by William Bebb
*****
“Wake up, Issac. Wake up.” Jeremiah whispered while shaking his snoring friend.
At first the young man thought he must be dreaming, but the music kept playing loud enough to be heard even over Issac's snoring.
“What’s? Where am-,” Jeremiah held his hand over Issac's mouth because he was talking too loud then whispered, “Shush, just listen, do you hear that music?”
Not too distant, they both heard someone singing outside. The music was nice sounding, but neither young man knew who was playing the song. Most of the words in the lyrics were hard to make out clearly, yet they both heard and understood some of the words, including a brief clear snippet of, “I got to go, Lord.”
“It’s a sign, Issac. Come on, get up, I got a table leg for you too. Let's follow that music and do what we can to help.”
“Jeremiah, it's just a song- not a sign. We can't go traipsing out there with all those things wandering around, plus it’s too dark outside how would we see where to go?” Issac asked calmly while leaning back against the badly hemorrhaging bean bag chair.
“Well then, I guess this is goodbye.” Jeremiah stood up and walked to the door holding his club that had formerly served as an oak kitchen table leg. “God Bless you, Brother Issac,” the younger man said then opened the door.
“Wait a minute. Wait, damn it.” Issac rolled out of the beanbag chair, stood up, and walked to the door feeling a cool breeze, as he looked at his young friend. “Swear to me, that you really believe this is a sign from God and I'll come with you.”
Jeremiah looked around outside for anyone and finally whispered, “I swear it. I might be wrong and yet I really believe we were meant to not just hear this music but also to follow it. And no, I can't begin to guess what we'll find out there, but I'm going to find out- with or without you. It's the right thing to do. I just know it.”
“Alright, I believe you, but please do one thing with me before we go out there. As we were riding into the valley this afternoon I felt the Twenty Third Psalm running through my mind over and over. Pray it with me and then we'll go,” Issac said, staring up at the pinpricks of stars overhead before staring at the low hanging moon.
They spent a few minutes reciting the Psalm then followed the music into the night.
“It’s actually quite good music,” Jeremiah whispered, holding his club over his shoulder while following a stream of water.
“I was thinking the same thing. It's not gospel music but more like old rock and roll, I think,” Issac said, carrying an identical club over his left shoulder.
“If- … Um, I mean when we get out of here and everything is back to normal I'm definitely buying some of their CDs or download the songs from the internet,” the younger man said then quickly clarified, “You do understand that I meant I would legally buy and download the songs, right?”
Issac chuckled and didn't doubt that the younger man was being completely honest on his plan to buy the songs and not illegally downloading them. They'd traveled together for a very long time and covered nearly two thousand miles, and not once had the younger man even come close to doing anything illegal. The older man sometimes thought Jeremiah to be too pure, innocent, and trusting but respected his drive to do only good in life.
The music got steadily louder as they walked in the moonlight until they found a tall chain link fence.
“It’s pretty high. Maybe there's a gate somewhere. Which way do you want to go?” Issac asked, as one song ended and another began.
Free bird started playing and Issac turned and grabbed Jeremiah's shoulder. “I know this song. I know it. It's called Free Bird. My cousins, who like to think of themselves as musicians, play it a lot whenever I visit them. I know the band’s name too, just give me a second.”
Jeremiah looked frustrated. “Let’s go find a gate and you can ask whoever is playing it what the name of the band is.” He then turned left and followed the fence.
“I really do know the band's name. It’s right on the tip of my tongue,” Issac said, as he followed the younger man.