My friend Charlie... (long post, and meandering)

In the photo at the end of this post you can see Charlie, far right, black vest, turned up Cowboy hat.

Charlie was quite a bit older than the rest of us. I'm not sure how much older, but at least a decade or so, perhaps more. Charlie was the 'salt of the earth'. They don't come nicer, they don't come more friendly; he was whom you pray to find as a friend in this life.

Buckskin ended it's run in 1995... as I've mentioned. For the next few years I played with Charlie occasionally... mostly at the Ladies Prison in Chowchilla, Ca. Yes, I've posted about that. This probably ended maybe 12, perhaps 15 years ago. I saw him a couple of times after that, not while sharing the stage, just casually... and then... I didn't. I had not seen him in 10 years? My how time goes by.

This weekend our Bass player met up with Charlie's son at a class reunion and asked about Charlie and mentioned that he, and I, would really like to visit with Charlie. Robbie's reply, (Charlie's son), "you better hurry, I don't think you have much time".

We called Bonnie, Charlie's wife, yesterday. We asked if we could come to visit Charlie. Bonnie replied, "Absolutely, but he probably won't know you. And please call first because he may be sleeping, he's always asleep now". Fair enough.

At 1pm this afternoon we called... Bonnie gave us a thumbs up, it was a good day for Charlie. At 2pm Rick, (bass player), and I left for Chowchilla, Ca.... Charlie's hometown now.

Needless to say, I was expecting the worst. So was Rick. Charlie was more than a 'friend', we had shared a lifetime making music together, and made stories enough to embarrass generations of grandkids. We didn't talk about Charlie much during the drive... we knew there would be enough sadness after we arrived, why begin early?

Robbie, Charlie's son, was supposed to meet us there, to pave the way, so to speak. Make sure he was awake and was at least aware that 'visitors' were coming. When we pulled up Robbie's car wasn't there. Ah well... we would knock. And we did.

Bonnie came to the door, and nearly jumped from the door around our necks hugging us. It was great to see her.... and while hugging her I could see inside, to the sofa, where sat Charlie.. half sitting.... and oxygen mask securely attached... and perhaps the most beautiful sight I have ever seen. Charlie's bottom bridge had come a bit off the gums, that because the grin on his face was pushing the limits of the facial muscles. His eyes, were gleaming. "Gleaming eyes" was something I always believed to be nothing more than a poetic expression... not so, Charlie's smile was 'gleaming'.

We entered. "CHARLIE", I called out. "JIMMY" came the reply... my GOD, he knew me. "RICK", Charlie nearly sobbed. My God, he knew us both.

Not much talking, at first, all of us grinning idiots without words. As we started to take our seats on an opposing sofa Charlie, still gleaming from ear to ear, started making 'air guitar' motions, his eyes quite literally shining like a flashlight... a bit misty but as bright as a nova. I started air-drumming, Rick air-guitaring as well... and all of us laughing.

I can't begin to tell you everything that took place in the next two hours... too much to tell... and this story already grows long.

Stories. Reminiscing. Eulogizing the two members of Buckskin no longer with us, (in the photo the two in the front row center, Rick is far left, I'm on the drum). I would like to say this - we didn't bring up a topic from those days that Charlie did not remember, and some of them he remembered better than Rick and I.

Charlie has mild to severe dementia, but not today, not during our visit.

After an hour and half, or so, I turned to Rick and said we probably should be on our way - give Charlie some rest. I said this in whisper... but Bonnie heard me. "NO", she practically shouted. It alarmed Charlie who turned to Bonnie to ask why she had shouted. "They said they need to go, Charlie, so you can rest".

And then... another "NO"... this one louder than Bonnie's. And then, and I swear this seemed to me to come in unison, "You can't go. You have to stay".

And we did, another 45 minutes or so.

The time came that we had to take off. I have never, and will never again in this lifetime, experience a more gracious, moving, and heartfelt thanks for stopping by to say "Hi".

And before ending this...during the visit.... we had no instruments with us, even Charlie had given his guitars, his most valued possession on this earth, to his grandsons... so we did it sans musical instruments, only vocals.. we all sang "Cold, Cold Heart"... one of the songs we played every gig, a very old Hank Williams tune. Charlie, I forgot to mention, was our resident 'western' guy... Hank, Merle. AND, cross my heart, even though 'classic rock' made up most of our songs it was when Charlie took to the mic that we got our best audience response.

Don't have to tell you I hope to visit with Charlie again... we are planning to do just that this coming Holiday season, but it may not be that far into the future, not if Charlie and Bonnie have anything to say about it that is. I had a very, very, very good day. - JamesJM



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/14/2016 07:48PM by JamesJM.