Billie's Inspiration
At Peace
He’d always love her and even though he’d cheated on her for some reason and he couldn’t work out why he had done it, for some reason it was as though he hadn’t cheated at all even though he knew he had. Weird.
Over the next few days he was caught up in so much with the kids and Adrienne he hardly had time to show anyone his songs, then one evening, after they’d all gone to bed he got his folder out with all his work, just to have one more read through before he met up with the guys the next day.
At the bottom of one of the pages he saw some writing. It was at the bottom of the song he’d entitled ‘Boulevard of Broken Dreams’ and he hadn’t seen it there before.
So he read it to himself:
Thank you. Thank you so much for spending your time with me; you don’t know what it means to have spent that time with you, to have read your words and to have witnessed your talent. I shall always be grateful and thank you for making me feel so special, if it only was for one night, I now know what it is like to have felt such passion. You know I understood you so completely when you said you walk a lonely road because for some years now I have too, I’ve walked that lonely road but now, after having met you, you’ve inspired me to move on and now I can be free…free to do what I should have done some time ago.
I’m at peace now.
Thank you so much for that. So go now Billie Joe Armstrong, go now and be successful, I wish you and your family well for you deserve it.
Amelie
It was beautiful writing but Billie couldn’t understand what she meant when she said she was at peace now. He’d definitely have to get Tre and speak to him about this, speak to him and see what he knew about her, he had to know.
**
He’d photocopied everything and had handed it out to Mike and Tre the night before and they were due round soon to discuss his work. Obviously they’d have their input, they’d add their ideas and hopefully between the three of them they could make something decent out of this.
He was excited, he felt it deep in his bones, he just hoped that Tre and Mike felt the same way.
Adrienne had loved his stuff, she was astounded about what he’d achieved in such a short time and he loved watching her face because she looked so proud of him. He loved her so much and knew that apart from touring he didn’t want to be apart from her again, not like that.
Occasionally his thoughts went to Amelie with fondness, he hoped she was OK and he still wanted to talk to Tre about the situation.
Tre arrived first; grinning away he came bounding in to Billie’s house. Joey had seen him coming so Billie was at the door with an ice-cold beer, ready and waiting to hear what Tre thought of everything.
“Oh man, going to New York certainly brought out something in you,” said Tre coming over and hugging Billie. “The words, they’re just fantastic. Were you on drugs or something out there?” He said then laughed.
“No, not drugs but…the time away from here just…it was just what I needed,” said Billie. “Hey, come outside, there’s something I need to ask you,” he said.
“I love the lonely road shit, I knew you had it in you to get it down on paper somehow,” said Tre following Billie out into the garden, “and the St Jimmy thing, oh my god Billie, I reckon we could make something of this. That homecoming tune, I have something I think you’re gonna love and I know Mike has something, we could make it this huge epic of a song,” he said sitting down on a garden seat and taking a swig from his beer. “I bet Adrienne loves it,” he said.
“Yeah, she thinks its great. She loves the song about Dad, now that was something I started writing ages ago.” He said sitting opposite of Tre. “Tre there’s something I need to ask you, you may think its weird I know but its been bugging me.”
“Oh yeah, what’s that?” said Tre sitting back, taking a drink from his beer and putting his feet up onto another chair.
“Did you mention something once about some guy that was your neighbour getting killed in the twin towers?” said Billie.
“Yeah, that was Joe, don’t you remember me telling you about it? Such a sad situation, you must remember, I went to his memorial service, poor guy, they never ever found his body. He lived next door with his girlfriend Amelie, they were engaged to be married. They were a great couple, always friendly and asking how we were getting on, such a sad situation that was.”
“I vaguely remember you telling me but then I can’t remember too much about it. So much was going on at that time, it was a shit time for everyone.” Billie said taking a drink.
“Yeah it makes me sick to see a couple like that destroyed, it was such a shame that she could never overcome it, poor girl, I still can’t get over it you know Billie, the last time I saw her was the night before it happened.”
“The night before the twin towers fell? But I thought you were here, with us,” said Billie frowning.
“Not that. Amelie, the fact that she took her own life about a year after Joe went. She couldn’t come to terms with it, she was a shadow of her former self, she was a poor lost soul after that. She hardly went anywhere, she just faded away. Then she seemed to perk up, her parents visited her from abroad but after they went away that was it. I saw her the night before and I remember the exact words she said to me.”
“Oh and what was that?” Said Billie. He felt cold, surely Tre was wrong, what was he going on about? Amelie taking her life? She couldn’t have, he only saw her a few days ago. They’d made love.
“She said that she enjoyed my company, she said I had a beautiful family and that I would go far, she said thank you and to take care and would see me around. I thought she was just saying goodnight because she’d been in for a cup of coffee. Now I know she was saying goodbye for good. I left early the next morning to catch my flight home and later that night, you must remember Billie, later that night I got a call from her parents saying that she’d taken her life. There was a note saying that she couldn’t go on without her Joe, she couldn’t go on without her love, that she loved everyone and didn’t want anyone to feel bad about the situation but could someone please let the world know what is becoming of our country. I told you about it Billie, I know I did but I think you had your own problems at the time, if I remember. Such a sad time and Ramona loved her too.”
Billie was gobsmacked.
“When was this again?” He said.
“About two years ago. Her apartment stays empty because her parents haven’t got round to selling it. Some say she haunts the apartment block but I’ve never seen or heard anything to confirm it. Its just speculation, you know what people are like. There’s this caretaker, weird guy, he says he’s seen her a few times but he keeps himself to himself. He’s a strange one and I wouldn’t like to meet him on a dark night. Sometimes I just wish the apartment would be sold, its creepy that its been left empty, I don’t get it.” said Tre. “Anyway, what times Mike coming over? He’s late. You OK Billie?” said Tre noticing that his friend seemed slightly unwell.
“Um…yeah, I’m just, I won’t be a minute Tre, be back in a moment.” He had to leave, had to just be on his own for a short while so he went to his study. Adrienne was busying herself in the kitchen and he heard the doorbell go. Obviously Mike.
He took out his songbook and turned to the page with Amelie’s writing but the words had disappeared. He remembered the words though, exactly because he’d copied them down in his notebook, such beautiful words.
But the words had disappeared and therefore he realised that what Tre had been telling him was true.
Amelie was a ghost.
She was a ghost and had been haunting the apartment block, not able to find peace.
But now she’d found it, she’d found it by being with him and he’d set her free.
Tears formed in his eyes, he’d made love to a ghost so really he hadn’t cheated on Adrienne after all.
He was meant to have gone to New York, meant to go there to find Amelie and for her to help him write their new album.
He was meant to go there to help her too, to free her at last so that she could rest in peace.
They’d helped each other.
“Rest in peace Amelie and thank you for what you’ve given me,” whispered Billie squeezing his eyes tight. “I hope you get to meet up with your Joe again up there and if you just happen to meet up with my father, tell him…tell him I miss him and that…well, you know that if I could see him just one more time….”
“Hey, where’s that boy?” he heard Mike say. “I have to tell him, those songs are awesome, he should go to New York more often, huh Adrienne?” he heard as Adrienne let Mike in.
But he’d never go there again to stay at Tre’s apartment, it would be too painful because it was where he’d had his time with Amelie and he’d never forget her.
For she had been an inspiration to him and he wished her well, wherever she was.
*THE END*
Over the next few days he was caught up in so much with the kids and Adrienne he hardly had time to show anyone his songs, then one evening, after they’d all gone to bed he got his folder out with all his work, just to have one more read through before he met up with the guys the next day.
At the bottom of one of the pages he saw some writing. It was at the bottom of the song he’d entitled ‘Boulevard of Broken Dreams’ and he hadn’t seen it there before.
So he read it to himself:
Thank you. Thank you so much for spending your time with me; you don’t know what it means to have spent that time with you, to have read your words and to have witnessed your talent. I shall always be grateful and thank you for making me feel so special, if it only was for one night, I now know what it is like to have felt such passion. You know I understood you so completely when you said you walk a lonely road because for some years now I have too, I’ve walked that lonely road but now, after having met you, you’ve inspired me to move on and now I can be free…free to do what I should have done some time ago.
I’m at peace now.
Thank you so much for that. So go now Billie Joe Armstrong, go now and be successful, I wish you and your family well for you deserve it.
Amelie
It was beautiful writing but Billie couldn’t understand what she meant when she said she was at peace now. He’d definitely have to get Tre and speak to him about this, speak to him and see what he knew about her, he had to know.
**
He’d photocopied everything and had handed it out to Mike and Tre the night before and they were due round soon to discuss his work. Obviously they’d have their input, they’d add their ideas and hopefully between the three of them they could make something decent out of this.
He was excited, he felt it deep in his bones, he just hoped that Tre and Mike felt the same way.
Adrienne had loved his stuff, she was astounded about what he’d achieved in such a short time and he loved watching her face because she looked so proud of him. He loved her so much and knew that apart from touring he didn’t want to be apart from her again, not like that.
Occasionally his thoughts went to Amelie with fondness, he hoped she was OK and he still wanted to talk to Tre about the situation.
Tre arrived first; grinning away he came bounding in to Billie’s house. Joey had seen him coming so Billie was at the door with an ice-cold beer, ready and waiting to hear what Tre thought of everything.
“Oh man, going to New York certainly brought out something in you,” said Tre coming over and hugging Billie. “The words, they’re just fantastic. Were you on drugs or something out there?” He said then laughed.
“No, not drugs but…the time away from here just…it was just what I needed,” said Billie. “Hey, come outside, there’s something I need to ask you,” he said.
“I love the lonely road shit, I knew you had it in you to get it down on paper somehow,” said Tre following Billie out into the garden, “and the St Jimmy thing, oh my god Billie, I reckon we could make something of this. That homecoming tune, I have something I think you’re gonna love and I know Mike has something, we could make it this huge epic of a song,” he said sitting down on a garden seat and taking a swig from his beer. “I bet Adrienne loves it,” he said.
“Yeah, she thinks its great. She loves the song about Dad, now that was something I started writing ages ago.” He said sitting opposite of Tre. “Tre there’s something I need to ask you, you may think its weird I know but its been bugging me.”
“Oh yeah, what’s that?” said Tre sitting back, taking a drink from his beer and putting his feet up onto another chair.
“Did you mention something once about some guy that was your neighbour getting killed in the twin towers?” said Billie.
“Yeah, that was Joe, don’t you remember me telling you about it? Such a sad situation, you must remember, I went to his memorial service, poor guy, they never ever found his body. He lived next door with his girlfriend Amelie, they were engaged to be married. They were a great couple, always friendly and asking how we were getting on, such a sad situation that was.”
“I vaguely remember you telling me but then I can’t remember too much about it. So much was going on at that time, it was a shit time for everyone.” Billie said taking a drink.
“Yeah it makes me sick to see a couple like that destroyed, it was such a shame that she could never overcome it, poor girl, I still can’t get over it you know Billie, the last time I saw her was the night before it happened.”
“The night before the twin towers fell? But I thought you were here, with us,” said Billie frowning.
“Not that. Amelie, the fact that she took her own life about a year after Joe went. She couldn’t come to terms with it, she was a shadow of her former self, she was a poor lost soul after that. She hardly went anywhere, she just faded away. Then she seemed to perk up, her parents visited her from abroad but after they went away that was it. I saw her the night before and I remember the exact words she said to me.”
“Oh and what was that?” Said Billie. He felt cold, surely Tre was wrong, what was he going on about? Amelie taking her life? She couldn’t have, he only saw her a few days ago. They’d made love.
“She said that she enjoyed my company, she said I had a beautiful family and that I would go far, she said thank you and to take care and would see me around. I thought she was just saying goodnight because she’d been in for a cup of coffee. Now I know she was saying goodbye for good. I left early the next morning to catch my flight home and later that night, you must remember Billie, later that night I got a call from her parents saying that she’d taken her life. There was a note saying that she couldn’t go on without her Joe, she couldn’t go on without her love, that she loved everyone and didn’t want anyone to feel bad about the situation but could someone please let the world know what is becoming of our country. I told you about it Billie, I know I did but I think you had your own problems at the time, if I remember. Such a sad time and Ramona loved her too.”
Billie was gobsmacked.
“When was this again?” He said.
“About two years ago. Her apartment stays empty because her parents haven’t got round to selling it. Some say she haunts the apartment block but I’ve never seen or heard anything to confirm it. Its just speculation, you know what people are like. There’s this caretaker, weird guy, he says he’s seen her a few times but he keeps himself to himself. He’s a strange one and I wouldn’t like to meet him on a dark night. Sometimes I just wish the apartment would be sold, its creepy that its been left empty, I don’t get it.” said Tre. “Anyway, what times Mike coming over? He’s late. You OK Billie?” said Tre noticing that his friend seemed slightly unwell.
“Um…yeah, I’m just, I won’t be a minute Tre, be back in a moment.” He had to leave, had to just be on his own for a short while so he went to his study. Adrienne was busying herself in the kitchen and he heard the doorbell go. Obviously Mike.
He took out his songbook and turned to the page with Amelie’s writing but the words had disappeared. He remembered the words though, exactly because he’d copied them down in his notebook, such beautiful words.
But the words had disappeared and therefore he realised that what Tre had been telling him was true.
Amelie was a ghost.
She was a ghost and had been haunting the apartment block, not able to find peace.
But now she’d found it, she’d found it by being with him and he’d set her free.
Tears formed in his eyes, he’d made love to a ghost so really he hadn’t cheated on Adrienne after all.
He was meant to have gone to New York, meant to go there to find Amelie and for her to help him write their new album.
He was meant to go there to help her too, to free her at last so that she could rest in peace.
They’d helped each other.
“Rest in peace Amelie and thank you for what you’ve given me,” whispered Billie squeezing his eyes tight. “I hope you get to meet up with your Joe again up there and if you just happen to meet up with my father, tell him…tell him I miss him and that…well, you know that if I could see him just one more time….”
“Hey, where’s that boy?” he heard Mike say. “I have to tell him, those songs are awesome, he should go to New York more often, huh Adrienne?” he heard as Adrienne let Mike in.
But he’d never go there again to stay at Tre’s apartment, it would be too painful because it was where he’d had his time with Amelie and he’d never forget her.
For she had been an inspiration to him and he wished her well, wherever she was.
*THE END*