Chapter 76

When they got back to the hotel, they barely had the presence of mind to change for bed before they collapsed.  They were both exhausted.  There wouldn’t be any making love that night.  They just didn’t have the energy.

Once they curled up in the bed next to each other, David sighed.  “Baby, it’s over.”

“What?” she asked sleepily.  She had just started to doze off.

“My career is over.  It feels weird.”

“You’ll get used to it.  Good news is that you’re all mine now.  All I have to do is say, ‘I wanna go to Argentina’, and we’re buying plane tickets to Argentina.”

“Yeah.  You’ve got me to yourself now.  I’m yours and yours alone.  What do you plan to do with me now?”

“Well, first things first, we need to head out to Israel to finish paying off the house.  While we’re there, we could have Abe draw up the papers to sell the house to Jake and Delilah.”

“How long do you want to stay in Israel before we go to Australia?”

“About a week, maybe?  We should stay long enough to unpack and make sure we have what we need in the house before we take off.”

“Yeah.  We probably should do that.  It might be a good idea to buy the necessities before I take you to the land down under.”

“Something else I suggest is having Jessi house sit for us while we travel.  Her assignments will have her in Israel and she’ll probably move out there for good because of David Adam’s citizenship.”

“You think she’ll apply for Israeli citizenship?”

“If she does move out there permanently.”  Her stomach grumbled.  “Baby, I love you so much, but we need to do one of two things right this moment.”

“What?”

“Either order room service or go to sleep.  I’ve got the munchies something fierce.”

He laughed.  “And let me guess, that’s why you don’t  smoke weed, either.”

“Yep.  I get sleepy and/ or I get the munchies.  The munchies reek hell on my blood sugar.  Hell, I just sat next to you while you smoked with Mike, Jake, and Marc and I ended up with a contact high.”

He chuckled.  “Do you want me to order something from the kitchen?”

She thought about it for a moment.  “If I can get a burrito without refried beans, then that sounds like a plan to me.”

David laughed as he reached for the hotel phone.  He called down to the kitchen and ordered them both something to munch on.  He was starting to get the munchies himself.  They got up and dressed to wait on their food.  “I was thinking that we’d just head out tomorrow or the next day to Israel take care of the house.”

“I like that idea.  We can stay there for a week while you unwind from the show tonight, come home, sell the house to Jake, pack our shit and leave the country.”

“It should take long for everything to finalize, either.  I give it a month.  We can spend that month packing.”

“Maybe we should stick around the US so that Miss Miri can get one more birthday with Gramma and Grampa before we leave the country for good.”

“Or we could just come back.  There are some sights in the States that I have yet to take you to explore.”

“Like?”

He grinned.  “Have you ever been to the Alamo?”

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Jordan and Davina sat up after putting Levi in his room in their suite.  “I can’t believe my Dad’s retired”, Jordan said.

“You didn’t think he was going to perform until the day he died, did you hon?”  Davina asked.

“Well… kinda.”

“Jordan Hannah Draiman.  I cannot believe that you’re saying that.”  Davina stared at her wife slack jawed.

“Well, I thought they’d realize how foolish the thought of them retiring was and say, ‘April fools.  We’re not retiring after all’.”

Davina gave Jordan a look that said clearly what she was thinking.  “Now who sounds foolish, Jordan.  You know better than that.  Your parents have been talking about moving to Israel for almost two years now.  They finally put a down payment on their house in Israel six months ago.  They’ve been talking about moving out there for almost two years.”

Jordan sighed.  “I’m not entirely sure how I feel about them leaving the country.”

“Aren’t they entitled to have time to themselves?  Time to be together as husband and wife and not have to worry about kids and grandkids?”

“They do.  They’ve been parents for so long that they deserve a little time to themselves.  But that what all the travelling was supposed to be, I thought.”

“Jordan, baby, you know I love you but you’re being childish.  I know that you love your parents.  I love your parents too.  And I’m sure that Levi’s going to miss Gramma and Grampa.  But, baby, you have to let them go on with their lives.  Your father’s pushing seventy.  Your mother’s not far behind him.  They deserve the ability to move out of the country into quiet retirement.  It will take some adjusting for everyone, but it’s not your choice”, Davina chided.

“I know, Davi, baby.  I just… I can’t imagine going over to my parents’ house and NOT seeing them there.  I can’t imagine that house going to some asshole who can’t appreciate the memories my family has there.”

“Are you saying that Jake won’t appreciate the memories the Draiman family has made in that house?”

“Jake’s buying the house from Mom and Dad?”

“Yeah, Jordan.  Your twin is buying the house.”

“But what about Miri and little Mattie?  They share a birthday with those babies.”

“I’m sure that your parents will find a way to make it back to celebrate with their birthday grandbabies.  You don’t need to worry about it.  Leave dealing with that to their parents.  Hell, I’m sure that Miri’s getting tired of celebrating her birthday with Gramma all the time.  And Matthew won’t even remember that he and Grampa share a birthday.  Any way about it, it’s not your problem.”

Jordan sighed.  “I guess I’m just not ready to accept that Dad’s not going to be there anymore.”

“Be there for what?”

“There has to be a reason that Disturbed retired today other than it’s been forty years, Davi.  I think Dad’s sick.”

Davina fought off a laugh.  “Are you serious, Jordan?”

“It’s not funny, Davina.  I may be losing my father.”

“Don’t you think your parents would have told everyone by now if either one of them is THAT sick?”

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“Wow, Dad’s finally retired”, Jake said in shock.

“Why are you surprised by that, baby?” Delilah asked.

“I’m not surprised.  I’m relieved.  They’ll be out of the country by Mom and Miri’s birthday.  They’re selling us the house.  We’ll be able to move out of the guest house.”

“You gonna boot your brothers and sisters out of the house?”

“No.  Marc and Mercedes are going to find a place in California so that Marc can get more work.  Jessi’s moving to Israel because of her job with the US consulate in Jerusalem.  Meagan’s moving to Houston to do her work with NASA.  Makayla’s going to stay here in Chicago.  I offered Jeremiah the little guest house we’re in now.  James is going to move back here to Chicago to help Justin with Intoxication.  Everyone else has already moved out of the house.”

Delilah smiled.  “It’s good that Mom and Dad are going to finally get to be alone together.  Mom needs time with Dad alone.  It will do them both some good.”

“I agree.  Mom and Dad have been there pretty consistently over that last 30 years.  They’ve gone through a lot together.  It’s time they got time to truly relax.  I just hope that one of my sisters doesn’t start to act a fool and think that something is terribly wrong with one of them.  It might warrant them a cussing.”

“Jacob, my love, I’m sure that if one of your sister’s acts stupid about this that one or both of your parents will put them in their place.  You’re parents are pretty good about things like that.”

He sighed.  “I just hope that Miri’s not too disappointed when she doesn’t get to spend time with Gramma on her birthday.”

“I’m sure she’ll get over it.  Speaking of Miri, I was thinking about getting her a pet.  She’s become rather responsible.”

“What is the one of her animal facts that she won’t stop talking about?”

“That Koi fish thing that Jona told her a while back.”

“Didn’t Jona offer to buy her one once we said she was old enough?”

“When she comes back to work I’ll talk to her about it.  I just want her to enjoy Matthew for a little while.”

“I agree.  I’m just glad that our work schedules are so flexible or we’d have to put Ira in day care or something after Mom and Dad leave the country.”

“The ONLY drawback to them leaving the country.”

“No kidding.  But, as long as their happy that’s all that matters.  My parents being happy and my family.  My siblings can all take care of themselves.”

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The next morning at family breakfast, Jordan seemed on edge.  David and Brie couldn’t help but notice.  “Jordan, what’s wrong?” David asked.

“I could ask you the same thing, Dad”, she said.

David looked at her like she was out of her mind.  “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

“How long have you known?”

“How long have I known what, Jordan?”

“How long have you known you’re sick, Dad?”

David and Brie exchanged a look.  “What makes you think I’m sick, Jordan?” David asked.

“There has to be a reason you guys retired yesterday, Dad.”

“It can’t be just because I’m tired and I want to spend time with your mother, huh?”

“You say that, but it’s a cover up.”  She looked at her mother.  “Mom, how bad is he.  Level with us.  We’re all adults.”

Brie looked at David and asked him with her eyes if she could smack Jordan upside the head.  He gave a slight nod and she reached over and smacked their oldest daughter.  “Jordan Hannah, your father is not sick.  It was just time for Disturbed to call it quits.  Forty years in the business is quite enough.  It’s MY turn to take up all of his time.  It’s MY turn to be a selfish bitch and occupy all of his time.  Now, you and any of your siblings that have a problem with that need to grow up and act your ages.  I’m not going to coddle you anymore and neither is your father.”

Jordan looked shocked.  Davina looked at her.  “I told you, Jordan, that you were being ridiculous.  I told you that you were being stupid and childish.  You’re going to have to accept eventually that your parents will die, but it’s not going to be any times soon.  Now, Jordan, I love you but you really need to give it a rest.”  And with that, everyone continued their meal as Jordan recovered from the egg she wore on her face.

Chapter 75

There wasn’t a light on in the park.  There wasn’t a light on onstage.  It was pitch black aside from a soft glow of glow in the dark  paint so that Dan, Mike, and John could see to get onstage.  They made their way onto the stage and the lights became dim as a hush fell over the entire crowd.  It was the moment the they’d all been waiting for.  It was the band they’d all been waiting for.  It was time to say their final good- bye to the men of Disturbed.

The music came up and the staggered LCD set up started playing a familiar video played for the crowd.  When the music got heavier, lasers came up one wither side of the stage in a typical fan formation.

The music became heavy as the bald man with two piercings under his lip was loaded into the back of an ambulance and the paramedic in the back with him spoke.  A needle was jammed into his chest and he came to life.  He man handled the paramedic to get out of the back of the ambulance as a maniacal laugh sounded over the speakers.  He escapes from the back right on cue.  “Release me!”  As he burst through the stage door, the crowd heard, “RRAW!”

David ran onto the stage with is mic in hand and started singing as he reached the mic stand.  “No remnants were ever found of it, feeling the hot bile with every fake smile, though no evidence was ever found it never went away completely.  I try to hide from the unholy sound of it, another day gone, another night’s dawn, dark forces pull me underground that never went away completely!

“How can I feel this empty?  I will not recover this time, This loneliness is KILLING ME!  AHH!”

All of David’s children that didn’t have children under the age of two were out in the backstage area jammin’ to their father onstage.  “Will I never know peace of mind again?  I don’t believe it, I can’t achieve it.  I think you know it’s just another sign that never went away completely!

“Terror is coursing in me, dreading the final moment when I have to dream, and FEEL YOU DIE!

“In Asylum, (I live a lie), Don’t you know I’m in love with you and I wasn’t READY for Asylum (forget the lie), To let go now it’s dragging me INTO YOUR GRAVE!  Your Asylum (forget the lie), Overcome in the feeling that I won’t get to join you in time, and the loneliness is killing me!”

David was doing what he was born to do.  We moved around on the stage and got the entire crowd involved.  He was a pro after all.  He chanced a glance into the wings and saw eight of his ten children and three of the eleven grandchildren jamming with the music they grew up with.  He smiled to himself as he performed the song.  “In the end there will be no suffering (more suffering), in the end you will find out everything (not everything), in the end you may QUESTION YOUR BELIEF (what belief?) In the end you will REALIZE FINALLY HOW YOU WERE SAVED!

“This has gone on too long (too long!)  No more demonic dreams, destroyer come to light, because the memory is KILLING ME!

“In Asylum (I live a lie), I let go now it’s dragging me INTO YOUR GRAVE! For Asylum (we live a lie), Overcome in the feeling that I won’t get to join you in time, this world is not FULFILLING ME!!

“Don’t wanna live in Asylum, I live a lie, don’t wanna live in Asylum, I live a lie.  Don’t make me live in Asylum, I live a LIE!”

David looked down at the crowd with an intense look on his face.  “Well done, Chicago”, he said as a smile spread slowly across his lips.  “It’s good to be home.”  The crowd roared with more intensity than they had all day.  “As you all know, we are Disturbed and that was ‘Asylum’.  Now let’s keep this going with a new song from the new album.  Can you help me out with that, Dan?”  Dan started playing as David got the crowd going.  Not but a couple of bars into Mike and John joined Dan.  David spoke over the music.  “Let me see those Devil horns in the sky!”  When he came in with the lyrics he gazed out over the crowd in satisfaction.  He was in his element and the crowd was giving him everything they had.  This was going to be the show he would remember for the rest of his life.  He was going to make sure that this was one of those events that every person watching would remember for the rest of theirs as well.  Do you remember where you were when the towers fell?  Do you remember where you were when the Utopians fell?  Do you remember where you were when they announced that they’d killed Bin Laden?  Do you remember where you were the night that Disturbed retired?- the iconic questions of his children and grandchildren’s lifetimes.

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Thirty minutes had passed and Disturbed was on a roll.  They owned the stage and the crowd.  They had paused several times so that David could address the crowd and have the camera crew look out over them so that the people around the world could see the mayhem in Chicago that night.

Jordan was in one of the dressing areas changing her clothes so that she could go out onstage and get wet with her father.  She was stoked.  It was the first and last time she would get to be onstage with the man that taught her everything she knew.  She checked her makeup, fixed her hair again, and said a silent prayer.  Dear God, if it is your will, please let this short period of time on that stage move the people in the crowd and watching around the globe feel the power of these songs we’re about to perform.  Let us show them that whether or not Disturbed is performing, the message is still the same and the power is still in the music.

She stood and made sure that she was wearing her sound pack so that she and that her IEM’s were hanging over her shoulders.  With a satisfied smile, she strutted out of the dressing area and grabbed a mic from the charger.  She paused to give her mother a hug.  “It’s time to go sneak up on Dad”, she said.

“So it seems”, her mother said.  “Jordan, I know your father and I don’t say it a lot, but we’re very proud of everything you and your brother have accomplished in your career.  And that goes for all of you kids.  We’re proud of all of you.  Now, go break a leg.”

Jordan smiled at her mother.  “Thanks Mom.  I’ll be back in a little bit."  She strutted out onto the stage and intentionally stood behind her father as he spoke.

The crowd responded.  David noticed the change.  “Is there something going on that I need to know about?” he asked the people as he turned to look behind him.  “Is there someone out here that doesn’t need to be or something?”

Every time he turned around, she stepped in the opposite direction.  It was fun to play cat and mouse with her father.  She was enjoying the game entirely too much.  Finally, she spoke.  “BOO!” she said.

David jumped slightly.  “For the love of God, Jordan, are you trying to give me a heart attack?”  He didn’t say it into the mic.  It was only for her to hear.

She laughed.  Her response was for his ears only as well.  “Maybe?”  Thunder clapped in the distance.  Good thing it was a rain or shine event.  If it rained, the show would continue.  The weird science fiction noises that preceded the intro to ‘The Animal’ followed.  A few things then happened simultaneously: thunder sounded again, the music came up, it started raining on stage, the vocal effects started, and the crowd realized what was going on and became nearly rabid.  “NA-AH-NAH!  NOW!!!”

David and Jordan did their thing as Dan, Mike, and John got wet and played.  Jordan started to sing.  “I can feel the animal inside, my resolve is weakening, pounding at the doors of my mind, it’s nearly OVERPOWERING!  I cannot begin to describe the hunger that I feel again.  Run if you intend to survive, for the BEAST is coming to life!

“Taking form in the glimmer of this tainted moon light, death approaches ON THIS NIGHT!”

David joined her.  “For the Animal’s soul is MINE!  We will be completed right BEFORE YOUR EYES!  I have no control this time, and now we both shall dine IN HELL TONIGHT!!”

Jordan dropped out and let her father take the next verse as she worked the crowd and the stage.  “I can hear it calling again, the primal need is filling me, changes are about to begin, and now my BLOOD IS BOILING, I can see the fear in your eyes, but can’t bring yourself to scream, time to shed the mortal disguise, for the BEAST is coming to life!

“Taking form in the glimmer of this tainted moonlight, death approaches on this night!”

And Jordan joined in again.  “For the animal’s soul is MINE!  We will be completed right BEFORE YOUR EYES!  I have no control this time, and now we both shall dine IN HELL TONIGHT!”

Dan rocked the solo like he had for years as Jordan and David fed on the crowd’s wild energy and threw it back at them.  “LET’S SEE THOSE FISTS IN THE AIR!!” Jordan shrieked then started singing.  “We begin the hunt tonight, feel the power course as the creatures take flight, for the kill is close and I will be SATISFIED!”  Then David came in as Jordan dropped out.  “For the smell of fear tonight, wakes an ancient lust that will not be denied!”  And Jordan shrieked again.  “YOU’RE MINE!!

And they sang the chorus together again.  “For the animal’s soul is MINE!  We will be completed right BEFORE YOUR EYES!  I have no control this time, and now we both shall dine IN HELL TONIGHT

“For the animal’s soul is MINE!  And the world around will never HEAR YOUR CRIES!  An unholy crime, and now we both shall dine IN HELL TONIGHT!!!  NA-AH-NAH!”  There was no need to speak in between songs.  The music for ‘Divide’ came up and they continued to kick the crowd’s ass.

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It was the last song of the set.  The one song that they’d had to perform at every show they’d ever done.  The three hours they had been onstage had been intense.  The crowd had been the best they’d ever encountered.  David took a drink of water and looked out at the crowd.  “Chicago, Illinois, for the billions watching at home around the world, are you ready to get down with the sickness ONE MORE TIME?”  The crowd got louder than they had been all night.  Mike started beating out the primal rhythm for the song they were going to play.  David growled into the mic, “Can you feel that?” as John joined in.  “Ah, shit”, and Dan joined in.  When the music peeked, on David’s cue to come on he faked the audience out.  They made the monkey noise for him and he chuckled.  He brought the mic up one more time with a deep breath.  “OO-WAH-AH-AH-AH!  OO-WAH-AH-AH-AH!

“Drowning deep in my sea of loathing broken your servant I kneel (Will you give into me?), It seems what’s left of my human side is slowly changing in me (Will you give into me?)

“Looking at my own reflection when suddenly it changes, violently it changes, OH NO, there is no turning back now, you’ve woken up the demon in me!

“Get up come on get down with the sickness, get up, come on get down with the sickness, get up come on get down with the sickness, Open up your hate and let it flow into me, Get up, come on get down with the sickness, you mother get up, come on get down with the sickness, you fucker get up come on get down with the sickness, madness is that gift that has been given to me!

“I can see inside you the sickness is rising, don’t try to deny what you feel (Will you give in to me?), It seems that all that was good has died and is decaying in me (Will you give into me?)

“It seems your having some trouble in dealing with these changes, living with these changes, OH NO, the world is a scary place now that you’ve woken up the demon IN ME!

“Get up, come on get down with the sickness, get up, come on get down with the sickness, get up, come on get down with the sickness, Open up your hate and let it flow into me, Get up, come on get down with the sickness, you mother get up, come on get down with the sickness, you fucker get up come one get down with the sickness, madness is the gift that has been given to me!”

The crowd was screaming the lyrics back at him.  There were several mosh pits going on within his line of sight.  He was going to miss seeing this sight.  The crowd was electric and he knew what he had to do after the show was over.

“AND WHEN I DREAM!  No mommy, don’t do it again!  Don’t do it again!  I’ll be a good boy!  I’ll be a good boy, I promise.  No mommy, don’t hit me!  OW! Why do you have to hit me like that, Mommy? Don’t do it, you’re hurting me!  YOW-OW!  Why do have to be such a bitch?  Why don’t you hurry the fuck up and DIE?!  Why can’t you just fuck off and DIE?!  Why can’t you just leave here and DIE?!  Never stick your hand in my face again, bitch.  FUCK YOU!!! I don’t need this shit, you stupid, sadistic, abusive fucking whore!  How would you like to see how it feels, mommy?  HERE IT COMES, GET READY TO DIE!!!!

“Get up, come on get down with the sickness, get up, come on, get down with the sickness, get up, come on get down with get down with the sickness, open up your hate and let it flow into me! Get up, come on get down with the sickness, you mother get up, come on get down with the sickness, you fucker get up, come on get down with the sickness, MADNESS HAS NOW COME OVER ME!”

David looked out over the audience when the song ended.  He was having mixed emotions about ending the show.  He could have stayed out there all night and entertained the men and woman in that audience.  But, it was time for it to end.  He knew it was time to go to his wife’s arms and come down off of the high he was on.  “Thank you, Chicago, for all of the love you’ve given us over the last 41 years.  We want to thank our fans around the world as well.  The last four decades have been a hell of a ride.  So, one last time, scream the name with me!  WE ARE…”

“DISTURBED!” the crowd roared back.

“WE ARE…”

“DISTURBED!”

“WE ARE…”

“WE ALL ARE…”

“DISTURBED!!!!”

The band made their way up to the front of the stage and they took a bow.  As they made their way off of the stage, the crowd started chanting.  “THANK YOU… DISTURBED!  THANK YOU… DISTURBED! THANK YOU… DISTURBED!”  Over and over again, they chanted and clapped.  The bands in the back all crowded the stage and joined the chant.  Their families joined them onstage.  The wives went to their husbands as they looked over the crowd with pride.  They couldn’t have been more proud.

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It was a hell of an after party.  There was booze.  There was bud.  There was food.  And all of the young children were in bed.  David had cut back a great deal on how much he drank over the years to the point where he’d all but quit drinking all together.  He drink on special occasions and that was it.  He’d cut back on how much he smoked over the years too, but that night he got higher than a kite. He sat on the couch backstage and passed a joint back and forth with the guy and a few of his kids.  “Wow, Dad”, Jake laughed.  “I’ve never seen you so relaxed.”

David smiled as he got more comfortable on the couch with his wife.  “Trust me, Jake, it’s the weed.”  He looked at Mike.  “This shit is potent.  Where did you get it?”

“Would you believe that it’s medical grade?” Mike asked.

“Really?”

“Yep.  I have a prescription because of chronic shoulder problems.  I actually have to have a rotator cuff repair here soon.”

Brie spoke up.  Her voice was soft and mellow.  “Mikey, if you had kept coming to see me I could have helped prevent that and you know it.”

“Yeah, I know.  I honestly think you helped stave it off, though.  I haven’t always been kind to my shoulders.  Ask your man.”

“No need. I remember some of the foolish stunts you pulled during the rally tour.  I also recall Morbus dumping you out of my massage chair.”

“Yeah, I remember.  Good times.” He sighed.  “David.  It’s over brother.”

“After forty years, it’s done.  We are retired”, David responded.

“What are your plans now?  I mean, I know you and Brie are moving to Israel, but what about the house?”

“We’re selling it to Jake.  After that, we’re heading out to Israel for good.  We’ll come back for the holidays, but that’s it.”

“You’re not going to just sit at home all the time though are you?”

“Hell no.  We’re going to go to travel.  I’m going to take this beautiful woman that’s asleep against my side to all of the different places she missed out on.”

“Be sure to take her to Morocco.  I think she’d love it there.”

“That was the plan, but first we’re going to Australia and we’re going to dive the Great Barrier Reef.”  He yawned.  “Well folks, as much as I hate to put an end to the party, I have to.  It’s not much of a party with my wife passed out.  I think I’m going to take her back to the hotel.  I’m exhausted anyway.”

“I’ll catch you later brother.  Behave.”

“Yeah right.”  David shook his wife gently.  “Come on, baby.  We’re going back to the hotel to get some sleep.”

She stirred and sat up.  “No, baby.  I don’t want to ruin the after party for you.  We can stay.”

“I want to go back to the hotel and get some sleep.  Come on, gorgeous.  Let’s go.” 

They made their way out to catch their limo back to go back to their hotel.  As they rode back, Brie looked up at David.  “So, how does to feel to be retired?”

“I’m not sure yet.  Ask me again in the morning once it’s sank in.  Right now, I’m still too high to care.”

Chapter 74

Everyone was at the venue early.  There were going to more radio stations at the show to ask whomever they could get their hands on whatever questions they had in their minds.  Every musician there needed to be ready and on their A game.

The backstage area had already been stocked with breakfast for all of the bands.  Whatever anyone could have wanted, if it was a typical breakfast food, it was on the spread and piping hot when the bands arrived.

“I cannot believe the spread we have here”, Jordan said as she sat down after getting a plate for herself and her son.  “This is impressive.”

“Like our father and uncles are going to do something this huge half- assed”, Jake said as he cut a pancake for Ira.  His wife was dealing with Miri.  “You should know better than that by now, Jordan.  Dad is very thorough when it comes to making sure that things are taken care of.”

“Gotta love Dad being anal retentive”, Meagan whispered as she sat down next to her niece.

David and Brie walked in and made their own plates.  James, who had just joined his brothers and sisters, looked down at his parents feet.  “Is Dad wearing sneakers?”

“Yeah, I think he is”, Marc said.  “It’s possible that they came her without showering after getting a workout.  You know how Mom is about her physical fitness.  She and Dad keep each other motivated.”

“But, Dad actually showed up in sneakers.  Not something I’m used to seeing?”

“What?  Me wearing sneakers in public?” David asked when he sat down at the table with his family.

“Yeah”, James responded.

“Get over it, James Matthew.”

“I’m over it.  I was just pointing it out.”

Rei and Melvin sat next to Jordan.  “Hey Jordan”, the young woman said.

“Hey Rei Rei.  Excited about today?”

“Oh yeah.  We’re stoked to open this thing.  I’m glad you invited us to do that.”

“Make me proud.  That’s all I ask.”  She looked over at the star struck Melvin.  “You ok over there, buddy?”

“I can’t believe I’m eating breakfast with David Draiman.  I’m about to open for Disturbed.  This is a dream come true”, Melvin said.  He was in shock.

“Dude.  Breathe”, David said with a chuckle.

“David Draiman just called me ‘dude’.”

David looked at Jordan.  “Is he always like this?”

“No.  He’s actually hard to shock.  This is really strange”, Jordan laughed.

“What’s his name, Jordan?” Brie asked with a smile.

“Melvin.”

David sighed.  “Melvin.  Look at me, son.”  Melvin looked at him.  “It’s not that big a deal.  I’m just a normal guy.  No need to freak out.  I understand that this is a big deal for your career, but you don’t need to trip balls because you’re about to open this show.  You actually need to chill and focus on the task at hand.  You’re about to perform.  Never mind that this is Disturbed’s last show.  You’re about to go onstage.  Get your head on straight, take a few deep breaths, eat your food, and focus.  If you were going to freak out, you should have done so over the two weeks you’ve been here.  Now is not the time to act like a star struck fan.  Now is the time to bring you’re a- game, and show the world what Bloody Rose is about.  Freak out later.”

Melvin blinked a few times and nodded.  “Yes sir.  I’m sorry.  I woke up this morning in utter disbelief that this day is actually happening.”

“How do you think I feel?  This is my last show.  After today, I’m retired.  I’m singing the songs I’ve been singing for forty years for the last time today.  You wanna talk about disbelief?”

Melvin laughed.  “I’m sorry.  I know this has to be surreal for you.”

“You have no idea.”  David said as he cut into his steak.  “I doubt it will have sank in even after I get off of the stage tonight.  I’m going to be riding the same high I’ve been ridden after every show I’ve ever done for the last forty years.  I won’t set in until my beautiful wife and I have moved into our house in Israel.”

----------------

The show started and Bloody Rose showed the world that Jordan’s belief in them wasn’t misguided.  All of the bands that followed did the same.  David had no doubt in his mind that Halestorm and Five Finger Death Punch would do just that.  He had no doubt that Crosshairs would do the same.

Finally, Reckless Disregard took the stage.  They started things off with a bang by opening with their smash mosh anthem ‘Riot’.  Jordan was the same monster onstage that she’d been for the last fifteen years.  For a full hour, she made the crowd pay attention and get up out of their seats.  At the midpoint in the show, she sat back down at her piano and put her mic in its stand.  “Chicago, Illinois, are you psycho bastards still with me?”  The crowd roared.  “That’s what I thought.  And guess what.  I fucking believe you!  This is the best crowd I’ve seen in a while.  Now, joining us onstage this evening are two men that really don’t need an introduction.  They are two of the musical mastermind’s behind such hits as ‘Almost Easy’, ‘So Far Away’, and ‘Beast and the Harlot’.  They crafted songs that we could only imitate, such as ‘Nightmare’, ‘Scream’, ‘Girl I Know’, and ‘Critical Acclaim’, a couple of those you’ve heard here already tonight.  Please, help me give a strong Chicago welcome to M. Shadows and Synyster Gates of Avenged Sevenfold!” She started playing a small keyboard that sat on top of the baby grand piano she was going to play for a short period of time as Matt and Syn came onstage.  Syn hooked into the system as Jordan played.

There was a sudden explosion of noise as Jordan switched to the piano and the men all came in.  They all played through the intro together and Matt came in screaming, “Nightmare!”

Underneath, Jordan sang, “Now your nightmare comes to life!” and spun on the bench as the music transitioned to the verse.

Matt kept singing.  “Dragged you down below, down to the Devil’s show to be his guest forever!”

“Piece of mind is less than never!” Jordan screamed under him.

“I hate to twist your mind, but God ain’t on your side, an old acquaintance severed!”

“Burn the world, your last endeavor!”

Then they sang together, “Flesh is burning; you can smell it in the air cause men like you have such an easy soul to steal (steal), so stand in line while they ink numbers in your head, you’re now a slave until the end of time here”, then Matt took over with, “Nothing stops the madness churning, haunting, yearning, pull the trigger!”

“You should have known the price of evil, and it hurts to know that you belong here, yeah.  Ooh, it’s your fucking nightmare!”

They continued the same pattern in reverse with the next verse.  Matt sang the lead in then Jordan took the lead.  “While your nightmare comes to life!”

“Can’t wake up in sweat cause it ain’t over yet, still dancing with your demons!”

“Victim of your own creation!”

“Beyond the will to fight, where all that’s wrong is right, where hate don’t need a reason!”

“Loathing self- assassination!”

“You’ve been lied to just to rape you of your sight and now they have the nerve to tell you have to feel (feel).  So sedated as they medicate your brain and while you slowly go insane they tell ya,”

“’Given with the best intentions, help you with your complications!’”

“You should have known the price of evil, and it hurts to know that you belong here, yeah.  No one to call, Everybody to fear, your tragic fate is looking so clear, yeah, Ooh, it’s your fucking nightmare! Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!”

Syn and Malachai took over with the duet- Syn on lead.  In the middle of duet, Matt gave a diabolical laugh. He and Jordan started singing as they walked down the catwalk with Malachai and Syn on their heels.   Matt sang the lead as Jordan took the echo.  “Fight (fight), not to fail (fail), not to fall (fall), or you’ll end up like the others, Die (die), die again (die), drenched in sin (sin), with no respect for another!”  Syn and Malachai took over again with their duet.  Matt and Jordan got the crowd amped like lead vocalists should.  They roared and sang along with every word as Matt and Jordan got them going.

When the vocals came back in, Jordan took the lead with Matt on the echo.  “Down (down), Feel the fire (fire), feel the hate (hate), your pain is what we desire, Lost (lost), hit the wall (wall), watch you crawl (crawl), Such a replicable liar”, and out of nowhere, they flip flopped  and Jordan fell back to stand with Malachai and Syn so that she could share her mic.  “And I know you hear their voices (calling from above), And I know they may seem real (these signals of love), But our life’s made up of choices (some without appeal)”, Jordan took the harmony as she sang with Matt again.  “They took for granted your soul, and it’s ours now to steal! (While your nightmare comes to LIFE!)” 

“You should have known the price of evil, and it hurts to know that you belong here, yeah”, Jordan took the upper harmony, letting Matt keep the melody. “No one to call, everybody to fear, your tragic fate is looking so clear, Ooh”, Jordan dropped out, “It’s your fuckin nightmare!”

And the crowd went wild.  Jordan hugged Matt and Syn, giving them each a kiss on the cheek.  “Again, M. Shadows and Synyster Gates!” she shrieked into the mic as the crowd screamed.

---------------

David was with the rest of the guys warming up.  They were each going about their individual warm up routine.  David did his usual vocal warm up.  The nerves were building up.  The same way they had every time he got ready to do go onstage.  He had the same butterflies every time.  He knew that this performance was going to have to be their big finale.  They weren’t going to get another chance at a final show.  The pressure was really on to make end it with a bang.  This was what he thrived on.  He knew he could do it.

Brie saw the nerves that he was trying to hide.  “Nervous, baby?”

He sighed.  “Yeah.  Nervous is an understatement.  Absolutely on edge is more like it, but it’s nothing I can’t handle.  I’ve done this a million times before.  I’ll get over it once I’m out on stage.  It’s starting to sink in, I guess, that this is actually the end.  It’s almost over.  In three and a half ass this crazy ride will be over.”

She laid a hand against his cheek.  “Don’t think of it as the end.  Think of it as the beginning of a new chapter.  Remember that autobiography you wrote?” He nodded.  “This is just another chapter that’s going to start.  The end has yet to really come.  It’s not really over until our children lay us to rest.”

He smiled.  “How is it you know what to say?”

“I know you, love.  Just take the energy and throw it out at that crowd so that they can throw it right back at you.  And keep in mind that the crowd here is just the vessel for the energy of MILLIONS of people watching this around the world.”

“No pressure”, he said with hint of sarcasm.

She laughed.  “David.  Chill out.  I’m just saying that there is going to be a ton of energy coming at you from every which.  I know that you can channel it.  Take it and throw it back at them tenfold.  You can do it.  I know you can.  And tomorrow, we’ll all gather at Danny’s place and get stoned.”

He chuckled.  “That sounds like a plan to me.”

“Now, get dressed for the show and finish warming up.  And, remember that no matter what, I love you and I always will.”

---------------

It was finally time for their ceremonial shot of Jaeger before the show.  They passed around the Styrofoam cups with enough Jaeger for a shot and the stage manager did exactly what he always did.  “Alright, boys.  Chicago.  Our hometown.  Let’s kick these bastards in the nuts.”  They toasted and dropped the shot.

Mike cried out, “WHOO!”, as they were herded to the stage.  Everything they would need was set up.  The lights, the screen, the pyro.  Brie was standing by ready to help him into the straight jacket when he was ready for it.  All of the other wives were standing there with her ready to rock.

Each of the men gave their wives a kiss and wished their man.  The women told them to have fun and break a leg.  David and Brie were no exception.  “Go have fun, David.  Kick ass, take names, and leave your heart and soul on that stage.”

He smiled at her.  “Planned on it.”

“Good.  I’ll see you when you’re ready for the straight jacket.”

“Sounds good.”

They kissed.  “Break a leg, baby.  Now go.  Talking isn’t giving the fans what they deserve.”

He smiled once more and went to his mark so that he could run out on the stage and start the end of the show.

Chapter 73

Marc and Mercedes were in the same restaurant as his parents, but they were in a separate area of the dining room.  He held her hands from across the table as they waited on the meals.  “Mercedes.  I have a serious question for you.”

She looked the question in her eyes at him. “What’s the question, baby?”

“How much do you love me?”

“More than life itself, Marc.  Where are you going with this?”

“Do you love me enough to marry me?”  He reached into his pocket.

Her eyes widened a little bit.  “Yes.”

“Do you love me enough to be the mother of my children?”

“Yes.”

He pulled the small black box out of his pocket.  “Mercedes, say you’ll be my wife”, he said as he dropped to one knee and opened the box.

She gasped as one hand covered her mouth and the other went to her chest.  “Oh my God, Marc.”  Tears filled her eyes as she extended her.  “Yes, Marc.”

He caught her shaking hand, laid a soft kiss against her knuckles, and slipped the ring on her hand before kissing her.  “‘Cedes, you just made me the happiest guy in the entire world”, he whispered against her lips.

“No, Marky, you just made me the happiest girl in the entire world.”

---------------

Dress rehearsal was the following day.  The guys were all buzzing with energy.  They’d spent hours getting warmed up and ready to go out on stage.  “David Michael Draiman, would you be still for a few moments?” Brie asked as she helped him into the straight jacket that he going to be wearing at a couple of points during the show.  “You’re making it impossible for me to buckle this damn thing.”  She was making sure that it fit or if they needed to buy another one.  She knew of a couple of places where she could get one at a reasonable price.

“I can’t help it”, he laughed.  “This is the rehearsal for the last show.  Tomorrow, I’m going to be putting on this straight jacket for the last time.  I can’t help but buzz a little bit.  I’m sure all of the guys feel that way.”

She laughed.  “What will it take to get you to settle down long enough for me to finish locking you in this contraption?”

“I’d say kiss me to distract me, but…”

She contemplated that for a moment.  “Wouldn’t work.  I’d have to see what I was doing.  But I do have an idea.”  She looked around for one of their children.  “Jacob!” she called when she spotted the good doctor.

“Yeah Mom?” he asked.

“Will you help me get your father in this damn straight jacket?  He can’t seem to be still long enough for me to fasten it.”

“What do you need me to do?”

“Secure it while I distract him.”

Jake raised an eyebrow at the comment until he saw what his mother had in mind.  Watching his parents make out didn’t really bother him.  He actually thought it was funny that they had been together for so long and were still so in love.  It was… endearing, for lack of a better word.  He just took one of his father’s arms and secured it in the back, then took the other and did the same thing.  He patted his father on the back and chuckled.  “Done back here.  You’re secure, Dad.”

Brie pulled away and looked at their son.  “Thank you, Jacob.”

“No problem, Mom.”

She looked back at her husband.  “There, that wasn’t so hard; was it?”

He chuckled.  “I guess not.  So, how does it feel to see me in this?”

“I’ve always know you belonged in one”, she laughed.

He laughed.  “That’s cold.  That’s REALLY cold.”

“No.  Cold would be saying that you also belong in a padded room complete with that little slot where they slide your tray in.”

His jaw dropped.  “Wow.  You’re evil.”

She giggled.  “I learned from the best you know.”  She stretched up and kissed his nose.

“I know you’re not saying that was me.”

“Nope.  You remember that tall, lanky mother fucker we buried about fifteen years ago, right?  Matt, my brother?”

He laughed a little harder.  “You’re a sarcastic bitch, huh?”

“I thought you knew”, she said with a laugh.  “I mean, David, 31 years and you DON’T know?  Come on.”

He laughed so hard he had to lean down and rest his head on his shoulders.  “Oh my God!” he laughed as he struggled to breathe.

She kissed the top of his head and rubbed his back.  “You’ll get over it I’m sure, Big Daddy.  In through your nose, and out through your mouth.  You can control this.  Anyway, Jordan’s almost done out there.  You need to get out of the straight jacket and ready to run out onto the stage.  How does the straight jacket fit?  Still like a glove?”

“Yeah”, he laughed.  “Still fits like a glove.  Get me out of this fucking thing.”

She walked around behind him and started unfastening the buckles that held him in it.  “I think you’re sexy in this, by the way.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.  Just something about it.  It’s… kinky.”

“I could always get one for you.”

“I’ll give that some thought.”  She helped him slip out of the straight jacket and kissed him.  “Grab your mic, handsome.  I’ll stay back here so that someone can help you get into this damn thing once you need it.”

He grabbed the mic and kissed her again.  “I’ll be back in a little bit.”  He started getting warmed up to run as he listened to the guys play ‘Remnants’.  When his first cue in ‘Asylum’ came up, he screamed into the mic, “Release me!  RRAW!” and took off running out onto the stage.

Brie stood back and smiled.  She was happy to finally have the chance to see him in his element once more.  The rally tour seemed like it had been a lifetime before.  Now, as she watched him work the stage for the first time in years, she couldn’t help but smile.  Wow, it’s almost over, she thought.  This is going to be the most monumental performance in history.  I can feel it.  She had no idea just how monumental the performance was truly going to be.  The records they would break would stand for years to come.

---------------

That night at family, dinner David and Brie were shocked at the amount of new news everyone had.  “We’re getting married!” Marc said when his parents came to him.  As usual, they started with the youngest and worked their way to the oldest.  Jessi’s news was the introduction of her new boyfriend to her sisters.  They boys had already met him.

James and Jeremiah hadn’t had any news.  Meagan was excited about her new job at NASA and Makayla was going to be going back home to teach dance.  Maddie announced the expansion of the clinic to include two new saunas, a mud tub, and a new acupuncture room was being set up in the expectation that they would soon be hiring Damien, Jona’s brother.

“We’re pregnant again”, Jake said with a smile.

“Do you know yet or are the powers that be going to let you have a surprise this time?” David asked

“No odd dreams of late, thankfully.  Hopefully God will let me have a surprise this time”, Jake said with a laugh.

“What are you hoping for?” Brie asked.

“I’m hoping for another girl”, Delilah said.  “Of course I won’t care as long as they’re healthy, but I really want another girl.”

“Jordan?  Any news?”

“Actually, I think my news goes right along with my twin’s to be honest.  We’ve found another sperm donor.  Davina’s pregnant.  She’s about two months along now.  We’ll find out in two months what she’s having.”

“What are you hoping for?” David asked.

“A girl”, Davina said.  “And I think we’ll be done after that.  We’ll have one of each.  That’s all a lesbian couple really needs, I think.”

“And last but not least; Malachai.  Any news for you and Mandy?”

“You’re going to be getting three new grandchildren from us in about four months.  We found a great surrogate, she was inseminated five months ago and we’re having triplets.  We’re done after that.  No more for us.”

“Boys?  Girls?”

“We’re going to have that same delicate balance you two managed to achieve.  The triplets are going to be two girls and one boy”, Mandy added with a smile.

“Excited?” Brie asked.

“Oh yeah.  We’ve been trying so hard for so long.  Finally, Eli’s not going to be the baby anymore.”

---------------

Brie beat David to bed that night.  She was lying in bed with her Kindle in her lap as she read a new book that had come out not long before that she’s been interested in reading for a few months.  David was standing over the sink of their open bathroom staring into the mirror.  “Wow”, he said out of nowhere.

Brie looked up at him from the book she was reading.  “What, baby?”

“We’re going to have a new daughter in law soon.  And at least five new grandchildren within the year.  It’s a lot to take in, love.”

She took her glasses off and laid them, with her Kindle, on the nightstand.  “I know.  It’s strange that all these babies are being born like this.  It’s rather sudden.  I guess with Malachai and Mandy being in their mid thirties now, they’re feeling the push to have more.  I mean, if you think about it, Miranda and Isaiah are going to be old enough to start making babies soon.  We’re just getting used to being Gramma and Grampa.  Can you imagine being Great- gramma and Great- grampa?”

David shuttered at the thought.  “Oy vey.  Are we really old enough to be great- grandparents?”

“It’s coming, David.  We both know it is.  We’re going to have to accept it.  Doesn’t mean we’re getting old.  It just means that we’re getting better seasoned.”

“Personally, I view you as a fine wine.  You just get better with age.”

“As do you, my love.”  She patted the bed beside her.  “Come lie down, David.  This bed is awfully big and cold without you in it.”

He laughed as he walked over to the bed and crawled in next to his wife.  Once they were lying down David brushed the back of his hand down her cheek.  “You have got to be the most patient woman on the face of the planet”, he said.

“Why do you say that?” she asked, looking up at him from where her head rested on his chest.

“Thirty years you’ve stood by and watched me do this.  You stayed home with the kids and made sure that everything was being held down the way it was supposed to be.  You never complained that I wasn’t around enough.  You just took the good with the bad and let me be a rock star.”

“David, there hasn’t been an ordeal that I’ve had to go through that you weren’t right there next to me.  You want to talk about how I’ve taken the good with the bad?  My love, you are the epitome of that in my mind.  Every ordeal I’ve gone through, you’ve stood by me.  From the moment you saved my life all those years ago when you tackled me to the floor as the sniper’s bullet broke the glass in my clinic, you’ve been right there through it all.”

“You’ve done the same for me.”

“And that’s why we work.  We’re very yin and yang, David.  We’re mutually supportive of each other.  We balance each other.”

He brushed a lock of hair from her face.  “I love you so much, Brie.  I have no idea what I would do without you.  You were the missing piece of my soul when you came into my life.”

She reached up and rubbed his scruffy cheek.  “And I love you too, David.  You completed me the moment I met you, I was just afraid to admit it.  I don’t know what I would do without you either.”  She stretched up and kissed him passionately.  The kiss built to the point that Brie actually had to pull back.  “Baby, as much as I’d love to make love with you right now, I have to ask if it’s a good idea.  You have a show tomorrow.”

“I’ll be fine, love.  Let me make love to you right now.  I want to show you how much I love you.”

She didn’t respond with her words, but with her lips.  He rolled her onto her back and settled between her legs.  Being with his wife like this was sure to tire him out enough to sleep.  He would get up in the morning ready to do his final performance ever.  He was may have been calm on the outside, but on the inside he was bouncing off the walls.  He knew that if he was going to get the rest he needed, he needed to expel the pinned up energy so that he could sleep; and that’s what he intended to do.

Chapter 72

The next day Jessi met her family at the venue where her father and uncles were having their massive retirement party.  She brought her new boyfriend along for the ride.  When she walked into the backstage area, she immediately ran over to her parents and hugged them in turn.  “Mama!  Daddy!” she cried with glee as she threw her arms around their necks.

“Hey baby girl”, they both said.  “Bet you’re excited to graduate with your bachelors’ next month?” Brie added.

“Oh yeah.  I actually have an invitation to work for the American consulate in Jerusalem after graduation as a translator.”

“So, we’ll be seeing quite a bit of you?” David said with a smile.

“Yeah.  Heck, I could house sit for you while you two are traveling.”

David looked at the young man who was keeping a respectful distance while Jessi greeted him and her mother.  He got her attention and signed, Jessykah, who is that?

She looked over her shoulder and smiled softly.  She signed her response.  That’s my new boyfriend, Dad.  She waved him over.  “Daddy, this is my new boyfriend David.”

Her father held up a hand and fought off a bout of laughter.  “Really?  You’re not pulling my leg.”

“Nope.  His name is David.  David Yaron.  We met at JUHI while I was out there for my semester abroad.”

“At least he has a good name”, her mother commented.  “You have the give the boy that, Michael.”

Her father sighed and gave into the urge to laugh.  “I know.   I can’t bitch about that, at least.”  He extended his hand to the young man.  “It’s nice to meet you, David.  I’m Jessi’s father, David Draiman.”

The young man took David’s hand and shook.  He had a good strong grip.  “It’s nice to finally meet you, Mr. Draiman.  Jessi spoke of you and your wife quite regularly.”

“Did you two start dating over in Israel?”

“No, actually.  We were just good friends.  I was awaiting acceptance to Loyola.  It’s the best foreign language in America, let alone the world.  I’m doing my semester abroad over here.”

“Do you have a nickname or something, because things are going to get rather hectic around here with two David’s.  And we can’t call me Michael because of Mike Wengren.”

“My middle name is Adam.”

“Ok, so I’ll be David and you’ll be Adam so that there’s no confusion.”

The young man nodded.  “That’s fine.”

“Well, Adam, it’s nice to meet you.  I hope that you enjoy the show when we do it.  We’ll play getting to know you over lunch later.  Right now, I have to do a sound and lighting check for the show, so I’ll catch you a little later.”

The boy nodded.  “Yes sir.  I look forward to dining with you.”  He took Jessi’s hand and they walked away.  As they made their way to the audience he draped an arm over her shoulders and kissed her temple.

David smiled.  “He seems nice enough.”

Brie wrapped her arm around his waist and rested a hand over his stomach, her head on his chest.  “I have to agree.  We’ll find out just how nice he is over lunch.  But we can’t deny they are cute together.”

David shrugged.  “True.  He seems like he really cares for her.  We’ll see how much soon enough.”  He kissed his wife’s temple.  “Now, my dear, as much as I want to stand here with you and just hold you like this, I have to go to work.  Our youngest son says he figured out what was wrong with the laser light display in ‘The Sickness’ and ‘Remnants/ Asylum’; and he wants Jordan and me to do ‘The Animal’ so that he can make sure he has the programming for the fake rain shower that Jordan begged me to do.”

“Where did she get the idea to do that?”

“Some video she saw on YouTube”, he said with a shrug.  He put his monitors in his ears and gave his wife a kiss.  “I’ll be back in a few.”

“I’ll be right here.”  She smiled as he walked out onto the stage and started talking to Marc.  Two more days and I’ve got him all to myself.  I’m so excited.  This is going to be the best show they’ve ever done.

---------------

David looked out at Marc.  “Ok, son.  You’re the one in charge.  What would you have us do?” he asked into the mic.

“Actually, Dad.  Do you think you can come out here and watch the displays to let me know if that’s what you were looking for?”

“Sure.”

“Uncle Danny, Uncle, Mikey, Uncle John.  Do you guys mind playing so that we have a reference point for the lights?”

“Not a problem”, was the general consensus.

David slipped off of the stage and jogged out to where Marc was standing.  He pulled his monitors out of his ears so that he could hear what the audience would be hearing.  Marc spoke again.  “Let’s start with ‘Remnants/ Asylum’, and then I’ll skip ahead and you guys can do ‘Down with the Sickness’.  Cool?”  He was answered with random playing of instruments.  He laughed and hit the necessary button to start the light show.  He had a five second delay before the music was supposed to start.  He nodded and pointed to the stage where the music came up and the lights started.

David stood with his arms crossed over his chest as he watched the impressive display that his youngest son had created as the introduction that had been filmed so many years before played.  He hadn’t changed much over the years, but they had shot new footage a few days before for the part where he fought his way out of the ambulance to run to the show.  He was excited to see how it had turned out.  He was also excited to see the turn out for the show was.

The music picked up and the lights started to form shapes as he watched.  He smiled to himself. He liked what he was seeing.  It was better than what he had originally imagined.  He leaned in and spoke to his son.  “Wow, this is… this is better than I had originally pictured.  You, my son, are a bad mother fucker with a computer.”

Marc smiled.  “Glad you approve, but it gets better.  This is only part of what I was agonizing about last night.”

David contained his shock.  Once the song was over, Marc fast forwarded through the other effects until five second before “Down with the Sickness”.  He pointed to the stage where Dan, Mike, and John started playing.  At the point in the intro where David came in with a whisper, a 2D image of ‘The Face’ came up.  David was impressed.  When the monkey call came up the lights shot apart and reformed into a 3D image of ‘The Guy’ from the ‘Ten Thousand Fists’ cover.  David let out a laugh.  “Marc, how the hell did you manage that?”

“That’s my little secret, Dad.  I can’t tell you or I’d have to kill you.  Anyway, it involves a bunch of computer terms that you wouldn’t understand.  Binary codes, Java script, HTML… I’d confuse you two sentences in.”

David just nodded.  “Say no more.  But, that was kick ass.”

“Thank you.  I just wanted to give you more than your money’s worth.”

Little did Marc know, but he’d done that and so much more.

----------------

After having lunch with Jessi and her new boyfriend, Brie went to the local rock station with David so that he and the guys could do another pre- performance interview.  They were pimping this concert like a $2 hooker.  They were going to learn at this interview how quickly the tickets had gone.

Brie stood with the other wives outside the radio booth where the interview was being held.  The guys were all standing around the mics, no head phones, and waiting for the show to come back on air.

“And welcome back to Q101, Chicago’s Alternative Rock station.  It’s your main man Dougan here with a band born and bred right here in the heart of the south side.  They are putting on their final show in just two days and we’ll be there to cover the entire thing.  I’m talking about the one and ONLY Disturbed!”, the DJ said and hit a button to give the sound effect of cheering.  The guys all said hello and what’s up over the noise.  “Welcome back home, gentlemen.  Now, I’m sure that everyone is wondering and has asked, but I’ve just GOT to ask; why not do a final tour?  Why just one last show?”

Dan answered.  “We’ve all had all kinds of crazy things happening in our lives.  David’s had weddings and grandkids.  I’ve had grandkids born.  Hell, I think we’ve all had a few grandkids born in the last year.”

“David, there was a wedding in your family in the last year?”

David nodded.  “Yeah.  My son Jeremiah got married.  His twin brother James had a set of twin girls three months later, and just last month, Jeremiah had a son.”

“Wow, brother.  You have a big family.  What’s the count up to now?”

“Ten kids, eleven grandchildren from six of them.  Half of them are married.  All of my kids have graduated and gone off to college.”

“And there are some interesting awards in your family, right?”

“Oh yeah.  Two are multi- platinum recording artists with countless awards to their credit.  One is a Nobel prize winning doctor who is working on finding a cure for cancer.  And the baby of the family is an Olympic gold medalist.”

“Nice.  Now, let’s talk about this show you guys are doing.  From what I’m understanding, it’s going to be insane to put it simply.  I mean, it’s going to be sheer mayhem.”

“Would we do it any other way?” Mike asked.

“Very true.  Now, who are some of the acts you’re going to have at this thing?”

They all started naming off the other bands.  “Five Finger Death Punch, Reckless Disregard, Halestorm, Crosshairs.”  John continued after they all stopped trying to figure it out.  “I think we’ve all stopped trying to keep track.”

“How long are you guys going to be onstage yourselves?”

“We’re actually doing a three hour set”, David said.

“And why is that?”

“We don’t want to disappoint the fans.  This is the last show we’re going to do.  We didn’t want to have to sit down with a list of all of the songs we’ve done over the years and have to go, ‘Well, this one’s out for time constraints.  This one too.  And this one, and this one… we want to be able to perform everything that the fans have come to expect us to.”

“Rumor has it that M. Shadows and Synyster Gates of Avenged Sevenfold are going to be there.  Confirm or deny?”

“We can’t really do either, to be honest”, David said with a shrug.  “Just wait until the day of the show and you’ll find out.”

“So what possessed you all to offer the show for free to everyone around the world?”

“Our wives”, the men all said in unison.

“Wow.”  The guy laughed.  “Ok,.. I know I’m probably asking a no brainer, but please tell me you’re not going to disappoint and that you’re going to do ‘Down with the Sickness’.”

“Like the fans are going to let us get away with NOT doing it”, Mike laughed.

“Yeah.  That’s true.  So, this is the last time we’re going to hear ‘The Noise’ in concert. “

“Yep.  The next time will be at my funeral.  I swear it’s going to be etched into my tombstone”, David chuckled.  He glanced into the other room at Brie whom mouthed, Believe me, it’s already there, buddy boy.  It’s already done.

The DJ laughed.  “Is that your wife that’s mouthing in there, David?”

“The love of my life.  She said it’s already there.  I’m screwed.”

“Well, folks, it’s time for a break.  When we come back, we’ll be talking about the live broadcast and how quickly the limited amount of tickets that were made disappeared.  Right now, we’re going to play a little bit of David singing with his daughter Jordan in a re- recording of ‘The Animal’ right here on Chicago’s own Alternative Rock station, Q101 FM.”

---------------

After finishing rehearsals that afternoon, Marc made his way to his older sister’s room to drive home a point.  After arriving back at the hotel, before getting ready to go to dinner with his girlfriend, he got on his laptop and made sure the he could find some of the footage of the concert where the King of Pop got the shit burnt out of his face so that he could make sure that his sister understood the importance of hitting her marks in the songs where there was going to be pyrotechnics.

He knocked on the door and waited for her or her wife to answer the door.  Her wife was the face he saw with his nephew close behind her.  “Hey, Marc.  What bring you down here?”

“Mercedes is getting ready to go to dinner and I needed to show Jordan something.  May I come in?”

Davina stepped out of Marc’s way and let him in.  Jordan was sitting on the couch in the small sitting area of the suite.  “Hey baby brother.  What brings you down here?”

“I have something I want to show you.  This is to drive home the importance of what we’ve been arguing about the past few days.”

Jordan sighed.  “Ok.  Let me see it.”

He set the laptop in her lap and pulled up the video.  He watched her face rather than the screen.  When the video was over, he took the computer from her lap.  “That is what will happen to you if you don’t hit your marks tomorrow and the day of the show.  I hope this makes my point about hitting your marks for the pyro home because if it doesn’t there will be a huge problem tomorrow and you will have effectively ruined Disturbed’s final show.”

“OH MY GOD, MARC!   That man must have been scarred for life from that.”

“He had countless surgeries on his face.  No one really knows how much of his face was his to begin with and how much was his from the surgeries when he croaked at the age of 50.”

“Yikes.  Ok.  I’m cool.  I’ll hit my marks.  Don’t worry.  I’m not going to end up like that.  My kid means far too much to me.”

“Nice to hear.  Well I’ll catch tomorrow  for rehearsal, and everyone else at dinner tomorrow night.”  He gave Levi a hug before making his way down the hall to his room again so that he and his girlfriend could go to dinner.   He reached into his pocket and made sure the small velvet box was in his pocket.  He was going to ask her to be his wife tonight.  He was hoping that he didn’t tip her off.  He wanted to surprise her.  All he wanted to do was surprise her.