The Toro Coincidence
A New Beginning
“I thought I told you about that damned guitar Olivia!” screeched Margaret ‘The Maggot’ Draper, the owner of Belleville Children’s home.
Even if it meant being sent to bed without any dinner, or being woken up at 5am to gather firewood, I had to perfect this riff so that I didn’t die a miserable death on Monday when I was locked in the back shed because as far as Margaret was concerned, every child got their one chance to get adopted, and if you blew that chance, you’d never have the same hope again.
I carefully placed my battered old 70’s Fender Stratocaster – the only thing I had to remember my parents by – against the bedroom wall and switched off my amplifier.
I never knew either of my parents much; I only know what my brother Michael had told me. Michael is two years older than me, but he acts like he might as well be two hundred.
I was three when my parents left Michael and I in Belleville Children’s home, and Michael was five. They left us with a letter, which Michael says stated that they were going to get jobs in the city, and one day they’d come back for us.
Now I’m thirteen and Michael’s fifteen, we’ve both given up hope of them ever returning, but that doesn’t matter much, because on Monday someone’s going to come and adopt us both… well hopefully anyway.
Monday seemed to take forever to get here; things always do when you’re waiting for them, and as much as I was excited yesterday, today my hands wouldn’t stop shaking and I was as nervous as ever.
Kind of like the first time I played guitar in front of everybody at the orphanage during a talent night, apart from the fact that I hadn’t yet fainted.
I was stretched out on my bed, with my hands comfortably underneath my head, waiting for Maggot to scream my name and demand I came downstairs for what she classed as “The most important day of your life”. How could it possibly be important if I didn’t even know whom it was that was coming to adopt Michael and I? I could be forced to spend the rest of my life with an old spinster and her seven cats! Or stuck with travelling gypsies!
“Olivia! Michael! Get down here now!” screeched The Maggot, I swear if she’d screamed any louder she wouldn’t broken every window!
I quickly leapt off my bed, catching up with Michael as a took off down the stairs, my legs going faster than ever, overtaking Michael in the hallway.
“Anyone would think you were about to win an Oscar,” teased Michael, who was already four metres behind me.
We both entered the sitting room, where Maggot attacked us with her bony fingers, pulling at Michael’s tie and telling me I could’ve done a better job with my hair. So what? Like my hair was going to change anything! In about three minutes she’d lectured us about appropriate behaviour, manners, and to speak only if spoken to, and had shooed us into the formal lounge, or the make-do interview room.
My heart was hammering in my chest, and I was partly afraid of it exploding out of my chest, and partly afraid of making a complete fool of myself in front on my new parents. So, just as we had rehearsed, we both walked politely into the room, trying very hard not to look at whoever was seated on the sofa, and took at seat on the other side of the coffee table.
That’s when I looked up; I swear my heart got lodged into my throat, causing me to swallow quickly before my wonderful English took hold and decided to humiliate me.
”You… you’re, you’re Ray… you’re Ray Toro!” I stammered out, while my stomach was doing somersaults and back flips inside of me.
I couldn’t believe my eyes, I could hardly breathe! Apart from the fact I’d just told my hero who he was, like he didn’t know, I was in a state of total shock.
I suddenly realised that I was staring, and quickly looked over at Michael, and he looked at me, with the hugest grin on his face.
“So, you two must be Olivia and Michael, right?” Ray said, but Michael saved my wonderful English from spilling over the top of its trashcan, and answered for me.
“I’d be lying if I said no,” he said smoothly. I marvelled at how my brother stayed calm in situations like this, how could he possibly be calm when the rest of his life depended on it? I don’t think I’d ever understand him.
“Nice to meet you two, I’m Ray,” he said it as if he’d been introducing himself to orphanage kids all his life, and he stuck out his hand for both of us to shake.
I’d never shaken a famous person’s hand before, and it was not how I expected.
Ray had a firm handshake, I think I nearly fainted when he smiled at me, but I managed to stay conscious enough to tell him that I could play every single one of his riffs, and that I thought he was amazing, and while I managed that, and it felt like a lot to say, Michael and
Ray chatted on and on like they’d known each other all their lives, making my slightly envious over my older brother, but I was thankful, because soon enough Michael and I were both grabbing our small suitcases and my guitar, which were waiting for us at the door, and were being piled into the back of Ray’s car, which was a Ford Falcon XR8.
The car smelt like new leather and had a slight metallic tinge to it, but I was already stuck in my thoughts about what the rest of my life would be like, maybe I’d even get a new scratch plate for my guitar!
I watched Ray as he waved goodbye to The Maggot, and came around to the driver’s side of the vehicle and got it. He then spun around to face us both, smiling.
“I don’t know how you two survived living with someone like her,” and we all cracked up laughing.
As he started the car, Michael and I had started our new life, as Olivia and Michael Toro.
Even if it meant being sent to bed without any dinner, or being woken up at 5am to gather firewood, I had to perfect this riff so that I didn’t die a miserable death on Monday when I was locked in the back shed because as far as Margaret was concerned, every child got their one chance to get adopted, and if you blew that chance, you’d never have the same hope again.
I carefully placed my battered old 70’s Fender Stratocaster – the only thing I had to remember my parents by – against the bedroom wall and switched off my amplifier.
I never knew either of my parents much; I only know what my brother Michael had told me. Michael is two years older than me, but he acts like he might as well be two hundred.
I was three when my parents left Michael and I in Belleville Children’s home, and Michael was five. They left us with a letter, which Michael says stated that they were going to get jobs in the city, and one day they’d come back for us.
Now I’m thirteen and Michael’s fifteen, we’ve both given up hope of them ever returning, but that doesn’t matter much, because on Monday someone’s going to come and adopt us both… well hopefully anyway.
Monday seemed to take forever to get here; things always do when you’re waiting for them, and as much as I was excited yesterday, today my hands wouldn’t stop shaking and I was as nervous as ever.
Kind of like the first time I played guitar in front of everybody at the orphanage during a talent night, apart from the fact that I hadn’t yet fainted.
I was stretched out on my bed, with my hands comfortably underneath my head, waiting for Maggot to scream my name and demand I came downstairs for what she classed as “The most important day of your life”. How could it possibly be important if I didn’t even know whom it was that was coming to adopt Michael and I? I could be forced to spend the rest of my life with an old spinster and her seven cats! Or stuck with travelling gypsies!
“Olivia! Michael! Get down here now!” screeched The Maggot, I swear if she’d screamed any louder she wouldn’t broken every window!
I quickly leapt off my bed, catching up with Michael as a took off down the stairs, my legs going faster than ever, overtaking Michael in the hallway.
“Anyone would think you were about to win an Oscar,” teased Michael, who was already four metres behind me.
We both entered the sitting room, where Maggot attacked us with her bony fingers, pulling at Michael’s tie and telling me I could’ve done a better job with my hair. So what? Like my hair was going to change anything! In about three minutes she’d lectured us about appropriate behaviour, manners, and to speak only if spoken to, and had shooed us into the formal lounge, or the make-do interview room.
My heart was hammering in my chest, and I was partly afraid of it exploding out of my chest, and partly afraid of making a complete fool of myself in front on my new parents. So, just as we had rehearsed, we both walked politely into the room, trying very hard not to look at whoever was seated on the sofa, and took at seat on the other side of the coffee table.
That’s when I looked up; I swear my heart got lodged into my throat, causing me to swallow quickly before my wonderful English took hold and decided to humiliate me.
”You… you’re, you’re Ray… you’re Ray Toro!” I stammered out, while my stomach was doing somersaults and back flips inside of me.
I couldn’t believe my eyes, I could hardly breathe! Apart from the fact I’d just told my hero who he was, like he didn’t know, I was in a state of total shock.
I suddenly realised that I was staring, and quickly looked over at Michael, and he looked at me, with the hugest grin on his face.
“So, you two must be Olivia and Michael, right?” Ray said, but Michael saved my wonderful English from spilling over the top of its trashcan, and answered for me.
“I’d be lying if I said no,” he said smoothly. I marvelled at how my brother stayed calm in situations like this, how could he possibly be calm when the rest of his life depended on it? I don’t think I’d ever understand him.
“Nice to meet you two, I’m Ray,” he said it as if he’d been introducing himself to orphanage kids all his life, and he stuck out his hand for both of us to shake.
I’d never shaken a famous person’s hand before, and it was not how I expected.
Ray had a firm handshake, I think I nearly fainted when he smiled at me, but I managed to stay conscious enough to tell him that I could play every single one of his riffs, and that I thought he was amazing, and while I managed that, and it felt like a lot to say, Michael and
Ray chatted on and on like they’d known each other all their lives, making my slightly envious over my older brother, but I was thankful, because soon enough Michael and I were both grabbing our small suitcases and my guitar, which were waiting for us at the door, and were being piled into the back of Ray’s car, which was a Ford Falcon XR8.
The car smelt like new leather and had a slight metallic tinge to it, but I was already stuck in my thoughts about what the rest of my life would be like, maybe I’d even get a new scratch plate for my guitar!
I watched Ray as he waved goodbye to The Maggot, and came around to the driver’s side of the vehicle and got it. He then spun around to face us both, smiling.
“I don’t know how you two survived living with someone like her,” and we all cracked up laughing.
As he started the car, Michael and I had started our new life, as Olivia and Michael Toro.