Tuesday, July 17, 1973

POV Michelle Ma Belle

Five to eight in the morning. I walk briskly toward the big hall. I'm in the building of the British musical magazine New Musical Express. Some people who work at the magazine look at me, but they do not know who I am. Better that way. Only one person in the magazine knows me, Mr. Joseph Marion. He is one of the great directors of the magazine and today he called me, wanting to talk to me. I even wonder why. I smile in the corner, for I know very well what it is. I stand in front of an elevator and squeeze your button, waiting for it to stop for me. The elevator stopped and I got into it. I am a single young, do not want to become involved at the time with any man, I Have Feelings Too the other priorities at the moment and I just know what I want right now.

He had pressed the button on the fourth floor. A few seconds later the elevator stopped where I had chosen. I leave the site c aminho striding toward the principal's office Joseph Marion. I quickly reached his office and there was the secretary, Mrs. Judith. She had her bottle-bottomed glasses staring at me.

"Mr. Marion is waiting for you in his office," the old lady said rudely.

"Thank you." I smile at her in an ironic way.

I do not like this woman. It makes me shiver. I open the door to Mr. Marion's office.

"Good morning, my dear Michelle Ma Belle, or do you prefer me to call you by your real name?" He said with a grin.

"Do not even think about saying my real name to anyone," he said seriously. "It was our deal that my real name and surname were kept confidential.

"Yeah, I know, I was just kidding," he said, smiling. "And I already understand perfectly why you want to keep your real name confidential."

"Exactly," she said, looking at him. "I'm here, you told me to call?" I hope it's something important and fast because, I have other things to do throughout the day.

"Please, sit down," he said, pointing the chair at me.

I sat on the chair in front of him. And Mr. Joseph Marion put the New Musical Express Week magazine on the table and opened the page that talked about the Queen.

"So what do you want, Mr. Marion?" I asked looking at him.

He smiled at me and looked again at the story I wrote.

"You did a great job." What you wrote caused a stir in the music press. "He smiled wryly." His pseudonym of Michelle Ma Belle is already known in the musical press world. You detonated Queen's first album, I'm sure the guys from the band at this hour are mad with rage.

"I should think so," he said, looking at him.

- You know they are with hatred of his new publication, my dear - he laughed - Your work over the last twelve months will is excellent. Once again, congratulations, Michelle Ma Belle. His new report in the weekly magazine is selling wonderfully. It's making a success, the press that does not like Queen is loving everything you're writing.

- Unlike the band's fans, they want to annihilate me - I said looking at him - But, I know there are pros and cons in the middle of the press. I know how to work in this environment is rotten, is hypocritical - I smile at him.

"Of course there is," he said, laughing. "I called you here not only to congratulate you, but also to pay for what you really deserve and what I had promised.

At that moment he opened one of the drawers on the desk and took out a check and handed it to me.

"There's your payment, for your new article." He smiled. "I hope you like it.

I held the check in hand and my hand trembled, because the value of the check was high and it was exactly the amount I needed.

"And so, my dear, is it the value you really want?" He asked me.

"It was more than I wanted." I looked at him gratefully. "Thank you, Mr. Joseph Marion, this amount on the check is really what I need.

- Great, my dear Michelle Ma Belle - He smiled at me - That was it, I called you here today to pay you to have written this excellent article about Queen, of course detonating the band, speaking ill of her and so you will continue. When I call you again to write something about the band, I'll call you.

"You can call me whenever you need, not just to talk about Queen, but about any other Rock and Roll band. You know, when you want, I can speak ill of other bands like Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, the bands that are on the music scene - Said convinced.

"Surely when I need to, I'll call you." He smiled at me. "When I want to, you'll speak ill of other bands too, but the focus right now is Queen. I want to end the career of this band, which in fact has no career, they are starting now. I want to end before they are known worldwide.

"As you wish, Mr. Marion," he said, rising and greeting me. "Have a good day."

"Good morning, Michelle Ma Belle," he said, smiling at me.

I quickly leave his office and do not comply with Mrs. Judith. I pretend she does not exist. I walk down the hallway and quickly step into the elevator and exit on the ground floor. I walk quickly, toward the exit, because I do not want another idiot to flirt with me at the moment. I want to go to the bank, now to deposit this check, because, I already know very well what I will do with the value of the money that is in that check.

I leave the New Musical Express building and cross the street. I get in my car, which is parked across the street. I turn on the vehicle and head for the bank. I leave it on a Rock and Roll radio. I like to hear the songs that are playing at the moment. Although I speak badly about Queen, I love Rock and Roll, what an irony, is not it? He was playing David Bowie's Starman and as soon as the song ends, he starts playing Queen's Liar and I smile wryly.

I am Michelle Ma Belle, this is my pseudonym, which I have been using for a year now to publish reports about Queen, talking badly about the band, about their performances at Imperial College, pubs, events, etc. And now I have depleted the band's first album that was released last Friday. I know how much the guys in the band are hating me, so I guess. Surely they are, after all, who would like to read an article from a music magazine about the first album of the band and the journalist or columnist speaks badly? No band would like to go through this. I keep driving my car, listening to the song and thinking about everything I've written about the band. Queen fans want to kill me. I'm sure everyone wants to know my true identity. And you also want my real identity? I'm sorry to report, but for you, I'm just Michelle Ma Belle.

To be continued.