woman.”
“Mikey’s mum?”
“Yeah. They were childhood sweethearts. And when I say childhood, I mean they were holding hands at eight years old. Mike told everyone he was going to marry her.
“They stayed together all through high school. But just before we hit the big time, things were pretty bad. We were sharing a shoebox tiny apartment. We were working days and playing in crap hole clubs at night.
“One day, Mike woke up and she was gone. She left him a note saying she couldn’t live waiting for him to live his dream when her dreams were slipping away. He tried heart and soul to get her back, but she refused. Not even once we hit it big. Mike gave up trying and I watched him go from a driven artist to a substance dependant rock star.
“Three months ago, Mike gets a call saying that Angela had passed away. She didn’t have much, but what she did have she’d left to her son. And her son’s father was Mike Greene.
“A few blood tests and whatever later it was confirmed that Mikey was Mike’s son and I watched his heart break all over again. Angela was poor, and you could tell from looking at Mikey that he’s had a crap childhood. Mike feels guilty, you know. He has everything and his son had nothing.”
“Then why doesn’t Mike pull his head out of his arse and start being a father?”
“Because he’s angry. He’s hurting and he doesn’t know how to deal with it. So for now, he’ll play his music, drink copious amounts of alcohol, inhale whatever’s on offer and sleep with a barrage of women. Anything to numb him from the pain.”
I look up at Gavin and smile. “Did you study psychology or something?”
“Me? No. I never even finished high school. But you don’t have to be a genius to know what he’s doing. I’ve known him for a long time. I love him more than my eleven sisters. It’s his way of dealing with it all. Can you imagine what it’d be like to find out you have a kid? A four year old kid. And to find out at the same time that the woman you would’ve given your own life for is dead?”
I can’t imagine how that would feel. Even with all the badness I’ve been exposed to, I’ve never really had my heart broken.
I shake my head and close my eyes. I feel absolutely drained of all strength.
Gavin puts his arm around me and I lower my head onto his shoulder. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“I’ll be fine. I’ll be unemployed, but I’ll be fine.”
“He won’t fire you. He needs you.”
“Why does he need me? There are thousands of people who can do my job.”
“True, but you don’t put up with his crap. You stand up to him and he likes that.”
“Really?”
“Yes, really.” Gavin tightens his hold on me and rubs his hand up and down my arm. “Get some sleep. You look like crap.”
“Thanks,” I laugh. I begin to say that I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep, but before the words can form on my tongue, I feel my eyes grow heavy and my body goes weak.
Mikey is awake and completely drugged up on pain killers. He’s smiling happily, looking at people with a mild amusement as they come and go from his room.
I’ve trusted Gavin to pack a few days worth of clothes for me. I also asked him to pack a few toys and books for Mikey. He’ll drop by before tonight’s show.
Mike is here. He’s sitting beside Mikey, and they’re watching cartoons on the TV. He looks terrible. Mike that is. He’s pale and his eyes are blood shot. Granted he’s only had a few hours of sleep today, but I’ve never seen him looking this bad.
We don’t talk to each other. He hasn’t even looked at me. He has successfully ignored me in every way.
I think back to what Gavin told me, that he’s hurting. He looks like a man in pain. He looks defeated. This man may have anything and everything he desires, but the one thing he really wants...he can never have.
And for the first time since I first met Michael Greene, I see him as a person. Not a rock god or a bad father
“Mikey’s mum?”
“Yeah. They were childhood sweethearts. And when I say childhood, I mean they were holding hands at eight years old. Mike told everyone he was going to marry her.
“They stayed together all through high school. But just before we hit the big time, things were pretty bad. We were sharing a shoebox tiny apartment. We were working days and playing in crap hole clubs at night.
“One day, Mike woke up and she was gone. She left him a note saying she couldn’t live waiting for him to live his dream when her dreams were slipping away. He tried heart and soul to get her back, but she refused. Not even once we hit it big. Mike gave up trying and I watched him go from a driven artist to a substance dependant rock star.
“Three months ago, Mike gets a call saying that Angela had passed away. She didn’t have much, but what she did have she’d left to her son. And her son’s father was Mike Greene.
“A few blood tests and whatever later it was confirmed that Mikey was Mike’s son and I watched his heart break all over again. Angela was poor, and you could tell from looking at Mikey that he’s had a crap childhood. Mike feels guilty, you know. He has everything and his son had nothing.”
“Then why doesn’t Mike pull his head out of his arse and start being a father?”
“Because he’s angry. He’s hurting and he doesn’t know how to deal with it. So for now, he’ll play his music, drink copious amounts of alcohol, inhale whatever’s on offer and sleep with a barrage of women. Anything to numb him from the pain.”
I look up at Gavin and smile. “Did you study psychology or something?”
“Me? No. I never even finished high school. But you don’t have to be a genius to know what he’s doing. I’ve known him for a long time. I love him more than my eleven sisters. It’s his way of dealing with it all. Can you imagine what it’d be like to find out you have a kid? A four year old kid. And to find out at the same time that the woman you would’ve given your own life for is dead?”
I can’t imagine how that would feel. Even with all the badness I’ve been exposed to, I’ve never really had my heart broken.
I shake my head and close my eyes. I feel absolutely drained of all strength.
Gavin puts his arm around me and I lower my head onto his shoulder. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“I’ll be fine. I’ll be unemployed, but I’ll be fine.”
“He won’t fire you. He needs you.”
“Why does he need me? There are thousands of people who can do my job.”
“True, but you don’t put up with his crap. You stand up to him and he likes that.”
“Really?”
“Yes, really.” Gavin tightens his hold on me and rubs his hand up and down my arm. “Get some sleep. You look like crap.”
“Thanks,” I laugh. I begin to say that I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep, but before the words can form on my tongue, I feel my eyes grow heavy and my body goes weak.
Mikey is awake and completely drugged up on pain killers. He’s smiling happily, looking at people with a mild amusement as they come and go from his room.
I’ve trusted Gavin to pack a few days worth of clothes for me. I also asked him to pack a few toys and books for Mikey. He’ll drop by before tonight’s show.
Mike is here. He’s sitting beside Mikey, and they’re watching cartoons on the TV. He looks terrible. Mike that is. He’s pale and his eyes are blood shot. Granted he’s only had a few hours of sleep today, but I’ve never seen him looking this bad.
We don’t talk to each other. He hasn’t even looked at me. He has successfully ignored me in every way.
I think back to what Gavin told me, that he’s hurting. He looks like a man in pain. He looks defeated. This man may have anything and everything he desires, but the one thing he really wants...he can never have.
And for the first time since I first met Michael Greene, I see him as a person. Not a rock god or a bad father
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