Emiliano Mancilla

“Hey Charles, you never told me anything about joining any band of any type. Besides, Where are we? What does that lady mean by talking about me still being alive?”

“Well boy, you said that you wanted to be a musician, even an artist and wanted your ‘Californian vibes’, and being that I’m missing a guitar player I thought of giving you the gift of the profession’s experience” Charles replied

“And as you can see by my old clothes and my falling pale skin, I am one of the forgotten souls that once upon a time was considered one of the most fortunates, stuck in the middle of nowhere, between hell and heaven, making the most of our decadent eternity” He continued

“This is not what I was having in mind by absorbing Californian vibes. Also, there’s a lot of great guitar players in San Diego that I am sure are much better than me, why would it have to be me the one joining your band?” I said

“Well, I agree completely about San Diego having guitar players much better than you, even before seeing you on stage, nevertheless you were the only one staying in my home and flirting with one of my friends”

“But Lina doesn’t look in any way like you, she’s young, beautiful and more alive than any hopes and dreams I’ve had” 

And before I finished talking, Charles made a signal just when the band was finishing their tune. He pointed to the stage, and just after the applauses, the singer said. 

“Ladies and gentleman, I’d like to introduce you to Mariano, Charles’s new acquisition. He’ll be playing with us the next piece” 

Two attractive pale ladies in colorful dresses and singular hairstyles, held my hands and pulled me to the stage, the guitar player passed me his guitar and told me. 

“It’s an easy one boy, a five – one in C “ 

“What’s a Five – One?”

The fella gave me a dirty look. 

“Play G7 and C, all right?”

“Okay” 

“Don’t worry kid, I got you” Said the guy playing the double bass

“I’ll let you know when to start”

Then, both the drummer and my guide started with the piece, I closed my eyes, took a deep breath and remembered the two words that helped any man trying to do something risky. 

“Don’t think” 

I tried to convince me that it was all about feeling, words came way after things, 4/4, 6/8, 12/8 were just terms to describe, not to follow, and my head and torso started to move at the rhythm of the percussions, and my eyes were looking like the ones of a tiger just before catching his prey as I was observing my guide, my left hand was in position and my right hand was already moving without touching the strings. 

When I was given the signal the party started, and everything happened so quickly that by the time I noticed the audience, we had already finished the song and people were applauding as if we had made something spectacular.