Brass Cove

Grandpop's Uke And Really Weird Emotional Stuff Like Love?

You probably have, maybe, wondered how I got into music into the first place? I mean, why would it seem like I would ever get into music, I'm the cliche shy wimp in the back of the class. Well, as I still am a cliche shy wimp, I picked up on it from my grandpa. My Grandpa, on my mother's side on the family, was Hawaiian and used to live up there. We went up to visit him sometimes but it was expensive and we did not do it much when he was still alive but it was nice. He lived in a small condo in a somewhat crowded, small, beachside neighborhood. It was still somehow peaceful and I loved to be there. Grandpa died before my sister was born, so it was just me sleeping on the couch while my parents slept in the small guest room. One day, after a long day of playing in the salty water and messing around on a boogie board, I went through my grandpa's drawers. I was a curious 10-year-old and, looking back on it, it was good that I was because that was the last time I ever went to his house. There was the normal stuff like the box of dentures and underwear but there was one thing that really struck out. In one of the drawers, there was a ukelele surrounded by old pictures of my grandpa hanging out with his friends, surfing and doing stereotypical Hawaiian teen stuff. My grandpa had lightish brown skin and a cool smile, he always had that smile even in the pictures of him as a teen. It seemed that the only thing that passed from my good looking grandfather when he was a teen was his lightish brown skin. I mean I look like a skinny twig and when he was a teen, he looked like he could lift a couch and bring it from California to Great Britain. I picked up the slightly beat up tiny guitar and started to strum the strings. I was just strumming chords and just trying to make a tune. So this is what my grandpa see's as he walks back into his room just right after his dinner.

"Ah, you're a natural." He said that to me in that smile of his as he hobbled over to me. Time had torn him away from his perfect body but he still had nice looking skin and a nice smile. 

"Uhh, what?" I yelped this as I hid the ukelele behind my back. You see, I was the master of conversation even from a young age. You can take a boy away from being a wimp but you can't take the wimp from the boy.

"It's cool, let me teach you a tiny song." He then flopped down on the bed next to me and held my hands as I held the tiny instrument. He guided my fingers as he taught me a small little tune. It was a very peaceful moment for me and one I'll remember forever. After he taught me the little song he told me to keep practicing and gave me the ukelele as a gift. That was the last time I saw him when he was alive and shortly after his death was my sisters, Macy, birth. Man, I miss him. 

After stumbling into the first song, but eventually getting in the groove, I tunned everything else out. It was easy to play after I shut off the audience and my own thoughts. I finished Notes and then went straight into Skating Rink. It was easy to calm myself and play the song how I played it the first time, all that emotion twisting around like a hurricane. It was very relieving to let all of that go and break the wimp cliche for a bit. It was honestly one of my most honest to self moments in my life. As I strummed the last note, I was thrown back into the planet earth and saw quite a few people clapping. It seemed that I was a surprise hit, seeing as most people were just here for both of the semi-famous bands. One of the guys in the band that was setting up gave me a pat on the back and gave me a thumbs up. I grabbed my guitar and hopped off of the stage and I got more pats and "good jobs,". I went to the coffee bar and sat on the stool to order what I just had and they gave it to me on the house. So I was sitting at the coffee bar with my weird coffee when I felt a poke at my back.

"Nice songs, you write them your self?" A familiar voice asked me. I turned to see Rebecca, she wore a leather jacket that covered a tank top and some shorts. Her glasses were the same but with a difference in the lens, one was red and the other was blue, like 3d glasses. Her sense of fashion reminds me of anime, it's a weird thing but in the town full of weird things, being normal is weird. If that makes any sense.

"Yeah, uh, how are you?" Will there ever be a sentence where I don't say "uh" I mean seriously. Hey me! Think before you speak you, idiot! Rebecca seemed to be by her self, her friends were probably somewhere. 

"I'm good and you may want to clear up that "uh" stuff, think before you speak you, idiot," Rebecca remarked playfully. Okay, she needs to get out of my head, it's getting a bit creepy. "Oh and I can't read your mind, your face is like a window for your brain, your emotions also are so visible it's like a big tattoo on your head, so I can easily find you what you are thinking." She explained as the chick who was handing out coffee handed her a coffee and winked. She winked back and then studied my face.

"Well, thanks, I'll make sure to think before I spout off stupid stuff," I said as I took a sip of my coffee. I picked up my guitar and checked around the room. It seemed that Alan is either still in the bathroom or he stormed off. I feel sorry for him, I wonder who rejected him.

"I mean, yeah, that would be splendid. let's go and meet Lily and the crew." Rebecca then started to lead me through the crowd. The music started to play and it was some loud band, the guitar player could decently play and the bass player was pretty good. I guess you should start reading my will because I will probably die of my nerves before I get to her.