Next Monday
Richie found himself in group therapy again, sitting in a circle, listening to
everyone’s stories.
This week his schedule was changed. Group therapy was now daily. In the afternoon he had individual therapy until 3pm. He thought that wasn’t too bad. And best of all, Tina had told him he’d get 15 minutes to phone on Wednesday. 15 minutes wasn’t much but it was something, finally. He hadn’t talked to anyone familiar in 5 days.
He planned on calling Ava and Jon. He wanted to hear his princess’ voice and needed to know how the tour was going.
Tuesday afternoon, he got his guitar from his room and went to sit outside on one of the sun beds on the terrace. The weather was nice enough and he hadn’t played guitar in a while, Saturday’s game did not count according him.
He reclined in one of the sun beds and pulled his guitar on top of him. He strummed a few chords. The terrace wasn’t very busy, a few people at the table but at the sun beds he was the only one. Richie reached his fingers around the neck of the guitar again, placing them on the strings, pressing down between the frets and continued to play.
“Practicing for Saturday?” Richie heard from behind him. He put down his guitar and looked up to see who it was. During group therapy he had found out the guy that played Livin’ On a Prayer on Saturday was named Jerry. Of course it was Jerry.
“I don’t need to practice.” Richie said confident, he knew his songs, he wasn’t lying. “Play Living On a Prayer then.” Jerry said and Richie was sure he heard a g in Livin’.
Richie sat up straight in his seat and put his guitar across his lap again. He placed his fingers and strummed down, the acoustic version of the song.
Jerry sat in the chair next to him and watched Richie play.
Richie finished the song and looked up at Jerry. “Good enough?” He asked. Jerry shook no, “It didn’t sound right.” Richie sighed. “It’s the acoustic version, it’s an acoustic guitar.” “Sure.” Jerry said, thinking he was just making excuses.
Richie sighed again and pulled his guitar on his lap for the second time, this time playing the more famous opening of the song.
Again he looked up at Jerry and waited to see what he said. He knew how to play the songs, he had written them and got annoyed when people said he did it wrong.
“That was good.” Jerry said excited. “Can you play any more songs?” Richie chuckled. “Probably just about whatever you like.”
They spent almost an hour of Jerry asking for songs and Richie played them. He was actually having fun. While playing his guitar he always had fun.
“When did you start guitar lessons?” Jerry asked when Richie finished another song. “Never took any. Self taught myself when I was 13.” He explained to Jerry with a shrug. “Wow, that’s amazing. I’ve always wanted to learn but never had the time to.” “Well then,” Richie said, handing his guitar to Jerry, “do you have time now?”
Jerry smiled and took the guitar from him. Richie quickly explained the parts of the guitar then showed him how to play the chords A, C, D and E minor.
After a little while Jerry got a hang of it. “Can I play a song now?” He asked excited, ready to make some real music instead of standalone chords. “Yeah.” Richie looked around him. “Need some paper to write it down.” He shrugged and got up and went to see Tina at the front desk. It would be so much easier if he had his iPhone.
She gave him a few pieces of paper along with a pencil.
Richie dropped down on the sun bed, placed the paper on his knee and started writing chords and lyrics. He gave the piece of paper to Jerry who laughed when he saw the title, then quickly scanned the lyrics. “It’s missing the end.” He noticed. “You don’t know B, G or F yet, so you’ll have to stick to half of it.” Richie pointed out.
Jerry nodded and started the song with E minor. Richie tapped his foot to the sound, softly singing the lyrics to keep a rhythm so Jerry would keep the pace of the song.
Jerry stopped and grunted after a chord buzzed. Richie stopped singing, “Press harder on the strings and try again.”
A few tries and Jerry finally got the song right to the end. “How’s that for a first guitar lesson, learn Livin’ On a Prayer.” Richie said. “Pretty cool.” Jerry said and handed the guitar back to Richie. “I should really find time after I leave.” “I can teach you some until you leave.” Richie said, at least it would keep him busy too; he still hadn’t seen Sarah and needed something to keep him busy if he couldn’t see her.
After Jerry left, Richie picked up his guitar and went back to the front desk to give the extra pieces of paper and pencil back to Tina. “Playing guitar?” She asked when she took the papers from him and noticed his guitar in his other hand. “Yeah,” Richie smiled, “I’m having a show Saturday night. You should come.”
Go to the next chapter
This week his schedule was changed. Group therapy was now daily. In the afternoon he had individual therapy until 3pm. He thought that wasn’t too bad. And best of all, Tina had told him he’d get 15 minutes to phone on Wednesday. 15 minutes wasn’t much but it was something, finally. He hadn’t talked to anyone familiar in 5 days.
He planned on calling Ava and Jon. He wanted to hear his princess’ voice and needed to know how the tour was going.
Tuesday afternoon, he got his guitar from his room and went to sit outside on one of the sun beds on the terrace. The weather was nice enough and he hadn’t played guitar in a while, Saturday’s game did not count according him.
He reclined in one of the sun beds and pulled his guitar on top of him. He strummed a few chords. The terrace wasn’t very busy, a few people at the table but at the sun beds he was the only one. Richie reached his fingers around the neck of the guitar again, placing them on the strings, pressing down between the frets and continued to play.
“Practicing for Saturday?” Richie heard from behind him. He put down his guitar and looked up to see who it was. During group therapy he had found out the guy that played Livin’ On a Prayer on Saturday was named Jerry. Of course it was Jerry.
“I don’t need to practice.” Richie said confident, he knew his songs, he wasn’t lying. “Play Living On a Prayer then.” Jerry said and Richie was sure he heard a g in Livin’.
Richie sat up straight in his seat and put his guitar across his lap again. He placed his fingers and strummed down, the acoustic version of the song.
Jerry sat in the chair next to him and watched Richie play.
Richie finished the song and looked up at Jerry. “Good enough?” He asked. Jerry shook no, “It didn’t sound right.” Richie sighed. “It’s the acoustic version, it’s an acoustic guitar.” “Sure.” Jerry said, thinking he was just making excuses.
Richie sighed again and pulled his guitar on his lap for the second time, this time playing the more famous opening of the song.
Again he looked up at Jerry and waited to see what he said. He knew how to play the songs, he had written them and got annoyed when people said he did it wrong.
“That was good.” Jerry said excited. “Can you play any more songs?” Richie chuckled. “Probably just about whatever you like.”
They spent almost an hour of Jerry asking for songs and Richie played them. He was actually having fun. While playing his guitar he always had fun.
“When did you start guitar lessons?” Jerry asked when Richie finished another song. “Never took any. Self taught myself when I was 13.” He explained to Jerry with a shrug. “Wow, that’s amazing. I’ve always wanted to learn but never had the time to.” “Well then,” Richie said, handing his guitar to Jerry, “do you have time now?”
Jerry smiled and took the guitar from him. Richie quickly explained the parts of the guitar then showed him how to play the chords A, C, D and E minor.
After a little while Jerry got a hang of it. “Can I play a song now?” He asked excited, ready to make some real music instead of standalone chords. “Yeah.” Richie looked around him. “Need some paper to write it down.” He shrugged and got up and went to see Tina at the front desk. It would be so much easier if he had his iPhone.
She gave him a few pieces of paper along with a pencil.
Richie dropped down on the sun bed, placed the paper on his knee and started writing chords and lyrics. He gave the piece of paper to Jerry who laughed when he saw the title, then quickly scanned the lyrics. “It’s missing the end.” He noticed. “You don’t know B, G or F yet, so you’ll have to stick to half of it.” Richie pointed out.
Jerry nodded and started the song with E minor. Richie tapped his foot to the sound, softly singing the lyrics to keep a rhythm so Jerry would keep the pace of the song.
Jerry stopped and grunted after a chord buzzed. Richie stopped singing, “Press harder on the strings and try again.”
A few tries and Jerry finally got the song right to the end. “How’s that for a first guitar lesson, learn Livin’ On a Prayer.” Richie said. “Pretty cool.” Jerry said and handed the guitar back to Richie. “I should really find time after I leave.” “I can teach you some until you leave.” Richie said, at least it would keep him busy too; he still hadn’t seen Sarah and needed something to keep him busy if he couldn’t see her.
After Jerry left, Richie picked up his guitar and went back to the front desk to give the extra pieces of paper and pencil back to Tina. “Playing guitar?” She asked when she took the papers from him and noticed his guitar in his other hand. “Yeah,” Richie smiled, “I’m having a show Saturday night. You should come.”
Go to the next chapter
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