Chapter Sixty Three

The show went good, Madison was front and centre and really enjoyed herself which pushed me harder to do good at what I do. The only spoiler was my stand in guitar, although the same make as my trusted original, somehow, it lacked the warmth and spirit of the other one. I made good and hopefully no one noticed. On Occasion Rich glanced over towards me and caught my eye, prompting me for a reaction, I kept my face straight and showed no emotion either way, but did throw my bro a stink eye once or twice, not having the required affect, it just gave way for Sambora to smile and raise his eyebrows at me.

After the show I headed back to my dressing room, opening the door, I found the usual flowers and cards from my devoted fans, sitting my butt on the chair I began sifting though the pile of cards and read each one. I picked up a nice looking good luck card with a horseshoe shape on the front, and lucky clover, opening the card inside was wrote in young handwriting,

"Dear Mr Bon Jovi, I hope you have a real good show, my mom will be there tonight to see your show, and its real special like cause she has now beat cancer. I would love to make her dreams come true and was hoping you would let her come back stage and say hi and have a photo took. We will be sitting in row B2 of the pit, I've saved my pocket money so I could let her come with my Grand pappy and daddy, Please make her dream come true. Love Ellie Malone aged 10."

I read the message over twice, then went out and found Mike Rew, seeing him down the corridor I called out to him, "Yo Mike,"  he finished his conversation with a crew hand and walked over to me.
"Yes Jon,"
"Do me a favour, go check out front of stage row B2 the pit and see if a young girl and her grandfather and dad and mom are still there would ya, if they are have them brought back to my dressing room, oh and get David Bergman to call back too"
he shook his head and set off to do as I asked, passing Maddi as she walked back along the corridor to my room.
"Hey beautiful, enjoy the show?"
slipping her arms around my neck, she smiled broadly and planted a kiss on my lips, "mmm hell yeah, I was mesmerized by the gorgeous guitarist..." she chuckled, as I smacked her butt. "Cut it out or else?"
"Else what"
both smiling her eyes mischievous, I whispered, "you'll pay..." copying my cheek she whispered back in a low voice in my ear, "bring it on Jovi..." she broke from me and headed inside the dressing room just as Mike Rew returned down the corridor with the family he had been sent to find. Coming down the hall from the other direction was David Bergman. I slid back through my dressing room door and waited for Mike to bring the family in and introduce them. First through the door with Mike was the young girl called Ellie, she stood proud wearing a Jovi t  and jeans with sneakers, her blond hair long fell around her shoulders, she wore a big grin and confidently held out her hand to meet me.
I crouched low so I was, more her height and shook her hand and gave her a hug.
She let go of me and smiled as she stood back a little and introduced her mom with pride in her eye's, "Mr Bongiovi, this is my momma, Sienna...." still beaming and smiling she stood  to the side and allowed a beautiful women, looking very scarred from her illness, to step forward. She held out a very slender hand towards mine, I gently took her hand and kissed it, I would have liked to give her a hug but she looked like if I did she would break into tiny pieces, just like a porcelain doll. With a shaky voice she spoke, "thank you so much for meeting me, that's another thing ticked off my bucket list, just four more to go."
"pleasure, so you been a fan for a while then huh?"
she shook her head, "yeah since I was a young girl, obviously a very long time ago..."
we both laughed, "time and health have been good to you Mr Bongiovi..."
"Thank you, your kind, but you don't see me in the morning... it takes a while now to get these bones moving freely, were all getting older right?"
she shook her head again, "sadly we are." she grimaced and near collapsed on the floor, " I managed to catch her, as she smiled at me weakly, "my hero"
"You ok?"  she regained her composure, "Sure, it happens, its age isn't it?"
we both laughed.

Chapter Sixty Two

"you know your gonna kill me..."
"well maybe you should get yourself fit..." she chuckled to herself, as I poked her ribs playfully...
"I think I need a better trainer for sure..."
"she rested her head on my chest and murmured "mmm"
I laid with her, and stroked her hair, I checked the clock on the side table... six thirty.
"babe, I've gotta start making a move, I need to head to the gig, I've got things to run through and check..."
she lifted her head, "really? is it that time already?"
I nodded my head.. " you wanna join me?" Madison nodded, "yeah, I'd love to, can I see the show too?"
I shook my head, "sure" Madison got up and headed to the bathroom, I swung my legs over the bed and lit a cigarette and inhaled deeply, too much as it caused me to cough; and my eye's stung as I continued to cough.  Madison came to the bathroom door, "seems I aint gonna be the only one to kill you, those things definitely will..."
I shook my head in between gasping and still coughing... "I know right, but they are a hard habit to break."
"well try ok?"
I stubbed out the end, having had only one pull, and the rest of the time coughing, "think I'm gonna, I've not coughed like that for a long time. Still coughing I made my way to the bathroom and freshened up, back in the bed room and dressed the call came to the room, the car was waiting ready to take me to the gig, instinctively I picked up my wallet, cell and cigarettes, Madison eyed me,
"what?"
"after near coughing your lungs up, your still taking them with you..."
"look, I cant stop just like that, ok, I will try I promise, but baby steps ok... I'll cut down first, and take it from there..."
she cocked her head to one side and gave me that look, that said, yeah right... throwing her a stink eye back, she conceded, and stood next to me, "if you say so... but I am begging please try it's a disgusting habit, and..." she stopped, "What don't stop there? tell me..."
"promise you wont get pissy first?"
I laughed, "pissy about what?"
"What I'm gonna say?"
still laughing I answered, "ok, I promise to not get pissy, now tell me already..."
"well, when we kiss and you have been smoking real hard..."
"yeah" she was dragging it out, still fearful to tell me...
"erm, thing is, its like kissing an ashtray, the stale taste of cigarettes is so strong..."
I looked at her, no one had ever said that too me before, I was conscious of not wanting to be that person that stunk of stale smoke and definitely not tasted of it, lamely I protested.....
"but I chew gum after?"
"umm maybe you do, but that just takes away the immediate taste, I'm sorry really but I've gotta be honest, more so after your coughing fit today..."
I kissed her cheek, "i really will try, honest, now can we go?"
she smiled at me and shook her head.
In the SUV on route to the venue, my cell rang, "yo, what's up Rich?"
"What how that happen?, ok, i'm on my way, I'll sort it...I said I'll sort it..."
I hung up the call as Madison looked at me, "everything ok?"
"yeah everything fine, just a minor hiccup, it happens..."
I didn't want to discuss band business with Maddi, so sat silently looking out of the window and running through the set list for the evening ahead.
When we arrived we got out and made our way through the doors and down to the stage. rich and the guys were playing and listening to the sound that played back through the speakers, Maddi went and sat in the pit seats as I joined my band on stage, "show me the damage Rich?" he took my arm and led me left of the stage, sitting looking at me was my tackamine guitar, the lacquer all blistered and bubbled.... I went to touch it as rich pulled my hand back, "yo are you crazy?, that could be acid on there, you wanna another cancelled gig?"
"well how the stage hands bring it out?"
rich raised his eyebrows, "I dunno.. ill check, just don't touch anything already ok?"
I shook my head and agreed, I was gutted, that was my original guitar that I bought after graduating with honours with my teacher Al Perinello, now it was blistered and broken, a heavy sigh left my body as rich returned with the stage hand.
"Josh, any idea how this happen?" Josh was a new kid, taken on by my brother Tony, one of the sons of my regular roadies, he stood looking scared to death before he answered me.
"It wasn't me Mr Bongiovi, honest, I just brought out the case and unhinged the lid, I spoke to Matt and he said to leave it here and he would sort it later..?
"was there any fluid on the case or anything, you know something that told you it had been tampered with?"
"no sir?"
just then Matty came over, "Jon, sorry bout the guitar man,"
"What you did it?"
"no, well kinda, look not like that, the driver of the truck, he needed a new battery as his old one was dead, we were changing them over when the old one tipped and battery fluid leaked out onto the case. we hosed it down but some must of leaked through to the guitar.... I'm sorry..."
Still looking at my prized possession, I looked to Matt, well I tell ya bro, your gonna pay for it... you got my spare? "
"Yeah, its on its way now, it will be here for the show..."
grabbing the electric I walked out to join the rest of the guys, with Rich too and we fired up and played through a few songs ready for the nights show. the damage to my guitar had real upset me, but I hoped I could put it behind me and still give a good gig....