If You Love Me, Why?

"You're quitting the band? You can't be serious." said Reed Nelson....

We sat in the last club we played in after our set was over in Tokyo, Japan...We were eating hot steamy plates of Japanese quisine...

"Well Reed, yeah...I thought I'd tell you first before I tell any of the guys." I said.

"88, think about this man...When I first came to Philadelphia...You were the first person I met...Hell man, we formed this band together...Most of these cats were guys you practically hand-picked ." he said.

"I know Reed...I know...and I know a real good keyboardist who you can hire to replace me..." I said.

"Damn man...this is so sudden...and ...and...and you say you're gettin married?? To
Brittany?? Man, you don't even know her ....What's it been ..a year you two have been boppin around?? Man...I hate to say this, but 88, you crazy...You got Mabel Jenkins...the finest babe I or anyone knows...You got Mabel Jenkins and you bout to break up with her for Brittany...I mean..Don't get me wrong, Brittany is fine as wine too, but she aint no Mabel Jenkins.." said Reed.

"Reed what did Gus used to always tell us man? For every fine woman, there's a guy somewhere who is tired of her." I said.

"So you tired of Mabel?" he asked.

"No...Nooooo...Nooo it aint like that...It's just that...for the past year, it just hasn't been there, you know...I aint been feelin Mabel you know? I don't know how to put it in words.." I said.

" That's cause you been feelin on Brittany...." said Reed... For the first time, we both laughed...

''What about the music? This is what you do...this is who you are...You got a babe that lets you live with her, hasn't pressured you to marry her , is fine as hell, every man wants her ,but you got her and you givin it all up.What you gonna do?"asked Reed.

"I'm thinkin bout workin a straight job....I talked to Cock Robbins about a job teaching music at the school during the year...In the summer, I could join you guys for a few dates and I'd always sit in if you need me for a recording....I just need to settle down now." I said.

"Why can't you do that for Mabel?" asked Reed..

"Because I can't man....Now look...I've made up my mind and that's how it is.." I said.

"Alright man...If you sure about this...I won't hold you back....Go in peace good brother...I aint mad at you." said Reed...We embraced and I threw a few yen on the table to pay for our meal and headed back to my hotel room...It was time to talk to Mabel....

It was daybreak ,Saturday Morning in Philly...No better time than the present.

II-

"Hello" said Mabel...

"Heyy Mabel...it's me...Were you up?" I asked.

"Yes...it's 7:30...I'm getting ready to go to the restaraunt...Anita and Cora -beth are opening up." she said.

"Yeah?  How's Corrie and Clerow's little one? " I asked.

''Oh he's doing fine...trying to stand up and walk by himself."she laughed..

''Wow, isn't that something." I said.

"When are you guys coming home?" she asked.

"Day after tomorrow...We are done for awhile..." I said.

"Well 88...There's something I want to talk about...I was going to talk to you about it when you got home, but it's been on my mind...and I feel as though now is as good as ever.." said Mabel.

"Yeah...I had something I wanted to talk to you about too." I said.

"You go first" she said.

"No, that's alright, you go first." I said.

"Well...Clerow and Corrie are moving into a bigger house..They have to with two children now...and I'm going to be moving into their old house....It's bigger than this one I'm renting...and uh..ruh...I don't know how to say this...but I think it would be a good idea if you , if you...if you found a place of your own when you came back!!! I can start packing your things." she said.

''What?" I said...I was calling her to dump her and she was dumping me!!!!

"I'm sorry 88, it's nothing you've done....maybe it's me...but for the past year and a half...we've just been going through the motions...you've hardly been here when you have been here...it's been like you were somewhere else...I've been so lonely....deep inside of me...even when you weren't on the road...I mean, it's been good...It was good for awhile...but it hasn't been good for a long time." she said.

''Damn Mabel..." I said.  There was a long pause...

"You don't have anything to say?  You're not even beggin me to reconsider...See? That right there..Something was just missing from our relationship......Tell me 88...Is it another woman?" she asked...Damn...She had hit it right on target....I paused for awhile then I softly said...

''Yeah....it is."

"I thought that it might be.. How long?" she asked.

"About a year..." I said.

"Anybody I know?" she asked.

"No, you don't know her." I said.

"You love her?" she asked..

"I might..." I found myself saying...

"Well, it's all good...Why torture yourself laying up with me and wanting to be with her? You're free to go 88, no harm, no foul." said Mabel...

"Mabel...I'm so sorry..I never meant to hurt you." I said.

"It's okay 88...We would have hurt each other if we had stayed together any longer...This way we were honest, we got it out of the way and we will always be friends...Good friends...If you ever need anything, you know you can call me." she said.

''Aww Mabel.." I said.

We both were in tears as we sat on that phone and talked about everything and nothing for another hour or so.

III-

I had endured the pain of leaving the band and of breaking up with Mabel Jenkins over the phone...All in all, it had been rather easy....I was supposed to meet Brittany that evening at a stylish Bistro in Downtown Tokyo..It was her last day....She was leaving on a red eye in the morning...While Reed and I and the band had one more gig, tomorrow night before we left.

She was already there when I got there...There was a Tall Black man sitting with her to my surprise...They were in deep conversation...He was about six feet four, bald headed like Issac Hayes...Had a nice neatly trimmed goatee and a silver earring in his left ear..He had muscles on top of muscles...He strongly resembled Kevin Morris's main man...Walter "Kool Kat" Jones back in Philly....When he smiled, he had the most perfect white teeth you ever wanted to see.

I cleared my throat but the two of them seemed oblivious to me...For a minute , I could have sworn that Brittany was swooning...but that couldn't be...not after the way I had been puttin it on her!I cleared my throat again and they stopped talking...

"Oh hi "88"....This is Nigel...He's a reporter with a major music magazine...He used to live in the same apartment complex with me when I was a student in London....I ran into him here a few days ago...He's been covering Reed Nelson's band for his magazine.." she said.

"Pleased to meet you "88"...I'm a big fan of Reed Nelson and his band...I caught you guys in London last year and I was even in Philadelphia and caught you guys at Josies and at Mulberry Street..I'm a big fan." he said and extended his hand.  I shook his hand...He had a British accent.. A thick british accent..

"Well,I'm glad you liked us...You from the UK?" I asked...Just making conversation...

''Yes...I was born in London  and came to the States when I was 18...I actually lived in Philadelphia for a spell...I went to Penn...That's where I met Brittany...Then after we graduated, I returned to London and started working at the magazine and she got a scholarship to Oxford...Fancy us living in the same apartment complex...I was just a floor above her and a room over...." he said.

I laughed...and thought...yeah, fancy that?

He turned out to be very talkative...He ordered wine....Brittany and I ordered food...I thought he would get the hint that we wanted to be alone and was ready for him to go...but he didn't...The three of us sat at the table and talked and ate and drank wine all night....

We talked about President Obama and congress, The state of Music today, Philly, London, New York, Japan, Art...Soccer versus Football...His love of the New York Yankees....et al ad naseum...Not only that, he insisted on paying the check...I didn't mind that...but when it was time to go...He and Brittany and I all shared a cab back to her hotel...

He got out first and smiled and waved at us-

"Well...I think I'm going to turn in mates...It was great meeting you Mr. 88." he said and smiled and walked into the hotel lobby..

I pulled Brittany to me and kissed her long and passionately.....I ran my hands down her pants....

''Ummmmmmmmmmmm...ouuuuuuuu that feels good..." she said.

"It would feel even better if I could go up to your room and get you out of these tight pants.." I said with a grin..

"Ohh baby, not tonight...I got an early plane to catch tomorrow.." she said.

"Aww come on..I need some good lovin...I'm depressed." I said with a fake frown and pout.

"Awww why are you depressed?" she asked.

''I broke up with my girl today....over the phone..." I said.

"You did what?" she asked...now looking very uneasy, almost like she was afraid.

"It's all good...She was in the process of moving into a new house...We are good..We talked for hours...it was a very pleasent and amicle conversation...It's all good...I quit the band too." I said.

"88...Are you serious? How could you do that? You're a musician...That's who you are." she said.

"What I am is in love with you...I've been talkin with a friend...He's gonna get me a teaching job when I get back to Philly...Of course I'll still sit in with the guys sometimes and take a few dates..but I'll be home more often...With you!" I said smiling broadly....

"Oh 88...We have to talk...but not tonight...When we get back to Philly okay?" she said and kissed me again.

She got out of the cab and dashed almost into the hotel....

The cab dropped me off at my hotel... I stood there, Uncertain....I was about to start a new life...I was uncertain but happy just the same , thinking of the coming adventure I was about to embark on!

(CONCLUSION  NEXT)