Last night the singer called.
She was crying and when I asked her what was wrong she said she got a phone call from her father telling her that her mother had slipped into a coma and could I please come over and stay with her a little while.
I said sure.
I had a hell of a time finding parking in the singers' neighborhood.
It was Friday night.
I parked near the Wharf and had an unfair walk to the singers' apartment.
When I arrived she was wearing a bath towel and her hair was wet and combed back. She immediately thrust a mixed drink into my hand when I walked in the door.
I took a sip and coughed.
"Jesus Christ!" I said.
"What the hell is in here? Moonshine?"
She did not answer and shut the door behind me and put her head to my chest and began to cry. At first her sobs came gently and her shoulders slightly heaved as she tried to hold back, but eventually her sobbing began to intensify until she was actually wailing.
I did my best to console her and after she pulled away I took a big swallow from the drink she gave me. Her wailing was unnerving. It is hard to describe, but it had a primal quality, like a scream you might hear from an animal. I hope this does not come across as insensitive, but it was a sound I do not know if I will ever be able to forget.
Just like the sound of crushing metal and breaking glass.
Just like the sound of a car crash.
She excused herself to her bathroom and told me to make myself comfortable. I took off my shoes and hung my coat on the back of one of her kitchen chairs, then put more ice in my drink and sat on her leather sofa.
She had on cable TV and one of the music channels was having a countdown of some kind, naming a specific release as Rocks greatest recording.
Now, personally, I liked the choice, however, in terms of the greatest Rock recording, I can think of many others.
I was somewhat distracted when the singer joined me on the sofa.
I leaned over, took the remote, and turned off the television.
"Thanks for coming over." She said.
"No problem. I'm sorry to hear about your mother."