daddy!” she added, then laughed
good-naturedly. At the same time, she lunged up, grabbed John and
kissed him full on the mouth, “I love you, Buster!” she declared.
“You make me proud!”
“Oh,” John replied, wondering at Misty’s sudden
admission.
“He’s just beautiful!” Judy said. “He has your eyes,
Daddy! And your nose, too!” She finished in baby-talk. John
unconsciously felt for his eyes and nose.
“Huh uh!” he said, feeling his nose. “Did he
understand what you just said?” he asked wonderingly.
“Well, of course!” Judy replied with a laugh.
“He don’t take after me, then,” John replied. “I
didn’t understand any of what you said. I don’t like this place,”
he added looking around the room as if seeing ghosts.
“Big surprise!” Misty harrumphed, shaking her head in
disbelief at John’s ignorance, or innocence, or superstitions,
whatever.
“Momma, be nice!” Judy said calmingly.
Misty looked at her daughter and grandson. Her heart
melted and tears formed in her eyes. She took them both gently into
her arms and kissed them lovingly.
John smiled with satisfaction, then backed up and sat
down in a chair. He stared at Judy, Misty and Lil’Billy, as the
baby had come to be known, until he drifted into a restful
sleep.
*****
While John and his family celebrated the birth of
their newest family member, Danny Floyd lay in a drug and alcohol
induced stupor. His parents, on the other hand, lay in their
marital bed dead and beginning to smell. Danny had killed them
within minutes of his arrival home from jail. He had then proceeded
to get drunk and plan his next move. He’d teach them all that he
deserved a little respect! Even an animal deserved to be met at the
door after he’d gotten released from jail!
Danny mumbled in his sleep and then his eyes opened.
His first thought was that he had to go and pay a visit to John
Travis, the very reason behind all his current problems. Besides,
it just wasn’t fair that Travis was getting worldwide recognition
and his mentor, Danny Floyd, was getting zilch! Well, he decided,
I’ll sit that aright, alright! I’ll show the world that even the
greatest sometimes goes unrecognized until they put themselves on
the front page.
He searched around until he found his bottle and took
a long strong drink. He next searched for and found his baggy of
crack rocks and his glass pipe. He placed a ten dollar rock in the
bowl and held his lighter under the end, the flame crackling the
rock as he sucked the thick blue white smoke deep into his lungs,
instantly feeling the comforting, quietening, incredible sense of
well-being sweep over him. Not once did he think of his parents in
their bedroom; he only thought of John Travis and success.
When he finished the rock he lay back on his bed and
rode the waves of wonder that the drug had brought him. After a few
minutes he sat up, stepped over to his guitar stand and picked up
his Ovation Yarri acoustic and after sitting back in the edge of
the bed he began to play. The music that flowed from the soundboard
was mind-bogglingly beautiful; his fingers danced along the fret
board effortlessly bringing forth a sound that would make Eric
Clapton, Kurt Hammitt, and Eddie van Halen gasp with
awestruck wonder.
In fact the notes were slurred, fretted out and the
timing was so bad off that only Danny Floyd could hear, understand
and appreciate the complication that he heard in his mind, but
couldn’t bring forth from the neck of the Ovation.
When he wound to a stop, his fingers buzzed as if
with magic, he smiled with satisfaction. He stood and placed the
guitar back onto the stand, not realizing that it was slightly out
of tune and any professional would have heard it instantly and
cringed.
Danny didn’t have to get dressed. He was still
wearing the clothes he had been wearing when he had been released
from jail. He didn’t bother brushing his teeth or combing his hair.
His main concern was that he had
good-naturedly. At the same time, she lunged up, grabbed John and
kissed him full on the mouth, “I love you, Buster!” she declared.
“You make me proud!”
“Oh,” John replied, wondering at Misty’s sudden
admission.
“He’s just beautiful!” Judy said. “He has your eyes,
Daddy! And your nose, too!” She finished in baby-talk. John
unconsciously felt for his eyes and nose.
“Huh uh!” he said, feeling his nose. “Did he
understand what you just said?” he asked wonderingly.
“Well, of course!” Judy replied with a laugh.
“He don’t take after me, then,” John replied. “I
didn’t understand any of what you said. I don’t like this place,”
he added looking around the room as if seeing ghosts.
“Big surprise!” Misty harrumphed, shaking her head in
disbelief at John’s ignorance, or innocence, or superstitions,
whatever.
“Momma, be nice!” Judy said calmingly.
Misty looked at her daughter and grandson. Her heart
melted and tears formed in her eyes. She took them both gently into
her arms and kissed them lovingly.
John smiled with satisfaction, then backed up and sat
down in a chair. He stared at Judy, Misty and Lil’Billy, as the
baby had come to be known, until he drifted into a restful
sleep.
*****
While John and his family celebrated the birth of
their newest family member, Danny Floyd lay in a drug and alcohol
induced stupor. His parents, on the other hand, lay in their
marital bed dead and beginning to smell. Danny had killed them
within minutes of his arrival home from jail. He had then proceeded
to get drunk and plan his next move. He’d teach them all that he
deserved a little respect! Even an animal deserved to be met at the
door after he’d gotten released from jail!
Danny mumbled in his sleep and then his eyes opened.
His first thought was that he had to go and pay a visit to John
Travis, the very reason behind all his current problems. Besides,
it just wasn’t fair that Travis was getting worldwide recognition
and his mentor, Danny Floyd, was getting zilch! Well, he decided,
I’ll sit that aright, alright! I’ll show the world that even the
greatest sometimes goes unrecognized until they put themselves on
the front page.
He searched around until he found his bottle and took
a long strong drink. He next searched for and found his baggy of
crack rocks and his glass pipe. He placed a ten dollar rock in the
bowl and held his lighter under the end, the flame crackling the
rock as he sucked the thick blue white smoke deep into his lungs,
instantly feeling the comforting, quietening, incredible sense of
well-being sweep over him. Not once did he think of his parents in
their bedroom; he only thought of John Travis and success.
When he finished the rock he lay back on his bed and
rode the waves of wonder that the drug had brought him. After a few
minutes he sat up, stepped over to his guitar stand and picked up
his Ovation Yarri acoustic and after sitting back in the edge of
the bed he began to play. The music that flowed from the soundboard
was mind-bogglingly beautiful; his fingers danced along the fret
board effortlessly bringing forth a sound that would make Eric
Clapton, Kurt Hammitt, and Eddie van Halen gasp with
awestruck wonder.
In fact the notes were slurred, fretted out and the
timing was so bad off that only Danny Floyd could hear, understand
and appreciate the complication that he heard in his mind, but
couldn’t bring forth from the neck of the Ovation.
When he wound to a stop, his fingers buzzed as if
with magic, he smiled with satisfaction. He stood and placed the
guitar back onto the stand, not realizing that it was slightly out
of tune and any professional would have heard it instantly and
cringed.
Danny didn’t have to get dressed. He was still
wearing the clothes he had been wearing when he had been released
from jail. He didn’t bother brushing his teeth or combing his hair.
His main concern was that he had
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