This rendition is one of the 22 masterpieces of Mumbiram’s “Book Readers – Love on Gutenberg Galaxy” ensemble.

“Each one of these charcoal renderings brings out a new meaning and a different magic to the contribution of books to our civilization. The elegant simple lines of the artist conjure a variety of emotional, and romantic situations that we all are familiar with. Far from being redundant, the titles along with the paintings lead one to noble heights of self-realization that summon ecstatic memories and déjà vus.” (from “Book Readers – Love on Gutenberg Galaxy”)

Surely books can give to the reader a whole new perspective on life, as if out of thin air, as if listening to a distant drummer. It leads one to one’s own unique path, no matter what others might think.

Here we are reminded of Thoreau’s iconic quote :

“If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is
because he hears a different drummer.
Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away.
It is not important that he should mature as soon as an apple-tree or
an oak. Shall he turn his spring into summer?”

― Henry David Thoreau, “Walden”

Mumbiram invariably gives a romantic spin even to such iconic ideas:
Here we see this admirer of this drummer, snuggled as close to him as she can get. His drum and her book are between them. These are not keeping them apart, these are connecting them.

They are not looking at each other. But look at the state of their clothing. Between the two of them we see only a turban and three necklaces. They are obviously on great familiar terms with each other. Surely, the beat of his drum and the melody of her words are intimately intertwined.

He wears a faint smile of happy association. She looks overwhelmed by shyness and modesty.
She has the aura of some far away land of mythical origin. Her body below the waist resembles that of a mermaid. His drum is going to inspire her words and even broadcast them at large.

Someone suggested another guesswork: “She has followed the sound from a distance and arrived at ‘her’ Distant Drummer. Humbly looking down, she seems not to have grasped her good fortune quite yet. He is patiently giving her all the time she needs. Their bodies are making a harmonious composition, even his drum and her book are made part of it”.

Same difference !