The Mighty Storm (Raura Revised)

Chapter 22

Chapter 22

The stadium is at a standstill.

There is a golf ball the size of Africa formed in my throat. Tears welling in my eyes, as I watch these three men who I know, one of whom I love very much, still grieving over the loss of their best friend.

I glance at Stuart beside me. His eyes look glazed. It must have been hard on him too losing Jonny. I know he works for Ross, but he would have known him too.

Feeling overcome with emotion, I press my lips together and wrap my arms around myself, then look back out to the stage. Back to Ross.

Ross lifts his head and clears his throat. "I met Jonny at high-school. I'd just moved to the States from the England, I was the new awkward British kid - a little lost and a lot lonely, and there he was. He took me under his wing and taught me to be his level of cool." He pulls in a deep breath. "We formed TMS, with just the two of us. Then at college we met Denny through one of Jonny's many girlfriends, and Denny introduced us to Tom, and that's when TMS was properly born." Another deep breath. Ross glances at Denny, then Tom. "Jonny wasn't just our band member," he says looking straight ahead. "And he wasn't just our best friend ... or our wing-man. He was the mighty in our storm. The man was a fuckin' musical genius, and he was taken from us too soon. And we miss him every single fuckin' day."

Ross pulls his mike out from the stand and walks to the front of the stage, Tom and Denny following, as a runner hands him up three bottles of Jack.

He hands one each to Tom and Denny.

"So I want you to all raise your drinks for Jonny Creed - the best guy this world ever had the good fortune to know." Ross raises his bottle and looks up the sky. "Jonny man, we love you and we miss you every day, and I know for sure that you're looking down right now with a bottle in your hand, a cigarette in the other, saying, 'Quit being a set of pussies and give these good people the show they fuckin' paid to see!' "

I see Tom and Denny smiling at Ross' words, nodding their agreement.

Ross chinks bottles with them both, and the three of them, at the same time, throw the whiskey back.

The crowd is screaming out Jonny's name.

Men and women are openly crying in the audience. And I can't help the tear that runs from my eye.

I quickly wipe it away.

Ross returns back to the mike stand with his much lighter whiskey bottle. He fits his mike in the stand. Denny climbs back into his drum kit, Tom wandering back to his place on Ross' right hand side.

And for this moment, all three of them look a little lost, together.

It makes my heart ache with love for Ross.

Ross leans down and puts his whiskey bottle by the mike stand.

I see Smith quietly reappear back on stage to Ross' left.

"This song we're playing next is one Jonny and I wrote in the early days. It was the one Jonny was most proud of ... his favourite, and I know how much it meant to him when we released it and you guys loved it too, when you took a chance on us ... it's one I'm sure you'll all be familiar with, so I want you stretch your lungs out and sing this one with me – for Jonny."

Ross swings his guitar around to the front, bows his head looking down at his guitar as he strums a few chords, then Denny kicks the beat in and Ross lifts his head and starts to sing one of their early biggest hits, 'Hush, Baby'.

I get goose bumps all over my skin. Listening as the crowd goes wild. And I stand here, transfixed singing along with the words, watching Ross. I can see how hard it is for him to get through this song, and I know he's thinking of Jonny the whole time.