Chapter 23
I remember that night well. The room was packed and the crowd was yelling for more. We were about to play our closing number, and the audience (which mostly consisted of people in their teens and twenties) went wild when I first started to play my keyboards for that final number of the concert. The rest of the band soon joined in and we launched into a favorite Bon Jovi song of ours.
"Once upon a time," Beard started the lyrics, "Not so long ago…"
"Tommy used to work on the docks," Flash sang. "Union's been on strike, he's down on his luck. It's tough… ooh, so tough. Gina works the diner all day, orking for her man, she brings home her pay For love… ooh, for love."
"She says: We've got to hold on to what we've got," Beard sang with the saxophonist, "'cause it doesn't make a difference if we make it or not. We've got each other and that's a lot. For love, we'll give it a shot."
"Oh, We're half way there," we (meaning Flash, Beard, myself, and Clifford) sang. (Francine was too busy playing the drums.) "Oh-oh! Livin' on a prayer. Take my hand and we'll make it, I swear. Oh-oh! Livin' on a prayer."
"Tommy got his six string in hock," Flash sang solo."Now he's holding in what he used to make it talk. So tough… ooh, it's tough. Gina dreams of running away. When she cries in the night, Tommy whispers: Baby it's okay… someday…"
"We've got to hold on to what we've got," the duo from before sang, "'cause it doesn't make a difference if we make it or not. We've got each other and that's a lot. For love, we'll give it a shot."
"Oh, We're half way there," the four of us sang again. "Oh-oh! Livin' on a prayer. Take my hand and we'll make it, I swear. Oh-oh! Livin' on a prayer!"
"Livin’ on a prayer!" Flash sang out before Beard began a guitar solo.
"Oooh, we've got to hold on, ready or not," the blonde sang again. "You live for the fight when it's all that you've got."
"Whoa, We're half way there," we all sang."Whoa-oh! Livin' on a prayer! Take my hand and we'll make it, I swear. Whoa-oh! Livin' on a prayer!
The fans sang along with us for the last part. "Whoa, We're half way there. Whoa-oh! Livin' on a prayer! Take my hand and we'll make it, I swear. Whoa-oh! Livin' on a prayer!"
The crowd erupted in thunderous cheering and applause. We all took our bows and bid the audience a good night before shuffling backstage for a much-needed break. The others were busy discussing the fans while I wandered off to be with my own thoughts.
"Digit!" A familiar voice called out once I was alone backstage. I turned to see a silver-skinned woman with pink hair. "How's it goin’? You and your band absolutely rock!"
A surprised and happy expression came across my face. "Maya! What a surprise seeing you here!" I moved closer to the friend that I hadn’t seen in a few months as I continued to speak. "How did you find us?"
"Vicki has all de personnel files," she explained with a smile. "I knew right where fe find you."
I felt my cheeks heat up ever so slightly as I thought about the red-haired beauty that I had the pleasure of meeting. "Oh, she does? That's interesting."
With a nod, Maya continued. "Yeah, de girl's detailed, I'll gi her dat. Anyway, di reason I came was fe see if ju and your band wanted a gig at Muppet Central."
My mind was still on the bespectacled girl as I continued to speak. "And she's very beauti--" I suddenly realized that Maya was on a completely different subject. "Er, I mean, really? The whole band's invited to join?" I asked.
A sigh escaped from the Jamaican woman’s throat. "Yeah… dere were some… changes… fe de organizational chart. Duke and Kevin bowed out and I'm far too busy with directin' di musical spots fe play myself."
"I'm sorry to hear about that," I told her. Wait, that was the drummer’s name, Kevin? I thought quizzically. "No worries, Maya, I'm sure the rest of the band would love to work at Muppet Central."
"Excellent," the woman said with a nod. "Just stop on by me office when ju guys arrive. I need ju before I head out on me lunch break, okay?"
"We'll be sure to be there, Maya," I confirmed. The answer was a smile, and then she left the backstage area. I rushed to tell the others the good news about our new, permanent gig. Boy, were they going to be surprised.
~~~
Maya would never know just how happy she made me. I had been so uncomfortable around Kevin the drummer and the others. Of course, I was suffering some technical difficulties at the time, but while I would have stayed in that job because I needed it -- I was really uncomfortable. But there was a ray of light in all this. Now I could be with my band, the one who knew me, and I could have my best friend at my side.
After the concert, we all went back to our apartments to retire for the evening. I was strolling along to my room, my hopes for the future raised significantly, when I heard two voices discussing something. On closer inspection, I discovered that the voices sounded much like those of Lindbergh and my computer graphic creation (who was still unnamed).
I entered the room and was immediately greeted by Lindbergh. "Hey, Digit, where do you want me to put all these white bouquets in the shape of ‘D’ and ‘V’?" he asked me.
"Hey, Digit?" the graphic on my computer piped up. "I've been looking up tuxes for you." Various pictures of tuxedo styles then popped up on the screen. "Which one would you pick?"
"Wait, I'm confused," I told them, a puzzled expression on my face. "What is all this stuff for?"
"Of course," my creation continued, "if you decide not to go, all those guests will be disappointed."
"What are you talking about?" I asked with a frown.
"I have some Valentine's Day candy and cards," my best friend told me. "I've already taken the liberty of putting your name on them. Who should I put down as the girl?"
"… But… I'm not…" I didn’t understand it. What were they implying?
The blue rubber duckie-like creature on my computer screen sighed. "She'll be so disappointed, too. We had already called all the wedding magazines."
I thought long and hard about what they were saying before I responded. "Is… is this about Vicki?" I asked them.
Two identical Cheshire Cat-like grins appeared on my best friend and my creation’s faces in response. It had been confirmed: at last, two people now knew of my crush on the pretty red-haired girl.
"Digit and Vicki sittin’ in a tree," the blue graphic sang, "K-I-S-S-I-N-G…"
An exasperated sigh came from my throat. "Fine, fine ... work it all out of your systems."
"Oh, c'mon, Digit," my creation said to me, "we think it's great!"
"Seriously, though, Digit," my best friend began, "what are your plans with Vicki?"
"Well…" I scratched the back of my head out of nervousness while continuing. "To be honest, I'm still not that sure. I mean, I want to take her out on a date sometime, but I don't want to seem too forward to her. Since I'm still getting to know her and all, I have to make sure that I ask her at the right time."
"What is the right time?" the little graphic asked.
"I don’t know exactly right now," I told him, "but I’ll know it when I see it."
"Well, can you at least give me a hint?" he asked persistently.
I tried to change the subject. "Let me punch up the classic Romeo and Juliet," I told my creation. "It's a play about two teenagers who struggle with love despite all their hardships."
"Isn't Romeo and Juliet where--?" Lindbergh started to ask.
"Well, to be kind of honest," I interrupted him, "it's one of the few plays I remember from high school." Chuckling a little, I pulled up a text document that had the entire play typed out in it.
The determined graphic started to search through text for a few quotes. " ‘Two households, both alike in dignity‘… wow, what a long intro… hardly any romance in this scene… ‘But soft! What light from yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun. Arise fair sun…’ Long monologue… "Oh Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo?’ … blah blah blah… ‘What's in a name? That which we call a rose, by any other word would smell as sweet.’" He then paused, looking directly at Lindbergh and myself. "What do you call a computer graphic, then?" he asked.
"Piccy?" the kiwi suggested.
My ears mistook what he said for the girl of my dreams and I immediately turned my head. "Where?"
The bird looked at me in confusion. "Huh?"
"I'm not very picky, actually," the graphic stated, his lower lip pouted.
Lindbergh then applied his hand (wing?) to his forehead in exasperation.
"Come on guys, I need a name." the blue rubber duckie-like creature continued. "A real name."
I started searching around for a certain book that I had on file. "Where did I leave that name book?"
"You have a name book?" Lindbergh questioned.
"Never mind why I have it," I spoke to my best friend. "I want to know where I put it."
"Well, have you tried the bookshelf by the wall?" he asked.
"Where's the wall?" I responded in return. Suddenly, an idea came into my mind. "Where's Waldo…"
"Who's Waldo?" the kiwi asked.
I replied by smiling at my creation and pointing to him.
The graphic’s eyes widened. "Me?"
The smile never left my face as I nodded in response. "Yes, I think Waldo fits you rather well."
"Waldo... I kinda like it," the newly christened computer graphic stated. "What about my middle and last names?"
I stroked my chin, trying to think of something "Well, you are a computer graphic," I told him. "Let's just use that: Waldo C. Graphic."
"Isn't that a bit derivative?" Lindbergh asked me.
I shrugged as I answered him. "Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear…"
"Good point."
"I have a name!" Waldo exclaimed. He celebrated all night long that evening, rejoicing at the fact that he finally had a name to be called by.
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