So, I fell in love with this girl, right? She is funny and smart. She is beautiful and kind. She has her stuff together. Honestly, she is very much out of my league. She went to private school, you know. The world was her oyster but she decided she wanted this clam of a man. Namely, me. I don't deserve her, I'll admit it. Did I mention that she has a father? Oh, man.
Three months after Rachael and I started dating, she went on a mission trip with YWAM. She was gone for five months. I was miserable. But through that time apart, I realized how much she meant to me. I knew if we could date for three months then be apart for five and still be into it... It must be something special. We sent letters and emails. We would talk on the phone when we could. And guess who payed her phone bill. Have I mentioned her father yet?
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| Mr. Brown and Rachael circa 1986 |
Needless to say, Mr. Brown was not so enthused at the idea of his little princess falling for a man who had been married and divorced. A man with two kids and a decade more of life experience. The situation was definitely not the norm. But there was something about this girl that I couldn't get over.
He called me one afternoon, (surely after receiving his phone bill.) He wanted to meet me for a chat. We arranged a time and place. I had a feeling that we might hit it off. Rachael had mentioned that he was a musician. I went into it like a job interview. A job that I wanted - no, needed, very badly. I made sure I had good posture and dressed well. We sat down at a table in the food court at Southpark Mall. He sat back in his chair, crossed his legs with his hands on his knees and listened to my story. Every now and then, he would come back to the table to write a note on his legal pad. I thought, "oh, he's just taking notes so he can remember things." I felt like it was going pretty well. Nearing the end of the conversation, he dropped the bomb on me. He told me that he no longer wanted me to see his daughter. It took the wind right out of my sails. I remember feeling embarrassed. I could feel the blood run to my cheeks.
Just at this moment, over Mr. Brown's left shoulder, I saw a familiar face. My bassist, Jason, from One Amazin' Kid was standing there, making a ridiculous face. He thought I was in a business meeting and was trying to mess with me. Jason is one of the most hilarious people I know, but I didn't seem to have any problem keeping a straight face and focusing on the situation at a hand. He then realized, by the look on my face, that he shouldn't be messing around. The atmosphere was heavy. It was funny to talk about later, but not in the moment.
I surprisingly mustered up enough courage to rebut his statement. See, I knew something that he didn't. I knew that Rachael was in love with me. I knew the chemistry and connection that bound us together, even before we started dating. I knew that this woman would change my life; and I, hers. I knew. So, I said, "I mean you no disrespect at all, but that is a decision that Rachael will have to make."
An engagement, a wedding, a boy, a house, twin girls and seven years have passed since then. I have learned and grown quite a bit. A good chunk of that is because of my father-in-law, Gary Brown. He is a great and generous man. He is a wonderful teacher. He recently sent me a text message in which he called me, "son." I don't know if he knows how much that meant to me. If he reads this, he will. Oh, the old days aren't completely forgotten. The family still likes to joke about Scary Gary and the alleged "bullet with my name on it." I wonder whatever happened to it?
I've been talking to my brother-in-law, Tyler, (singer/songwriter in his own right,) about doing a piece for 52. I thought it would be a perfect opportunity to surprise Mr. Brown with a song. We decided to do something from the Beatles, since they are one of Mr. Brown's favorite bands. Everything came together nicely. But we realized it needed a bassline. Even though we wanted to surprise Mr. Brown with the song, we thought it would be even better if he played on it. He came the next day, ready to record. It was perfect. I even managed to get his little princess to record some background vocals. So, here it is...
Enjoy,
Christopher
Recorded, March 15-19, 2012. Lead guitar, claps and background vocals by Tyler Brown. Background vocals by Rachael Brown Kincaid. Bass guitar by Gary Brown. I played guitar, claps, tambourine and those sweet Hammond licks. I had a blast doing this one. Thank you guys for giving your time and talents. I hope the hot tea and spaghetti was payment enough.
Update - At this time, I have yet to hear anything from Sir Paul McCartney. If you talk to him any time soon, let me know what he thinks about the song.
"I'm Looking Through You" written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney.
