Humming, back to the world, headphones on, sits a girl with tousled blonde hair. Her hum has a happiness; there's something carefree about the notes as they fall into the salty air about her. She leans on her hands, fingers splayed starfish on the shifting sand. Ian pauses, no intention of disturbing her, soaking in the sound. A full minute passes before he takes another step, before he realizes why the casual music entranced him so. It is the melody Casey used to hum all those years ago in their single room apartment...
Humming should be a soothing sound, dulcet tones creating a wordless melody, something to help you drift away to a reassuring Neverland. That isn't how it goes with Brian though, he hums like his nose is air-lock controlled and when he does breathe it makes a high pitched whine for half a second or so. Somehow when we ask for him to stop he takes it as a weird back-handed compliment and doubles down on his "musical" effort. The only time he fails to hum is when he's melancholy, so we have the choice of bumming him out on purpose or being driven crazy.
When Lacy hums it's more beautiful than softest of singers. Her gentle humming fills the kitchen, always the church hymns that inspire her the most. One day she'll be all grown, one day she'll leave to start her adult life, and the soft melodies will float out of the door with her. From now until then I will savour each note, for they make me feel at home like nothing else can.
There was a peevishness to Hilary's hum, something angry in the chorus where it should have had more light and life. Her humming like that was never a good sign. It meant a fight, or an attempt at one. She had enough anger in her to raise the roof and it was Sophie's job to make sure she didn't get the opportunity. Placating Hilary was never fun, but the consequences of failing to were worse.
There's humming and then there's what Gerrard does. With ear buds in he starts snorting with, "mmmm's" and "oooh's." Then he gets sidetracked with the bike he's fixing and all goes quiet, but not for long, he's just on pause. Full volume resumes shortly with the occasional "yeah, baby" thrown in for good measure.
Lila leans forwards, her warm breath in my ear, then she hums the song we used to do for karaoke in high-school. My lips, the ones that really didn't want to smile tonight, creep into a grin. She keeps on humming until I take her in a bear hug and kiss her. I swear this girl is an expert on keeping my heart beating, without her I'm sure it would simply stop.
Before I'm really awake a hum saunters into my dream, the gentle tones of my father. The humming grows louder until finally my brain figures out the tune. It's "here comes the bride" and all at once I recall what day it is. My eyes fly open, wide open, and there is Papa wearing a schoolboy grin.
From the crowd comes a humming sound, yet there is nothing musical about it. It is more an angry drone of dissent. The guards shift uneasily in the uniform that was never made with this summer heatwave in mind. Still the humming grows. Miranda takes Fiona's hand and edges her toward the alley by the bakers. Even this mild form of disobedience won't end well, it never does.