Parallel Me

Parallel Me Part 11

He was right I could do with a distraction; the only trouble was what I needed was ten thousand miles away, and she was living at fifty-four Mt Pleasant Drive, Wellesley Park Wellington. I did have a weekend on one of the local beaches; with a few of the lads. We took a picnic hamper and a few crates of Tiger beer and sat on the sand drinking and eating, and then sent back for more beer when we ran out. There was about six of us at the start, but then it had grown into a big party in no time. For two nights, we slept on the beach, where the girls came from I had no idea.

The party ended Sunday night; when the Captain sent two trucks down to pick up his wayward men. It was sheer agony pounding the running track; with a head that had two loose cannonballs rolling around in it. It was better doing that than reporting sick, and unfit for duty with self-inflicted wounds.

Two lads, I didn't know; came up to me on Monday afternoon and introduced themselves. Robby and Simon were EM's {electricians} and had joined the party late on Friday night, and said it was a bloody good do, and that they didn't know I was such a fun guy. They thanked me for letting them join the party and getting it going in the first place.

They had thought I was a workaholic because I hadn't stopped setting things up. Like organising the team training schedules and venues, ever since I arrived three months ago. They hadn't known of a party like it before, and they had been here over a year. I thanked them and told them, I can't remember last Friday night myself.

They laughed and said the party really got going, Saturday afternoon when I started singing; and they had joined in because Robby had his ukulele with him, and Simon played his harmonica, while Henry used the empty beer crates as drums. People came from everywhere, there must have been a hundred or more. The chivvy police came Saturday night to check us out but left happy. Then they asked if I was interested, in getting together with them to form a dance band.

"With your voice, you could front our little band. We could be an alternative to the Marine band; for dances. We have practise sessions on Tuesdays and Wednesday nights at the theatre. Think about it and pop around to see if you'd like to, you don't know until you try." Robby said sticking his hand out in friendliness, which I took and smilingly said.

"I'll think about it, but I'm not promising." They seemed like nice boys, but I couldn't remember them. Or of me singing with them, but what really frightened me, was when later that night a Wren winked at me and said, 'bloody good night wasn't it'. It got me thinking, what else had I got up to that night.

Tuesday night I was outside the theatre, listening to the boys playing. They weren't bad for a bunch of amateurs, and I walked in to look at them. Robby saw me first and happily greeted me, and introduced me to the rest of them. Simon, I already knew and he had a clarinet in his hand, Henry was the drummer and the base player was frank.

The piano player called John I seemed to recognise and turned out to be a cook. John and Frank weren't at the beach party, so didn't know me from there, but did know I was the boxing champ, here for the title of Far East champion. By the end of the night, they had accepted me as a friend and a member of their group. We had done a few rock and roll numbers, by Elvis Buddy Holley and Jerry Lee Lewis. I liked Dean Martin and got them to try return to me, which was Alice's favourite song of his.

As I sang them I thought of her, and although it needed a bit of practice it wasn't that bad. We had finished at ten and had a few people wander in to listen. Wednesday there were a few more rating in the theatre, as we were setting up the gear. More came in later; mostly Wren's when they heard the music playing. We tried, return to me again, and it sounded good. John said he knew that's Amore on the piano when I asked them if they could play it.

Maria Bob's wife being from Malta spoke Italian and had taught me the words. So as John played I sang partly in Italian, and partly in English. The other boys tried to join in, but it needed a lot of practice. Our audience seemed to like it, and as we were packing up. Some asked when were we doing a dance, and Robby turned to ask me.