began.

    The next morning everyone was up bright and early to help with the chores.  As it turned out, there were exactly six different duties to accomplish each morning and evening, so they were split up between the children, and Grandpa, Pa and Ma would help the younger ones where needed.  Anni was in charge of the horses, Jakob the cattle, Ellen-Adel the chickens, Elida-Rose the pigs, Lorena-Grace the cats, and Arthur-Lorenzo the dogs.
    “Ellen, how many eggs did you gather this morning?”  Ma asked a couple mornings later as she was making breakfast.
    “Uh....” Ellen-Adel paused a moment as she counted the eggs in the basket.  “Looks like ten.”  She said, handing them up to Ma.
    “Just what I needed!  Thank you, Ellen.” 
    “You’re welcome, Ma!  I think I’ll go see if Lida needs help with the pigs.”  Ellen-Adel said, turning towards the door.
    “That sounds fine.  Breakfast will be ready in about ten minutes, so you can tell your siblings when you see them.”
    “Okie dok!”  Ellen-Adel said, and charged out the door, and in the process knocking down Lorena-Grace, who was returning from her cat duties.
    “Ouch.”  They both said in unison.
    “Ellen, see now why I’ve told you to be careful?”  Ma reprimanded after making sure both parties were unwounded.
    “Yes’m....”  Ellen-Adel said. 
    “Well, go on then,”
    “Gracie, ya want to come too?”  Ellen-Adel asked.
    “I think I’ll just go get Anni and Jakob for breakfast.”  Lorena-Grace replied cautiously.
    “Okay, but I won’t run into ya anymore.”  Ellen-Adel said as they hurried off in opposite directions.
    “Lida!  Need help?”  Ellen-Adel hollered as she neared the pig pen.  Elida-Rose turned her back to the pigs to see who was calling her; bucket of feed still in hand.  One of the biggest pigs lunged at the bucket and in doing so knocked Elida-Rose down splat into the mud.
    “Oops.”  Ellen-Adel grimaced and ran to her sisters’ rescue.  “You okay, Lida?”
    “Oooooo.... yuck.”  Elida-Rose replied, sitting up in the muck, covered from head to toe.  Ellen-Adel burst out laughing.   
    “You look hilarious, Lida!”  She said between fits of laughter.
    “Thank you kindly, Ellen.”  Elida-Rose scowled, rising to her full height.
    “Come on, Ma had breakfast ready.”  Ellen-Adel said, pulling Elida-Rose behind her.
    “Elida-Rose!  What happened to you?”  Ma gasped when the two entered the kitchen.
    “She got knocked over by a pig.”  Ellen-Adel replied, still giggling.
    “Knocked over, indeed!  I’m surprised I recognized you, Lida!”  Ma exclaimed, hurrying over.  “Come, let’s get you cleaned up.  Ellen, will you watch the eggs on the stove, please?”  Ma asked as she and Elida-Rose headed out.
    “Sure.”
    Once in the washroom, Elida-Rose caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror and burst out into uncontrollable laughter.
    “Oh, Ma, can you leave it?  I think I want to look like this all the time!”
    “Ah, certainly not,  Elida-Rose.”  And soon Elida-Rose was all cleaned up and the family gathered ‘round the kitchen table for breakfast.
    “Mmmm, these are good pancakes, Ma!”  Jakob said.
    “Thank you... I used Grandma’s old recipe.”  Ma replied.
    “Can you use it all the time?  I like it lots too!” Ellen-Adel requested.
    “We’ll see.”  Ma smiled.
                    *****
    Several months later......
    Back at the Duecks’ old town, rumors were circulating that the Duecks’ old house was for sale.  One certain family had decided to go take a look at the house before purchasing. 
    Arriving at the homestead, the car’s tires crunched over the gravel as they drove up and parked near the front door.
    “All right, childrens, let’s go in!”  The father of the family said as they all piled out.
    As they reached the front door, they suddenly heard something.
    “What is that?”  Asked one of the younger children.   
    “Sounds like music,”  Replied the middle child.
    “Yeah!  It’s Beethoven’s Fifth!”  Piped up the eldest child, who was a freshman in college with a degree in music.  Indeed, coming from somewhere deep within the house were muffled strains of Beethoven’s Fifth. 
    “Is someone already here?”  Came the youngest child’s voice in disappointment.
    “Hmmm.... it rather seems to be that way.”  The father replied.
    “But last we heard it was still for sale!”  The mother protested.
    “Yes, that is true.  Maybe we’ll just have to knock and see if anyone comes to the door.”   And so the family walked up and knocked loudly on the door.  Minutes passed before they decided no one was coming to the door.  Beethoven’s Fifth continued to fill the air around them.
    “Well, let’s go in, see where the music is coming from at least.”  The father said, pushing the door open.  The family made their way into the house, sneezing in the billows of dust that arose as they walked across the carpet.   
    “Well, one things for sure... no one has been living in here for a very long time.”
    “You’re certainly right about that.”  The mother nodded. 
    They made their way through the house towards where they thought the music was coming from.  They came upon a stairway, and as they headed down, a strange smell wafted up to greet them.     
    “What is that?”  Asked the youngest child.
    “I don’t know.... Shall we find out?”  The father looked around at the other members of the family.  The mother shrugged and they continued down the long staircase. 
    At the bottom of the stairs, they turned left and gasped at the sight that met their eyes.
    In a darkened corner of the basement, small explosions of color were erupting all over, and it appeared as though the music was coming from the explosions!  Suddenly, a lab coat clad figure came out from amongst all the color.  The family gasped again.
    “Oh!  I didn’t know anyone was here!”  The character said in surprise, coming over to them.
    “Ah, uh, neither did we,”  The father stammered.
    “Well how do you like it?”  The character asked, wiping his hands on his lab coat and smiling in satisfaction.
    “L-like it?  Like what?”  The mother asked.
    “Why, my music, of course!  I just put on the finishing touches!  Isn’t it just wonderful?”  The scientist(as the family assumed he was) answered.
    “Ah, yes, i-it’s quite.... lovely.”  The mother said uncertainly.
    “Good, good!  I’m so glad my first audience liked it!  Come, see how it works!”
The family reluctantly followed the scientist over.  The scientist then proceeded to show them the procedures of the experiment, that, if I may say so myself, was successful at last.  The scientist introduced himself to the family, and as you have most likely guessed, he introduced himself as Calico, Calico Kidd.
    “You have a pirate name!”  The middle child exclaimed.
    “Yes, that I do.”
    “Why is that?  You’re a scientist, are you not?”
    “You are correct on that matter.  Yes, I am a scientist, or so I like to think of myself.  As to why I have a pirate name, all my ancestors were pirates, and so my parents fittingly named me Calico Kidd.  Some call me Cal the Composer though.” 
    “Oh?  So you’re a composer as well?”  The eldest child inquired.
    “Yes, that is so.” 
    “A scientist and a composer...... interesting combination.”  The mother said with a half-smile.
    “It appears to be a good combination.... and look, he can also be labeled as an inventor!”  The middle child made the observation, pointing to the explosions.
    “This is the neatest thing I have ever seen, I’m sure of it!”  The eldest exclaimed.
    “I think I would agree with that...... and add to it the strangest thing I’ve ever seen!”  The mother chuckled.
    “Well, I’m just glad you all like it!”  Calico grinned.
    “Indeed.  You should bring this out to the public!  I’m sure you could become quite famous!”
    “Hmmm, perhaps.”  Calico said thoughtfully.
                    *****
    A few years later.....
    It was a bright Spring morning, and the Dueck family was in town to buy some more chickens, as the skunks had been getting in and diminishing their chicken population by at least half.
    “Look here, Ma!”  Anni suddenly said, pointing to a poster on the store door.
    “What is it, Anni?”  Ma asked, coming over, with Pa following behind.
    “It says there’s going to be a performance of Beethoven’s Fifth next week!  I didn’t know there were any orchestras around here, did you?”  Anni asked.   
    “No, I didn’t... It says here ‘A different approach to Beethoven’s Fifth..... A surprise awaits!’  I wonder what that means?”
    “I’m not sure, but there is only one way to find out.....”
    “Mmm.... Well, we’ll just have to see if we can make it.”  Pa replied.  Just then the triplets and Arthur came up, their arms loaded with chickens.
    “How’re these, Pa?”  They asked.
    “Ah... they look fine, young’uns.  Maybe you should put them back in the pen until we get home, aye?” 
    “Sure!  We just thought we’d come show them to you, that’s all.”  Lorena-Grace grinned as they turned back around.
    The next week, the Dueck family loaded up into the Excursion and headed towards town.  The concert was going to be a couple miles on the other side of town out on the prairie.  That was also a curiosity that the Dueck’s were pondering.  “A different approach” indeed!  Thought they.  With in no time (or so it seemed in their eager anticipation) they were pulling up into the makeshift driveway in front of the prairie where about a hundred or so chairs were set up.
    They found seats and waited.  Soon, out came a lab coat clad person, carrying a mysterious looking bundle and pulling behind him a cart laden with other mysterious objects.  From the distance and since he was wearing goggles, the Duecks did not recognize him at first.  About ten minutes later, the “stage” was all set up and the program began.  The scientist first did some careful measuring of fluids into an innumerable number of flasks set up in a certain arrangement on a table.  Next he began to stack wood under the table all along it’s length.  Then he spread some sort of special paper over the wood and set a match to it.  The audience gasped.
    “What’s he doing?”  Jakob frowned, meeting the other’s looks of befuddlement.  They were as bewildered as he, with no explanation to be had.
    Then suddenly, without warning, the flasks started exploding and a melody began to be heard.     
    “Hey!  That’s........ That’s Beethoven’s Fifth!”  Anni exclaimed.
    “Indeed it is!”  Ma replied in surprise.
    “And what do you know!  That's Calico!”  Jakob made the announcement.
    “You’re right, it is!”  Came the startled gasps of his family members.
    Then Calico surprised them by leaving the “stage” and coming towards them.
    “Do you suppose he recognizes us?”  Ellen-Adel asked.
    “Could be,”  Pa said as Calico walked up to them.
    “Why, hello, Duecks!”  Calico said, grinning.
    “So you do know who we are!”  Ellen-Adel exclaimed.
    “Of course I do!  I dare say, Mrs. Dueck, your idea was the start of a wonderful inspiration!”
    “My idea?  Which idea are you speaking of, Calico?”  Ma wondered.
    “Why, the idea of Beethoven’s Fifth, of course!  The last time I saw ya’ll you said ‘Maybe next time you’ll have Beethoven’s Fifth mastered’!”  Calico responded.
    “Well, it seems you have done just that!  Congratulations, Calico, this is simply splendid!”  Ma smiled.
    “I’m certainly glad you like it, ma’am.”  Calico expressed.
   
    “I’m sure this is the most creative way I’ve ever heard Beethoven’s Fifth being played!”
    And the “curtain drops” with strains of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony fading into the night air.    
                    THE END!