Five - One Day

Nowhere you'd know

Robert pulled the screen door open and knocked on the front door of number ten Church Street in a town Jimmy referred to as 'nowhere you'd know'. There was no answer. He walked around the very old building. "My God, it is an old church. The kid lived in an old church."

The blue paint on the old pine siding faded to a pale gray. The grass crunched under his feet with the ground almost frozen. Temperatures dipped below freezing most night this time of year. Robert passed the lilac tree and wondered about the springtime fragrance it would give.

Madge, Jimmy's mother, was in the backyard about to brush her dog, Willie. But Willie bolted to the end of his chain barking at a stranger in the driveway. She approached the man with a smile. "Hello!"

Robert stopped halfway up the gravel driveway. "Oh, hey." He took a few steps backwards to increase the distance between he and Willie.

"Oh, Willie won't hurt a flea. He just wants to be friends!" Madge laughed. "I am Margaret, but people around here call me Madge."

"Oh, hi, yeah, I am Robert. That is a beautiful dog, ma'am." He found what he thought was a safe distance from the dog and continued his conversation. "A border collie?"

"Yes, yes he is. A blue merle. You know dogs?" Madge leaned down to pet Willie. "He loves his walks. I am about to take him for one. Want to join us?"

"Ah, ah. What the hell?" Robert gave in and smiled. "This town does have a hospital, right?" He nervously laughed.

"A veterinary clinic just down the street." Madge laughed.

"Ah, Madge, that is not funny!" Robert stammered.

"Willie will not hurt you." Madge unhooked the border collie. "Let's go, Willie." Willie bolted as if he were shot from a canon right for Robert.

Robert cringed as Willie ran past him and to the end of the driveway where he stopped just as quickly, turned and sat. Robert looked like he was about to have a heart attack.

"Are you okay?" Madge laughed as Robert stood there clutching his chest. "Oh, he does that all the time. I should have maybe warned you, eh?"

"A heads up would have been good, Madge." Robert took a deep breath. "He is fast, whoah!" He found a chuckle to offer.

"So, you are not from around here, are you? If I had to guess by your accent, you are American. Not too far away." Madge looked at Robert who was stunned by her knowledge of accents.

Robert looked around. "Are you in the right place, Madge? I mean you nailed it. I am from Duluth."

"Bob, I know you're from Duluth. I have three of your records in my stereo console." Madge looked at Robert with knowing eyes. "You must know something about Jimmy because you are not here for a back up singer."

"Okay, this is still very impressive, Madge. I am here about your son Jimmy. He's a pretty good kid." Robert was stopped by Madge.

"Bob, I love the kid, but...well, I had to send him away. Drinking and fighting. It was either get tossed into jail or get him out of town." Madge had resolved to no longer cry over the same things.

"Did you know he could read a novel in like four hours?" Robert continued. "Or play the harmonica? He played like Neil Young!"

"Jimmy drinks and fights. He never read a book in his life or played any instrument." Madge looked at Robert like he was crazy.

"He read Moby Dick last night and I have him recorded playing the blues. He played the blues so well because of you." Robert call for the dog. "Hey Willie, come here boy!"

"Jimmy read Moby Dick?" The woman was stunned. "No way! I had to explain every book to him even in grade twelve English!" Madge reached down and grabbed a short stubby branch then whipped it into the bushes and Willie followed it.

"He has not drank in a few nights. He is too embarrassed about his drinking and fighting." Robert shook his head. "A hard worker who will make something of himself. That, I know, as a fact!"

Willie returned with the stubby branch and dropped it in front of Robert. "Good boy, Willie!" He lazily tossed it to his right. "Go get it, boy!"

Madge laughed. "Bobby, you throw like I was ten years old! Willie come here." She took the stick from Willie and tossed it over the line of evergreens and the dog was off.

"Did he get a haircut? Christ he looked like Dennis Locorriere in '72!" Madge laughed at the sight of her son comparing him to Dr. Hook's lead man.

"Well, that look worked for Dennis. Not so much for Jimmy. He does need a shave, I guess he will, eventually." Robert just smiled.

Madge and Robert talked about Jimmy and his father. The two were very close so it was no wonder the death of his father hit the kid as hard as it did. When he died it was like Jimmy died that day right beside him.

"When he shaves, tell him to bring Moby Dick home and give me a report!" Madge looked at Robert. "I'm getting married soon. It would be nice to have his blessing."

"I guess I will be getting back to the city now. I have a few more nights of recording left." Robert went to turn away.

Madge reached out to stop Robert. "I love the kid. Let him know that, okay?"

"I will, Madge. I will." Robert looked up. "Oh, I think I see your new man coming."

"You won't believe it. His name is Jim as well." Madge shook her head. "Crazy!"

"Enjoy a beautiful day, Madge." Robert smiled and walked towards the man. "Hey Jim! What a woman!"

Jim paused as Robert walked by then tried to comprehend that Bob Dylan just called him by name. "Honey, why is Bob Dylan here?"

"Bringing me news of my son!" Madge finally felt happy. "You may actually meet Jimmy before the wedding!"

Just then Willie came bounding back to Madge and Jim, knocking the unsuspecting man to the gravel path. "Hey, Willie, big guy!"

Cabbagetown

After a visit to Jimmy's hometown Robert returned to the city not really sure how to speak to Jimmy about his mother. "Get a haircut, Kid. Oh, you may want to shave your beard too!"

Robert popped in to the store as he did for five weeks now at the same time every night. "Hey Kid."

Jimmy looked strangely at Robert. The man stopped. "What the hell is up? No witty one liner? Just 'hey, Kid'." Jimmy got up from his perch on the stool. "For five weeks it's been. Lock the store, grab the bottle, grab the book...something just changed. What is it old man?"

"What did you...what the hell did you call me?" Robert twitched. No one ever called him old, especially a kid. "Why don't you get a hair cut and shave that peach fuzz from your face?"

"Who the hell do you think you are telling me to shave and get a hair cut? My god damn father?" Jimmy leaned over the counter. "He left me high and dry!"

Robert yelled at the kid."One day, if you are lucky, you will wake up and see your father staring back at you in the mirror."

"Wait a minute, what do you know of my father?" Jimmy tucked a guitar puck into the crotch of a novel. "Robert?"

"I have to be honest with you, Jimmy. I took a drive to that out of way town of yours." Robert was not sure if that was a smart thing to do looking at the fiery kid.

"Why would you want to go see my mother?" Jimmy walked to the door and locked it. "Feeling sorry for me?"

"Kid, you have to face life head on. Avoiding your mother was never going to solve anything. She wants to see you, Jimmy. " Robert saw the teenager approach him quickly. "Kid!"

Jimmy ran into Robert giving him a bear hug before bursting into tears. His mother was the last connection to the world and the feelings of guilt came rushing out with the tears.

"Okay. Okay, Jimmy. Sweep up or whatever you do, forget the bourbon and get to the back room." Robert tried to breathe life back into the kid.

"No bourbon? Have you lost your marbles, Robert?" Jimmy questioned his sanity.

"What?" Robert looked at the kid. "Okay, bring the bourbon, but none for you!" Jimmy looked at him. "I told your mother you quit!"

"Bastard." Jimmy mumbled.

"Oh, I also told her you shaved and got a hair cut." Robert laughed as he added. "She said you looked like Dr. Hook."

"Yeah, what's wrong with that?" Jimmy shot back.

"A lot of things." Robert looked to the heavens. "Kids!"

There was a knock at the store front door. "Who the hell is that?" Jimmy stared out at a man in a trenchcoat. "No way! Robert are you expecting anyone?"

"No one knows I am here! You didn't tell anyone did you?" Robert looked Jimmy in the eyes.

"Who do I know?" Jimmy laughed.

"Well, I'll be damned!" Robert laughed. "Open the door, Kid. I'm not sure he can survive a Canadian November night!"

"Who is he?" Jimmy looked through the glass again then quickly turned back to Robert. "It's a fucking Beatle!"

"Well, let the fucking Beatle in, Jimmy." Robert urged him to unlock the door.

Jimmy opened the door and poked his head out. "It's a little cold tonight, wanna come in to warm up?"

"Get out of the fuking way, mate!" George spoke with a thick scouse accent. Like he had a personal vendetta against the letter c.

"George! What the hell are you doing in Cabbagetown?" Robert greeted the former Beatle with excitement.

"I could ask you the same question, mate! I'm fuking here to see you!" George always believed in face to face meetings.

"Me? Why me? I just got off the road! I am only here because they are still building my studio out in Malibu." Robert was just beginning to relax after that tour.

"Fuk me, Robert! Not right this min." George went on to explain. "I have this fuking idea of gathering the best that the labels have toss aside. See what I mean mate? A fuking group of stars. Like Roy, Tom Petty, an awesome fuking drummer maybe another fuking star the suits have tossed aside. What do you say?" George stood back and watched Robert thinking about it.

Jimmy was laughing his ass off listening to the former Beatle swearing. "What the fuk is so fuking funny?" George couldn't understand why the kid was laughing so hard.

Jimmy pulled the harmonica from is checkered flannel shirt and played a C note. "It's a gift."

"What the fuk?" George was more than a little pissed and he looked at Robert then back to the kid.

"It's a fucking C." Jimmy smiled. "Huh?" Tried to be funny but it wasn't floating with this crowd.

"Give me that!" Robert took the harmonica from Jimmy. "Get in the back!' Jimmy wasn't moving so he pushed the kid towards the backroom.

"Hey, Robert, handle with care!" Jimmy laughed then he walked to the backroom.

"Sorry George, the kid..." Robert tried to smooth the forming rift.

"Okay, okay. I know, kids! I thought Canadians were nice? They terrorized me at the airport and now this wanker!" George shook his head then asked Robert again as he made his way to the front door. "Think about it Robert. It will be fuking great. You know it!"

"Sure George, it sounds great! I'll call you in a couple of weeks." Robert put his hand on his friend's shoulder. "We could use my new studio!"

"That is what I wanted to hear, mate!"
George happily went on his way and Robert locked the door.