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For as long as Bruno Martelli could remember, music had been a major part of his life. From an early age his parents had bought him an accordion and he would spend all his time playing it. Soon the family had bought a small second hand piano and Bruno loved the sound it made when his small fingers touched the keys. He loved how by playing different notes together he could create a melody. It was his Mother who first encouraged him by arranging some professional piano lessons. When his mother died he threw himself even more into the music because he knew it was what she would have wanted. He soon realised that writing a song was an easier way to convey his emotions than actually trying to have a conversation with someone.
When Bruno entered his teens he discovered synthesizers which opened him up to a whole new world of creativity. Bruno became almost obsessed by creating music and alone in his basement he would lose all track of time creating his beloved music. Sometimes he would sit up all night working on just one song or piece of music. Nothing else, not even sleep seemed important to him.
After his wife had died, Bruno’s father, Angelo, put all his efforts into supporting his son’s talents. He worked long hours and made a lot of financial investments in order to buy expensive electronic items so that Bruno could have the musical equipment he needed. Angelo had also encouraged his son to enrol at the New York School for Performing Arts. Bruno hadn’t been sure about it at first because he had no interest in being a performer, he just wanted to create music, but his father had convinced him. Some of the lessons he found a little tedious. He couldn’t understand all the time, he considered wasted, learning classical instruments and having orchestras when a synthesizer could do it all at a touch of a button. This had caused him to frequently lock horns with his music teacher Benjamin Shorofsky. Bruno looked up to the older man almost like a second father and he came to understand that all Shorofsky was trying to do was teach him to be a better musician and a better composer. There were even times when Shorofsky was trying to teach him to be a better person.
Bruno had always thought his life was pretty planned out, finish high School, go to college, maybe even Julliard but all the time continue writing his own music. However, life had thrown him a curved ball and now everything seemed to be at a crossroads. He wasn’t sure what lay ahead for him.
He sat alone, looking at a piece of paper with a mysterious phone number on it, in Caruso's, the bar he’d starting working at a few months ago, after his father had died and he’d had to leave school in order to try and pay off the debts his father’s investment had got him into. Now working and earning came first while music came second. Bruno wasn't happy but he was doing the best that he could and trying to make the most out of a bad situation.
His friends had been very supportive and we’re always hanging out at Caruso's Sometimes that wasn't always a good thing as it often got him in trouble with the manager and it also made him long for his old life back. All his friends had been supportive except one, Doris Schwartz. Bruno had always considered Doris to be his closest friend but something had happened and he couldn't put his finger on it but he intended to find out.
It had all started over a year ago. He was alone in the music booth working on a new song:
"Listen all you people
All you lonely and deserted
The departed
And the broken-hearted
I've got time for you
You can call your friends
For we're headed on a journey
All the lonely
The mad
All the bad
Hold a sec
I've got a message for you
Nothing's peaches and cream
Nothing's quite what it seems
They've been lying to you
All you unhappy wives
All you pregnant brides
All you geeks
And you queens
All you sick
And you poor
All the drunks
On the floor
Well, I'm calling to you
Listen all you people
All you lonely and deserted
The departed
And the broken-hearted
I've got time for you
You can call your friends
For we're headed on a journey
We've been held down
We've been pushed down now
We're through
All the freaks
All the queers
All the thumbs
All the steers
Well it's time to give in
There's crack in the door
It's okay to want more
You've been dying for years
All the races you lost
All the loveless that cost you
The hard earned sleep
All the stifled reactions
The screams you been acting
Like no one can hear you
Listen all you people
All you lonely and deserted
The departed
And the broken-hearted
I've got time for you
Sending out a message
Gotta get to you
Sending out a message
Is it coming through
(Sending out a message
Gotta get to you
Sending out a message
Is it coming through)
Listen all you people
All you lonely and deserted
Listen all you people
All you lonely and deserted
We've been held down
We've been pushed down now
We're through
Listen all you people
Are you lonely and deserted?"
As the music came to an end Troy Philips burst excitedly into the room:
Troy: “Bruno, Bruno, quickly it’s a matter of life and death. You must phone Doris!”
Bruno is puzzled: “Calm down Troy and tell me what’s going on. Is Doris okay?”
Troy nods: “Yes but she told me to tell you it’s very important, a matter of life and death”.
Troy hands Bruno a piece of paper that Doris has given him with her cell phone on it. Bruno studies the piece of paper.
Bruno: “Troy are you sure this is the number? It looks a little strange to me.”
Troy nods: “Yes, I, I erm ran straight here to you. Doris gave me the paper and gave me a secret mission. You must call her on her little phone!”
Again Bruno is puzzled: “Her little phone?”
Troy: “Yes, her little phone, like on “Star Trek!”
Bruno rubs his forehead: “Okay, Troy maybe we should start again!”
Troy shakes his head and grabs Bruno by the hand: “No,... there’s no time, it’s urgent you must call!”
Troy leads Bruno out of the music booth, into the corridor, down the main steps and into the lobby. At the pay phones he lifts the receiver and hands it to Bruno.
Bruno shrugs: “What harm can it do?”
Bruno takes the phone and then starts to dial the number on the piece of paper. Troy watches excitedly waiting in anticipation as Bruno dials. His face turns to disappointment when Bruno hangs up the phone.
Troy feeling anxious: “Www why are you stopping?”
Bruno sighs in frustration: “Troy the number isn't correct, it doesn't connect. I don’t understand why Doris doesn't just come and tell me what she has to say herself instead of playing some silly game with you?”
Troy becomes concerned: “Did, Did I do something wrong? Are you mad at me?”
Bruno: “No you didn't do anything wrong Troy, it’s okay I’ll speak to Doris.”
Later that day Bruno catches up with Doris as they leave English class.
Bruno: “Doris what’s going on?”
Doris is surprised by the question and answers flippantly: “What, in the world right now or in my personal life? Believe me pal the latter isn't that interesting!”
Bruno is frustrated: “I'm serious! Why are you sending Troy on wild goose chases with weird messages?”
Doris is confused: “Sorry, I don’t know what you are talking about!”
Bruno shows Doris the paper with the number on it but Doris doesn't recognise it.
Bruno: “Why would Troy make something like that up?”
Doris shrugs: “Beats me. Look I've got to go or I’ll be late for Reardon’s class.”
Bruno notices that Troy has been watching the conversation and calls over to him.
Bruno: “Hey Troy, Doris doesn't know anything about this number, so what’s going on?”
Troy cautiously looks around to see that no one is listening: “Not her, the other Doris! She says no matter what you must keep ringing!”
Bruno looks puzzled: “The other Doris?”
Troy nods and hurries off to his next class.
Bruno decided not to pursue the conversation any more with either Doris or Troy. He was about to throw the paper with the number on it in to the nearby waste paper bin but a voice behind him stopped him.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you. You might need that some day!"
Mrs Berg smiled knowingly and then turned to walk down the corridor. Bruno was puzzled but decided to keep the piece of paper and carefully placed it in his wallet.
The next time something strange happened connected with Doris was the beginning of the following school year and Bruno had been helping Shorofsky with the vocal auditions. One afternoon he left the music classroom and heard someone call his name:
“Hey Martelli!”
Bruno looked around but didn't see anyone he knew so continued on his way down the corridor. Then the voice called again:
“Martelli, over here!”
Bruno looked over to where the voice was coming from and saw a blond haired woman he didn't recognise and felt a little bewildered.
The woman: “It’s me, Doris, what do you think of the character I've put together?”
Bruno gets closer and stares at the woman’s face: “Doris? that’s you? You look completely different, older in fact!”
Doris: “A friend of my Mothers does make-up and stuff so wait until you see my old age pensioner, that will really get you!”
Bruno smiles.
Doris: “Now listen Bruno this may sound a little crazy but you've got to promise to hear me out.”
Bruno rolls his eyes: "You and something crazy, surely not!”
Doris throws him a look of disgust and takes a deep breath.
Doris: “my cousin is a psychic and she was doing a reading and she mentioned the father of one of my friends and something bad happening on the first day of term. She mentioned a taxi and so I figured it had to be your Dad. So whatever you do make sure you stay with him on that day and don’t let him out of your sight.”
Bruno sighed and shook his head: “Doris you know I don’t believe in any of that psychic stuff. Besides a friend’s father could mean Danny’s Dad taking a taxi so it doesn't mean it’ll be my pop.”
Doris: “Hey Martelli, have I ever let you down.” (She paused and thought for a second) “No wait don’t answer that. But you trust me don’t you?”
Bruno nodded in agreement and Doris continues:
“What have you got to lose anyway? If I'm right and something does happen then you’re there to deal with it. If I'm wrong and nothing happens then you get to spend some quality time with your old man which both of you will enjoy. So either way it’s a win win situation.”
Bruno contemplated what his friend has said and reluctantly has to agree that it makes sense.
Bruno: “Okay, okay, you win I’ll keep an eye on my Pop but now I've got to go and get some lunch before this afternoon’s auditions start.”
Doris smiled and gave her friend a hug.
As Bruno walked down the corridor, although he thought the whole conversation was a bit strange he hadn't connected it to the strange happenings that occurred later. He just thought it was Doris being Doris. However, the conversation had weighed on his mind.
On the first day of school Bruno had sat in his basement working on a new song called “The Best In You and Me” he was really pleased with it and hoped it would be used in an up and coming school show. He’d heard his father pottering around in the kitchen fixing breakfast and whistling to himself. Bruno had finally picked up the courage to mention to his father that he would be staying home that day. As he climbed the stairs from the basement to the kitchen he sees his father carrying a tray and disappear in to the bedroom. Bruno took a deep breath and ran up the stairs:
Bruno: “Pop I think it could be good if we spend the day together!”
Bruno stopped before he could finish what he had to say, noticing that someone else was in his father’s bed. Bruno was a little taken aback, ever since his mother had died there’d never really been anyone in his father’s life and certainly not in his bed.
Angelo: “Bruno, I’d like you to meet Nancy, she spent the night last night.”
Bruno stood in the doorway feeling shocked and looked closer at the woman. It looked exactly like the woman who said she was Doris except this woman had Doris’ normal dark brown hair instead of blonde hair. All Bruno could manage to do was questioningly repeat the woman’s so called name.
Bruno: “Nancy?”
However all the time he was thinking: “Doris, what the hell are you doing in my father’s bed!”
To be continued....
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