The Lament of the Tortured Soul

By
Jay

Authors Note: This story is completely fiction. It is not based in anyway on actual events. Any resemblence the characters have to any living person is completely accidential. Saying that though many of the characters share traits with one person (it was completely unintentional) who unfortunately left us at the end of January 2002. Shadow as he was known to the people he called friend, the people who loved him and the people he left behind miss him greatly.

This story is dedicated to him. Rest easy my love we’ll be together again soon.

Chapter 8

The next morning Robby woke feeling very good. He was 18 years old and had just spent the best night of his life with the man he loved. The only thing that would have made it better would have been to wake up next to him but he could hear noises from downstairs so he guessed that he wasn’t supposed to wake up quite yet and Eric was making him breakfast in bed which judging by the noise was quite a production.

Letting his body relax he drifted back to sleep only to be rudely awakened by two boys yelling “Wake Up!” as they jumped on top of him. He opened his eyes to see the grinning faces of Nick and Josh staring back at him.

“Happy Birthday Robby.” The said together.

“You could at least let me sleep in on my birthday.” Robby groaned but was secretly glad to be woken this way as long as it was only on his birthday.

“Can’t do that,” said another voice in the room that Robby recognized as Jason’s, “There is a lot to do today.” Robby looked past Nick and Josh to see the room full of people, there were the three other members of the band, Jason, Dylan and Tommy, John and Blake, his mom and Eric holding a present. He was pleased that all the people he loved were there with him that morning; he just wished he wasn’t quite so naked under the covers.

“This is for you love.” Eric said handing him the present. It was a small box wrapped in gold paper. The paper was quickly discarded and inside the box was a pendant that looked to be made of bone attached to a thin leather necklace. The pendant was in the shape of a fishing hook except the bottom part curled in on itself into a spiral.

“I got it when I was in New Zealand a few years ago.” Eric explained, “This is the hook of Maui. As the Maori legend goes Maui was the son of the sky father and earth mother and was fishing one day off the top of the South Island. He hooked a great whale and fought with the huge beast for some time. When he finally won it rose to the surface and became the North Island of Aotearoa, that’s the Maori word for New Zealand; it means Land of the long white cloud. The way the pendant is shaped means a new life.” He took the pendant from the box and placed it around Robby’s neck giving him a kiss as he did.

“Our present is a little different.” Nick announced excitedly.

“How different?” Robby asked sounding a little nervous. Dylan handed him another present this time wrapped in silver paper. After opening it Robby was confused. It was a pen and a printed list of all of the band’s songs.

“It’s so you can decide on the play list for tonight.” Dylan explained. Robby looked about still with a very confused look on his face.

“We got you an audience.” Nick said unable to keep it in any longer. He was bouncing up and down on the bed as he said it making the other occupants feel a little seasick.

It was Robby’s Mom who came to his rescue and explained everything. “The block party today isn’t exactly what it seems. Its really a birthday party that the whole neighborhood has decided to participate in and instead of having Happy the Cowboy Clown as the entertainment you’re it.”

John started to laugh. Happy the Cowboy Clown had been the entrainment at almost the most disastrous birthday party Robby had ever had. The only one worst was the birthday after he and John had their fight when nobody turned up.

“Happy the Cowboy Clown that was your 9th birthday wasn’t it?” Robby just gave him a dirty look, “Hey, I though he was cool.”

“A gig?” Robby said staring at the play list in his hand, “I don’t believe you guys got me a gig.”

“We’ll leave you to …ah … get ready.” Tommy said giving Robby a wink that made both Robby and Eric blush.

“Band meeting at the Burger Barn at 11:30.” Dylan said as the left the room leaving Robby and Eric alone to enjoy the first morning of his 18th year.

Chapter 9

Nick and Josh were wandering down the street towards John’s place. They were trying to walk off some of what had turned out to be a rolling feast ever since they had arrived at the party some hours earlier.

There were people everywhere, most either in pockets surrounding barbeque’s and picnic tables or wandering between them. Some would give Nick and Josh a strange look but all waved at them and were friendly. Neither Josh nor Nick realized that they were holding hands.

From further down the street they noticed a blur rushing towards them. The blur practically skidded to a halt just before them and they saw it wasn’t a blur but a boy of around 7 years old his face covered in chocolate.

“Have you been down to Mrs. Watts place yet? It’s the best can’t wait for Halloween Wee!” He said without taking a breath and tore off down the street.

“I pity that kids parents.” Josh said giggling, “He’s going to be on a sugar high for a month.”

“Do you think his grandparent would like to look after him for the next month?” Said a guy wearing a chief’s had and an apron proclaiming him to be the worlds greatest cook who was chasing his son without much success. Nick and Josh just looked at each other laughed and headed towards Mrs. Watts for their own sugar fix.

A few hours later they were sitting in a deck chair in front of Robby’s house when a girl of around 9 came up to them.

“Are you two boy friends or something?” She asked casting an eye back to a group of giggling girls a few feet away.

“Well we are boys,” Josh said without skipping a beat, “and friends so I guess that make us boy friends. Don’t you have girl friends?” The girl eyed them for a few moments before turning and with her hands on her hips stormed off to her friends stating as if it was the most logical thing in the world

“They are friends and boys of course they are boy friends.”

“If only she really knew.” Nick whispered in Josh’s ear.

A few moments later Robby emerged from the house flanked by the rest of the band.

“Guess its time.” He said nervously.

A fairly large crowd had gathered around the stage as Blake took the stage a microphone in his hand.

“OK everyone we know why we are all here. I present to you Mystic Blue, Dylan, Tommy, Jason and the man of the moment, the birthday boy Robby.” As soon as Robby took the stage the crowd bust out into a spontaneous round of happy birthday. Robby just bowed and started to play their first song.

The crowd hushed as Robby came to the microphone “After our first song I thought that I could not get a better birthday present ever but … and I think I speak for the rest of the band here, this has become so much more. If all of this ends up being the pinnacle for this band then that would be enough.” Robby’s voice started to crack and he stepped back from the mic to find the rest of the band there. They each gave Robby a hug and said something to him for him alone. Robby stepped back up to the mic and again the crowd which had just minutes before gone nuts hushed. “To everyone who helped put today together thank you. Thank you for making this day from start to finish almost perfect.” He looked directly at Eric and they spoke without words. Eric nodded and Robby continued. “However, there is something missing. There is one person who should be up on stage with us. Ever since he came into our lives he has become the heart of the band. Just with his presence he has challenged us to take our music to a whole new level. Nick get you butt up here, its time for you to play.” Nick had hidden behind John, Blake and Josh when Robby started the second part of his speech. Nick thought it would have been John or Blake but it was Josh who gave him the push guiding him toward the stage. He probably would have fought it if Josh hadn’t whispered in his ear “I love you.”

Millie Watts was standing next her son Eddy. She had never been more proud of him. He had just finished a cellphone conversation with his boss at the record company where he worked in which he had told his boss and mentor that if he did not sign this band he would not only resign and take the band to a competitor but inform the board of his irresponsibility. After his initial reluctance Eddy’s boss had told Eddy that if he felt that strongly that he better not come back to work without a signed contract.

Eddy put his arm around his mother thanking her for threatening to disown him if he didn’t come home for the party as Nick took the stage taking the guitar that Dylan held out for him. He started to play and Eddy was impressed. He started to sing and the drink that Eddy was holding hit the ground.

Where Dylan commanded the stage by his presence daring the audience to look away Nick commanded it by its heart, his soulful voice taking the crowd on a journey from love through pain and back again. Even though the crowd was clearly captivated by Nick’s performance it was clear that to Nick the crowd was only one person, Josh.

Up on stage Nick let the music take him. He had never performed in front of anyone before and was enjoying the experience. His third song was a love song, a love song for Josh. As he sang his eyes locked on Josh and the rest of the world disappeared. He sang to Josh letting his voice rise he sang with all of his being to the one person who made him truly happy.

The song was nearly over. Nick couldn’t stand it any longer. Letting the band finish the song he put down his guitar and jumped from the stage straight in to Josh’s arms. They kissed sealing their love and their fate.

Big thanks to Oldie for proof reading this story.

Any comments welcome though if you have a flame please keep it to youself as this story is of a personel nature jaysm42@dragonslore.com