LOVE NOT WAR

From ALMOST HOME

“Are you ready for this one?” Nick pulled her close for another kiss. He whispered, “We’re gonna do ‘Love Not War’ tonight.”

She grinned. “Really?”

“Right on baby.” He leaned over the table. “Hey guys, we’re doing this, right?”

“Yeah man,” Franklin agreed.

“I’m diggin’ it,” Josh added.

“Yeah, I’m amped,” Kevin replied.

The band headed back to the stage, all but Cosmo who had sauntered off somewhere with a group of friends. As they strummed and tuned, Nick turned on the microphone and said, “Hey Cosmo Pratt, come to the stage.” His voice boomed through the speaker.

A few minutes later Cosmo jumped onto the stage and took his place behind the drums. Nick adjusted his guitar strap and turned away from the audience. Cosmo raised his sticks high in the air twirling them between his fingers.

Nick spun around and into the mic he said, “Are you ready? Are you ready! We are Back Bay Fate and we are here to give you… Love. Not. War!”

Cosmo struck his sticks together. “One… Two… Three… Four…”

Nick strummed a forceful chord on his guitar and the crowd cheered. The band joined in and the music rose in a hard driving rock beat.

Nick sang.

“Listen people to what I say”

 “Why do we fight and make war this day”

“Why do we hate when Love is a better way”

“Love is the only way”

Franklin angled over his keyboard toward his mic and sang.

“Love is a better way… Love is the only way.”

On the other side of the stage Kevin echoed into his mic.

“Love is a better way… Love is the only way.”

“Listen people hear what I say,” Nick sang.

He raised his hand and flashed the peace sign.

“Why do we kill when Peace is a better way”

“Why do we fight when Love is the only way.”

“Why don’t we make… Love not War!”

“Why can’t we make… Love not War!”

Nick joined Kevin on the side of the stage and they fell into chasing licks back and forth on their guitars. The audience broke out in applause.

And all the guys sang together.

“Peace not War make Love it’s a better way.”

“Peace not War make Love it’s the only way.”

Nick sprinted to center stage and sang.

“Why don’t we make… Love not War!”

He flung his guitar behind his back and grabbed the mic from the stand.

“Why can’t we make… Love not War!”

He raised an arm over his head flashing the peace sign again. “Sing it with me everybody!”

The crowd joined Nick, arms extended, peace signs up swaying with the music as they sang.

“Why can’t we make… Love not War!”

Nick darted to the other end of the stage.

“Why don’t we make…”

He pushed the mic toward the crowd.

“Love not War!”

Dashing back across the stage, he sang.

“Why won’t we make…”

“Love not War!” The crowd chanted with him.

Nick sang.

“Peace not War make Love it’s a better way.”

“Peace not War make Love it’s the only way…”

Krista stood atop a chair watching as Nick captured the audience. The Brownie dangled by its strap at her side.

Will came up to her. “Hey Krista, this is outta sight! Nick’s got this place really fired up. Let me get some more shots for ya.”

“Yeah, do it,” she said. Will slipped the camera from her wrist and disappeared into the crowd.

She’d seen Nick on stage a lot, and this was one the of best performances Back Bay Fate had ever done.

But she wasn’t expecting what happened at the end of their last song…

© copyright Kaye Manro 2018