Modern art was something she wanted to appreciate more but had often struggled to. Her tastes were generally classical in music, literature and art but she was impressed by the scale of some of the canvasses on display in the main gallery...even if she couldn't understand much of the subject matter.
She was taken aback by what she found on the 3rd floor...a music room complete with a grand piano. Julia loved playing the piano and as well as classical pieces, recently she'd been learning some modern, progressive jazz. If she made a concession to popular culture, it was an appreciation for jazz. She sat down at the piano, and with no one around to bother her, she let rip with a piece she'd just learned.
"Here...you can't just play that in here, lady!" said a voice from behind her. She turned and saw it was an older gentleman who was pointing an accusatory finger at her.
"And why ever not?" replied an indignant Julia.
"Because Roy Reece and his Ragtime Rascals practice here every Sunday, that's what!"
"And who is Roy Reece?" Julia asked, getting bothered by this man's tone.
"I'M Roy Reece! And here are my Ragtime Rascals band" he said, pointing to a group of older people who had entered the room and were now taking up the various instruments lying around the room.
"Well how was I to know this was your special practice time?" said Julia, standing up and offering the piano to Mr Reece.
"It's tradition. We're always here. You young people don't know what it's all about these days...I fought in two foreign wars for you!"
"I don't think I had much to say in either matter" said Julia, indignantly, as she left.
As she wandered through the galleries she was approached by someone who looked familiar to her.
"Pranksters dolis ludere vestri usque in sempiternum" said the familiar lady.
"iocus est ne vincat nec divinos" replied Julia, recognising the greeting. "I see you're a Prankster too" she said.
"My husband is but I remember seeing you at some of the Prankster Lodge meetings" said the lady. "I'm Nancy Landgraab"
"Of course, Geoffrey's wife" said Julia, finally recognising her.
"It's good to see young people joining the Dishonourable Company of Pranksters; you know we can do wonders for people's careers...especially those who are just starting out" said Nancy.
"I sometimes think I need a little help getting through to my boss" Julia joked. Nancy's face was serious.
"Oh I'm sure we can pull some strings in that direction" she said, with a mischievous smile.
Nancy Landgraab said her goodbyes and Julia was left to wonder just how a fellow Prankster could influence the Sim City Hospital Chief Surgeon but she didn't have time to ponder the matter before when someone called to her.
"Sandor 21, repeat" said a man, looking straight at her.
"What?" said Julia.
"Sandor 21...repeat the phrase. Then we can proceed to the next level"
"Sandor 21?" said a puzzled Julia.
"Sandor 21, confirmed. Next level, Sandor 22...repeat"
"Wait, what?"
"Do you not understand your instructions?" said the man.
"I have no idea what you're talking about" said Julia.
"Oh...wait....sorry, wrong person" and with that the man left the gallery leaving Julia confused.
Julia decided that the gallery was host to too many odd people today so she decided to leave. Stuck for an idea she browsed the notice boards in the main food and market quarter until she saw a sign for free entry at the Narwhal Arms. "Oh what the heck...I should get with the zeitgeist once in a while" she thought to herself.
"So this song is interesting...a syncopated beat with judicious use of a Hammond B3 organ, I think" she said to the man dancing next to her.
"Yeah, whatever" he replied.
"I must make an effort to learn some of these dance moves" she said, but the man wasn't listening. As she did more of an indifferent bop she recognised one of the dancers...Candy Behr, sister of her patient Yuki Behr.
"Excuse me, is your sister here tonight?" asked Julia. "I know her a little"
"No...she's at home. This place is strictly over 21s" replied Candy.
"And is she doing well? The last time I saw her she was a bit upset about things in general...I wondered how she was doing?"
"She mopes a bit...who are you?"
"Oh, I'm Julia Epstein. You can ask her about me...I helped her out recently. Listen, give her my regards when you see her"
"Sure...look, I'd like to get back to the dance floor if that's OK" said Candy.
Julia sighed. She didn't seem to care about her kid sister all that much. The music was too loud and Julia felt she should leave. She made ehr way to a cafe and flopped down in a chair to have a coffee. Soon she was joined by a man she didn't recognise.
"Oh no...look...I'm not interested in dancing right now, I don't want to move along for some Ragtime Jazz band, I have no idea what Sandor 21 means and I don't want to start a joke war either" she said, sighing.
"Actually there's no available seats here except this one and I was just going to ask if I could sit here....you look like it's been a frustrating day for you"
Julia laughed "I'm sorry...too much randomness in one day for my tastes" she said, offering the seat to the man.
"My name's Beau"
"Julia"
"I'm not going to ask you what any of that stuff you said means but if it were me that had to deal with all that I think I'd want to run away from it all" he joked.
"Sometimes I feel like the world is just that little bit crazy...not in a scary, cataclysmic way but just offbeat and oddball"
"If you ask me it's all this drop out culture" he said.
"Exactly! You would think people would be grateful for all the good things we have right now...instead they just fill their heads with pop art, pop music, weird buzzwords..."
"...popping strange pills"
"That too. Why can't people just have a nice cup of coffee and a chat?"
"My thoughts exactly" said Beau. "Look, it gets crazy these days and I don't pretend to understand the youth of today compared with what I was like 10 years ago and I think all it takes is for someone to say 'no, slow down everyone'"
"I like the way you think, Beau" she said, raising her glass to him.
