Everyone Learns Faster On Fire
Chapter 3: 4th May 2002
The chilly midnight breeze glided across the park like it would have done on a winter’s evening, even though it was nearing the end of spring. The wind rustled the leaves, which almost sent echoes across the silent and still area of land in which the man was admiring. He turned to face the crystal clear river. Moonlight danced across it’s rippled surface, and if you looked close enough you could see the fish dancing too, as if they were almost mocking him.
“Ha ha. We’re so happy, and you’re not.” The creatures seemed to tease. The man picked up a smooth pebble and tried to skim it across the surface of the water, sending a cascade of ripples in the direction of the beautiful New Jersey landscape set out in front of him. Instead of gliding across the river like he wished it would, it sunk to the bottom with a dull ‘plop’, water sprayed up in the air and fell back on the watercourse like raindrops.
He sighed and took another drag from his cigarette before he flicked it over the side of the bridge. Of course there were people much less fortunate than him, and he himself was a generally lucky guy, but this was the lowest he had felt in ages. His band had split up due to ‘mutual differences’ or whatever, he was arguing with his girlfriend, and his parents were pressuring him to stay on at university. All he wanted to do was play music, why didn’t anyone understand that?
Suddenly, he felt a hand on his shoulder. At that very moment, he felt every little emotion that he could possibly feel. He felt the buzzing sensation of adrenaline coursing through his veins and his heart began to beat ten times is normal speed.
‘Shit! I’m being mugged! Please God, don’t let this happen to me!’
But he wasn’t being mugged. He turned to get a better view of the mystery person’s face and realised it wasn’t an attacker at all, and in fact it was one of his good friends he hadn’t seen in a while.
“Frank? Are you okay? What are you doing out here?” It was Gerard, a reclusive comic book artist he had known for a little under five years. Frank immediately relaxed and let his head rest on his friend’s shoulder.
“What’s wrong?” Gerard asked as soon as he noticed the smaller man’s heart wrenching sobs echoing across the water. He wrapped his arms around the broken man in an attempt to comfort him. Frank removed his head from Gerard’s shoulder and brought his tearstained gaze up to his friend’s eyes.
“Everything’s going wrong. I don’t know what to do!” Frank sobbed. He wiped his eyes on the collar of his shirt in a feeble effort to look remotely normal again. “We decided to end the band tonight. But I’m not sure it’s the right thing to do! I put all of my heart into that band, I really fucking tried hard to resolve our differences, but they just don’t want to know anymore!”
Gerard began rocking him slowly, like a mother comforting her distressed child. Frank instantly felt so safe with him, and most of his feelings began evaporating away. He forgot about the freezing cold wind hitting him, he forgot that it was early morning and his girlfriend would wonder where he was. Gerard made him feel protected from all the emotions that were currently attacking him from the inside.
“Listen to me.” Gerard said, looking Frank seriously in the eye once he had calmed down. “You don’t need those guys. They don’t know what they’re missing out on. I’d be honoured to play in a band with you, Frank. I‘ve seen you play, and you‘re amazing.”
Frank looked up at the taller man in disbelief. “Really? You think I’m amazing?”
No one had ever complemented his efforts in such a way. When he was growing up, his mother had always referred to his music as ‘noise’ or ‘a disturbance’, and never really appreciated the fact that her son had a talent for music and enjoyed spending hours in the basement paying guitar. And now an acquaintance he had not seen in a while was standing here and telling him that his skills were ‘amazing’. This made him feel warm inside and proud to be a musician. This was the sort of encouragement he needed from those around him.
“Yes, amazing.” Gerard repeated with a smile. “And I would like to offer you a chance to play in MY band. We’re looking for a second guitarist and I’m sure you’d fit the part perfectly.”
Frank couldn’t believe his ears. Gerard was offering him a place in HIS band? Gerard’s band were awesome! Frank had seen them practise a couple of times, and he had been blown away. This had to be a dream. He had drunk quite a bit that evening and he was almost certain that Gerard’s last sentence was just a figure of his deluded and drunken imagination.
“Hang on, you’re offering ME a place in your band? Are you being serious?”
“Of course I am! I would be thrilled if you would join!” Gerard said, squeezing the younger one’s shoulder receptively. “So go on, what do you say?”
Frank did not know how to respond. It seemed that every time he opened his mouth to reply, no words escaped. Instead he threw his arms around his friend in a huge bear hug and there they stood for what seemed like hours, laughing and cheering together. What had been one of the most dismal evenings of his life had now turned out to be one of the highlights, and Frank had Gerard to thank for it.
Just as he was about to pull away from Gerard’s tight embrace, Frank suddenly felt himself being pulled closer and closer. Without any hesitation Gerard’s lips collided with his own and it was beautiful. Frank all of a sudden felt complete again, like this kiss was the one thing missing from his life. It was just like magic.
When their lips parted, both looked at each other in confusion, and without saying a word, both turned their separate ways and hurried out of the park.
“Ha ha. We’re so happy, and you’re not.” The creatures seemed to tease. The man picked up a smooth pebble and tried to skim it across the surface of the water, sending a cascade of ripples in the direction of the beautiful New Jersey landscape set out in front of him. Instead of gliding across the river like he wished it would, it sunk to the bottom with a dull ‘plop’, water sprayed up in the air and fell back on the watercourse like raindrops.
He sighed and took another drag from his cigarette before he flicked it over the side of the bridge. Of course there were people much less fortunate than him, and he himself was a generally lucky guy, but this was the lowest he had felt in ages. His band had split up due to ‘mutual differences’ or whatever, he was arguing with his girlfriend, and his parents were pressuring him to stay on at university. All he wanted to do was play music, why didn’t anyone understand that?
Suddenly, he felt a hand on his shoulder. At that very moment, he felt every little emotion that he could possibly feel. He felt the buzzing sensation of adrenaline coursing through his veins and his heart began to beat ten times is normal speed.
‘Shit! I’m being mugged! Please God, don’t let this happen to me!’
But he wasn’t being mugged. He turned to get a better view of the mystery person’s face and realised it wasn’t an attacker at all, and in fact it was one of his good friends he hadn’t seen in a while.
“Frank? Are you okay? What are you doing out here?” It was Gerard, a reclusive comic book artist he had known for a little under five years. Frank immediately relaxed and let his head rest on his friend’s shoulder.
“What’s wrong?” Gerard asked as soon as he noticed the smaller man’s heart wrenching sobs echoing across the water. He wrapped his arms around the broken man in an attempt to comfort him. Frank removed his head from Gerard’s shoulder and brought his tearstained gaze up to his friend’s eyes.
“Everything’s going wrong. I don’t know what to do!” Frank sobbed. He wiped his eyes on the collar of his shirt in a feeble effort to look remotely normal again. “We decided to end the band tonight. But I’m not sure it’s the right thing to do! I put all of my heart into that band, I really fucking tried hard to resolve our differences, but they just don’t want to know anymore!”
Gerard began rocking him slowly, like a mother comforting her distressed child. Frank instantly felt so safe with him, and most of his feelings began evaporating away. He forgot about the freezing cold wind hitting him, he forgot that it was early morning and his girlfriend would wonder where he was. Gerard made him feel protected from all the emotions that were currently attacking him from the inside.
“Listen to me.” Gerard said, looking Frank seriously in the eye once he had calmed down. “You don’t need those guys. They don’t know what they’re missing out on. I’d be honoured to play in a band with you, Frank. I‘ve seen you play, and you‘re amazing.”
Frank looked up at the taller man in disbelief. “Really? You think I’m amazing?”
No one had ever complemented his efforts in such a way. When he was growing up, his mother had always referred to his music as ‘noise’ or ‘a disturbance’, and never really appreciated the fact that her son had a talent for music and enjoyed spending hours in the basement paying guitar. And now an acquaintance he had not seen in a while was standing here and telling him that his skills were ‘amazing’. This made him feel warm inside and proud to be a musician. This was the sort of encouragement he needed from those around him.
“Yes, amazing.” Gerard repeated with a smile. “And I would like to offer you a chance to play in MY band. We’re looking for a second guitarist and I’m sure you’d fit the part perfectly.”
Frank couldn’t believe his ears. Gerard was offering him a place in HIS band? Gerard’s band were awesome! Frank had seen them practise a couple of times, and he had been blown away. This had to be a dream. He had drunk quite a bit that evening and he was almost certain that Gerard’s last sentence was just a figure of his deluded and drunken imagination.
“Hang on, you’re offering ME a place in your band? Are you being serious?”
“Of course I am! I would be thrilled if you would join!” Gerard said, squeezing the younger one’s shoulder receptively. “So go on, what do you say?”
Frank did not know how to respond. It seemed that every time he opened his mouth to reply, no words escaped. Instead he threw his arms around his friend in a huge bear hug and there they stood for what seemed like hours, laughing and cheering together. What had been one of the most dismal evenings of his life had now turned out to be one of the highlights, and Frank had Gerard to thank for it.
Just as he was about to pull away from Gerard’s tight embrace, Frank suddenly felt himself being pulled closer and closer. Without any hesitation Gerard’s lips collided with his own and it was beautiful. Frank all of a sudden felt complete again, like this kiss was the one thing missing from his life. It was just like magic.
When their lips parted, both looked at each other in confusion, and without saying a word, both turned their separate ways and hurried out of the park.