Chapter 10

After lunch the other girls left. Pet and Emily would be coming back Friday afternoon -- but we wouldn’t see the others until we met at the Dude for our last show for some time. They had booked another band for a three-month stint.

Josie’s family stayed and we discussed the business and the likelihood of expansion on our spare land. At one point, Josie’s mother asked her to show her the stable again and, when they got back, she looked very closely at me and then smiled. She then came over and hugged me, telling me that she was very glad her daughter had found me and that she was sure that we’d all be spending a lot of time together.

As we waved them off, I bumped hips with my love. “You told her everything, didn’t you?”

Josie colored a bit and then nodded. “I had to,” she said. “She was starting to question me about my sexual preferences and whether we had a lesbian relationship. I think she was getting upset about me not supplying any grandchildren.”

She looked as if she was about to cry, so I held her close and whispered in her ear. “It’s all right, sister. I don’t mind as long it stays in the family.”

It had been a big day and we were all tired, so we went off to bed early. I decided to have another shower. After I’d dried off, I came out to find Josie in the bed. “I just want to be reassured,” she whispered.

I got into bed, put the light out, and then I reassured her.

We were lying there in the early hours when she whispered, “Edie, my love, my sister. I really do love you and I wonder if you could get some sperm taken so I can have your baby. I’ve realized that true love isn’t all about sex. It’s about trust and caring and we have that bond that’s almost visible when we’re together - on stage or off. Can you talk to your doctor before you go too far, please?”

“Anything for you, my love,” I said. “I should be seeing her in January. Maybe you can come with me.” We then dozed off with our arms around the other and I felt that this might be the best Christmas season of my life.

Friday morning, we showered together and kissed a lot. She then put her gown on and went back to the house to dress. I put on jeans and a sweater again and put the heater in the studio on low before I went in for my breakfast.

My mother, being psychic as well as a wonder woman, picked up on our moods pretty quickly. She kept it to herself until Dad had gone off to do what dads do, something I still hadn’t figured out. She sat in front of us. “Right, something’s changed. Was it something that happened yesterday?”

I smiled. “We can’t put anything past you, can we?”

Josie grinned. “I had to tell my Mom how I got to be staying here and why I was such an apparent member of the family. I told her that I had loved Eddie and I have truly discovered that I still love Edie. It’s a shift in my thinking and last night I asked her if she could have some sperm saved for me.”

Mom sat for a few seconds. “Wow! That’s heavy stuff. Do you mean that I may end up with a daughter and a daughter-in-law with grandchildren to spoil?”

Josie smiled. “I won’t allow you to spoil my babies. That will be my job!”

We all laughed and had a group hug. That morning, Josie and I went into the studio and just played anything that took our fancy for a while. It was as if she could read my mind, starting with the intro of a tune I was thinking of.

When we stopped, she begged, “Edie, can you please play me some classical pieces. What you and Pet played the other day was amazing!”

I played a few of my favorite pieces, ending up with a violin version of “The Swan,” which was normally a cello piece.

She had tears in her eyes as I finished. “That was so beautiful. There’s so much I haven’t heard by being just a top ten girl.”

I went and picked up my own guitar and played her a classical guitar piece.

She whispered, “Can you teach me to play like that? “

I told her that she would need to learn a new technique. She was good enough and still young enough to give it a try.

After lunch, Pet and Emily turned up within a few minutes of each other. Pet had written two songs that we could learn. As the three of us could sight read, Pet played her violin while Emily played the piano, and I did the guitar part. We played just the music through a few times until Josie had picked it up. Emily went back to her keyboard while I sat at the piano.

We ran through the instrumental parts a few times until Josie was happy with her playing, and then she and I had the words to sing. I had them in the piano rack and she had a stand with them. We played and sang the same song five times. Then put away the words and music, playing it again from memory.

After that, we did the same procedure with the other song. They were both love songs about yearning and uncertainty with a happy ending and I loved them. It took all afternoon before we were happy.

Then, as a test, we played a song from the normal list that we could do as a quartet and two new songs in reverse order to how we had learned them, recording them on Josie’s phone. The test piece actually gave us a breakthrough and Emily said she would look at others from our fairly big play list that we could adapt for our quartet.

Josie sent the two songs through to Donna, who texted back that they were beautiful. The two girls stayed for dinner and then went off to their homes. We had now changed paths to be more inclusive with the Stable Sister repertoire. It remained to be seen if the crowd liked it tomorrow evening.

Saturday morning, Donna texted to say we should wear our zipped leather dresses for one more time as hardly anyone in this crowd would have seen them. With our instruments and our outfits, Josie and I headed into the city for our last show of the year, as well as our last show at the Dude Ranch.

I felt almost sad about it but also felt upbeat about what may follow in January and beyond. When we went on stage, just the two of us, I sat at the lovely baby grand and Josie sat with her guitar resting on her legs. The manager had introduced us as tonight’s entertainment without naming us. To most of the audience, we were just background music.

They had eaten the main course before we went on, so I wasn’t surprised when a few of the ladies pulled their partners out of their chairs to dance, cheek to cheek. We did the two songs we were supposed to, and then Emily and Pet joined us, and we did the two new ones.

The last two members then came on stage, and we started the full group numbers. By the time we got to the faster ones the crowd had imbibed enough to appreciate them. We ended up finishing the set. Then we had to play for half an hour longer. It was a lot of fun and, most of all, it worked out very well. When we finished Allan came over to us and asked about the quartet pieces.

Pet said that we had learned them yesterday.

He just shook his head. “You girls never cease to amaze me. That whole set sounded like you had played that way for months.”

After he left us, we were approached by Charles and Tanya who were very effusive in their praise. Tanya told me that her boy had become inconsolable about me dumping him. She was worried that he might go back to his old ways.

“I liked Charlie, at first,” I explained. “He was, and still is, very pleasant to be with. The problem is that he’s in a world of his own. That’s why I stopped seeing him. With the band, I need certainty.”

When I looked around the room, I realized that we had spent the evening entertaining most of City Hall and an awful lot of very well-dressed men and women. I saw some jewels that I would have to work a lifetime to afford.

Several came over and told us how happy they were at seeing us live, as they had seen the Christmas show. Some even said that they had seen teasers for the New Year’s Show and promised to watch it. I suppose it doesn’t hurt to be in front of the cream of the city society.

The night club manager came to see us after we’d changed and gave each of us an envelope, as “A little something from me in appreciation for how much you have done for the business.” He wished us every success and a Happy New Year.

We packed our things into the van but kept our instruments with us, had a round of hugs and kisses, and planned to meet at the studio, on the sixth of January to discuss our future. The year had almost ended with just the recorded show to keep us in the public eye. We were all going to spend the New Year with our folks. Even Josie was going home for a few days.

I wondered how I would get through it without going crazy. We had been together every day since that fateful dance. I loved having her beside me. Sunday afternoon I took her home, somewhere she had not been in almost three years. They welcomed her like a visiting royal. I also received an invitation into their house.

Her home was filled with her parents, brother, uncles, aunts, and their families. After a hectic round of introductions, I was made very welcome. When she finally walked me back to the car, we couldn’t have a proper kiss because we could see the faces at the windows. We made do with a hug, a cheek kiss, and an “I love you, have a Happy New Year” before I got in the car and drove away.

It had been funny, for a while. We had been treated like visiting pop stars by the extended family. It had taken a while to break the ice. It made me think about what life would be like when we did get well known, and there were fans wanting to talk to us.

I suppose we’d better discuss that when we meet. I wonder if there’s a book on how to be friendly but stay an icon.

I spent the next day just talking to my parents about the business and the likely changes we could make. Dad was all for it because he was getting a bit tired of chickens and the thought of having something making money that didn’t crap everywhere appealed to him.

Tuesday, we got a letter in the post that fundamentally changed the dynamics of our life. It’s funny how big business sends you bad news at a time their offices are shut. It’s so you can’t go to town and vent your anger. The letter was one that we had talked about before. Our main customer wanted us to double our egg production and gave us six months to improve our operation.

Dad put it to one side, “I’ll talk to the shits next year and tell them that we’ll stop supplying them at the end of June. We don’t have any new chicks going through and we can go back to supplying local shops with eggs until we run out of hens. As they decrease in number, we can move them into one shed. That way we don’t have to build to go into the hydroponic business.”

Mom sighed. “I suppose the timing’s perfect. Edie and Josie will have graduated then and can put their spare time into helping us get the new project off the ground. I won’t miss the smell of all that chicken shit. I suppose we had better let the fast-food guys know that we’ll be pulling out. They may go to whoever takes on the egg business, but the chickens they’ll get won’t be as meaty as ours.”

New Year’s Eve we sat in front of the TV with drinks and snacks. We watched the show until midnight, and a little while into the fireworks. Because they had seen the Stable Sisters live it wasn’t such a shock to see Josie and me in our gold dresses, in a very elaborate setting.

Mom gave me a hug as the advertisements played and Dad said that he was still amazed at being in the same room as a star.

I laughed. “So that’s what time does, thank you. Last time you spoke like that I was a superstar. What did I do to slide down the scale?”

He laughed and stood up. “All right, my girl, you’re a super nova and that’s it.”

I stood as well and hugged him. I kissed his cheek. “Thank you, Daddy dearest, Happy New Year to you, too.”

I went to bed and wished Josie and the girls a Happy New Year as I lay in the dark with the distant sound of fireworks to keep me company. That’s one advantage of living further out with acreage around you. It does diminish the sound of parties on the next property.

I woke up next morning with the thought of it being a whole new year. In my mind I started to work through what it would be filled with. One thought was that I had the last semesters to get through to finish my Business Administration degree. Now, with a whole new business to create, I wouldn’t have to go and look for a job.

Secondly, I had things in Pixie-land to achieve, an album to be released, shows to organize, and the Stable Sisters to whip into shape. I knew that we would have to go into the recording studio to re-record the seven songs we had put down to get a better sound. Perhaps we could do more with the quartet and include the other two as Sisters.

Thirdly, or should that have been my first thought, Josie and I needed to figure ourselves out. Should she move back in with me? Should she stay in my old room when I pick her up again?

The plan was to go and get her Friday afternoon. That led me back to the future without chickens and I knew I would have to have a serious talk with my parents today about funds and income, things that would shape our plans.

As I ruminated a picture flashed into my mind. A certain Houdini Hen who looked me in the eyes as it crapped on my freshly cleaned floor. She had come back to give me a warning! Aim for the stars but make sure that when you rest, always be out of reach of the foxes and wolves of the world.

I showered and dressed in one of the denim outfits with jeans that I had first worn on stage. I pulled on the boots and went into the house to find both of my parents having coffee while there were things sizzling in the pan.

“Just in time,” Mom commented.

Dad looked up from buttering his toast. “You look nice, Edie. Special occasion?”

I laughed. “Well, yes. It’s the first day of a new year and the first day of our new business as well.”

Mom was putting things out on plates. “First day of a renewed relationship as well, I think.”

We ate our food and, as I sat with a fresh cup of coffee. “I woke up this morning and made a New Year’s resolution. It’s time to take more control of my life, instead of just allowing myself to be led. I’ve decided that I need to know more about the people around me. I met the band’s extended families for the first time last week after being with them for a good six months. We signed contracts with Allan, who seems a good guy. He’s your friend, Dad. Can we truly trust him?”

My parents looked at me with half smiles on their faces.

Mom grinned. “I think our little baby grew up overnight, Bill. It must be time to let her know that Allan is someone she can bet her life on.”

Dad nodded and went out of the room for a while, coming back with a small box, which he put on the table in front of me. When I opened it up, I saw two medals. One was a Purple Heart, the other a Bronze Star. I looked at him in wonder.

“Allan and I were in the Army between ’95 and ‘03. In ’02, we were sent to Afghanistan. We were in a six-man team out on patrol in two trucks. We went into a village and five of us got out near a house that had the front door wide open. We moved to the side of the door and then three of the guys rushed the place ready for anything -- Allan and me behind. What they weren’t ready for was a claymore mine that killed all three of them. Allan was in front of me. I was looking back out into the road -- keeping watch. He took some of the bits of metal they put into those things, and undoubtedly saved my life. I got some as well, mainly in the back of my legs and my butt.”

He took a sip of his coffee as I waited for the rest. He sighed and went on. “That’s when some guys in the house across the road opened up. They targeted the one of us that had stayed with the trucks, which gave me time to shoot back with my M16. I then grabbed the RPG that Allan had across his back and put a round into the house. Allan was in a bad way so I dragged him to the vehicle that had avoided the gunfire and drove him back to base as fast as I could. By the end of the day, I had met your mother.” He looked lovingly at her.

“I was in the base hospital working as a nurse when Bill and Allan were brought in. Your dad had a lot of small wounds in his lower back and legs, as well as a bullet hole through his shoulder. Allan had shrapnel pieces that had gone through his flak jacket and a fair bit of damage to his legs. Fortunately, it had all missed his vital organs. You’ll never see either of them in shorts in summer, though, because the scars are still visible.”

Dad frowned. “They sent out a large group to bring back the bodies of our patrol, four guys I had had breakfast with and knew well. I was told that they think I had killed five of the Taliban -- guys that couldn’t have been much older than kids. I still have nightmares of that RPG round going through window killing them. I’m not proud of it. They gave me that medal for saving Allan’s life under fire, but he never got one for saving mine. Crazy, isn’t it?”

“Bill was up and around in a few weeks, but Allan was in my care for about three days before they flew him back home. Your father made sergeant before he shipped back to a base here. We kept in touch. We found out where Allan was and went to visit him. Eventually, we all ended up here in Detroit. Allan was your father’s Best Man at our wedding, and later your Godfather at your christening. Yes, Edie, you can trust Allan with your life. He also knows exactly who you are, but don’t push it!”

I got up and went to hug them both as tightly as I could. “Thank you for telling me. You two are really the best.” I sat down again.

“The Army helped us get this small farm and the rest, as they say, is history,” Dad added. “The one thing it taught me was that life can be taken away in a split second. I don’t get mad when things happen that change your point-of-view. It’s all part of moving on and I’ll move as best I can until they lay me to rest.” And then he looked at me. “If my unruly daughter doesn’t give me a heart attack with her antics.”

My mother joined him in a laugh. “Check out your bank account, dear. I think us girls need to hit the New Year sales. You need to buy some things for yourself.”

I powered up the computer and checked my account online, somewhat surprised by the healthy amount. No doubt my share of the shows had been paid. It did leave me some leeway for serious shopping. I also had the cash that I’d been given on Saturday night as well as some left over from our Christmas shopping spree.

I wanted to concentrate on business outfits first, seeing that I’d decided to project an image of someone with breeding and taste.

We took my car into the city, shopped with gusto, and then came home with a lot of bags. We had eaten in the shopping center and made several trips back to the car to lighten our load. Once the store’s inventory ran low, we called it a day.

It had been my first day of shopping as my mother’s daughter, with Mom beside me --a totally new and chastening experience watching her skill at getting to a bargain.

Over lunch, I asked her if she learned the art of hunting a good deal in the Army.

She told me that she has to hold herself back or she might have killed someone who gets between her and that perfect blouse. She was smiling as she said it, but I still wasn’t sure if she was joking or not. You didn’t serve in Afghanistan without being properly trained and even I knew it had been a very dangerous place.

Marianne Gregory © 2022