As I wandered through the house, on my return to my downstairs apartment, I took a closer look at the opulence of the house I grew up in with my parents. I came to the startling reality, that I had never been a real part of any of it. It would seem that my parents' lover had raised me; I had never gotten to know my mother and my father as still a mystery to me. I had learned about the wild nature of my folks, and some of the unbelievable things that had happened here, from Louise. The house suddenly seemed so large and empty. Since my mother had died, dad had seemed to be working all the time and Louise was the only family member I had been in constant contact with. Even that was weird to me, she turns out to have been sexually active with the folks their entire married life, had borne and raised her own child here, and had never been married. She had raised my sister and me both from infancy, and now, I had taken her anally in my fathers private little fuck chamber. I needed something to calm me down before my dad came home to discuss God only knows what. I made a short detour through the den and helped myself to a nice flagon of Johnny Walker Black, from the bar. I carried it with me and headed down the stairs to the safety of my own hideout in the cellar.
It was 7:30 as I passed through the studio into my apartment. I flipped on the lights, cranked on the stereo, put on some stuff I had recorded of our band, turned the water on in the Jacuzzi, mixed the scotch with a splash of soda water and ice, stripped, and slid into the bubbling hot water. Being unaccustomed to alcohol stronger than an occasional cold beer, the scotch burned all the way down to the bottom. I made myself a mental note to procure myself a bottle from upstairs to be kept down here strictly for medicinal purposes, such as after a good piece of ass, etc.
The scotch having had the desired effect, I felt much more relaxed after my soak in the tub, and I put on a pair of cut-offs, an old t-shirt, my old sandals and sat down at the mixer board in the studio to add a new track to the music I had been listening to in the tub. I had been working on a tune that was all instrumental and the band used it for our break song and while the band members were introduced at our gigs. I called it "Tall Cool One", after myself, of coarse. I had originally recorded it with two guitars, bass, and drums. Since then, I had re-cut the lead guitar part, added keys, a second rhythm guitar, a sax riff, and I now wanted to add another lead guitar melody in the background. I thought it was a pretty good tune myself but I had never played the whole mix for anyone else. I put on the headphones and started the playback. I then started the record function on a blank track and began playing the new melody lines. I must have left the house speakers on as well. I was so into what I was playing that I didn't notice my father walk into the room and when he tapped me on the arm, I nearly came out of my skin.
I switched off the tape deck and removed the headset. "Hi Kid, who's that you're playing to?" he asked.
"That's me." I answered. "All of that is you?" he asked again. "Yes sir, all but the drums and sax. I had Al lay the drum track on the first cut. Then I added and re-dubbed each of the other tracks over and over, until I got them just the way I wanted. I got a friend, Ed Miranda, from school to come over and blow some sax with me one night and now I was adding a second guitar melody in the background. I had just finished when you startled me." I explained, "Want to hear the final mix?" "Absolutely." His immediate reply.
I hit the play bottom and cranked up the Dbs. The room was filled with the sounds of, The Tall Cool One. I had fractured the old man when I bought the speakers for the studio, and this was the first time he had taken time out to see what I was doing with all the goodies, I had put on his credit cards. I wasn't sure, but I think I had tapped him for about thirty seven thousand and change for the mixers, tape decks and Mr. J.B. Lansing's finest speakers. The tape sounded great, and dad smiled and looked at me hard for the first time in a long time. He spoke just over the level of the music, "You're really good at this, aren't you?" My reply had been rehearsed many times, "I try my best, I'm still learning, but yeah, I really am pretty good at it!" Another big toothy smile told me we were going to have a nice talk after dinner.
"Louise just took her roast out and you know how she is about us being prompt after she cooks all day. Come on up and lets eat, we can talk while we stuff ourselves on some home cookin' for a change. I really enjoyed what you just showed me." He turned and headed for the door to upstairs. I thought to myself as the door closed behind him, 'Louise ain't been cookin' all afternoon Pop, I promise you that.' I switched off the power to the soundboard, and headed for the stairs.
Louise always sets a fine table and tonight was no exception. Only two places were set across from each other, at one end of the table. The table in the dining room would seat twenty-four for a big do. Dad always liked to eat in this room. The big table had been a wedding gift from mom's grandfather. He must have liked that man very much. I'll have to ask him about that some day. Dad was in a deep discussion with Louise as I entered and I heard him say to her, "Now Weezie, you go set us another place at the end of the table and join us for dinner. What I have to say to Virgil Jr. will also affect you too and I don't want any more discussion on the subject!" Father had spoken, and another place was set at the table, on the end, and we sat down to eat.
Louise, as usual, had produced an exceptional meal of roast pork shoulder, sweet potatoes with little marshmallows on them, greens, corn bread and cinnamon applesauce. I knew there would be pie later and dad brought a bottle of wine from the bar. We ate in silence for a few minutes. Everyone must have been famished. Louise picks like a bird, but dad and I did us proud. I was on my second trip through and dad was reaching for the yams when he said, "I'm going to miss your cooking Weezie." Louise and I looked at each other and then at him and she piped up, "What you talkin' 'bout fool? I'm not going anywhere." Dad finished chewing and said, "Not you, me. I have something to discuss with you two, and I really am not sure how to start. Suffice it to say, I have been hoping that you would be interested in the business, son, but it seems you have another interest and I can't say that I blame you, you have talent. You have never in your life been a financial burden to me and I have watched you take the things you have asked for and use them to good advantage and also you have taken excellent care of the things we have given you. I am very proud of you as my son and I hope that after I tell you what my plans are, you will agree with me. Louise, you have always been my pet, I love you, and I always will. Let's leave the dishes for later and go into the den, get us a drink and we can have pie after while." Once again, father had spoken.
We finished dinner, killed the wine, and made our way down the hall to the den, which was on the back side of dad's study and I guessed on the opposite side of 'The War Room'. I felt so stupid about this house. I had grown up here and had spent my whole life in virtually the other end of it, or downstairs after dad helped me fix it up. I had only been up in Dianne's attic apartment a few times when she was home visiting. I promised myself that I would have a guided tour very soon.
"What's your pleasure?" Dad asked, heading for the bar. Louise asked red wine, I opted for another scotch and soda, and dad poured himself a generous amount of Bushmill's over a couple of ice cubes. I settled into one of the soft leather chairs, Louise sat on the end of the sofa facing me and dad perched on the arm of the sofa opposite Louise. "Do you have a plans for after school yet?" He asked, taking a short pull on his drink.
I knew this was coming and I had been giving it a lot of thought these past few weeks. I began, "As you know, I have really gotten into the music. I don't know, as I would want to make a career out of playing music, but I have a knack for mixing, and recording, and the technical aspect of it. I love to tinker with sound effects too. I was thinking I might take some classes in Daytona this fall, probably electronics. I am also interested in video. The music thing is just stuck in my brain right now. I enjoy playing in the clubs, and dances. Our band will probably break up this summer due to the other guys' school plans, but there are plenty of musicians around I can hook up with. Jacksonville is loaded with Southern Rockers and I know I can work with almost any of them. It seems that I have been discovered by the ladies since we started playing too, I don't have anyone special, but I'm certainly enjoying myself these days." Louise groaned, and dad laughed and said, "So we've noticed." "Sorry about that y'all, we must have gotten kind of loud." Again they both laughed, and I admit I was embarrassed. "No apology necessary, son, were you enjoying yourself?" he quipped. "Yes sir I was." "Did she enjoy herself?" Yes sir she did." "Good piece of pussy gets kind of loud sometimes, doesn't it Louise?" "Yes sir it does." She smiled broadly, and we all laughed at that.
