A Fine Tune-Up

Morning needed some care before stepping out. I laid a piece of dry yellow flannel across the mahogany coffee table, right beside an amber bottle of valve oil. My fingers worked the tiny pivot screws on the saxophone, checking the tension of each rod. One spring was stiff. I dipped a round wooden toothpick into a single droplet of mineral lubricant, letting it settle into the key cup hinge. Tested the action with a soft tap. Crisp, silent bounce. Just right.