Whirlwind Love: Libby's Journey

by Hendley, DiDi

  The promoter turned to the judges, “We can’t thank you folks enough for giving us your time on this beautiful New Mexico Saturday evening! Ladies and Gentlemen, before we announce the winner, let’s thank our judges...Governor Bill Richardson [crowd cheered]. Burt Carter, head of Big Country Artists [crowd cheered]. Burt is the person we have to thank for our top prize, the coveted recording contract! Nancy Laflin, Director of the New Mexico’s Music Commission [crowd cheered]. Our very own CMSA Award Winner, Bryan Barker, singer-songwriter who hails from right here in Albuquerque, New Mexico. [crowd cheered] and finally, Joe King, singer-songwriter, actor and probably a good reason why a lot of you are out there tonight [crowd cheered loudly]! Yeah, that’s what I thought,” the emcee laughed. “Well, since we’re cutting into his show-time, let’s get this show on the road!”

  Libby’s head turned quickly in Joe’s direction: in that instant, her heart fell. Joe was smiling, waiving at the crowd. He joined the other judges on the opposite side of the stage. He turned to acknowledge the contestants and for a second caught Libby’s eye. She noticed he looked confused-as if he recognized her, but not really. She managed a smile just for him. She noticed how his blue button-down shirt made his eyes that much bluer…he was still scruffy and needed a shave, but he was so handsome. Her heart jumped a little at the sight of him.

  In his moment of recognition, it was as if the crowd, the stage and the audience disappeared into silence. Joe’s face lit up. Unconsciously stepping forward, Joe suddenly realized where he was and stopped short.

  Libby was so caught-up in Joe that she didn’t hear Jameson speak again. The crowd was going crazy when Michael stepped up beside her.

  “You won,” he spoke softly in her ear as he gave her a little push.

  Libby turned to face him in shock as she stumbled forward, then turned back to the emcee, stepping up beside him. She smiled graciously and waved to the audience, which was going crazy.

  Bret knocked over a microphone stand beside him, causing feedback to squeal through the speakers.

  “Rigged...I tell ya! She had a professional band!”

  He shoved everyone who stood between him and the exit, cursing Libby loudly.

  “Doesn’t deserve...NO FRIGGIN’ WAY!” His mumbles continued until he was out of view.

  Libby managed to stammer, “Thank you, thank you so much!” The crowd was cheering, but Libby didn’t hear them. As she looked around the audience, her mind slowly grasped the reality of the situation. The smile left her face. Libby stepped beside the promoter and whispered in his ear. The man looked surprised, and shrugged. He then walked over to Burt Carter.

  A moment later, he commented, “Well, this is a surprise.”

  The crowd hushed. “It seems Ms. Morgan feels that as both she and The Pack won—technically--she has asked us to offer them the recording contract! Mr. Carter has no problem with this plan, so we will award the recording contract to The Pack!”

  The crowd cheered loudly.

  Libby smiled at Michael as he gratefully stepped up to shake Carter’s hand. Michael then returned to Libby’s side and kissed her cheek, then waved to the crowd as he walked over to shake Mr. Jameson hand.

  Everyone was ushered off stage. Joe quickly stepped in behind Libby. They walk down the ramp and around the corner. Much to her surprise, he grabbed and hugged her, “I thought I’d lost you! And here you are...look at you! I didn’t even know you sang! Photographer, singer...well, you are…talented!”

  Libby laughed. Joe looked puzzled, “Hey, wait! You said your name was Lily! Lily, the speedbump! Oh wait, that honey wagon almost rolled over you—maybe that’s why I goofed up your name.”

  Libby again laughed, harder this time. Her auburn curls bounced around her. “And…here I thought you were hittin’ on some girl, and I was just a “make do” groupie.”

  “Oh, hell no!”

  Music began to play, and Joe glanced back toward the stage. He put his arm around her back and half-pulled her up the ramp, trying to talk as they walked past the crowd coming down.

  “I lost your card. The drunk that broke your camera came by the diner just as you left, and had a few choice words for me...and, well, I lost your card.” Joe unconsciously rubbed his jaw. Feeling the pressure as the music played on and the crowd’s cheering grew louder, “I really want to talk to you—I need to talk to you. You’ll stick around, right? Stay...Okay? Wait.”

  The house manager pulled Joe away from her. “Hurry up now! We’re already behind schedule.” Libby opened her mouth to protest, but didn’t get the chance to say anything before Joe was whisked away to the stage.

  Libby stood beside the stage and watched as Joe took his place and began singing. He shot a glance over his shoulder at her and smiled. She smiled back.

  He wasn’t angry! I can’t believe he wants to talk to me…after everything I said!

  Libby felt a pang. Her heart wanted to stay, if only to hear what he had to say. There was no denying that her soul needed to go. It was her goal...for ten years…how could she not go?

  Flarflebloo! I just can’t ignore a ten-year dream for a…a fling! I can’t possibly stay. If I stay, I’ll miss the launch! Libby checked her watch: 9:15 pm.

  “I don’t know!” Libby muttered to herself. Several passersby patted her shoulder in a congratulatory gesture. Libby smiled and nodded her appreciation.

  She walked backstage and sat at the table previously occupied by the attendants. An assistant walked by, backed up and handed her the CD of her mom’s guitar piece. Libby smiled. While contemplating her next move, she picked up a piece of folded paper on the table and began playing with it. It was only then that she saw Bret, scowling at her from the doorway to the warm-up rooms. He walked past her quickly, huffing and glaring the entire way. Libby glanced down at the paper. Itinerary - TBK was written at the top. She suddenly recalled when Chuck left it there as he went to get his guitar. She smiled. She tore off the bottom of the page and scribbled a note to Joe.

  Have to be somewhere in the morning. I’ll catch up to you--have your itinerary. Libby.

  She walked back to the side stage and pulled a pushpin from the post, placing her note in a very conspicuous spot. She tightly grasped the itinerary and barely felt her feet touch the ramp as she left backstage.

  Watching her leave, Bret retraced her steps to her note. After reading it, he watched Libby making her way across the lot behind the stage, with glaring hatred.

  * * *

  Laura and Jimmy were sitting in the RV. “Should we tell her we copied the video to her hard drive?” Jimmy whispered to Laura.

  As Libby entered the doorway, Laura giggled “Nah, let her find it...it’ll be a nice surprise.”

  She handed them her trophy. “For Renegades,” she offered.

  Laura replied, “NO, we couldn’t!”

  “You can and you will! Face it; I wouldn’t have been here without you guys. I did this for you!” Laura pulled her friend over, “So, Joe...did you talk to him?”

  Libby grinned. “Not really, but I have his itinerary. I’ll find him as soon as I finish what I came out here to do. He did say…he wanted to talk.” She smiled, holding the paper to her chest. She hugged them both, said goodbye and walked them out of the RV.

  Libby quickly changed clothes and pulled her hair into a bun, grabbed a soda and took her seat. Within minutes she pulled the rig out of the lot and onto the highway and the fair traffic. She set her GPS for the Grand Canyon. Although she was concerned about the traffic delay, her heart was soaring.

  * * *

  An hour and a half later, Joe stepped off the stage and looked around for Libby. She was nowhere in sight. He walked through the back rooms, then back down the ramp...no sign of her.

  Leaning against one of the tractor trailers, Bret watch smugly as Joe searched for Libby. He turned toward the midway, shoved his hands i
nto his pockets and made his way into the crowd, grinning.

  Joe saw Chuck, “Hey, have you seen Lily, I mean Libby?”

  “No, man...sure haven’t,” Chuck replied. “I’ll keep my eyes open though. She sure was hot, wasn’t she? She shouldn’t be hard to find…with all that red hair.” Chuck offered a big grin. “Oh, wait, YOU couldn’t see her...” Chuck began to laugh smugly. “Take my word, man, SHE was HOT!” Joe gave him an evil glance and turned toward the stands to continue his search. Just as he hit the gate, a wave of fans screamed his name. He graciously signed autographs, searching the crowd every chance for a glimpse of Libby.

  After about twenty minutes, security guards came to his rescue, and he returned to back stage. The fair roadies had their equipment off stage by this time in preparation for the next act, and Joe reluctantly went to the SUV.

  “Man, I can’t believe she left without even saying goodbye or letting me know how to get in touch with her...why didn’t I get her number!”

  Chuck shook his head, “You know women, man, who can figure ‘em?”

  A disappointed Joe got in the passenger seat of the SUV and stared out the window. Dropping his hat over his eyes, he tried to put her out of his mind as Chuck drove the SUV from the fairgrounds to their hotel.

  Shoshone Point, South Rim-Grand Canyon, Arizona, Day 6 - Sunday

  Libby pulled into the Shoshone Point, South Rim of the Grand Canyon parking area just before 5:00 a.m. She was beginning to worry she wouldn’t make it. “Man! I hope I still have time to pull everything together.”

  She hurriedly grabbed her Dad’s old fishing vest from the closet and packed a small flashlight, the new lenses, freshly charged batteries and several flash cards. Hanging her camera around her neck, she carefully hooked the straps of her canvas chair bag on one shoulder clip and her tripod the other. She slipped the vest on carefully, then snatched her keys and coffee cup. Libby dashed out the door, stopping momentarily to lock the door. Making her way to the canyon rim, she tried to hurry, but struggling to snap on the lid without spilling the hot coffee slowed her momentarily.

  “Ahhh! Flarflebloo!” she cried as the hot coffee splashed on her hand, stopping Libby in her tracks. Shaking it off, she checked the lid,

  She quickly walked the mile to the point in the darkness while the stars twinkled above. Reaching the narrow promontory, there were a few people scattered about and an open 180° view of the Canyon. To the west was Yaki Point: to the east was Grandview Point. With various points as launch sites, Libby was excited about the great perspective her images would have: the canyon stretching as far as she could see, the balloons rising on the rim, and the wide-open sky. She found a spot to set up and dropped into her chair to set up the tripod and camera. She was physically exhausted, but she was so happy to have achieved her goal…she actually made it to the balloon festival before the launch! Within minutes she was ready and waiting with the others along the rim.

  In the distance she saw the fires burning into the growing balloons. The silhouette of one balloon was standing upright against the dawn. In the flashes of fire she could see a rainbow of colors on the large balloon. She attached the camera’s remote control and set the aperture priority to the widest setting.

  Taking a long sip of her coffee, Libby muttered, “Man! That’s good and hot!” She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath, “Thank you, God, for getting me here—and for not missing anything!”

  Now that she was settled and ready to shoot, her mind drifted to Joe. He looked so good...she smiled to herself. She was happy to see him, and glad he wasn’t angry with her. She was too harsh at the diner. He sure seemed anxious to talk with her.

  One of her festival neighbors let out an ooh, snapping Libby back to the present. The first balloon was now lifting to the sky. Libby turned her attention to the camera. She focused the camera on the balloon and adjusted settings to accommodate the darkness. She held the shutter release on the remote for a few seconds to see the blurry balloon appear on the screen. AH...didn’t take into account movement! Libby sat back, watching the balloon rise higher and higher.

  In the distance, another balloon was reaching for the sky. She focused the camera and snapped a photo. A bit dark, but you could see the outline of the balloon...and the flame was clearly visible. She tried a different resolution on the camera and shot again. A little grainy, but the balloon looked good! She focused on the balloon in the sky and reshot. They would be great memories for her, even if they might not impress anyone else. She made it before the first balloon launched! She’d have that memory forever! Switching to the telephoto lens, Libby played with more settings.

  As she watched the beautiful colors of the balloons, backlit by their torches, she began to hear the words to Mom’s favorite song:

  Libby smiled; this was a whole new meaning. She felt her Mom close to her heart. “I made it, Mom. I made it!” A tear slipped down her cheek as she smiled at the thought.

  Libby sat back and hugged her coffee cup in her hands, appreciating its warmth. Every few minutes, she chose another series of shots with the camera. As the tinted sky whispered the sun’s arrival, Libby checked her settings to accommodate more light. There were several more balloons standing or rising across the canyon, so she focused her attention and camera accordingly.

  Just as the sky turned a beautiful hue of orange-mauve, five balloons appeared from the depth of the canyon in staggered unison. The crowds around the canyon cheered, and Libby’s smile glowed like the sunshine that peeked on the horizon.

  Without even noticing her tired body, Libby shot for hours on adrenalin and enthusiasm. As the sun rose higher, the hot-air balloons sprinkled over the canyon and inspired Libby to keep going. Several times she felt goose bumps as she checked her camera’s images. The sparsely populated point offered an amazing view, and thankfully, her fellow gawkers shared her appreciation for quiet contemplation and admiration.

  Around 10:00 a.m., Libby felt the lack of sleep creeping through her body, so she finished up a few more shots and repacked her gear for the hike back to the RV.

  At the RV, Libby dropped her gear inside the doorway and searched the refrigerator for something quick to eat. The bed was wickedly inviting, but her hunger pangs were not to be denied. Grabbing a slice of bologna and pouring a glass of juice, she dropped to the bed for a few hours of sleep.

  * * *

  It was mid-afternoon when Libby awoke. She slowly arose, feeling as if all the energy were drained from her body completely. She took a short shower and made a pot of coffee. Turning on the widescreen, she brought up The Internet as she grabbed the GPS and TBK itinerary from the console. Libby hit the refrigerator for a piece of fruit and poured a cup of coffee. She checked the GPS to find the closest RV station to take care of the routine maintenance. She then reached for the TBK itinerary—their next performance was at 5:00 p.m. today in Santa Fe. She knew it was pointless, but Libby searched the Internet for the Santa Fe Brewing Company. It was over 7 hours and 400 miles. Having no idea where to find him after their gig, she set her sights on their next gig—tomorrow at the Colorado State Fair. She plugged the coordinates into her GPS and saved the information.

  With a ten-hour trip facing her, Libby decided to drive part of the way tonight and the rest tomorrow. She found the Bluff Lodge, Cabins and RV Park, located in South Fork, Colorado. The seven-hour drive, which would put her arrival at the RV park at midnight, would leave only a three hour drive to the fair tomorrow. While another long drive was pushing her limits, the idea of seeing Joe made her heart sing. She made a reservation with a late check-in and gave them her credit card number. She drove to the sanitation station and managed her tanks.

  While she was flushing her lines, one of the balloonists pulled up behind her. Libby recognized the colors of the balloon painted on the side of his RV.

  “Hi!” Libby greeted him as he walked around his RV to manage his tanks on the
opposite side of the pump.

  “Hey there! Did you have a good time?” The man smiled as he set about his chores.

  “Oh! It was amazing! Hey, I don’t suppose you ever go east, do you? I was thinking about a balloon festival fundraiser. I’m from South Carolina and drove out to see the Freedom Festival.”

  “Wow! That’s some trip! Thanks for making the effort! Well, I really don’t go that way much myself, but my brother lives in Georgia. He’s a balloonist too—you should definitely get in touch with him. When I finish with this mess, I’ll get his contact information for you.”

  “Oh! That’s great! Thanks!” Libby replied. Once they completed their routine maintenance, information was exchanged.

  Within half-an-hour she was on her way again, steaming cup of coffee for company and a thrill in her heart that kept her pushing on. As soon as she was underway, she turned on her video and recorded the information from the balloonist, along with her plan for a fundraiser and awareness event using balloons to promote the dangers of driving under the influence. When she had finished her planning session, she recorded her experiences at the canyon for Megan.

  Libby drove about three hours before stopping for gas, stretching her legs and buying a hot meal at the truck stop’s restaurant. Forty minutes later, she was back on the road. The sun was beginning to set, and she really wanted to sleep. Her body felt as if it hadn’t slept in a week. She turned the music up louder, belted out the songs and forged onward.

  As midnight approached, the GPS announced her arrival at the park. She pulled into a spot. Without connecting hoses, she plugged into the power source and wearily crawled into bed. During the night, Joe filled her dreams with his presence and his songs.

  Santa Fe, New Mexico, Day 7 - Monday