Three - Intruders of Innocence

Jimmy was reading the back of an album jacket with his sunglasses on when Robert walked through the front door the same time and in the same fashion he did the first night. "Ever lay eyes on anything worth reading, Kid?"

Jimmy rolled his eyes. "Like what?"

Robert folded his collar down and frowned. "Like what? Like maybe a classic novel such as, Moby Dick"

Jimmy laughed aloud believing the man was joking. "Are you kidding me? I have never read a book, even in high school!"

Robert shook his head, "did you graduate?" Jimmy nodded yes. "How?"

Jimmy coiled his fingers into a fist and with a defiant look in his eyes. "I guess they got tired of looking at me and never wanted to see me again."

Robert pointed to the back door. "Grab the bourbon and lock the store, Kid." The man thought to himself as he looked to the heavens, 'God! No wonder I am in this in Cabbagetown'.

Jimmy performed his closing routine much slower than previous nights. Partying like a rock star has its draw backs when you are not actually a rock star. It was all just too much to take in for the kid from nowhere.

When he opened the door to the studio this night it was like passing through a portal with his eyes wide open. Except this night the sunglasses stayed on.

He handed the bourbon to Robert who in turn gave him the check to keep Jimmy working. Only the kid was none the wiser about the arrangement and Robert wanted it that way.

"That's a good look for ya, Kid." Robert referred to the sunglasses he wore.

The kid locked the safe and went to sit in the engineer's booth. "In here, Jimmy." Robert surprised the kid.

"What?" Jimmy wondered why his presence was needed in the studio.

This one word answer rubbed Robert the wrong way. "When you speak to another human being, do not simply grunt at them. That's impolite. Now try it again." The man waited then explained what he wanted. "Ask me what you wanted to know in the form of a sentence."

"Okay. Why do you want me here in the studio? I usually sit in the booth." Robert felt Jimmy articulated his question quite nicely this time.

"Much better. We just wasted two minutes getting to the good stuff because you wanted to grunt at me." Robert was being his eccentric self in explaining this life lesson.

"The reason I want you here is to just be. And no bourbon tonight." He pointed at Jimmy before continuing. "Have you ever just been in a place and soaked it in?" Robert looked at the kid from nowhere. "Of course you haven't. Just sit. Ask a question when I am not playing if there is something on your mind. Okay?" The man pressed his lips together and looked for the response.

Jimmy nodded. "If I have a question wait until you stop playing. Got it."

Robert raised both eyebrows then began strumming his acoustic guitar while letting the young man in on little known facts of his life. "Now I remember the first time I saw Buddy Holly play. I traveled a hundred miles to see him before he died. Of course I didn't know he was going to die. No one did. Well, I soaked in everything about that night.

I swam in the moment and knew that night would change me forever."

The slow deliberate delivery of Robert's thoughts had Jimmy mesmerized. His mind wanting to jump out and grab every word. It was as if the man was hypnotizing him and he wanted more.

"I saw how the man moved. Every breath he took I drew in from the same air. The words he spoke I heard. When he sang I was moved. I am sitting here right now speaking to you in this room because Buddy Holly moved me!

You never know when or where inspiration will come to you. On the bus, when you are in handcuffs or eating dinner, I don't know but it comes to everyone. Trust me with this, Jimmy.

I have written so many songs and I was inspired every time. I will not tell you what inspires me. Because those things will never inspire you. You've lived a completely different life than I have.

Have you ever had a girl in your life? They are a godsend and a curse. Maybe curse us too much. Let's call a woman a challenge. A challenge to understand and a challenge to be understood.

A woman will inspire you. Maybe not to write a song or paint for her but believe you me they will inspire you. You never know how far you will go for them until you've gone the distance. Then you will be asked to do it again and again. And if you love her this part never ends.

I know you want to ask old Robert if he has such a woman in his life. The answer to that question are in the songs I have written and the ones to come. Suze and Sara are two ladies that found their way into my heart. I will not lament a woman's love, it is as powerful as gravity."

Robert could see a question forming in Jimmy's mind and waivered from his delivery to give the young man an opportunity to jump in and be part of the conversation. "What's on your mind, Jimmy?"

Jimmy looked at the man with the guitar. "How did you know? How will I know what my calling will be?"

Robert smiled as if his soul was afire again by the simple question. "I knew I was hooked when music felt like the oxygen I had to breathe. You will know your calling when you just can not walk away. When everything seems to point you in that one direction you can not change, no matter how you try, you always get pulled back to the path.

Even when I sent Roy Orbison a demo cut and he told me my voice was crap I could not change my path. I believed Roy but my music was more about truth not not about my voice. Well, the point is nothing is perfect and you just have to give the world what you have. Be as truthful as you can be, that's all the world asks of you, Kid.

When you don't give an honest effort, it will show. Everyone needs to prove themselves, young and old. Resting on your laurels means you have given the world everything you have and if you are still breathing that is just not the case. There will be time to rest when you die.

I don't know if I will ever stop playing music. I need to do it! It is the stuff that runs through my veins. When I put my heart on my sleeve it is a warrior's patch saying I am not afraid to bare my soul to anyone who will listen. How could someone stop doing something they love so much? I guess I am not old enough to know that answer yet.

I guess I am here to continue this journey I began over twenty years ago. I get to discover a new and exciting part of who I am. We are forever changing and developing as humans. Hopefully becoming better people with each discovery.

Sure sometimes we regress and regret but mostly people are good and become better as time marches on. I feel I am a better man than I was when I began this journey. I was naive and innocent believing the world would change with me.

I am far more concerned with how the world is doing than whatever I achieve. But I still let the world know what I am thinking. I dunno, maybe I am letting the world change me.

Jimmy looked as if he had grown somehow and something greater was beckoning in his mind. He was actually getting the bard's mercurial muses and hungered for more. Without the bourbon his young mind envisioned the tails being brought to life by the Jester himself.

He didn't feel special, gifted or even intelligent but he did have a sense of self. Jimmy was awoken and Robert just smiled knowing that was enough talk for one night.

Robert paused the hypnotic strumming, reached into his pocket and tossed Jimmy a new Hohner Blues Harp. "No more words tonight, Kid. Just play along, okay?"

Jimmy nodded and ever so slowly raised the harmonica to his lips. One last look at the man known as the Jester and closed his eyes. When he softly drew a long breath in on the low end of the harp it sounded like a steam locamotive's ornery lamenting whistle filling the studio. Robert grinned at Mark in the engineer's booth.

Robert played the blues that night, not for himself but rather it was a fitting way for Jimmy to leg go of his innocence. And more so for the kid from nowhere to goodbye to his father. Robert fed him the rifts as if he were a puppy eating food for the first time.

Jimmy played feverishly at times. God only knew what he was thinking and feeling at the time. Then the solemn quietness of the harp spoke to Robert as deeply as the the rafter cracking moments. The back and forth between the two was unbelievable as Mark looked on from the booth shaking his head.

It would have been difficult not to be moved by the roller coaster of the dual as they fought their way through the emotional ranges. Robert would play his old songs but Jimmy somehow changed the feel to them making the elder statesman find new rifts in the wake of the harp's path.

This night was a powerful time for the eighteen year old kid from nowhere. He was not playing to amuse or impress anyone. It was plain to see the demons running for their lives from his mind. This night he found a new way to deal with the past and the fire was too hot for those intruders of innocence.