In the Beginning

How the Victors Story Began

Just as with everything, there is always a beginning. The Victors story started as a standalone novel that, due to greater implications, blossomed into a touring musical covering various aspects of the characters’ hopes and dreams. There came a greater understanding of how a combined effort—a war on two fronts, if you will—could tell this story on a higher level and reach more people. And more possibilities are on the horizon.

Victors begins with the humble origins of its protagonist, David Pierce. Before he became a star jazz musician and World War-winning soldier, he was a scared 15-year --old returning to New Orleans, the cradle of jazz. Abandoned by his piano-playing father, Nathan, who was a heroin addict, David was scrambling to take care of his ailing mother. David was doing anything he can, including illegal things,

with his brother, Phil.

David was in New Orleans to ask his father for help, reminding Nathan that he had abandoned the family in New York. To his dismay, Nathan is deep in his addiction and unwilling to help. The final insult happens when Nathan tells David to sell his cornet—the only thing of value he owns and cherishes—to save his mother.

This scene begins the novel, and sets David on his journey. I chose New Orleans as the beginning as it is the most natural place to begin a jazz story. This background runs as the undercurrent to the novel.

Here is the first part of the Prologue:

New Orleans, 1908

David Pierce waited patiently with his father’s living corpse. Seated on a dingy couch in the parlor of the family home, he fiddled with the sleeve of his not-so-Sunday-best suit loaned to him by his cousin. The late morning heat stirred the ancient dust in the room, threatening to choke him.

“Forty days ’til the Resurrection,” Nathan said through clenched teeth.

David looked at the floor. He was afraid of what he’d see otherwise.

“Yessir.”

Across the parlor, Nathan watched his son out of one droopy eye. Only a blackened shell remained of one of the city’s greatest piano players. Heroin coursed through his veins now, bypassing his shriveled heart altogether.

Despite his fear, David couldn’t help but hear the song he’d heard on his way to Mass that morning. An old man who lived down the street from his aunt was whistling it as he exited his front yard gate, fishing pole and bucket in his hand. As David walked past, the man smiled as if to say, “Ha, Sucker, you gotta go to church and I get to go fishing.” The tune was something David didn’t recognize, but his 15-year-old mind knew it was old, something from the early times of the city. He couldn’t wait to try it out on his cornet.

“Boy, I said, will you be ready?"

David jumped at his father’s voice then recoiled as Nathan suddenly leapt from his chair and charged at him. Nathan’s large hand suddenly grabbed the top of David’s head and swiped down across his face.

“Look at you. Got the cross burned onto you!”

Enjoy the rest of the Prologue in my next post.