Chapter 9: A New Musician

Savannah, Georgia
September 1984

Bright morning sunlight fell through the windows into Tina's room. Some intangible feeling woke her and her eyes fluttered open, seeking focus. Her left arm was still around Rebecca and the smaller girl's right arm was around her shoulders. Tina's head was lying in the crook of Rebecca's neck. Without moving her head she raised her eyes to see Tony standing in the half-opened doorway. A smile came to her lips.

"I think I took an extra flight of stairs up by mistake," he said softly. "This must be where they keep those angels I've heard so much about."

Tina's smile brightened and she crooked a finger at him in a 'come hither' gesture. Tony walked quietly toward the bed. Tina's finger stopped and pointed towards Rebecca.

Rebecca felt a warm moistness on her left eye that trailed its way in short hops down across her cheek finally settling on her lips. Her eyes cracked open slightly to see Tony's face. Her eyelids fell closed and her left arm came up to wrap around Tony's neck and the sensations started to build inside her again. Lips, breasts, tummy, and southward the tingle went. Tina, my arm is around Tina, she's right here. She released Tony and blushed furiously.

"Good morning sweetie, did you sleep well?" Tony asked.

"Good morning Tony. I slept fine. I think I woke up better though." She beamed a radiant smile at him.

"Well then I'll wake you like that whenever I can. Time for breakfast you two. I got tired of waiting on you to wake up on your own."

"Give us ten minutes to brush our teeth and get dressed Tony then come back up. I really like your girlfriend but I'm not carrying her down the stairs for you." Tina chuckled.

"OK, ten minutes." He kissed Rebecca again on the lips and his sister on the temple. As he turned to leave he plucked at the sleeve of one of his shirts being worn as a nightie by Rebecca. "I see you're teaching my girlfriend more of your bad habits." He smiled at them and left, closing the door behind him to a fit of giggles.

"My God!" exclaimed Tina once the door closed. "I think that was the most romantic thing I've ever seen."

"Tina, I swear, if you hadn't been in this bed just then in about ten more seconds your brother would have been. I cannot control myself around him."

"He-he, my brother makes you a little horny does he?"

"I've never felt like this. I know I never kissed a boy before him but I'm not a prude. I know how the parts are supposed to work and I even work them myself from time to time but he just breaks all the rules."

Tina started laughing again and Rebecca's blush returned and her hands flew to her mouth when she realized what she had just admitted to Tina.

Tina just waved her away and managed to get out, "Don't worry about it girl. We all do it. I do it quite often myself if that makes you feel better." Both girls descended into another bout of giggles.

After a minute Tina finally asked, "What do you mean by him breaking the rules. Tony hasn't done something you didn't want did he? That's not like Tony."

"Nope, your brother is perhaps too much a gentleman I think. I mean the rules about how stuff works I was talking about. It's not supposed to work like that."

"What do you mean?"

"When Tony kissed me at the hospital the other night. I got all gooey and tingly and then boom! All he did was kiss me. It was just about to happen again right here on the bed I think. That's not supposed to happen."

"My brother gave you a, you know, just by kissing you?" Tina asked incredulously.

"I don't know what it was. Like I said, that brother of yours breaks the rules. I'm not complaining mind you." She sighed.

"Amazing," was all Tina could think to say. "Come on, let's get dressed."

The band was getting set up in the basement. Kyle, Jerry, and Dewayne had shown up along with Gwen and Kyle's girlfriend Chrissie. Gwen and Chrissie normally showed up on Saturdays as the whole group would gather around the pool to relax after practice. They weren't idle until then though. Dewayne and Kyle had taken to teaching them how to run the band's sound board which was set up across the room. They had, using a play on words, dubbed them the 'Sound Chicks'.

Tony and Tina had asked the guys to warm up with a few songs that they had already perfected to give Rebecca a little taste of their sound before they got down to the grind of working out new songs.

Rebecca had opted to stay in her chair for a little mobility around the basement. When the band was ready Tony said into the microphone "Girls let's just start with four." All of the band members as well as the 'Sound Chicks' had cheat sheets. The band members simply had the song title. The cheat sheet at the sound board was much more elaborate. The girls kept a complex listing of what settings they had found best for the various instruments and microphones the band used. In this case they tweaked the volume a bit for what was labeled 'Kyle Mic'. Rebecca looked up and was surprised. Tina wasn't at her keyboards but was standing next to Kyle's microphone with, of all things, her violin. Well this ought to be interesting, Rebecca thought.

Tony started with a simple intro on his acoustic-electric followed a measure later by a strong bass note by Kyle and simple but incredibly crisp accompaniment by both Dewayne and Jerry. Tony addressed the microphone and began singing.

Day after day I'm more confused
Yet I look for the light through the pouring rain
You know that's a game that I hate to lose
And I'm feeling the strain, ain't it a shame

His voice was soulful with just enough roughness around the edges to add depth and character. Rebecca was impressed. She hadn't really known what to expect. She knew Tina and Tony and had spent some time with Dewayne last night when the group went out for pizza after meeting up at the mall. None of them were the type to try something like this lightly. They were good, really good. The second verse started out much like the first, and then pure magic hit. Tina's violin began a mournful counterpoint to Tony's voice and he looked directly at his sister and sang

And I'm counting on you, to carry me through

The second chorus was more upbeat still, hopeful now and no longer melancholy. The bridge and third verse turned into a pure love song between Tony and his sister. Rebecca remembered their conversation late into the night the night before. ' I played for him every day. He realized he could follow the music home.'

And when my mind is free
You know your melody can move me
And when I'm feeling blue
Your guitar's coming through to soothe me

Tony poured this thanks out to his sister through his voice and she responded with pure love from her violin.

Thanks for the joy that you've given me
I want you to know I believe in your song
Rhythm and rhyme and harmony
You help me along
Making me strong

The chorus and its repeat was no longer pleading or hopeful. It was a celebration. Tina's violin of love easily dancing around the rock beat until the end. Rebecca was stunned. "My god," she uttered, "that was fantastic".