ON THE ROAD

She had tried, once before, to kill me and almost succeeded. I had spent six weeks in a drug induced coma and two more weeks in intense physical therapy. No one, except those who knew who I really was, ever knew about either one. Nor did they ever know why I continually looked over my shoulder from that point on. But I did. I didn’t want her finding me.

One would think that a troubled groupie would’ve been more apt to make an attempt upon a superstar’s life, but not so. She was just another fan to me. But the only woman in the group of females fans backstage I never ever touched. I screwed around with the rest, just not her.

Of course, I had been warned about her. No musician around would have anything to do with her. Nor would any of my friends. She was a no-fly zone. She scared everyone. Even me. She was just that creepy.

I no longer remember her name. nor is it important. She taught me fear and loathing. She showed me what it felt like to lose it all. The ability to play the guitar. The ability to feel safe. The ability to get back up and try it all again.

She taught me the meaning of stage fright. For years after the attempt, I had trouble even getting in front of a group of people. Yet, I wanted to get back in front of a group and sing. I was just afraid that she would be right there in the front row waiting for me.

But I could not let fear rule me forever. It just wasn’t right. I had to get back to the thing I loved the most: music. It had been my life for close to eighteen years, having been a child prodigy at the age of one or two. I know, it sounds almost like sci-fi, but it was true. My grandpa had been the one who discovered it. Mama and pops didn’t know anything about it.

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I guess I should start at the beginning of the story. As I stated, my grandpa was the one who discovered my musical abilities. I guess I just sat down one day at a piano and began to play. He got in touch with an old musician friend of his from down south, Louisiana to be exact, my second home, and they decided my fate one day when mama had left me in his care. The rest, as they say, is history.