Trumpet

The narrator tells the story of Big Red McCall, the drummer who played with Joss for the last 10 years and became his best friend. He became Joss’s protector, threatening anyone who criticized him. Big Red remains unconcerned about the controversy over Joss’s gender. Instead, he grieves, because their musical partnership is over.

Sophie calls Big Red, trying to draw out his response to learning about Joss’s assigned gender. Big Red instead states that the only important thing is music and, if people focus on Joss’s secret, they will lose out on his art. He tells Sophie that he will not participate in her research. When he hangs up, he starts to sob for the first time in years.

Millie receives a third letter from Sophie. It states that she and Colman are going to Glasgow to write their book and want her to cooperate with them. She becomes incensed, and wonders who else might cooperate with them. She cannot believe Colman would associate with someone like Sophie. Millie thinks of Colman as someone who vacillates between worthiness and uselessness. On occasion, she’d slapped him during his adolescence because of his attitude—only to immediately regret it.

Millie knows that some people will cooperate with Sophie because she is offering money. She thinks of the publicity Joss received during his career. Now, she knows Joss and her life will become fiction because all the reporting will be inaccurate. Millie mourns the fact that the controversy will stop Joss from resting in peace.

This two-page chapter is a sampling of letters from various people with different views of the significance of Joss’s death. People in Joss’s band rally to his defense; some fans say the controversy is an intrusion, and that Joss’s music should be the only thing to focus on. Joss’s record company plans to release a four-album set and, going forward, will refer to Joss as both a man and a woman. A “transvestite” group asks for a deeper understanding of the issues Joss faced.

Colman opens up to Sophie more and more. He hints that he may stop talking and, if he does, there will be no book. He also admits to upsetting his father on purpose; he often misbehaved and destroyed his family’s property to get reactions from his parents, particularly his father. Colman describes the prejudice he’s encountered from police as a Black man. He didn’t apply himself in school, saying “My father couldn’t cope with me becoming a man. Couldn’t handle it” (163). He discusses a particularly bad time, when his father was struggling in his career and felt frustrated by his disrespect.

When Colman grew old enough to leave home, his relationship with his father began to mellow. Just before his father died, they had a fairly civil relationship. As a child, Colman liked being Joss Moody’s son because people revered Joss. Joss wanted Colman to develop his own talent so he would have a passion to follow.

On one occasion, Colman decided to ask his father about sex. They talked about Joss’s sex life with Millie, and in the present, Colman reflects on the things his father couldn’t do because he was born with female characteristics.

The narrative cuts to Sophie, who describes Colman making a pass at her based on the color of her eyes. She thinks that, if she gets him drunk more often, he will reveal more details about his early life. She relishes the fact that she lives in an age of gossip and people enjoying gossip. According to Sophie, Joss’s tale is the epitome of a “lesbian story” that will hook people’s interest. She believes writing in Colman’s voice will make her wealthy.

The narrator introduces Maggie, who worked as the cleaning lady for the Moodys for two years. She initially had no idea who Joss Moody was, but quickly came to adore the family because they treated her well and helped her with her problems. Millie showed her the ornaments they had gathered from around the world, and Joss gave her some of his exclusive recordings, about which she would brag to others. When she quit, they gave her a trip overseas.

When Joss died, Maggie’s neighbor called to ask if she had seen the paper and if she had known Joss was assigned female at birth. Sophie tracked down Maggie and persuaded her to give a paid interview. In the present, Sophie asks Maggie if she ever thought there was anything unusual about Joss, something to suggest his assigned gender. Maggie reveals that she saw a letter Joss had written to his mother, signed “Josephine.” Satisfied, Sophie leaves 500 pounds (about 600 dollars) on Maggie’s table.

Colman describes the flat his father helped him buy that he can no longer afford, which is in disrepair. He thinks the 60,000 pounds advance he will receive when he and Sophie complete their book will help him move to another home, somewhere away from London. He wants to go to another country where no one has heard of him. Colman thinks, “There are two Coleman Moodys in the mirror: the boy with the glasses from the past; and the man now” (181).

Colman reflects on his life as he makes his way to the tube (the London subway). There are many unhoused people in the tube. As Colman pulls out his billfold to look for his train tickets, he realizes a man who asked for help thinks he is going to give him money. Colman decides to give him 5 pounds. He takes the tube to the train station, thinking about what a tough place London has become. He looks forward to traveling to Glasgow, where he came from. Colman thinks about his life 25 years ago, when he and his parents lived in Scotland. He reflects on Black people and the music that arose from their history, often filled with pain and poverty. His father believed if one wants to understand history, they have to understand the slave music that arose from it.

Colman wonders what he must do for Sophie to fulfill his part of the book. He knows he must meet his father’s mother, but does not want to do more than this. He carries his father’s letter, which Joss said not to read until his death. Colman still hasn’t opened the letter, and has persuaded Sophie that he has forgotten where it is. He thinks about a conversation with his friend Sammy, who told him not to do anything he would regret five years from now.

Millie describes the joy she felt with Joss on Sunday mornings when he was not traveling with the band; they would wake and make love. An excellent cook, Joss would prepare brunch. Though there were times when Colman would act up and Millie sent him to his room, Joss would always bring him back to the table.

Millie describes the process of Joss’s death. Both of them knew he was dying. For the first time, he delved into his childhood as Josephine. Joss asked if he could have a particular kind of pudding—ambrosia creamed rice. Millie made it and gave him a few bites, which was the last thing he ate. He asked her to ensure his bandages remained around his chest. She began to understand there were two Josses present—the dying man in the bed and the disembodied spirit, waiting for the body’s life to cease. It was in this moment that Millie rose and gave Joss her blessing to go. She patted his hand and went to the restroom. When she came back, Joss was dead. Millie sat for a long time, knowing that the spiritual Joss was still in the room with her. She said she had to make phone calls, beginning with Colman. When Colman arrived, he was efficient and helpful. However, he did not want to see his father’s body. Millie later watched people take Joss’s body away.

In the present, Millie still can’t wrap her mind around being a widow:

I managed to love my husband from the moment I clapped eyes on him till the moment he died. I managed to desire him all of our married life. I managed to respect and love his music. I managed to always like the way he ate his food. I managed to be faithful, to never be interested in another man (206).

Millie recognizes this is the fifth Sunday she has been without Joss. She makes herself brunch and decides she is ready to face Colman and Sophie and anybody else—to deal with what she must.

This chapter is a 1-page listing of 14 faux albums starting in 1958 and ending in 1994. At the bottom is the notation: “Joss Moody, trumpet player, born 1927; died 27 July 1997” (208).