DUO

Sex between us was mind-boggling, but this...this was on another plane of love altogether. Beth looked at me exactly as I did to her. We wove our perfect harmonies in and out, like swan mates curling their necks together. We were the absolute personification of soulmates that shone through our music. As usual, the rest of the world faded as we got lost in the music, and each other. We fed off each other's energy, love and emotions. No longer were we just Songstress and Songster, we were DUO - Destined Unto One...one singer with two voices.

I let the last Dmaj7 chord fade away into the breeze and we just sat there, staring at each other with smiles of wonder and gratitude that we had found each other on a planet of over 7 billion people.

Beth broke the stare and glanced over in trepidation at her father. Then her eyes began tearing up in absolute joy. I looked over at Sam. He was crying freely, tears streaming down his cheeks. Beth rushed over to hug him, both crying in silence. Sam looked at me and said in a broken voice:

"I didn't think anything could match the love between her mother and me, but you just proved me wrong. Joel, son, would you forgive this bitter old man for being so harsh and doubtful?"

I smiled warmly at Sam: "There's absolutely nothing to forgive sir. You were just looking after your precious daughter's well-being, as I will...for the rest of my life."

Beth, crying, laughing and hiccuping, hugged her father even harder:

"Oh Daddy, n..n..now you see (hic), now you understand!"

"Yes I do my sweet pea, yes I do"

With the tension now evaporated, we spent a wonderful afternoon together. Sam regaled me with stories of Beth growing up, at times much to her embarrassment. I told the story of how our love blossomed online through our music. Beth basked in the glow of Sam and my mutual admiration for this precious jewel of a woman.

With the passing of time, we had to say our goodbyes and get back into town for our show. Beth hugged her father fiercely, and I shook his hand which he now held warmly.

Sam looked up at me, with misty eyes:

"You'll take good care of her?"

I smiled softly: "To my last breath sir."

We drive back to town in silence, holding hands; basking in another challenge overcome by our true and blazing love. As we drew near the community square Beth said: "I need to freshen up and fix my makeup, so how about I drop you by the square and you can set things up?"

I smiled and nodded my agreement. Knowing 'freshening up' could be an indeterminate amount of time, I stopped by the cafe and had a soda and a bowl of grits and a nice chat with Mandy, the hostess. She had been instrumental in getting us first recognized on that infamous first day I arrived in Charlotte. I was as familiar to her now as Beth was, and she loved seeing us hanging around, singing, being so obviously in love. Judging it was now time to get the stage setup, I paid my bill, tipping Mandy generously as usual.

Darkness had fallen, and I walked with a spring in my step down the back pathway, tall bushes flanking either side, to the rear entrance of the stage platform. There were very few people yet in the square, but I knew that would change soon.

"Wail, wail, wail, if it ain't the old man himself. And with no dang crowd to hide behind. We wuz hoping you'd come this way."

I stopped dead in my tracks, my heart suddenly racing. There, flanking the rear stage stairs were two menacing-looking and sizeable young men. I started backing up when I felt a hand press against my back. I knew any escape had been cut off.

The one behind hissed: "You ain't going nowhere old man!"

I could smell the reek of whiskey rolling off his breath.

It was a fight or flight moment. Flight was out, and I was damned if I was going to let them beat me without any fight at all, but my karate lessons were decades in the past. I knew I didn't stand a chance against these young post-college types. I had to stall to allow more people to gather in the square just the other side of those tall hedges. I said as calmly as I could muster:

"Gentlemen, what's this all about?"

Tough number one spoke up: "What's this all about?! Listen you dirty old pervert, we can't have wrinkled old farts like you taking up with our women, especially not our Beth."

"Why Beth?" I asked, trying to gauge the distance between me and the one behind me. From where his foul breath seemed to be coming, I was guessing he was about a good five or six inches taller than me.

Tough number two spoke up: "That's 'cause she's Billy's girl" nodding over to tough number one.

Billy spoke: "Yeah, she was once, and will be again. It's you that don't belong here Chinaman. Once you're out of the way, won't be hard to convince her of the errors of her ways."

At this I just laughed, startling them all: "Dude, if you really believe that you don't know her at all!"

Billy spit:

"Who the fuck do you think you are you old relic? You've been here, what, a week, and think you know her better than any of us, who've we known our whole damn lives?"

My delay tactics were working, I could hear people starting to gather in the square. I smiled at Billy:

"You don't you know her at all son, and that's because you're either stupid or just too delusional...likely both."

That was a mistake. I saw the crazed look entering his eyes, and knew he was going to rush me. I did three things in rapid succession:

1) I rammed my elbow backward into the gut of tough number three behind me, I guessed right at his height. As he folded, I ran the edge of my dress shoe hard down his shin. He fell, screaming in pain.

2) I threw my guitar in its gig bag over the hedge because I wasn't about to let them beat my head in with it; besides it would help others see my relative location on the other side. And besides, damn, I've had that guitar for over 40 years, the guitar was well protected by the case.

3) I bellowed out as I tossed my guitar: "HELP, I'M BEING ATTACKED, HELP!" Twenty-five years of amateur musical theatre had taught me how to project my voice. I'm pretty sure they could hear me in the next county.

You'd think this would cause these geniuses to run, but oh no, they were too drunk and too stupid. Billy and number two rushed me and scrambling backwards, I tripped over Three. They tackled me as I was falling. Two hurled punches at my head which I was able to block by holding my forearms over my head. Billy got up, reared back and kicked me in the side. I felt something give way, and suddenly it was hard to breathe. The pain was excruciating. I grabbed my side and Two took advantage connecting a fist to my temple and right eye.

The world got very hazy. Billy landed more kicks while Two pummelled my head. I was almost beyond pain at that point. Suddenly the beating stopped, and I heard voices nearby shouting.

"Billy Blake, what the hell are you doing?!"

I remember thinking dimly,

'At least they caught these Mensa candidates red-handed.'

Then I heard my name being screamed, and Beth was at my side, sobbing in horror. She cradled my head, but it was getting so hard to draw a breath. I began coughing and my throat started clogging with something warm and wet. I was choking on my own blood. Beth was crying in anguish in my ear.

"Joel, what have they done to you?!...SOMEBODY HELP US PLEASE!! Oh God, please don't leave me, Joel, please don't leave me!!!"

I couldn't speak, could only think to myself:

'I'm so sorry my love, I don't think I can stay. I'm sorry Sam, I said I'd take care of her to my last breath, but I didn't know that it would be so soon.'

My last thought was:

'It's alright, I die in the arms of my beloved.'

Then the darkness overtook me...

To Be Continued...