Occiditur

All Our Days

"Hey, Mike!" Bob was surprised to hear me. 

"Bob, me and the guys had a great idea and we wanted to run it by you. Do you think we could do a tribute for Micky?" I rushed right to my point. 

"Mike are you serious?!" Bob laughed from the other end. "I'd  have to check but they sounds great!" 

"Alright!" I chuckled. Bob left the phone for a few moments and then returned out of breath from running down the hall.  

"Hey man this is really groovy! I can't believe it. We have the green light! Get the guys and start practicing." He yelled at me excited and then hung up. I pulled the phone from my ear with a smile on my face. That spazz!

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A full month of hard practice and many heated arguments passed and the day of the tribute finally came. We still hadn't decided how we would close the show. We needed something tear jerking and monumental to leave the people with. 

So think that I might find something Micky had written on his own I was rummaging through the recording studio. I flipped through files of songs and sheet music. Finding only songs we had put on the list already. 

After three or four hours of searching I realized it was almost five thirty. The tribute concert was scheduled for six sharp. I jumped up off the floor and started out the door. But I didn't make it. Something caught my eye. It was a brown record case that sat just inside the door. I don't know why I stopped or eve why I thought to look inside of it but I did. There was one record inserted into the middle slot of the twelve slot case. 

I slowly pulled it out and the handwriting on the cover took my breath away. In Micky's sloppy print were the words, "Don't Tell Anyone." 

Isn't that what he said to me over the phone the day he died? 'Don't tell anyone.' That's when it all hit me like a train. Peter, Davy and I had written a song for Micky's birthday and called it Don't tell anyone to keep Micky off the scent that it was for him. But after he had gotten so pissed off about not being included we ditched the idea. I search frantically for the record player. When I found it my fingers fumbled hurriedly over the machine. I gently placed the needle on as it spun slowly. 

There was a few moments of background noise before a click indicating the mic being turned on. 

"Um, hello. If you are listening to this, I am probably no longer with you. I just wanted to let you guys hear something." Micky sounded quiet and hoarse. It hurt my heart to hear him destroyed. 

he counted off and started to beat his drums in tune with the song the guys and I had written. This was it! This was our big finale! Without finishing it I pulled the record off and bounded out of the studio. I was already late and so I left all the lights on and doors unlocked. I sped off down the road and screeched into the parking lot of the auditorium. 

"Mike, we're waiting on you!" Davy yelled as I ran in through the back door. 

"Where were you man?" Peter asked. 

"I found us an ending!" I winked and trotted off to find a stage hand that could bring a record player out to me at the end. When I had found one I grabbed the other two boys and we ran out onto stage where we were greeted by multitudes of screaming girls. 

We never spoke to the audience. We just played and took turns singing Micky's songs. When came to the final song I motioned for the stage hand to bring out the player. He did so and I placed the record on and it began to play. 

  "Um, hello. If you are listening to this, I am probably no longer with you. I just wanted to let you guys hear something." He played his drums through the song. No words, no guitars, just Micky and his drums. The entire room was silent in reverence. When the song ended I walked up to it to take it off but noticed that it still had a few minutes worth of recording. 

"I told you guys it would sound good with drums." Micky laughed. But it wasn't his usual, hearty laugh. It was strained and forced. 

"Davy, I am sorry for everything. I just couldn't stay..." Micky sighed.

"And Peter. I appreciate all you've done for me. Thank you. Mike, I love you man. Take care of my family man. I love you all. Goodbye." Micky was sobbing by the end and it continued until he turned the mic off and the record stopped. Everyone in the room was crying. Davy was leaning into Peter's shoulder and I could see by his shaking shoulders that he was not fine. Peter looked horrified. As if he'd been scarred for life. I took the record off and motioned for the curtains to close. The fans called out for an explanation but I didn't have one. Not for them. 

Back stage was a blur. I remember hugging the guys and Bob and lots of mourning people. Then I was driving home, screaming in agony. Why was he gone? Why now? My best friend. Even when he was at his worst he was still thinking of us. 

Mel was waiting for me in the driveway as I pulled up. She had been in the crowd at the concert and had been able to leave before I could. 

I got out of my car in a hurry and ran to to her. I hugged her close to me and cried into her shoulder. Both of us clutching each other with all of our might. 

"If you love me, stay with me!" I begged her.

"All of our days..." She sighed through tears. 

Well this is the end of our story. I bet you are expecting me to send you off with some deep messages that will make you cry. However some stories don't have such endings. This is one of them. I have no words of wisdom to share with you from this experience.All I hope is that you take every moment you have with your loved ones and make it the best it can be. Because you never know when that moment will be your last. 

The End.