Music Calms the Savage Beast

           Wayne Meyers, a construction worker from the east side of town, was not much of a social butterfly. He had no friends except for his old college roommate, Glen, but even he didn’t associate with Wayne as much anymore.

           Wayne is something of a hothead, and one night while out shooting some pool, Glen was on the receiving end of Wayne’s fits of rage. The night started off fine as the two men popped open a couple of beers and began to play, but when Glen accidentally bumped Wayne as he was trying to sink the eight-ball and the shot was missed, Wayne became irate. He shoved Glen back against a neighbouring table and accused him ruining the shot purposely. Glen tried to cool him down, but Wayne was infuriated and took a swing at Glen, so Glen walked out of the pool hall, jumped in his car and headed home. That was the last time they spoke.

           Because of his rage, Wayne had lost more than ten jobs over the last five years, and the only reason he was working at his current one, was because his uncle was the foreman. Wayne was a licensed carpenter and framer, but because of his past, he could only work as a general laborer on this job site. His humiliation enraged him further, and he felt like the entire world was against him, but in his eyes, he did no wrong. He felt that he was justified for everything he had said and done.

           One day, while transporting a load of lumber across the yard to the framers, he came across a guy whom he had worked with on a previous site. At first, he tried to avoid the man, but once he was recognized, the framer began yelling out insults to Wayne. He called him a “loser” and a “mental case,” and that was enough to send Wayne over the edge once again. Taking one of the two-by-fours, Wayne ran toward the man, letting out a loud scream as he charged. The man backed up toward the edge of the foundation as he watched this crazed man racing toward him. The worker tripped over a circular saw and fell to the ground just as Wayne swung the two-by-four. The lumber missed the man’s head by mere inches and slammed against the frame.

           Two of the other workers saw what was happening, and ran to their co-worker’s rescue, grabbing onto each of Wayne’s arms. The foreman, Wayne’s uncle, rushed over to see what all the commotion was about, and after hearing what his workers had to say, Wayne was fired.

           He stormed off the lot, kicking buckets of nails and screws as he passed, scattering them across the dusty ground. He could hear the mix of shouts and laughter as he left the site, and his mood worsened. Wayne knew in his mind that it wasn’t his fault. He knew that if the man didn’t taunt him, that he would not have lost his temper, but nobody wanted to listen to what he had to say, not even his uncle.

           Outraged at the way he had been treated, Wayne decided that he needed a drink to calm his nerves, so he headed into the downtown area to a bar called, “The Whistling Wolf.” It was 3:20 PM, and there were only a handful of patrons inside when he entered. Wayne wandered over to the bar and ordered a shot of Jack Daniels with a beer chaser then sat down on one of the barstools.

           A poster was hanging on the wall at the end of the bar that read, “The Whistling Wolf presents Tonya Satin today at 4:00 PM.” He could see the band members setting up the equipment on the stage as the sound man readied the sound board. Having nothing better to do, Wayne decided to stick around to hear some music. He had no idea what this person sang, but he was raised on rock and roll, and hoped this singer could belt out some tunes.

           When four o’clock rolled around, the band started playing as an announcer introduced the lead singer, Tonya Satin. When Wayne heard the style of music the band was playing he was ready to walk out. He never was a country music fan, but then she took the stage. A sultry redhead with a dynamic look about her that made Wayne stop in his tracks. He sat back down and was hypnotized by her beauty.

           Tonya introduced herself then began to sing. She started off with an upbeat tune that seemed to bring the semi-comatose patrons back to life. Wayne couldn’t explain what was happening, but he found himself tapping his hands along with the beat, and before long, his feet joined in.

           The next song she sang was a ballad about a person that was misunderstood, and Wayne felt like she was singing the story of his life. He even began to get choked up when she sang about the man’s suicidal tendencies.

           Before long, the first set was finished, and Wayne noticed Tonya approaching the bar. She ordered herself a shot of whiskey, and without hesitation, Wayne laid down the money on the bar at told her that the drink was on him. Tonya’s face lit up with a smile as she thanked him.

           “You have a beautiful smile,” Tonya said before Wayne even realized he was smiling. He had never had someone say that to him before, likely because he never had a reason to smile before. Tonya introduced herself, and instead of telling her his name, Wayne said, “I know.” Realizing too late the mistake he made, he held out his hand and introduced himself. She took his hand and asked if he’d mind if she sat beside him.

           Something about Tonya brought out a part of Wayne that he hadn’t felt in an exceptionally long time. He found himself talking to her like they were old friends, but then Tonya had to excuse herself so she could return to the stage, but she asked Wayne to stick around so they could talk later after the show.

           Tonya started into another song that seemed to make the rafters rattle as she belted out a tune that bordered on country and rock. Wayne was really beginning to get into it, then Tonya grabbed the microphone from the stand and made her way off the stage and into the audience. A few more people had entered as she crossed the room. Without missing a beat, she pulled out a chair and signalled for one of the ladies to have a seat. She then continued to sing as she approached the bar. Leaning into Wayne with her back, she bent at the knees and slid her body down against his slightly. Then standing back up, she turned to Wayne and glided her fingers along his jawline before returning to the stage.

           Wayne was slightly embarrassed but enthralled as well. He began to cheer her on. When the show finished, he was the first to stand up and begin clapping and shouting his approval. Tonya left the stage and told Wayne that she was just going to freshen up backstage then she would return.

           They sat together talking until nearly 7:00 PM then Tonya mentioned that she was starving and needed to go pick something up. Without thinking, Wayne offered to treat her to dinner, and she accepted. They chose a pizza place around the corner from the bar called, “Pizza Joe’s,” a popular place among the college crowd.

           Wayne was enjoying his time with Tonya, but every time she tried to get him to speak about his life, Wayne would find a way to change the subject. He didn’t want her to think he was some out-of-work crackpot with a bad temper, at least not yet. He thought that if she saw the other side of him, she would run away scared, and that was the last thing he wanted to happen.

           What he found out about her, was that she started singing when she was six years old. It began in the back seat of her parents’ car. Her mom and dad were singing along to “Islands in the Stream” by Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers. After hearing it a few dozen times in the past, Tonya decided to try it as well. From that point on, her parents encouraged her to pursue a career in singing.

           He also found out that she had one younger sister who also got into music, but as a pianist. Wayne offered up that he was an only child and that he lost both parents before his twenty-fifth birthday. She offered her condolences and took his hand in hers. As if on cue, the song, “Lead Me Home” by Jamey Johnson came on the radio. The song spoke of death and finding your way to Heaven. Wayne began to get choked up and asked Tonya if she wanted to get out of there.

           Tonya thanked Wayne for dinner and said she needed to get back home but told him that she would be performing at “The Whistling Wolf” all week and would love it if he would stop by. Wayne told her that he would, and they parted ways.

           On his way back home, Wayne found himself reliving the evening’s events and began smiling once again, but then, as memories of his confrontation at work returned, he began to get bitter again. As he got closer to home, his anger increased. The more he brewed over the misunderstanding with his uncle and the guys on his crew, the angrier he became.

           Once in bed for the night, Wayne continued to feel let down by life, and he tossed and turned half the night. It wasn’t until he started to hear Tonya’s voice singing in his head, that his mind settled enough for him to doze off to sleep.

           The next day, Wayne spent the morning looking for another construction job, but his bad reputation had preceded him, leaving him with no options. He would need to find work either in a different city where nobody knows him, or in a different line of work. All he knew, was he needed to find work soon if he ever wanted to pay his rent next month.

           That afternoon, Wayne returned to the bar and took a seat at a table near the stage. He wanted Tonya to see him when she took the stage, and she did. As she walked up the step, she winked and gave Wayne a wave. Wayne could see other men in the room gazing in his direction, and it made him feel good about himself. For once, he felt noticed for something outside of fighting.

           Tonya put on another amazing show and spent her downtime with Wayne. Afterwards, they went for a walk along the shoreline then sat on a bench. Tonya finally confronted Wayne on why he was avoiding questions about his life. She admitted that she liked him, but she didn’t like secrets, so Wayne broke down and told her everything.

           After ten minutes worth of explanations, she thanked Wayne for being so honest. He told her that the first time he heard her sing, he felt a wall crash down within him, and he never wanted that wall to be built up again. She seemed moved by his sentiment and tightly hugged him. Wayne was overwhelmed by emotions at that moment. He didn’t understand at that time what it was he was feeling, but he liked it.

           The next day, with a fresh look on life, Wayne went out in search of a new job, but with a positive new attitude. He dropped off applications and resumes at nearly every business that was looking for help. He would take anything at this point. A few days later, he received a call from the manager of a grocery store. He wanted to offer Wayne a job, but not at the store; he asked Wayne if he could build a pergola off the back of his house. Wayne gladly accepted and went to work the following day. The manager was so pleased at the quality of Wayne’s work, that he recommended his services to a few of his friends and colleagues. Before he knew it, Wayne had six more projects lined up.

           Wayne met Tonya at a new gig she was playing across town and took her out to celebrate his good news. They went to a steakhouse where the menu was expensive, but Wayne was not concerned about the money. He just wanted to thank Tonya for changing his life. As they waited for the check to arrive, the two sat staring at each other over the glow of a single tapered candle that flickered between them. Wayne felt the moment was right and leaned toward her. She did the same and their lips met for the first time.

           Tonya told Wayne that she had a surprise, but he needed to attend an upcoming show, and he agreed. At the venue, Wayne ordered himself a beer and sat at a table near the stage. He waited anxiously to see the woman he had fallen in love with. When the lights dimmed, the band began to play, and Tonya took the stage. The crowd yelled with excitement as she started with one of her more popular hits. When she saw Wayne, she blew him a kiss, and he returned it with one of his own.

           After the crowd was primed and ready for more, Tonya informed them that she had been working on a new song that she wanted their opinion on. She said that it was inspired by someone close to her and it was titled, “Music Calms the Savage Beast.” Wayne knew that the song was about him, but she was happy he was not centered out in front of the crowd.

           It was a ballad about a man who couldn’t find his way in life, and no matter what he did or said, things around him seemed to fall apart. His sorrow and frustration turned to anger until he heard the voice of an angel singing from afar. Her voice led him back to a place of joy and reason. Wayne was almost in tears by the time she had finished. In the brief time they had known one another, Tonya had reached his soul and knew exactly what he was feeling.

           As the final note resonated in the air, the silent crowd went wild with applause. Her song was an instant hit, but Wayne could hardly hear the crowd; he was solely focused on Tonya and could not concentrate on anything else around him at that moment.

           That night, after the show, Tonya invited Wayne back to her place. She lived in a quaint bungalow with white shutters on each of the windows. When they walked inside, Wayne spotted an elderly man in a wheelchair sitting in the living room half asleep in front of the television set. Tonya held Wayne’s hand and introduced him to the man.

           “Wayne, this is my father, Julius. Dad, this is Wayne. He is incredibly special to me. Can you say hello?” She asked.

           The man began to grumble, then started cursing obscenities toward Wayne who was taken aback by her father’s behaviour. Tonya knelt and stroked her father’s hand then began to sing an old country and western song by Dottie West called “Country Sunshine,” one of her father’s favorites. He instantly calmed down and began to smile. Wayne then realized that he wasn’t the first beast that Tonya had saved with her music. Then it occurred to him, that the new song she wrote was written about her father, not him. Perhaps she saw a lot of her dad in him, and that is what drew them together in the first place.

           Music made Wayne’s heart grow fonder, and it brought him together with the one person who could understand him and love him for who he was. His new appreciation for country music opened new doors for his career as well. Many of the talented people he had met through Tonya had found out he was a carpenter, and he suddenly had a new list of jobs lined up. Eventually, Wayne had officially registered as a small business, and both his career and Tonya’s began to flourish. Sometimes, all it takes is a little patience and the right voice to set you on the right path in life.