Крестный отец

           HehadcalledJulesSegalaboutit,whenitwouldbesafetotrytosingandJuleshadsaidanytimehefeltlikeit.Sohe’dtriedandsoundedsohoarseandlousyhe’dgivenup.Andhisthroatwouldhurtlikehellthenextday,hurtinadifferentwaythanbeforethewartshadbeentakenoff.Hurtworse,burning.Hewasafraidtokeepsinging,afraidthathe’dlosehisvoiceforever,orruinit.

           Andifhecouldn’tsing,whatthehellwastheuseofeverythingelse?Everythingelsewasjustbullshit.Singwastheonlythinghereallyknew.Maybeheknewmoreaboutsingingandhiskindofmusicthananybodyelseintheworld.Hewasthatgood,herealizednow.Allthoseyearshadmadehimarealpro.Nobodycouldtellhim,therightandthewrong,hedidn’thavetoaskanybody.Heknew.Whatawaste,whatadamnwaste.

           ItwasFridayandhedecidedtospendtheweekendwithVirginiaandthekids.Hecalledherupashealwaysdidtotellherhewascoming.Reallytogiveherachancetosayno.Sheneversaidno.Notinalltheyearstheyhadbeendivorced.Becauseshewouldneversaynotoameetingofherdaughtersandtheirfather.Whatabroad,Johnnythought.He’dbeenluckywithVirginia.Andthoughheknewhecaredmoreaboutherthananyotherwomanheknewitwasimpossibleforthemtolivetogethersexually.Maybewhentheyweresixty-five,likewhenyouretire,they’dretiretogether,retirefromeverything.