February 9th, 1971
“How is everyone?”
“Not too bad,” I told my sister. “They’re all in the studio to audition the new drummer.”
“Is he any good?” she asked curiously. We'd been on the phone already for a half hour, checking up on each other.
“It seems to be going well,” I replied. “Nothing’s been thrown yet.”
“Good.” I could tell Liliane was frowning when he voice came through the handset. “Have you spoken to Sylvia?”
“Very little,” I admitted. “I’d guess that she’s too busy trying to keep her marriage together.”
“It’s a shame. I know you enjoyed her company.”
“What can you do?” I answered offhandedly.
“Nothing at all,” Liliane retorted. “And speaking of shame, does your landlord have any?”
I laughed before answering. “No, he’s all out of shame. What did he do this time?” I leaned against the wall and smiled as she recounted what had happened.
“He came to my house and demanded I pay the February rent,” she scoffed. “Even though he’s already got a tenant to pick up the lease.”
“He can be a few horsemen short of a cavalry sometimes,” I chuckled.
“How did you deal with that guy for so long?” Liliane’s astonishment was clear in her voice.
“I never answered my door for that idiot without a baseball bat in my hand. He goes from entitled landlord to frightened schoolboy within five seconds,” I informed her.
“I wish I’d known that yesterday.” Liliane laughed and in my mind, I saw her shake her head. “He had just left when Lee called.”
I stayed silent but Liliane knew what I was thinking.
“Emily, I can see the smirk on your face from across the ocean.”
“So?” I pressed.
“So, nothing,” she insisted. “Lee just asked how things were going, if I’m doing well. He told me he misses me, but…”
“But what?” I asked, worry creeping into my mind.
My sister sighed. “He told me that he doesn’t know when we’d be able to see each other next,” she explained. “So he wouldn’t be upset if I was to date someone else.”
I could hear the difficulty she was having repeating his words. “Alright. Well, do you feel the same way?”
“Come on, Emily,” she sneered. “He’s in a band that plays in a different city every night. You really think he said that for me?”
“You never know,” I replied, though I knew her question was rhetorical.
“Don’t be stupid, sis.” She paused for a moment before continuing. “We never even had sex. I don’t blame him for seeing someone else.”
“He’s not.”
I heard my name called from downstairs and covered the handset to shout back.
“I have to go, Lil. I’ll call you in a couple days.”
“Alright,” she answered. “Take care.”
“You too.”
I hung up the phone and wondered what my sister would do, now that she told me what Lee had said to her. I pushed the thought from my mind as I saw Cameron standing at the bottom of the staircase.
“Emily! Excellent news,” Cameron announced as I walked down the stairs. “We’ve found our drummer.”
“That is excellent.” I put my arms around him and hugged him tightly. “Does he need me to pack lunches for him?” I joked.
“You’re not his grandmother,” Cameron insisted.
“Are you sure?” I asked, pulling away from the hug and walking into the sitting room. “Because he feels like my grandson.”
“Who’s your grandson?” Lee asked. He was sitting on the couch, his gaze fixed on the muted television.
“Colin,” I answered, as Cameron scoffed behind me.
“Colin!” Le shouted. “Come meet your grandmother!”
The newest addition to Amoeba entered the room with a confused look. “What?”
On a whim, I steadily walked up to Colin and put my hand on his cheek. “I’m your new grandmother,” I said in a serious tone.
Without missing a beat, Colin responded by putting his hand over mine and looking into my eyes. “I hope you make better pies than my last new grandmother.”
I cackled, moving my hand from his face to nudge his shoulder. “Quick wit. I like it.”
An hour later, all six of us were sitting at the kitchen table eating food ordered from a restaurant in the city.
“When would I be needed for the tour?” Colin asked as we entered a lull in conversation near the end of the meal.
"If all goes well and we finish the album with Clyde,” Cameron began while avoiding Dale’s gaze, “the tour should begin by July.”
Colin nodded, seemingly pleased with the information.
“I called Geoff earlier,” Cameron continued, now speaking to everyone. “He’s hired a producer for the recording, which we’ll do here.”
“Sounds good,” Willie replied.
Cameron nodded. “We’ve only got him for twelve days, so be here on the twenty-sixth ready to lay down some tracks.”
We finished eating not long after, and everyone dispersed into different rooms. I was cleaning up the kitchen when Colin stepped into the room and spoke to me.
“Cameron’s insisted I stay another night,” he informed me shyly.
“He’s right,” I answered. “No need to take a train at this hour.”
“I’d like to thank you, Emily.”
“For what?” I asked, as I took a cup from the cabinet. “Would you like tea?”
“Please,” Colin smiled. “And, it’s just… you’ve been so welcoming. You’ve been a wonderful grandmother these past two days.” He took the kettle from my hand and turned on the tap to fill it.
“I’m a little relieved you’re not bothered by that,” I said with a chuckle. “You’re not that young, but I can’t help but feel old.”
Colin handed the full kettle to me and I put it on the stove. “You can’t be that much older than I am.”
“I’ll be thirty soon enough,” I replied. “Twenty feels like a lifetime ago.”
“They say time passes faster as we age,” he mumbled.
“It absolutely does.” I let out a huff and shrugged. “But there’s not much we can do about the passage of time.”
We lapsed into silence for a moment, until I noticed Colin’s expression and urged him to speak his mind.
“My best friend is in Liverpool. We grew up together,” he revealed. “I’d like to give them a call and share the good news, if you wouldn’t mind?”
“Go ahead, Colin,” I replied with a smile. “The phone here is a free-for-all.”
He thanked me before leaving the kitchen to use the phone in the hallway. The kettle whistled soon after, so I poured my cup of tea and prepared it to my taste. I joined Colin in the hallway, and overheard some of his conversation as I approached.
“They’ve chosen me, Joe,” he said into the handset. “I’m very pleased, yes. You know that.”
I caught his attention and interjected. “Tea’s ready.”
“Thanks, Emily.” Colin smiled and returned to his conversation.
I walked back into the kitchen and smiled to myself as I lifted my cup to my lips. ‘I’ve got a good feeling about this kid.’
“Not too bad,” I told my sister. “They’re all in the studio to audition the new drummer.”
“Is he any good?” she asked curiously. We'd been on the phone already for a half hour, checking up on each other.
“It seems to be going well,” I replied. “Nothing’s been thrown yet.”
“Good.” I could tell Liliane was frowning when he voice came through the handset. “Have you spoken to Sylvia?”
“Very little,” I admitted. “I’d guess that she’s too busy trying to keep her marriage together.”
“It’s a shame. I know you enjoyed her company.”
“What can you do?” I answered offhandedly.
“Nothing at all,” Liliane retorted. “And speaking of shame, does your landlord have any?”
I laughed before answering. “No, he’s all out of shame. What did he do this time?” I leaned against the wall and smiled as she recounted what had happened.
“He came to my house and demanded I pay the February rent,” she scoffed. “Even though he’s already got a tenant to pick up the lease.”
“He can be a few horsemen short of a cavalry sometimes,” I chuckled.
“How did you deal with that guy for so long?” Liliane’s astonishment was clear in her voice.
“I never answered my door for that idiot without a baseball bat in my hand. He goes from entitled landlord to frightened schoolboy within five seconds,” I informed her.
“I wish I’d known that yesterday.” Liliane laughed and in my mind, I saw her shake her head. “He had just left when Lee called.”
I stayed silent but Liliane knew what I was thinking.
“Emily, I can see the smirk on your face from across the ocean.”
“So?” I pressed.
“So, nothing,” she insisted. “Lee just asked how things were going, if I’m doing well. He told me he misses me, but…”
“But what?” I asked, worry creeping into my mind.
My sister sighed. “He told me that he doesn’t know when we’d be able to see each other next,” she explained. “So he wouldn’t be upset if I was to date someone else.”
I could hear the difficulty she was having repeating his words. “Alright. Well, do you feel the same way?”
“Come on, Emily,” she sneered. “He’s in a band that plays in a different city every night. You really think he said that for me?”
“You never know,” I replied, though I knew her question was rhetorical.
“Don’t be stupid, sis.” She paused for a moment before continuing. “We never even had sex. I don’t blame him for seeing someone else.”
“He’s not.”
I heard my name called from downstairs and covered the handset to shout back.
“I have to go, Lil. I’ll call you in a couple days.”
“Alright,” she answered. “Take care.”
“You too.”
I hung up the phone and wondered what my sister would do, now that she told me what Lee had said to her. I pushed the thought from my mind as I saw Cameron standing at the bottom of the staircase.
“Emily! Excellent news,” Cameron announced as I walked down the stairs. “We’ve found our drummer.”
“That is excellent.” I put my arms around him and hugged him tightly. “Does he need me to pack lunches for him?” I joked.
“You’re not his grandmother,” Cameron insisted.
“Are you sure?” I asked, pulling away from the hug and walking into the sitting room. “Because he feels like my grandson.”
“Who’s your grandson?” Lee asked. He was sitting on the couch, his gaze fixed on the muted television.
“Colin,” I answered, as Cameron scoffed behind me.
“Colin!” Le shouted. “Come meet your grandmother!”
The newest addition to Amoeba entered the room with a confused look. “What?”
On a whim, I steadily walked up to Colin and put my hand on his cheek. “I’m your new grandmother,” I said in a serious tone.
Without missing a beat, Colin responded by putting his hand over mine and looking into my eyes. “I hope you make better pies than my last new grandmother.”
I cackled, moving my hand from his face to nudge his shoulder. “Quick wit. I like it.”
An hour later, all six of us were sitting at the kitchen table eating food ordered from a restaurant in the city.
“When would I be needed for the tour?” Colin asked as we entered a lull in conversation near the end of the meal.
"If all goes well and we finish the album with Clyde,” Cameron began while avoiding Dale’s gaze, “the tour should begin by July.”
Colin nodded, seemingly pleased with the information.
“I called Geoff earlier,” Cameron continued, now speaking to everyone. “He’s hired a producer for the recording, which we’ll do here.”
“Sounds good,” Willie replied.
Cameron nodded. “We’ve only got him for twelve days, so be here on the twenty-sixth ready to lay down some tracks.”
We finished eating not long after, and everyone dispersed into different rooms. I was cleaning up the kitchen when Colin stepped into the room and spoke to me.
“Cameron’s insisted I stay another night,” he informed me shyly.
“He’s right,” I answered. “No need to take a train at this hour.”
“I’d like to thank you, Emily.”
“For what?” I asked, as I took a cup from the cabinet. “Would you like tea?”
“Please,” Colin smiled. “And, it’s just… you’ve been so welcoming. You’ve been a wonderful grandmother these past two days.” He took the kettle from my hand and turned on the tap to fill it.
“I’m a little relieved you’re not bothered by that,” I said with a chuckle. “You’re not that young, but I can’t help but feel old.”
Colin handed the full kettle to me and I put it on the stove. “You can’t be that much older than I am.”
“I’ll be thirty soon enough,” I replied. “Twenty feels like a lifetime ago.”
“They say time passes faster as we age,” he mumbled.
“It absolutely does.” I let out a huff and shrugged. “But there’s not much we can do about the passage of time.”
We lapsed into silence for a moment, until I noticed Colin’s expression and urged him to speak his mind.
“My best friend is in Liverpool. We grew up together,” he revealed. “I’d like to give them a call and share the good news, if you wouldn’t mind?”
“Go ahead, Colin,” I replied with a smile. “The phone here is a free-for-all.”
He thanked me before leaving the kitchen to use the phone in the hallway. The kettle whistled soon after, so I poured my cup of tea and prepared it to my taste. I joined Colin in the hallway, and overheard some of his conversation as I approached.
“They’ve chosen me, Joe,” he said into the handset. “I’m very pleased, yes. You know that.”
I caught his attention and interjected. “Tea’s ready.”
“Thanks, Emily.” Colin smiled and returned to his conversation.
I walked back into the kitchen and smiled to myself as I lifted my cup to my lips. ‘I’ve got a good feeling about this kid.’
Oh let her feeling be right. No more band drama. Lol
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