I’M TELLING THIS STORY TO COMEMORATE THE NIGHT OF HORROR THAT OCCURRED ON JULY 15, 2003. THE EVENT WAS “AN EVENING WITH BOSTON” AT RIVERBEND MUSIC CENTER, SET TO START AT EIGHT P.M., NO OPENING ACTS.
KARLA, DENISE, DANNY AND I WERE ATTENDING IN THE LAWN. DENISE AND DANNY MET KARLA AND I AT MY HOUSE AT ABOUT SIX P.M. BEFORE WE LEFT I CHECKED THE WEATHER ON CHANNEL 12, THEY REPORTED THERE WERE A COUPLE OF MINOR SUMMER STORMS COMING IN BUT NOTHING TO AWFULLY BAD, MOSTLY HIT OR MISS SHOWERS. AFTER WE COPPED A BUZZ, WE TOOK OFF. I COULD ALREADY SEE A SMALL STORM STARTING ITS WAY INTO BROWN COUNTY.
WE LEFT MY HOUSE AND HEADED TO MILFORD TO DROP OFF MY NEPHEW, JAMES, TO MY DAD FOR THE NIGHT. FROM MILFORD, WE HEADED TO KELLOGGS AVENUE, TO THE PAVILION. WE BEARLY ARRIVED IN TIME, AT ABOUT TEN TILL EIGHT. RIVERBEND’S PARKING LOT WAS PACKED FULL. WE WERE DIRECTED TO PARK ON THE FAR SIDE OF THE RIVERDOWN’S HORSE TRACK.
IT WAS A VERY HOT SWEATY WALK TO THE ENTRANCE OF RIVERBEND WHERE WE STOOD IN A BRIEF LINE TO HAVE OUT TICKETS SCANNED AND TO BE LET IN. AFTER A SHORT BATHROOM AND BEER BREAK, THE FOUR OF US SET OUT TO FIND THE PERFECT SPOT TO STAND AND WATCH BOSTON. WE ENDED UP FINDING A SPOT NEAR THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE STAGE PRETTY CLOSE TO THE PAVILION.
THE BAND WAS GREAT, PLAYING “MORE THAN A FEELING”, “SMOKIN” AND A FEW OTHER OF THEIR KILLER TUNES. IT WAS ABOUT EIGHT THIRTY WHEN THE STORM STARTED TO PASS OVER US. I STARTED TO NOTICE SOME BRIGHT FLASHES OF LIGHT. I IGNORED IT FOR AS LONG AS I COULD UNTIL CURIOSITY GOT THE BEST OF ME. I HAD TO FIND OUT WHAT WAS FLASHING OUT OF THE CORNER OF MY EYE. SURE ENOUGH, IT WAS LIGHTNING. THE STORM WAS JUST BEGINNING TO SHOW ITS UGLY FACE. WE STAYED IN THE LAWN UNWILLING TO MOVE FROM OUR EXCELLENT POSITION FROM THE STAGE.
OUT OF NO WHERE A BOLT OF LIGHTING STRUCK EITHER THE OHIO RIVER OR THE FUCKING LAWN ITSELF AND THAT WAS ENOUGH NOTICE FOR ME. I LOOKED OVER AT DENISE AND KARLA AND SAID “I’M GOING TO THE MEN’S ROOM.”
I TREKKED UP THE HILL TO THE TOP OF THE LAWN; STOPPING AT THE TOP TO LOOK OFF INTO THE HORIZON TO SEE WHAT WAS COMING. I’VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THE WALL OF RAIN MOVING TOWARDS ALL OF US AND MYSELF. IT LOOKED AS IF IT WERE A MOVING WATERFALL. I WAS IN SUCH TOTAL AWE OF THE SIGHT THAT BY THE TIME I REALIZED TO FIND SHELTER IT WAS TO LATE, I WAS CAUGHT. IT TOOK A MATTER OF A FEW SECONDS TO GET DOWNSTAIRS AND TO FIND SHELTER. THE ONLY PLACE I COULD FIND WAS A BATHROOM, WHICH I THOUGHT, WAS THE MEN’S, BUT AFTER LOOKING, I REALIZED I HAD BUTTED MY ASS INTO THE LADIES ROOM. IF IT MAKES IT ANY LESS OF AN AMUSING THOUGHT, I WASN’T THE ONLY MAN IN THERE.
IN THE FEW SECONDS, IT TOOK ME TO FIND SHELTER I GOT SOAKED FROM HEAD TO TOE. IT FELT AS IF SOME ONE HAD SPRAYED ME DOWN WITH A GARDEN HOSE OR THREW ME COMPLETELY CLOTHED INTO A POOL. MY WALLET WAS DRIPPING WET, AS WELL AS THE MONEY IN IT, OUR TICKETS, IN MY OTHER BACK POCKET, I’M SURPRISED THEY SURVIVED THE SOAKED EVENING.
AS I STOOD IN THE DOORWAY AND WATCHED I WAS HORRIFIED TO THE POINT OF VIOLENT SHAKES. I FEARD SOMETHING HAD HAPPENED DENISE, DANNY AND KARLA. I STARTED FEELING REMORSE FOR RUNNING AND LEAVING THEM TO FEND FOR THEM SELVES. THE LIGHTNING WAS THE WORST I HAD SEEN IN ALMOST TEN YEARS. THE RAIN WAS SO HEAVY AND THICK THAT THERE WAS NO WAY I WAS GOING TO GO OUT IN IT. THE THUNDER GRUMBLED AND POUNDED SO LOUD THAT IT SOUNDED LIKE GOD WAS PLAYING A DRUM SOLO WITH THE HELP OF JOHN BONNOM.
THROUGHOUT THE RAIN AND THE STORM BOSTON CONTINUED TO POUND OUT THE HITS. I THINK JUST TO FUCK WITH EVERYONE THEY MADE SURE THERE WAS ENOUGH FEEDBACK ON THE GUITAR SOLOS THAT IT SOUNDED LIKE SIRENS TO EVERYONE HUDDLED IN THE LADIES ROOM.
AFTER THE RAIN LET UP, I SET OUT TO FIND MY COMPANIONS. I SEARCHED ALL AROUND THE OUTSIDE OF THE PAVILION, BACK AND FORTH A COUPLE OF TIMES AND NOTHING. I TREKKED BACK UP THE STAIRS TO THE TOP OF THE LAWN TO CHECK, PACING BACK AND FORTH A FEW MORE TIMES BEFORE I NOTICED THEY WERE STANDING RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME. WE STOOD AND TALKED FOR A FEW MINUETES ABOUT LEAVING AND GOING HOME, MOST OF THAT WAS I. DANNY BEING WASTED BY THIS TIME SAID WE’D LEAVE AS SOON AS BOSTON PLAYED HIS FAVORITE SONG, BUT AS DRUNK AS HE WAS HE WOULDN’T HAVE RECOGNIZED IT IF THEY HAD PLAYED IT. AFTER ALREADY BEING TERRIFIED, WET AND COLD I WAS EYEING THE SKY AND IT WAS FREAKING ME OUT SO I WENT TO HIDE AGAIN, THIS TIME, IN THE MEN’S ROOM I’M SURE.
I SAT THERE FOR ABOUT TEN OR FIFTEEN MINUTES BEFORE I STEPPED OUT TO SEE IF IT HAD GOTTEN ANY BETTER. IT LOOKED AS IF THE CLOUDS WERE BREWING UP ROUND TWO AND IT LOOKED AS IF IT WAS GOING TO BE WORSE THAN ROUND ONE.
I NOTICED KARLA WALKING TOWARDS DANNY AND ME NOT FAR BEHIND. DENISE WAS MAD AT DANNY AND PROBABLY ME TOO FOR WANTING TO LEAVE BUT I DON’T KNOW WICH. WE STARTED TO WALK TOWARDS DENISE WHEN SHE STORMED OFF THRU THE ONLY EXIT, SO I DRAGGED DANNY OUT TO THE PARKING LOT FOR THE LONG WALK BACK TO THE CAR. ONCE WE LEFT, WE COULDN’T COME BACK IN SO WE HAD TO LEAVE. I WAS OKAY WITH THIS BECAUSE BY THIS TIME IT HAD GOTTEN DARK. WE WALKED AND WALKED AND WALKED. ON THE FIRST PART OF THE WALK, I HELD KARLA’S HAND TIGHTER THAN EVER BEFORE. DANNY BEING SO TRASHED, I EVENTUALLY HAD TO HOLD HIS HAND TO KEEP HIM UPRIGHT AND WALKING IN A SOMEWHAT STRAIGHT LINE.
WHEN WE GOT TO THE CAR I THOUGHT I COULD LET GO OF HIM SO I COULD CLIMB INTO THE BACK OF DENISE’S BUICK LASABRE, BUT AS SOON AS I LET GO OF HIM HE IMMEDIATELY TIPPED OVER ONTO THE LITTLE RED SPORTS CAR PARKED BEHIND US. AFTER STABLIZING HIM ONCE AGAIN, I LET GO TO CLIMB INTO THE CAR. DANNY HAD TO FIRST PISS ON THE VAN PARKED NEXT TO US, THEN SLOWLY MADE HIS WAY INTO THE CAR AFTER STRUGGELING WITH HIS FEET AND LEGS FOR A FEW MINUETES. THE CLOCK READ 9:50 P.M. WHEN WE PULLED OUT AND HEADED TOWARDS MILFORD ON I-275. I LAID MY HEAD ON MY FAVORITE SPOT, KARLA’S CHEST, TRYING TO CALM MYSELF DOWN ON THE RIDE HOME.
I WAS HALF ASLEEP WHEN WE ARRIVED IN MILFORD AND DENISE ASKED IF WE WANTED TO STOP, AT WENDY’S TO GET A BURGER. WHEN I SAT UP I NOTICED THAT DENISE’S DASH LIGHTS WERE REALLY DIM AND GETTING DARKER. I TOLD HER THAT WHEN WE GOT TO WENDYS I’D GET OUT AND CHECK THE HEADLIGHTS AND TAILIGHTS TO MAKE SURE THEY WERE STILL WORKING.
WE PULLED INTO WENDYS AND PARKED. KARLA AND DENISE WENT TO TRY TO ORDER OUR FOOD AND I CHECKED THE LIGHTS. THEY WERE WORKING BUT THEY WERE DIM AND LOSING POWER FAST, I KNEW AT THAT POINT IS MUST BE THE ALTENATOR. I TOLD DENISE THAT AS LONG AS WE KEEP THE CAR RUNNING WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO AT LEAST MAKE IT BACK TO MY HOUSE BEFORE IT DIED.
WE ALL STARTED TO SHUFFLE OURSELVES BACK INTO THE TWO DOOR VEHICLE WHEN DANNY REACHED OVER AND TURNED OFF THE CAR. WE ALL GOT SITUATED IN THE CAR AS DENISE TRIED TO START IT. AS WE ALL FIGURED, NOTHING THE CAR HAD DIED. DENISE ALREADY FRUSTRATED GOT EVEN MORE PISSED OFF AT DANNY FOR TURNING OFF THE CAR KNOWING THAT WE WERE BEARLY GOING TO MAKE IT HOME. THEY STARTED TO ARGUE WICH DIDN’T LAST LONG BEFORE DENISE OPENED THE DOOR AND STORMED OFF TOWARDS KROGER. I GOT OUT AND HEADED FOR STEAK AND SHAKE TO CALL SOMEONE TO COME AND GET US. I FIRST TRIED TRAVIS; IT SAID THE NUMBER WAS DISCONNECTED.
I TRIED MAMMAWS HOME NUMBER AND AGAIN, IT SAID, THE NUMBER WAS DISCONNECTED. I TRIED MAMMAW’S CELL AND FINALLY GOT A HOLD OF SOMEONE. I ASKED IF UNCLE BILL WAS STILL STAYING THERE WITH HER AND SHE SAID YES, HE HAD JUST LAID DOWN FOR THE NIGHT BUT HE SAID THAT HE WOULD COME AND GET US. WHILE DENISE WAS GONE, SHE CALLED TRIPLE A FOR A TOW. UNCLE BILL AND KINGS TOWING ARRIVED WITHIN MINUETES OF EACH OTHER.
WE GOT BACK TO MAMMAW’S STILL WET AND COLD. BILL HEPLED THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER BACK THE CAR INTO THE CURVED DRIVEWAY OF MAMMAWS AND THEN TOOK US HOME.
ON ARRIVAL TO OUR HOUSE, WE NOTICED THAT IT WAS DARK. I FIGURED WE DIDN’T HAVE ANY ELECTRCITY WHEN THE MOTION SENSITIVE LIGHT DIDN’T TRIP ON. I GOT THE DOOR OPEN AND REACHED TO TRY THE LIGHT AND NOTHING. WE LIT SOME CANDLE’S, PEELED OFF OUR WET CLOTHES AND PUT ON SOME DRY SWEATS, SAT DOWN, SMOKED, RELAXED AND WAITED. THE POWER RESUMED AT 1:30 A.M. AND WE CALLED IT A NIGHT SHORTLY AFTER.
THAT’S MOST OF THE EVENTS THAT TRANSPIRED ON MY “EVENING WITH BOSTON”.
Copyright ©~Ted E. Brown II
July 17, 2003 *Two Days Later*
