When The Sax Man Plays: Part 5 - The Prequel: When The Sax Man Plays, #5

By Yvonne Marrs

The prequel to this popular fictional series introduces a teenage Jason Bottelli as a musician following his heart to discover his destiny.

Jason finds solace in his magical saxophone, little knowing what a journey his new passion will take him on. His immense talent wins him a London University scholarship, where he is determined to carve out a career for himself, at all costs.

Discover what happens in the fifth and final book in the "When The Sax Man Plays" series.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WTSMP Publications
• Release date: Feb 10, 2013
• ISBN: 9798201428891

Yvonne Marrs

Invernesian Yvonne Marrs (1982-present day) has loved writing for as long as she can remember, moving to the London area at the age of 19 to pursue her dream of becoming a published author. Yvonne graduated from UHI (Inverness College) with an HND in Administration and Information Management, a set of skills she puts to good use to organise herself and her work - especially as she has her own publishing company, WTSMP Publications. Currently Yvonne has published several fictional series - the 'When The Sax Man Plays' series, the 'Football Crazy' series, the 'Aiden Lewis octet', 'Can't Buy Health' series and 'Undeserved'. Yvonne dreamt up the idea that formed the "When The Sax Man Plays" (WTSMP) series after falling in love with saxophone music, and being inspired by Leona Lewis' dream X Factor win. To throw an ordinary person in an ordinary job, with an extraordinary talent into superstardom is the story behind WTSMP. The central character, Jason Bottelli is such a person, although we soon discover he is far from ordinary! If you like your fiction easy going, entertaining, enthralling and heart-warming, you'll fall in love with the musical romance that is the WTSMP series. The ever popular "Football Crazy" series follows our central character, Aiden Lewis, as he rises through the football ranks. From club player to International sensation; through to his management career, leading England into the World Cup and then his brother's local team, the London Giants, from nowhere into the Premiership as the series progresses. Aiden's story continues with the 'Aiden Lewis octet', finishing with 'Undeserved'. There are standalone books as well as those in a series: 'Castiliano Vulgo' - a fictional work on 16th Century London life written using both Elizabethan English and Modern English. 'Inexorable' - a murder erotica written as part of the NaNoWriMo challenge in 2016. 'Putting the Visible into So Called Invisible Illnesses' - a work of 50 poems about living with invisible illnesses, as Yvonne does. 'Harbourtown Murder' - a murder mystery set in fictional Cornwall where a stray cat is the only witness.

Book preview

Chapter 1

All along, Jason had known there was a secret in the family. He looked neither like his mother, Violet, nor his father, Victor. Neither did he look anything like his brother, Christopher. It wasn’t a sense of wrongness, somehow - more a case of a story everyone except him knew.

The Bottellis were not British: they’d moved to this part of Kent from their beloved Italy when he was four years old, and Christopher had just turned seven. His early memories were hazy, but of Italian origin, definitely. They hadn’t understood, neither his brother nor himself, why they had to move - and why Kent had been chosen as their new home.

His mother had said that they had family here, yet in the seven years that they had been on British soil, they’d never seen an aunt, uncle or cousin: even at Christmas, no cards ever arrived from family members.

Their background was never brought up in conversation. All Italian influences were banished, except for one photo album he knew his mother kept in the top drawer of her dressing table.

Every new school year brought new students, and Jason always studied them. The brothers, and even the sisters, all held a semblance of relation - the same nose, the same clashing tastes in holidays, music and film star crushes. It was always the paler, Scottish students that Jason thought he most resembled - a few English boys had his colouring, but not many.

One day, his brother snapped. They were walking home from school, and Jason was knowingly winding his brother up (as brothers do!): the words were out of Christopher’s mouth before he could stop them.

You’re not my real brother, you’re adopted, so shut up!

Jason could still remember the pain that had consumed him. It made sense: Christopher would not lie, and from his expression after letting the truth spill, he had been warned to never repeat the information. The rest of the journey home had seen Jason’s head spin, his brother begging him to say nothing to their parents.

But they aren’t my parents. The thought was on repeat in his mind. They aren’t my parents!

So where are my parents? Something must have happened, to make them give him up and the Bottellis take him in.

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Months passed, he supposed it was months, most days were a blur - they got up, they ate, they went to school, they came home, they ate, they did homework, they went to bed. His father still nagged him, but this no longer mattered in the same way it always had before.

He isn’t my real father, Jason whispered to himself whenever Victor turned on them.

Thinking back, he and Christopher had a very strict upbringing; they had very little say in whatever the family’s plans were. They would do it Victor’s way, or they wouldn’t do it at all.

Sometimes he would catch his mother’s expression, it was as if she wanted to say something... but she didn’t. He shook his head. She wasn’t his mother. That was the worst fact of all.

Violet was a loving, caring and supportive mother - the sort of mother everyone should have. No matter how big or small your problem, she would fix it for you; she always knew what to say and what to do, calming arguments between the boys with minimum fuss and maximum compromise.

He just couldn’t get his head around it - if Violet wasn’t his mother, why did she act like she was? Why did she care for him in the same manner that she cared for Christopher?

The family secret, now it was out, was bigger than he’d ever thought. Millions of questions buzzed around in his head, all unanswered. He was twelve years old, far too young to be dealing with life’s puzzles. This had been the start of Jason losing his way.

Violet had seen this coming from day one, and had wanted all the way to be honest with the boy, but Victor had put his foot down - literally. He didn’t need to know; it meant nothing; it was not important; it was to be forgotten and never spoken about. Victor’s forceful words echoed in her mind.

Young Christopher had been frightened to overhear his parents’ conversation, caught off-guard when his father flung the door open and found him listening. The hiding Christopher had received had ensured his silence, until that fateful afternoon.

It would happen, sooner or later. Violet had pleaded his case. The boy should know his background, he needs to know who he is, we should help him...

She was cut off with one abrupt look from her husband.

Jason’s grades suffered with his lack of interest, as was natural. His teachers all noticed it, and all commented at that term’s Parents’ Evening.

He would talk to nobody, drift into classes and drift out again; as if locked in his own world, removed from reality. He had been in the top third of every class; despite Victor’s threats, the heartbreaking downward spiral continued.

The punishment of being banished to his room worked in Jason’s favour. His attention turned to Violet’s old record player that had sat dusty and unused for years in the corner. Within seconds, he’d located the records, carefully picking up the player and lifting it down onto a lower shelf.

After much horrendous scratching, he finally got a decent sound - but the record was too slow for his liking. He stopped it and went through the collection until he found something that he liked the look of - a jazz group.

His mother, being extra kind to him, distracted Victor from Jason’s new-found interest, knowing he would wreck that too for the poor boy. Often she would pause by the door and listen, the music bringing back her own memories.

Entering the room one afternoon, she asked him if they had music classes at school? The thought had never occurred to Jason - and what a thought it was! She urged him to find out, delighting in the excitement filling his face. One look between them made this their secret - a secret he was much happier to keep!

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Christopher and Jason always completed the household chores with their mother; while their father dozed in the chair, drank his gin, read his paper or dealt with his correspondence - requesting peace in all four instances.

It didn’t take long for the boys to realise when their father was settling down to one or more of these ‘activities’ - they soon disappeared. Violet always saved the worst jobs for her hands; dealing out the mediocre tasks between them.

This particular Sunday afternoon, Christopher was complaining he always had to take the rubbish out and sweep the path - Jason saw his chance to relay to Violet the information he had found out at school.

Offering his brother a ‘swap’, Christopher whooped with glee, snatched the feather duster from Jason’s grip and made a hasty exit before he could change his mind. Now left in peace, the two smiled at each other. Jason could hear Victor’s snores and was satisfied that they would not be disturbed.

This was how Sunday afternoons always were. Christopher complained no matter what his chore; his father snored his way through whatever ‘important job’ he was meant to be doing; and he and Violet quietly got on with the tasks in hand.

Lowering herself onto the kneeler outside the back door, Jason knew this was his cue. Who knew how long they had alone? He cut straight to the chase. They were pleased at school that he was showing an interest in something, and gave him the permission slip for his parents’ signature.

Violet knew of the timetabling changes for the boys once they were thirteen. They were given choices - Victor, as usual, made all of them. Years ago, he had decided Christopher would become a doctor - she recalled when they adopted Jason that he continued the idea, bustling with pride at the thought of having two doctors in the family.

This was not going to sit well with Victor, she knew. The look on Jason’s face gave her the courage to say she would talk to him about the Arts timetable. Jason’s naivety of youth convinced him that she would fight his corner - and win.

That evening, as Jason lay in bed, entertaining the thought of being able to play an instrument - the guitar? the piano? the drums? - his bedroom door was thrown open as Victor stormed into the room, snapping on the light.

Temporarily blinded, Jason followed the sound of footsteps coming nearer the bed; a grunt as Victor lifted the record player and the most horrendous smash as it met its end. An hour long lecture followed, leaving him in no doubt that the Arts timetable was as far out of his reach as the moon.

Chapter 2

Christopher was heavily involved in after-school clubs - one every day. Jason looked at him bemused, until he explained the more time they spent at school, the less time they had at home.

Walking home that afternoon, Jason mulled over his brother’s reasoning. It was a good idea, if you could stand school. It seemed Violet was on the same wavelength that evening as they settled to their evening chores - her to the ironing, the boys to their homework - she always asked Christopher how his ‘extracurricular’ activities had been, sharing with him a knowing wink.

Jason had been shocked to find his mother actually agreed with this idea - the wink had proved it - and was further shocked when she asked him if he would be taking any?

Interrupting then, as he often did when not asleep under the newspaper, Victor roared across the room that ‘he’d better.’ The three shared a look, their backs safely turned to Victor as he again fell asleep.

Giving him a knowing look, Violet suggested aloud that he should investigate the timetable to find something worthwhile. Victor snorted, and none of the three could tell if he truly was asleep...

Maths, advanced.

Jason gulped as Victor leant across the table the following night to find out which extracurricular activities he had signed up for that day.

And?

Panic stricken,