I See You for Who You Are

Robert took his place on the stool and picked up his black Gibson acoustic.

-Hi everyone and thanks for giving me your attention for a couple of hours. Regardless of what the man here told you, Rob nodded in Mark’s direction, don’t blame me for your nightmares tonight, ok?

The crowd laughed with him and Marc held his hand in the air and the lights dimmed.

- This first song is called ‘I was broken’.

Rob started picking his guitar and hummed and laughed at himself for being a bit out of tune, Vilma found herself smiling and then he started singing.

"I was tied…now I’m bound.
My head is off the ground.
For a long time I was so weary. Tired of the sound. I’ve heard before.
The gnawing of the night time at the door Haunted by the things I've made
Stuck between the burning light and the dusty shade"

Vilma looked around the room with a smile on her face, no one was at the bar ordering, everyone was listening. -Wow, she thought to herself, not at all like Cher, she laughed at her own thought and focused on the stage.

"Said I used to think the past was dead and gone
But I was wrong, so wrong
Whatever makes you blind must make you strong, make you strong
In my time I've melted into many forms
From the day that I was born,
I know that there is no place to hide
Stuck between the burning shade and the fading light
I was broken for a long time
But it's over now
Said I was broken for a long time
But it's over now, Yes and you, and you
yeah well you walk these lonely streets that people send, people send
There are some wounds that just can't mend A
nd I do pretend, I do pretend
Now I'm free from all the things that take my friends
But I will stand here till the end
Now I know I can take the moon
Stuck between the burning shade and the faded light
And I was broken for a long time
But it's over now, it's over now
It's over now, now Said I was broken for a long time
But it's over, but it's over But it's over, but it's over
But it's over, but it's over But it's over now, now, now, now But it's over,
love is over But it's over now
But it's over, love is over
But it's over now, now, now I was broken for a long time yeah
But it's over, but it's over now yeah Over now, it's all over, it's over now."

After the last key had silenced there was a second of complete silence. Rob looked up and the crowed started cheering and clapping.

-Thank you, you are too kind, the next one I have here for you is a song written by Markus Foster, like the one before and the talented Bobby Long. It’s called ‘Let me sign’ Hope you’ll like it as much as I do.

Vilma was pouring Drea some coffee when she heard Rob stroke a key on the guitar.

-He’s really good, she cocked her head towards the stage.

-Oh yes, he sings with his heart that one. And what a kind heart it is. Well, there’s probably a little devil in there too, he was a handful as a kid, Drea laughed. He and the twins always got into trouble. The twins always blamed each other though and never Rob so maybe he just tagged along. God knows they always end up in the weirdest situations.

Vilma laughed and turned her attention towards the stage again and listened.

"She was standing there by the broken tree
Her hands were all twisted she was pointing at me
I was damned by the light coming out of her eyes
She spoke with a voice that disrupted the sky
She said ' Come on over to the bitter shade, I will wrap you in my arms and you'll know you've been saved' Let me sign, let me sign, can't fight the devil so just let me sign."

Vilma shook her head, his voice fit the lyrics so well, what an amazing song!

"I was out for a drink in a Soho bar
The air was smoked out liked a cheap cigar
She rose out of her seat like a painted ghost
She was the woman that I wanted the most
As she reached for my arm I gave her my hand I said 'Lay me down easy let me understand'

Let me sign, let sign, can't fight the devil so just let me sign.
As I walked through the door she was still in my head
As I entered the room she was laid there in bed
She reached out for me all twisted in black
I was on my way down, never coming back let me sign, let me sign, can't fight the devil so just let me sign. let me sign, let me sign, can't fight the devil so just let me sign."

The crowd showed their appreciation yet again and Rob looked a bit embarrassed.

-Thank you, thank you. I’ll just keep going then now that I’ve got you sitting here, is that ok?

-Hell Yeah! A voice came from the door. The twins had just entered the bar. Rob chuckled and continued with the next song.

Vilma eyes followed the twins as they walked up to her.

-Hey boys, that was subtle, she nodded towards Rob.

-We don’t know how to be subtle love and our Robbie knows that, he on the other hand is, Very subtle, Nate nodded toward Vilma. They both laughed and gave her a wink.

-You are weird tonight, as always. Oh, did you see the two under-aged girls waiting for you outside? They seemed to know you guys pretty well.

-Correction, Tate said. They want to get to know us but we told them to come back in a couple of years. Or one maybe, we’ll see then.

-My god, you are walking the line here. They are what 15?

-We don’t know, we’ll look at their ids next year. Nate laughed. -Jelous are we little Willy? You know you are the only one in both of our hearts.

-Yepp, hearts, right. She laughed.

-Would you get us a couple of Weiss biers sweetums? Tate smiled at her and begged her with his eyes like a puppy dog.

-Yeah, sure why not. Your livers are dead anyways.

-Thanks love, Nate said. So, wanna come with us to a party after closing time? Pretty close, just a ten minute cab ride away.

-Party? I haven’t been to a party in a couple of years…

-We know! Good, it’s settled then, Tate nodded. Nate and myself might leave before closing time so you can catch a cab with Rob.

-What, I never said I was going. I am not going to a party with you two and your friend, I’ll feel like a mom!

-Jeeez, Vilma you are three years older than us. Nate laughed hard. You need a party! Or you WILL turn into a ‘mom’….. or a ‘grandma’!

Vilma thought about it and was just about to say ‘never in my life’ when Mark came up behind her and surprisingly said:

-She’s going, sure she is. Our girl could use some fun, she has to little of that, always working! Or I am afraid the ‘grandma-thing’ will come true.

-Uhm,I am right here. Vilma elbowed him.

All three of them looked at her and she could see they were sure that she would say no. So she said yes.

-Fine, I’ll come to the party, but damn you if I feel old. I’ll kill you both!

They all laughed and Vilma started taking orders as people became a bit less glued to their chairs.

A party, she thought to herself, I have forgotten what you do at them. Drink, talk, dance a little maybe. I’ll stay for half an hour and then go home, she decided to herself and felt a lot less nervous. I’ will be fine and I will have proven that I am not a damn ‘grandma!’