Last Of The Lonely Hearts

 

 Last Of The Lonely Hearts

By Paul McCann

 

 

It was Friday night and he sat on the train thinking about growing old and living alone . It didn’t bother him that much anymore . He was used to his own company .

 

All his working life he had worked as a daily newspaper editor .

He had a good steady job and was as a loyal employee .

He did all the overtime that came along and never complained about the work load . People said, they were impressed with his work ethics . 

Although he had some admirers, he never had many friends .

His love of music was the only real friend he had ever had .

His collection of music was quite unique . He had an alphabetical library of almost every music style you could comprehend  . He had a song for any occasion and music for any mood . He enjoyed it all alone in a comfortable home in the fastest growing real estate area in the country .

   

The train pulled in to the station and he got up from his seat and departed from the train . He placed his season ticket into the slot at the turnstiles opened for him and it wasn’t long before he found the heart of the city .

Taxi cabs were picking up passengers and the cafes were all full of romantic couples out for the evening . Restaurants and fast food joints were packed with people filling their mouths with exotic food . Outside the cinemas impatient teenagers were queuing up to see the latest sci-fi flick .

 

He had no plan of where he was going so he just wandered through the streets until he found something that appealed to him . Some ethnic gangs were roaming through town and as yet there was no trouble . He saw the flashing lights outside discotheque and decided he would go check it out .

 

It was a warm inside and the heavy beat of hip hop music filled the air .

He went to the bar and bought himself a drink then he took a seat at the

back wall of the disco where he watched the girls dance on the floor .

He wished he was dancing with someone but never had the guts to ask .

He was shy and not real confident with girls .

His love of music was the only real friend he had ever had .

 

Inside Double Disco Scene the music was good and he stayed there for a while . He felt lonely and after an hour or two he left and wandered down through the busy street .

The sound of rock and roll music battered a back beat behind an alleyway on the edge of Valentine Street . He headed off down the alleyway and found the a night spot called Hard Nut Centre . Inside people like to dance and a few even moved towards him . He kind of backed off a little scared .

On stage there was a live band . They were called The Long Stretch .

He made his way over to the stage and stood right in front of the band who were all over six foot tall . Maybe that’s why they got the name  Long Stretch .

 

 

 

Their long lanky legs seemed strange . It looked as if they were propped up on stilts playing their guitars . He didn’t mind how they looked because their  music was real cool .

 

When the band played the latest number one hit Lonely Heart he couldn’t control himself and he started jumping up and down in one spot .

When the lead guitarist of the band saw him he reached out his hand and invited him on stage , suddenly then and there his life was going to change .

 

He got on stage and was handed the microphone . When he started to sing the crowd went wild . He had the coolest voice and it seemed to echo all around the bar . Girls started to scream out and a few even fainted .

He never knew singing in a band could be this cool  .The spot lights all focused on him and he was driven on by the band who played on with him .

Another song and another song was played and he sang along . Tears flowed from the audience and applause erupted around the whole room .

By the time he got off stage a long line of girls were waiting to meet him .

He stood there surrounded by pretty girls asking for his autograph .

All of a sudden this purple mist came down all around him .

Suddenly he had been transformed into a superstar .

Hang on a second . There was something different . Something strange .

It was as if he was in another world .

He felt different . Cool and confident and in control . He raised his hands in the air and spotlights hit a door in front of him that suddenly swung open .

A soft voice called out ,

“Come in .“

 

He walked through the door and found himself on the sidewalk of a very busy road with traffic speeding past . Suddenly the traffic all came to a halt .

Except for a golden sports car that zoomed in and out through the traffic and finally it made its way along the sidewalk to where he stood .

The door of the car opened up and a soft voice said ,

“Get in .“

 

Astounded and unable to speak he found himself sitting inside what seemed more like a spaceship than a sports car . Beside sat the driver who was surrounded by an illuminated light in the shape of a heart .

The vehicle  thundered along in the middle of the a road that seemed to stretch out forever . On both sides of the road fruit trees grew and a strange kind of fruit hung from their branches .

It had to happen, they lifted off the ground and they were airborne ,

Still unable to speak he looked beyond the windscreen at an green coloured sun that hung in a distant horizon splattered with pink clouds . The sky was  a blanket of rusty coloured patches with large birds clinging to the edges of it .

 The strange craft wafted through the pink clouds and descended down on  a runway . It hovered beside a steel trapdoor that opened up . Three creatures with pear shaped heads and large eyes approached . They were dressed in long garments that covered their entire bodies .

 

The door of the sports car opened and the three creatures got into the car .

The doors automatically closed once they were inside .

 

“Wow you’ve got the coolest voice .“

Said the one of them  .

 

Another continued ,

“Yea real cool . Like we were transfixed .“

 

“Mmm .Neat man . Nice tones .“

 

The driver also joined in ,

“Great notes . Crisp and clear .“

 

The door was opened and one of the creatures got out and reached out a long slender finger . The motion of the finger urged him to come .

 

“ This way .“

A soft voice said .

 

As he got out of the car the others followed and they all walked into a building at the end of the runway . Inside the building a huge juke box machine stood .

Its lights began to flash and then it spoke . 

 

“You have the gift that was lost a long time ago and you are the last of the lonely hearts on earth . “

His voice returned and he said ,

“Excuse me . I don’t understand what is going on .“

 

“A spell was cast on our planet by a wizard many moons ago . Long before the music died . The wizard enchained the music in our hearts .

The spell could only be broken when a man with a lonely heart would sing a song called Lonely Heart in front of a large crowd for free.”

 

“Who are you ?“ He replied .

“We are the music makers and I am the juke box of time . “ Came the reply .

“Why am I chosen to be the one to break the spell .“  He asked .

The juke box answered .  “You do not have the right to question . Just accept it  .“

“Then what do I do now ?” He said .

The jukebox illuminated with light and said ,

“ You have brought back music to our planet and we want to thank you .

  Please tell us how can we repay you dear friend .”

 

“I want to find true love and never be lonely hearted again .“

Came the reply .

 

Suddenly a doorway opened up in front of him and a soft voice said ,

“Be free.”

He walked in through the door and felt arms around him .

A kiss touched his lips and once again he found himself listening to the rock and roll  band who played on stage at the Hard Nut Centre .

The most beautiful girl he had ever seen held his hand and he took one look at her and felt his heart fill with what felt like heavens warmth .

 

The girl smiled at him and said ,

“Because you opened the door I’m in love with you .“

 

“I can’t explain it but I love you too .“

He replied .

 

She answered ,

“There can never be closed doors between us again . You love holds the key and your love will set us free .“

 

He looked at her and the words he spoke came straight from his heart .

“Be free .“

They were married and lived a long and a very happy life in a place called Valentines Village .

 

 

THE  END