Four — Atlantic City Meeting

 

 

It’s seven in the morning, an early phone call wakes Mother.

“Hello.”

“If you’re not up, get up, the meeting has been pushed up to 10 o’clock.”

“I’m up, is there a problem?”

“No, one of the guys has to catch a plane.”

“I’ll get right over Mr. J.”

A quick shower, checks his email, and readies for the meeting. The Muddman has sent an email ramble. Mother reads…

Went to the Tony Orlando show two weeks ago. Fantastic performance and a great band. Miss playing. The place was sold out to mostly old people. Not like us, really old people. When the show was over and everyone was leaving I hit the head. After all, at age 75 you need to know where the bathroom is at all times. It was empty. There was a strange feeling as I stepped through the door – sort of magical. Very bright lights filled the whole area. In the background music played. At first, I thought it was from the show, but as I walked further into the room it got louder and louder. The room grew dark but the music was clear. I looked around but there wasn’t a soul in the place just me and a small light on the wall. Strange, lots of old guys at the show but not one in the men’s room. I walked further into the dark room, toward the small light. The music was playing a song by The Norsemen, it was you singing, She’s Cool. I looked around with panic. Was this the end? What a way to go in a commercial men’s room after a great show. Then I started to think; you know me when I start to think. I started to leave, when the floor, walls and the ceiling vanished. There were only two mirrors visible to me. One suspended in space and the other an old mirror with a crack in the lower corner. It was twelve by twelve inches with a wood frame.

You were still singing as the room started to get brighter. It looked like a bath house from an old movie. I started to laugh and said to myself, “Mudd, ‘ya isn’t in Kansas anymore.” Still feeling like I was in an old movie I walked over to the first mirror and looked in to see a 75-year-old man looking back. So being curious I headed to the small mirror with the crack in the lower right corner. As I looked there was a young good-looking dude looking back. I tried to remove the mirror and take it off the wall but it was stuck. In the background there was a sign with snow on the ground. It looked very cold. The sign said Dartmouth College six miles. The background was moving at the speed of a big blur. As it slowed down I could see a station wagon with a trailer and five young guys taking pictures having a great time. The trailer had a sign reading: Direct from England, The Norsemen. It was parked at a motel. I remembered The Norsemen playing Winter Carnival, in February 1964. The mirror faded back to the old guy.

I again tried to remove the mirror. This time it came off the wall. My hand was holding the mirror when a voice said, “Take me home, show Mother, take me, take me.” I was afraid someone would notice and think I was stealing the mirror but not one person even looked at me.

I’m not going crazy but I had to tell someone what happened and how I got possession of the mirror. I keep thinking back, looking at all the years we traveled together having the time of our young lives. Trying to make the big time but as we found it was, outta reach, just outta reach.

Muddy has again had some strange things happen to him in a most unlikely place. Mother guessed he was talking about the mirror with the crack, the one he showed him the other night?

If all went well, Muddy and he could get started on the music when he returned. The trip to Atlantic City was a drag, but he had to go and meet with the guys. He was on time as they met in the lobby.

Everyone seemed in good spirits as they headed to the small meeting room. There was a large oak table in the center with soft leather-like chairs all around. The walls were painted a light tan color with typical pictures of various landscapes hanging on three of the walls. There were no windows just bright florescent lighting. Pen’s and pads at each seat. The meeting started.

To Mother’s surprise all was calm as they discussed the problems at hand. There seemed to be unity in the room until Mr. V, mentioned he had seen someone resembling a man from the past. He looked like the newspaper picture from the 50’s but he was a younger man. He had seen him at a distance once and almost bumped into him last week at a business conclave in New York. He felt it was a coincidence and perhaps he was a look alike but he said he got a chill when he looked into his face.

“The guy didn’t flinch so maybe I reacted a bit much,” said Mr. V.

No one seemed too distressed. But all four thought it wouldn’t hurt to be more vigilant. They discussed a few other matters and agreed they should all be more on top of things. Mr. C, asked how the movie was progressing. Mother told him all was going well. He would have music for them at the next meeting. Mother said goodbye and headed to the parking garage.

It was always good to see the guys, he thought. They all grew up together in Saddle River Township, New Jersey. All of them attended Lexington Grammar School in the sixth grade and Jefferson Middle School for seventh grade. The next year some of them went their separate ways as one family after another moved out of town. Mother and his family moved to Rochelle Park.

He found the car where he left it and headed to Chateau 54 and the Muddman.