Shattered Hearts

by Coral McCallum

  A couple of songs later, the stage lights dimmed as Todd, Paul and Grey slipped off stage. Shunning the stool that had been brought out for him, Jake plugged his radio pack into his acoustic guitar and sat down on the edge of the stage to play. One of the crew came scurrying out to move his microphone down into place beside him.

  “Time to mellow things out a bit for a few minutes,” said Jake as he tweaked the tuning of his guitar. “You ready to help me out with a few acoustic numbers?”

  The acoustic interlude was always one of Jake’s favourite parts of the show. He fed off the more intimate connection with the fans, drawing comfort and reassurance from their emotions. Keeping his own emotions under control in the circumstances was proving to be a challenge. As he began to sing Lady Butterfly, he caught sight of Lori standing in the wings with Jesse in her arms and Melody by her side. A single tear escaped unbidden down his cheeks as he fought to keep his voice strong and steady. In front of him, the dedicated Silver Lakers had also been overcome by the grief and the emotion surrounding the show. By the time he was singing Bonded Souls, several of them were openly weeping.

  “Baltimore, from the bottom of my heart, thank you for helping me through that,” said Jake sincerely. “You are incredible.”

  Getting to his feet and changing guitar in favour of his custom Mz Hyde, Jake asked, “Are you ready to welcome some friends out here to play their own tributes to Rich?”

  As the rest of Silver Lake returned to the stage, Jake continued, “Folks, please welcome the incredibly beautiful and talented Miss Ellen Lloyd from After Life out on stage.”

  Much to Jake’s surprise, Ellen had changed into her full witch-like stage costume but, instead of her trademark eye patch, had opted for her round purple John Lennon style glasses. Beside him, he heard Grey say, “Here she comes. Witchy Woo from the East.”

  “Folks, this is Mysteries,” introduced Jake as he suppressed a wave of nervous laughter.

  It had been over five years since Jake and Ellen had last duetted on the popular Silver Lake song. Despite their lack of rehearsal, it felt as if they had performed the song only days before. Their voices complemented each other to perfection and the fans hung on their every word.

  “Folks, give it up for Ellen!” yelled Jake when the song ended.

  Having taken an overly theatrical curtsey cum bow, Ellen swept gracefully off stage as Jake prepared to welcome out Silver Lake’s next guest.

  “Our next friend has flown in from Southern California for this show,” began Jake. “Please give a huge cheer for the Queen of Scream herself, Tori!”

  The song he’d chosen for Tori to guest on was What Happened Today, a sultry blues-based ballad. It had been one of Silver Lake’s singles from their last album, Elements, and was also one he’d duetted with Tori on once before for a TV music show.

  In contrast to Ellen, Tori had chosen to dress down for the occasion. Looking relaxed in a black vest tee, ripped skinny jeans and Converse, she greeted each member of the band warmly, whispering to Jake as she hugged him, “Rich would have loved this show.”

  “I hope so,” said Jake, hugging her back.

  His duet with Molton’s leading lady was an entirely different affair to the duet with Ellen. What Happened Today was slower paced and, instead of showcasing Tori’s trademark screams, it gave the Silver Lake fans the chance to hear the other side to her, the blues queen side. The song had developed into one of the band’s favourites from the Elements tour but, as they reached the mid-song solo, Jake felt another stab of grief over the loss of his bandmate. As the solo began, he turned sharply aware that it wasn’t Todd playing. To his surprise, Garrett Court had slipped on stage to do the honours. Smiling over at him, Jake realised that it had been an inspired intervention.

  The guests kept coming over the next three songs as the two guitarists from After Life joined the band to play Losing Control then Mikey from Weigh Station stepped out to play on Witchcraft. Still in her cloak, Ellen couldn’t resist sneaking back out to sing the final chorus with Jake totally unrehearsed. The bass-heavy anthem Dance With The Devil saw After Life’s bassist Luke Court join Grey much to the delight of the crowd. Having so many friends of the band playing helped the remaining members of Silver Lake sustain the celebratory feel to the show.

  “Folks, I’m going to call Garrett back out here for a few minutes,” said Jake, still slightly out of breath after singing Dance With The Devil.

  With a wave to the fans, Garrett loped across the stage to join Jake.

  “Battle To The Death!” roared Jake as the two guitarists played side by side in complete synchronisation.

  The highly technical guitar duet was one Silver Lake had only ever played on rare occasions due to its complexities but it was one that had always been a firm fan favourite. Playing it with Garrett by his side felt almost surreal and, again, Jake found himself wrestling with his emotions. Skilfully, Garrett had altered his own style of playing in an attempt to sound more akin to Rich. Closing his eyes as the solo drew to a close, Jake could almost believe it was Rich by his side. The image tore at his heart.

  With only two songs left on the main set, Silver Lake invited all of their special guests back out to join them for Another Turn Of The Screw before finally rounding things off with a monumental rendition of Engine Room. The Ram’s Head stage was crowded with all eleven musicians out on it at once but the Silver Lake fans were loving it.

  “Thank you and good night,” called out Jake as the band prepared to leave the stage.

  Within seconds of them heading into the wings, the fans were screaming for more. Dripping with sweat, Jake grabbed a towel from Jethro and rubbed himself down before grabbing a water bottle.

  “Daddy!” cried out Melody, overexcited to see her father on stage.

  “Three more songs, Miss M,” he replied, glugging down more water. “Three song encore, then you get a hug.”

  “Want to go on stage,” grumbled Jesse, wriggling restlessly in Lori’s arms.

  “Three more songs and we’ll see, buddy,” said Jake.

  Behind them, they could all hear the loud chants of “Silver Lake, Silver Lake, Silver Lake Lake Lake” and the rhythmic stomping of the fans’ feet.

  “Get your asses back out there, boys,” instructed Maddy sharply. “And remember your marks for the end of the show. Watch for those cannons going off!”

  “Yes, boss,” said Jake, tossing his sweat-soaked towel aside.

  It didn’t escape his attention that someone caught the small silver-grey towel before it hit the floor. As he turned to head back to the stage for the encore, he saw Nicole standing in the shadows with the towel in her hands.

  The roar from the Silver Lake fans almost deafened the band as they walked back out. Raising his hands in an appeal for quiet, Jake waited for the cheers to die away before he began to speak.

  “We’ve got three more for you, folks!” he declared, struggling to make himself heard. “This was one of Rich’s favourites. Enter Sandman!”

  Taking a deep breath to steady his nerves, Jake began the distinctive intro to the classic Metallica anthem. Todd came in right on cue then Paul’s powerful drum beats and Grey’s chugging bass built on the maelstrom of sound. Heads banging, the three guitarists came together centre stage then Jake stepped forward, “Say your prayers little one.”

  All along the rail, the hard-core Silver Lakers were headbanging. Out in the middle of the room, a small mosh pit had opened up. On the raised area, Jake could see Becky beside Wren and Hayden dancing in time to the music. Beside them, Grey’s mother, Annie, was also nodding her head in time to the metal anthem. Everyone in the venue was moving and soaking up the classic metal cover.

  “Baltimore, you guys are fucking fantastic!” roared Jake at the end of the song. “Now, we have something special for you. We have a brand new, never been heard before song for you.”

  Screams and whistles of appreciation echoed throughout the venue.

  “This is Shattered
Hearts,” announced Jake simply.

  The delicate melody that had haunted him since Rich’s death soared over the fans. As if understanding what was to come, the fans lit up the room with their cell phones and lighters. Amid a landscape of twinkling stars and through a veil of unshed tears, Jake and the rest of Silver Lake premiered the new song. Singing Rich’s raw and powerfully emotional lyrics ripped Jake apart but, by some miracle, he kept his voice steady. Cheeks wet with tears, he poured his heart and soul into the solo before singing the last verse and chorus. Either side of him he could see Todd and Grey wrestling with their own grief. Risking a brief glance into the wings, Jake witnessed Jethro consoling an openly weeping Maddison. In front of him, the Silver Lakers along the rail were overcome by grief.

  “Thank you,” he managed as the last notes faded out.

  Letting out a long howl of pent up anguish, Jake then roared, “Rich, this is for you, buddy! Baltimore, thank you and we’ll leave you with Flyin’ High. Safe journey home. Stay safe till next time.”

  Before Jake knew it, he was waving goodnight to the crowd and tossing the last of the commemorative picks from his mic stand out to the lucky few. Flyin’ High had disappeared in a blur and he barely recalled playing it. As he headed towards his family at the side of the stage, both Melody and Jesse broke free from Lori’s grasp and came running towards him. Scooping them up into his arms, Jake hugged them tight and allowed them a few moments on stage in front of the cheering fans before he carried them back into the wings.

  “You were incredible tonight,” said Lori, hugging her family. “What a show!”

  “That was……” Jake couldn’t continue. He was totally lost for words.

  As the Silver Lake extended family moved away from the side of the stage, there were hugs and more than a few tears. Everyone agreed that it had been the perfect celebration of Rich’s life and music.

  Each of them carrying a sleeping child, Jake and Lori walked slowly along the quiet hotel corridor shortly after two in the morning. There had been an after-show meal at a local steakhouse and, while the party animals among the band and crew went in search of a night club, the others headed back to the hotel.

  Balancing Melody on his hip, Jake fumbled in his pocket for the key card, taking three attempts to get the green light from the door. With a sigh of relief, Lori lay Jesse down on the bed, removed his sneakers and pulled the sheet over him. She checked the holdall that lay between the two kid’s beds for his favourite cuddly dolphin and tucked it in beside him. While she had settled Jesse, Jake had done the same with Melody, slipping her American Girl doll under the sheet beside her.

  “Those little guys have been great today,” said Jake as he followed Lori across the room.

  “They’re going to be tired and cranky on the ride home tomorrow.”

  “Probably,” he conceded with a yawn.

  “You ok?” asked Lori softly. “That was an awesome show. You guys did Rich proud.”

  “I’m fucked” sighed Jake, running his hand through his hair. “I have no idea how we pulled that off. The crowd were awesome. Garrett was an inspiration. It just all fell into place.”

  “You going to be tired and cranky tomorrow too?” giggled Lori as she began to get undressed.

  “Maybe but I’m not too tired to make love to my wife,” commented Jake quietly. “Come here, li’l lady,”

  “Jake, what about the kids?”

  “Sh,” he said, stepping forward to wrap his arms around her. “We’ll be quiet. Plus, they are sound asleep. A freight train could pull through here and they’d sleep through it.”

  Gazing up into his hazel eyes, Lori smiled, “Well if we’re extra quiet….”

  The rest of the sentence was lost as Jake lowered his lips to hers and began to kiss her hungrily.

  Taking Melody by the hand, Jake and Lori led her across the parking lot and into the elementary school that they had chosen for her. Uncharacteristically, their daughter was quiet. With her big blue eyes wide, she gazed round at the low circular building they were approaching.

  “You ok, Miss M?” asked Jake as they reached the front door of the school.

  The little girl shook her head.

  “You’ll be fine, honey,” promised Lori, squeezing her hand. “Once you meet your teacher and the kids in the class, it’ll be fun. You’ll make lots of friends.”

  “Anna and Linzi and Hayden and Wren are my friends, Mommy,” stated Melody quietly. “And Becky.”

  “And Wren and Hayden go to school here too,” explained Jake with a smile.

  “But they are in the second grade!”

  “I’m sure you’ll see them at recess or lunch,” said Lori warmly. “Wren said she’d come and find you.”

  “Look,” interrupted Jake. “Here’s your class.”

  They entered the large bright classroom and were greeted by the kindergarten teacher, who introduced herself as Miss Wade. She escorted Melody across the room to a table where there were already two little girls and a boy sitting with their parents.

  “Melody, this will be your group. This is Kelsey, Anni and Joe,” introduced Miss Wade. “Mr and Mrs Power, I’ll leave you to introduce yourselves to the other parents. Please don’t be offended when I ask all parents to leave in ten minutes. If you want to take photographs, now is your chance.”

  “Thank you,” said Lori, warming to the young teacher instantly. “She’s a little nervous about being here.”

  “Don’t worry, they all are.”

  While Lori helped Melody settle at the table and take her pencil box out of her backpack, Jake introduced himself to the other parents around the table.

  “You the guy from that band Silver Lake?” asked Joe’s dad awkwardly.

  “Guilty as charged,” laughed Jake.

  “My oldest son was at your show in Baltimore last weekend,” commented Kelsey’s mom.

  “Hope he enjoyed it.”

  “Oh, he did!”

  “So did I,” said Melody shyly.

  “YOU were at rock show?” quizzed Kelsey, who was sitting to Melody’s right. “Wow! That’s SO cool.”

  With the ice broken, the two little girls began to chat. Briefly, Jake interrupted their conversation to take a few photos of Melody to commemorate her first day of school.

  “Good morning, everyone,” called out Miss Wade after a few minutes. “Delighted to see you all here. Now, class, I’m going to ask the mommies and daddies to leave so say goodbye and you’ll see them at lunchtime when we finish for the day.”

  The teacher paused as a ripple of panic ran through the room. With a reassuring smile, she continued, “Mommies and Daddies, can you please return at twelve. I’ll bring the class out to the blue zone in the yard. It’s to the right of the building if you are standing facing the front door. That will be your drop off and pick up point from tomorrow.” She paused to allow the parents to say goodbye then indicated that they should leave the room.

  Hand in hand, Jake and Lori walked out of the school towards Lori’s SUV.

  “I can’t believe our baby girl has started school,” commented Jake as he climbed into the passenger seat.

  “She looks so tiny sitting at that desk,” said Lori, sounding as if she was about to cry.

  “She’ll be fine. Looked like she’d already made a friend.”

  “Yeah but I’m not fine,” confessed Lori, a tear gliding down her cheek. “She’s too little to be in school.”

  “No, she’s not,” countered Jake calmly. “She’s the perfect age to start kindie. That’s why she’s there.”

  “I guess,” sighed Lori, starting the engine.

  “What are you going to do with the morning?” asked Jake in an attempt to change the subject onto safe territory.

  “After I drop you off at JJL, I’m going to meet Maddy at the outlets. We’re going shopping.”

  “Ah, retail therapy,” laughed Jake.

  “Well, I’d never be able to concentrate on work,” confessed Lori as she
reversed out of the parking spot.

  “Any excuse, li’l lady,” he said warmly. “Can you pick me up some black jeans?”

  “I suppose I could.”

  “Thanks. Right, step on it. I need to get to the studio and I’m late.”

  “No change there,” giggled Lori. “Hope you’ve got twenty bucks in your wallet.”

  An icy blast from the air conditioning hit Jake as he entered JJL carrying two of his guitars plus his book bag. Voices echoed down from the lounge amid the familiar aroma of freshly brewed coffee. As he’d suspected, he was the last to arrive.

  “Ah, the late Mr Power,” greeted Dr Marrs brightly.

  Grey raised his hand expectantly and, without complaint, Jake passed him a twenty-dollar bill.

  “Did you get Melody settled into kindie?” checked Paul as he helped himself to a donut hole from the box on the table.

  “Just about,” replied Jake, going over to pour himself a coffee.

  “She’ll be fine,” reassured Paul. “We’re really pleased with that school and, trust me, Maddison checked them all out before we enrolled the meatballs there. They love it.”

  “Seems like a good set up,” agreed Jake, taking a seat on the couch beside Grey. “So, what have I missed so far?”

  “We were talking about what material you guys have ready for me to work with,” said Dr Marrs. “Sounds like there’s still a lot to be written.”

  Jake nodded, “There is. With all that’s been going on, I’ve not as much ready as I’d hoped to have.”

  “How many complete songs do you have?”

  “Maybe four,” replied Jake openly. “Five at a push.”

  “Guess it’s a start,” commented the producer bluntly.

  “We do have a load of riffs, bridges, melodies and shit that Rich left us on his laptop,” revealed Jake, glancing at his bandmates for reassurance. “Not sure where he recorded them. Quality’s sharp. It would be good to use as much of that stuff as we can.”