Burned

The Love Song of Louise Solomons

//Miss me?? I just wanted to drop in and give a little unannounced gift. Some people were pointing out that Louise would have experienced a wide range of music in her life. I couldn't get it out of my head so I had to write it. Thank you to everyone who continues to read and reread. I love you all so much and the amount of interaction on this blows my mind. Seeing comments makes my day ALWAYS. If you're reading Rougish Women, have no fear it will return once season 6 airs on Netflix. Until then thank you for being patient. Anyways, ENJOY!!

1966

Oh yeah, I'll/tell you something/I think you'll understand/when I say that something/I wanna hold your hand

Louise smiled as she listened to the music playing from the record player. She glanced up from her book to her granddaughter sprawled out on the living room rug.

Elizabeth Louise Shelby, named after both her grandmothers, was fourteen-years-old. There was nothing more she loved than listening to her older brother, Alfie's, records. She said it made her feel grown-up. The girl was half doing her homework and half daydreaming about how dreamy John Lennon was.

She was visiting her grandmother as it was nearing the summer holiday and her younger brother and sisters were all down with the flu. Hoping to spare Elizabeth and Alfie from the same fate, Teddy sent them to his mother's home in Margate.

Alfie arrived with a couple of records and Louise was delighted to let them play music. She felt a little dated with the same records she and Alfie had for most of their marriage. But Alfie was so fond of them, she couldn't part with them.

When she realized her granddaughter wasn't hard at work, Louise lowered her book. "This song reminds me of your grandfather."

Elizabeth scrunched up her nose. "Grandad Tommy hates rock 'n roll. Says it's noisy and stupid."

She chuckled. "Not your Grandad Tommy. Your other grandfather, Alfie."

The teenager's eyes lit up and she shut her notebook to turn her full attention to her grandmother. It wasn't entirely rare for Louise to make passing comments about her late husband, but it wasn't very often either. Elizabeth adored the stories her grandmother talked about the grandfather she never knew. The mysterious oft-gossiped-about man whose portrait hung in Inglewood where Teddy and his children now lived.

"You didn't have The Beatles in the twenties, nan." Elizabeth teased.

Louise laughed softly. "No, we didn't have rock 'n roll. Your grandfather wouldn't admit it but he very much enjoyed jazz. He listened to classical music but he had such a fondness for jazz." She recalled.

"Why wouldn't he say he liked it?" Elizabeth sat up and crisscrossed her legs.

"Oh, jazz was what everyone listened to. All the young ones going to clubs and dancing. Your grandfather had two focuses in life, family and work. He didn't like the party scene. But he liked the music very much. He was just never one for dancing or making small talk."

~~~

"Lou, I think m'fucking dying," Alfie muttered in his wife's ear.

"It's a party, my dear, you're supposed to be enjoying yourself, not dying." Louise teased in response. She was fully prepared for pushback when they were invited to a New Year's Eve party in London. Alfie was compelled to go only to briefly speak to a few associates like Tommy, who he knew was invited and would be there. It was the only time he would get a chance during the holidays when no one was really keen on working. It annoyed Alfie to no end because Rosh Hashana was in September and Hanukah was over. There was no more celebrating to be done, as far as he hoped.