“One step at a time, eh?”
He nodded as he drained the last of the beer from the bottle.
“Bit like life after divorce,” sighed Nicole, finishing off her own beer.
“I hope I never have to find out what that’s like,” replied Jake with a smile. “Happily married.”
“A happily married rock star who can unblock a sink?” laughed Nicole. “A rare creature indeed.”
“Unique,” commented Jake, grinning. “I’d best head home. If there are any other odd jobs you need a hand with, let me know.”
“Thanks, Jake. Appreciate it,” she replied. “It’s not easy getting established somewhere new.”
“Just takes time,” he assured her. “And this is a great place to make a fresh start.”
“I hope so.”
Over the course of the week, life took on a new rhythm around the beach house. After an early morning run along the beach, Jake would head off to school to continue with the workshop. While he was at school, Lori alternated her days between motherhood and work. She didn’t like putting the kids into daycare more than she had to but her commitments meant they were both there every second day for the full day. On the alternate days, she organised plays dates for them, took them into town or to the outlets or simply let them play down on the beach.
When Jake got home from school, he would play with them for an hour before dinner then, while Lori got Jesse bathed and into bed, would spend an hour tutoring Melody. Once she was in bed, he retreated to the basement for a few hours to work on the Silver Lake project. Sitting up at her drawing board, Lori listened intently to the new music that was evolving slowly.
After school on Friday, Jake made a detour to the post office to collect a parcel that required his signature. When he saw the flat box, he felt his stomach lurch with nerves. It was Rich’s laptop. When he’d called Maria, she had said he was welcome to it and explained that she hadn’t been able to access it. As he drove home with the box lying on the passenger seat beside him, he wondered if he’d have better luck getting into it.
With the kids tucked up in bed and Lori relaxing in the sunroom, Jake fetched a beer, lifted the package from the dining room and headed down the steep steps into the basement. Flicking on the lamp, he laid the box down on his cluttered desk and sat staring at it for a few moments before opening it. A note fluttered out of the box from Maria, listing all the passwords she had tried unsuccessfully and wishing him luck. She had asked if he found any photos on the computer that he send her copies of them.
Taking a chug on his beer bottle, Jake watched the laptop fire up then sit at the home screen waiting for the password. What would Rich have chosen, he wondered. His gut instinct told him it would be something straightforward, most likely a name. Spying his own acoustic guitar sitting on its stand, inspiration struck. Carefully, he typed in “Isabella”, the name Rich had given to his acoustic guitar and also his late mother’s name.
Success!
Watching the machine open up felt like spying on his late friend. He felt as though he was intruding. In typical organised Rich fashion, the desktop was neatly organised with clearly labelled folders. Ignoring the email folder, Jake clicked on “photographs” and found a screen full of neatly catalogued photos dating back years. He checked the size of the overall folder and quickly determined he’d need more than a flash drive to send these on to Maria. He clicked on the folder named “Silver Lake” and smiled as he saw memories of each of their tours pop up. For almost an hour, he enjoyed a trip down memory lane as he flicked through photos of their early shows and first tour, photos taken at JJL and even some from their first-ever studio experience in New York. Deliberately, he avoided photos from their last tour.
Closing the photo folder down, Jake clicked on the “Music” folder, hoping to find out if Rich had any ideas stockpiled. He was disappointed to find the folder contained his friend’s music collection. Smiling, he spotted a few artists listed that he hadn’t expected to find there.
“Didn’t have you down as a Patsy Cline fan, buddy,” he said almost to himself.
A folder titled “WIP” caught his eye. WIP? Work In Progress? Sure enough, when Jake opened it, he found a veritable treasure trove of sub-folders. In amongst them sat one random word document. The name on it brought him up short. It was labelled “Jake”.
His hand was trembling on the mouse pad as he double-clicked to open the document.
Jake, I’m guessing if you’re reading this, I’m long gone from this fucking hell hole of a world. Sorry if I landed a load of shit on you and the others. I just couldn’t keep going. Couldn’t do it anymore. I almost came back to the house to say a proper goodbye to you when I left Melody’s party but if I had you might have been suspicious and stopped me leaving.
I had to go.
I’m writing this in the parking lot at the National Park in Gatlinburg. There isn’t much time if I want to make it up to the lookout by sunset.
I’ll keep it brief.
Do the workshop at the school for me. Those kids deserve it. You’ll figure out what to do with them. You’re a fantastic teacher and have a natural rapport with those young people.
Keep the band going. Don’t stop because of my failings.
Tell Maria I’m sorry.
Tell Lori thank you for a wonderful last BBQ at the beach. You’re a lucky man. Look after her.
Keep the date out at JJL. Make the new record. Use what you can find on here to help.
I want you to look after my guitars for me. Give “Isabella” to Maria. Give my black SG to Todd. Keep my other ladies safe but play them now and again for me.
Time to go.
Rich
As he read the last lines, his vision blurred, tears filling his eyes. Right to the bitter end Rich had been planning and organising. No explanations, just instructions. Typically, Rich.
Wiping tears from his cheeks, Jake opened the first sub-folder - “Solos”. A list of music files popped up on the screen, each numbered and dated. Plugging the laptop into his small speaker, Jake selected the first file. Within seconds the basement was filled with the sound of Rich playing at his best.
Fresh tears flowed down Jake’s cheeks as he sat and listened, visualising his friend standing over in the corner near the foot of the stairs, lost in his musical soundscape.
The clock in the corner of the screen read 06:12 as Jake closed the last sub-folder. Emotionally, he was completely drained after listening to the treasure trove of new music Rich had left. There was more than enough there for two album’s worth of contribution. In among the folders there had been one titled “Lyrics”. Knowing it was rare for Rich to pen any lyrics, he had opened it expectantly. Inside there were only two-word documents – two sets of lyrics. None of the music that he had heard tied into the phrasing of the words but, as he read over the second set, a realisation struck him. The melody he had been playing with since Rich’s death fitted perfectly with it.
Stifling a yawn, Jake shut down the laptop and climbed the stairs back up to the house. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee wafted through from the kitchen and, as he headed in that direction, he heard Lori say, “Good morning.”
The voice came from behind him and he spun round surprised to see her seated at her drawing board so early.
“Mornin’, li’l lady,” he said as he wandered over to her workspace. “You’re up early.”
“And you’re up late,” she observed. “I was getting worried.”
“Sorry,” apologised Jake. “I managed to get into Rich’s laptop. I’ve been listening to his music files. There’s a ton of stuff on there. Solos. Melodies. Bridges. There’s even some lyrics.” He paused, “And a note to me. Reading that just about killed me. Typical Rich. Planning and organising to the very end.”
“A note?”
Jake nodded, “He’d typed it in the car in the parking lot in Gatlinburg. Must have been just before he set off for that final hike.”
“A cry for help?�
� asked Lori quietly.
“No,” answered Jake with a sad smile. “A list of instructions mainly. A few thank yous. His blessing to keep the band going. I’ll show you it later.”
“You better grab some sleep,” suggested Lori. “Your sister will be here at lunchtime.”
“Lucy?”
“Yes,” said Lori with a giggle. “She’s coming down for the week with the boys. Remember?”
“Shit. I’d forgotten,” confessed Jake with a yawn. “Waken me before she gets here.”
“She said they’d be here about two.”
“Plenty of time to grab some sleep.”
“Sweet dreams, rock star.”
Sunlight and laughter roused Jake from a deep, dreamless sleep. Rolling over onto his back, he listened as Lori and his sister chatted out in the hallway then heard the thunder of his nephews’ feet on the stairs leading up to the attic. After Jesse’s arrival, they had modified the attic space and added three bedrooms, a guest bathroom and an open plan seating area. In time, they envisaged Melody and Jesse using the space but, for now, it was perfect for house guests. With a smile, he thought how good it was to have a full house for a few days.
Having showered and thrown on his favourite cut off shorts and a vest tee, Jake wandered down the hallway, listening for sounds of life. The house was quiet but, as he approached the sunroom, he could hear voices echoing in from the deck.
“Afternoon,” he said warmly as he stepped out to join his family.
“Jake!” squealed Lucy excitedly, rushing over to hug her brother.
Wrapping his little sister in his arms, he held her tight, “You ok, Lucy Lou?”
“Getting there,” she replied quietly. “Looking forward to a few days down here.”
The previous summer, Robb had walked out on his family, triggering several months of nasty divorce discussions. After several long tearful phone calls with Lucy, Jake had given her the cash she needed to buy her way out of the marriage and to secure her family home. He couldn’t impact custody arrangements but the least Jake could do was to secure Lucy financially. His two older brothers had also contributed by picking up the bills for the boys’ school fees. After multiple failures to take the boys as agreed, Lucy had taken Robb back to court and secured sole custody of her sons. The months of legal wrangling had taken its toll on all of them.
“And how are you guys?” asked Jake, smiling as he looked at his two nephews sprawled out on the sun loungers.
“We’re good,” replied Sam, the older of the two boys. At almost fourteen, he was trying to assume the role of the man of the house.
“Any plans or special requests for this week?” quizzed Jake as he took a seat on the bench beside his sister.
The boys both shook their heads.
“Josh,” prompted Lucy, addressing her younger son. “Didn’t you have something to ask Jake?”
His parents’ divorce had hit the sensitive twelve-year-old hard. Over the months, he had grown quiet and withdrawn, causing Lucy to fret about how he was really coping with it all.
“You ask, Mom,” murmured the boy softly.
“No,” said Lucy firmly. “You ask.”
Glancing up from the game on his iPad, Josh said slowly, “Will you teach me how to play guitar, Uncle Jake?”
“Sure,” agreed Jake with a grin. “We have daily lessons after dinner. Miss M is learning too.”
“Thanks, Jake,” sighed Lucy, before her son could protest at learning alongside his younger cousin.
“Sam, what about you?” asked Jake.
“I’ve been taking drum lessons,” revealed Sam.
“Great. Paul’s practice kit is still set up downstairs. How about you show me what you’ve learned later?”
“Ok,” agreed the teenager shyly.
“Lori was telling me you’re in the middle of teaching a music workshop,” said Lucy. “Is this something I can share on the band’s fan page?”
“No,” said Jake swiftly. “I’d rather keep this under wraps for now. Maybe when it’s over.”
“Oh, ok,” replied his sister, looking and sounding disappointed.
Hating to let her down, he sighed then said, “Alright, you can get some candid stuff from around here. A few, and I mean a few, at home shots.”
“Thanks,” she replied, her mood instantly brightening.
True to his word, after dinner Jake fetched two acoustic guitars from the basement and set up an impromptu music class out on the sun deck. While Lucy and Lori went for a walk with Sam and Jesse, he patiently tutored Melody and Josh. He had worked out a practice exercise for Melody to focus on. While she was working on that, he spent time showing Josh some chords. His nephew was initially shy and awkward, his hands clumsy but, as his nerves settled, he managed to master a couple of chords.
“Do you have a guitar of your own at home?” asked Jake as they were winding the lesson up.
“Not yet. I’m hoping to get one at Christmas,” replied Josh. “When school starts, the music department might rent me one for a semester.”
“Leave that thought with me,” said Jake with a wink.
By the time the girls came back, the sun was setting and the two younger children were tired and ready for bed. Seizing the chance to sneak indoors, Josh and Sam headed into the sunroom to watch TV while Lori and Lucy put the little ones to bed.
Alone out on the deck, Jake picked up his guitar and began to play. The melody that had been haunting him was at the forefront of his mind. Thinking about the lyrics he had found on Rich’s laptop, he altered the tune slightly, singing it over in his head. As he played, he wondered how much of the music he’d found that the band would be able to use. He hoped Dr Marrs could work some magic with the files to enable Rich to “play” on their next album. Still half-daydreaming, he kept playing, letting his imagination flow through the strings.
“That’s pretty,” commented Lucy, coming out onto the deck with three cold beers. “New one?”
“Just improvising,” said Jake with a smile. “We hit the studio in a few weeks and I’ve not got much to take in there with me yet.”
“Seeking inspiration?”
“I guess,” he said, reaching for his beer. “Josh did great earlier. For a first lesson, he did really well.”
“Thanks for spending time with him. He’s a bit fragile still.”
“I guessed,” acknowledged Jake, setting his guitar down. “How would you feel about letting me buy him a guitar of his own?”
“As long as you don’t spend a fortune on him that would be awesome,” said Lucy, looking relieved.
“I’ll see what I can sort out,” promised Jake. “We can take a run out to the store in Lewes after school one day.”
“How did you get roped into teaching again?” quizzed his sister curiously.
“Rich had the workshop scheduled. I didn’t want to see the school or the kids let down. So far, it’s going ok. I’m taking them out to JJL for three days this week so that might be a bit of a challenge.”
“Can’t be easy stepping into his shoes like that.”
“It’s been tough at times but they’re a good bunch of kids. I’ve had them writing songs that we’ll take into the studio to record. Gave them free rein.”
“Brave.”
“Or stupid,” he laughed. “So far, I have three rock songs, one country ballad and one really heavy track. They’ve written more than I have this week.”
“Do you have anything written for the new record?”
“One and a few bits and pieces. Want to hear it?”
Lucy nodded, always keen to hear her brother play.
“Not sure I know all the lyrics yet but I’ll do my best,” said Jake, settling his beloved acoustic guitar on his knee. “I found the lyrics on Rich’s computer.”
Before Lucy could reply, he began to pick the intro to the song then, as he saw her toe begin to tap, he sang the first verse, keeping his voice in a more countrified tone than normal. He sang the chorus the
n played through the piece he had been working up into the solo.
“That’s beautiful,” sighed Lucy when he was finished. “Fragile but so full of love.”
“It is, isn’t it?”
“Does it have a title?”
“A working one for now,” he said. “Shattered Hearts.”
“You should finish it in time for the memorial show,” suggested Lucy impulsively. “The fans would love to hear something new. Something so personal.”
“Maybe,” nodded Jake. “Need to finish it first.”
When Jake walked into the music room first thing on Monday morning, he was pleasantly surprised to find all of his students already working in their pairs.
“Do I have five songs ready to be recorded?” he enquired as he laid his book bag on the desk and set his guitar case down on the floor.
“Yes, sir,” said Dorrian proudly. “We met up at Landon’s on Saturday and Sunday to finish them.”
“Impressive,” nodded Jake, inwardly feeling really proud that the students were so enthusiastic about their songs. “OK, let me hear them. Landon and Cole, you can go first.”
As the first duo prepared to play, Jake spotted Nicole out in the hallway and signalled to her to join them. Carrying her coffee, she slipped into the room and sat on a table at the side to listen. Without any hint of nerves, each of the pairings performed their song in front of the two teachers. Riley and Dorrian were the last duo to perform and Jake smiled as he saw Nicole screw up her face at their heavy metal riff. Since he’d last heard the song, they had worked hard and Riley’s vocals just oozed evil as she sang the closing verse.
“Awesome!” declared Jake as they took a bow. “Don’t think Miss Tonriverdi is a metal fan though.”
The class giggled.
“Not my genre of choice,” conceded the head of the music department. “But you guys were all fantastic. Great work, kids, Really impressive.”
“Very impressive,” echoed Jake. “Now, I said I was going to set you a challenge. You have one hour from now to learn,” he paused, gazing round at each of them. “Depths.”
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