Past, Present and Future

1979 The Beginning Of The End

Well, I'm leaving the band. This is the last concert. I'm out. I think all of us are to blame. Gene and Paul are at odds with me and Ace. I truly think Ace is on his way out too. I've tried making amends with everyone but there's still hard feelings. 

Ace and I are still an item even if we are married. His wife and my wife don't seem to care as long as we don't ask them for money or disturb them if they have friends over. Most of the time we just hang out together. 

"Hey, Ace, have you noticed that Paul is hanging out with Gene a lot more than before?" "Do you think they're an item?" I swallow the last of the my beer and toss the empty can on the ground. Ace follows suit and we reach for another six pack.

"We need to get ready." said Ace. He and I would be semi-drunk but who cares. I glared at Gene and Paul the whole time. We bow to the audience finally and wait until the curtain drops. I have already destroyed my drum set on stage -luckily the audience thought it was just an added effect.

I hurry back to the dressing room, quickly shower and change, and leave. I will never play with the three of them again. Driving as fast as I can, I head to the nearest bar. By the time I'm nearly plastered, Ace shows up. We have another round before he pulls me outside and stuffs me into his car. "I'm driving you home."

In spite of my anger, I start crying. Ace just drives around until I compose myself enough to talk. We talk most of the night, him dropping me off at the bar so I can get my car. 

I arrive home and go straight to bed, my wife already gone to work.

In the future I will reunite but wish I hadn't. It will turn out to be disastrous. The new road manager will only be part of the problem. One of the other problems will be the damn drummer that has everyone drooling over him.