Maybe I'm Amazed
By Alex Bernabei
James's father left his mother when he found out he was to be born. When it was time, his mother barely had enough money to pay the taxi fare, let alone enough money to pay the doctors. A kindly old doctor named Bill took little of her money and delivered James. He left her enough money for the taxi fare home and she was on her way. She lived then in Brooklyn, three blocks away from the bridge on Murray Street. Two months later she was forced to sell all her belongings to pay the rent. She slept on the floor and held the baby to her stomach and prayed that everything would be alright. She was fired from her job as a cashier at Kolowski's Market once she became pregnant, so by the time the rent was due again she could not find enough money and was evicted.
Charla, as that was her name, was taken in by a man she met on the street the day of her eviction in front of her former apartment. He was abusive but Charla had no choice and had to stay for James' sake. By the time James was twelve his mother had scars and bruises on every part of her body but the man never touched James. He wasn't nice to James but he never hurt him.
On James' 14th birthday his mother was so beat up that he couldn't stand it. He decided to escape in the middle of the night. At 11 o'clock James and his mother snuck out of the house and ran away. James got a job as a busboy at Olive's on Prince Street in Manhattan. James' boss understood the situation and let them stay at his house above the shop until they could afford a home of their own. Charla slept on a cot and James slept on the sofa in the living room/kitchenette. James had dark skin and long curly brown hair. He wore the same clothes every day, faded jeans with many holes and a Beatles shirt he found on the sidewalk outside the subway.
James dropped out of high school and got a job at the New York Times in the mail room at age 16. Every penny he earned went to feeding his mothers smoking habit she developed at his abusive "father's" house. It was a sunny August day at his lunch break when he met Susan.
He had worked hard all morning and was late going into the cafeteria. Although James had been working at the Times for a good month in a half he made no friends and said little but yes, sir; and right away, sir. There were no empty tables that humid summer day, so he sat in the least filled one. This table was occupied only by one beautiful girl with long, flowing blonde hair. She had few freckles and striking deep blue eyes. James didn't know what was happening, he felt so happy and free around her, like he was floating on a cloud. Halfway through his lunch he couldn't hold it back.
"Hello," he said.
"Hello," she responded.
"What's your name," he blurted with his mouth full of tuna.
"Susan, yours?" She asked.
James swallowed, "James."
The conversation continued. Susan was a junior editor, she looked over the paper before it was printed, making sure there were no typos or grammatical mistakes. She coincidentally lived on the same block as James, 3 doors down. He thought it was odd they never ran into each other. They began walking to work together and finally they went to dinner and movies together. James became quite attached to Susan. Susan also liked James, a lot. But both of them were too timid to say anything. It kept going like that until one rainy April day. It was April 16, 1971 and James was now 17. Paul McCartney left The Beatles 6 days ago and was going to have a concert at Madison Square Garden in a few weeks. James became a big fan of rock music, especially Queen and The Beatles. He was sad because they broke up but he was glad McCartney was pursuing a solo career. He would give anything to go to the concert, especially with Susan. It was on this cold, rainy and dreary day that he met Janice.
Janice was a wealthy girl who grew up in a 5th Avenue apartment. She wore not only the finest clothes but the most expensive jewelry her father's money could buy. Her father obtained two tickets to the Paul McCartney concert but had to go on a last minute business trip to Los Angeles. So he gave her the tickets and told her bring someone, a boy he said jokingly. She was walking to her boyfriend's house when she bumped into James.
James was walking back from work when he met Janice. He waited for Susan but she didn't come out of the building and he started walking home by himself. He was at the corner of 34th Street and Avenue of the Americas thinking about what was holding up Susan and he walked right into a girl wearing a long white skirt knocking both of them to the ground.
"What do you think your doing!" The girl exclaimed.
"Sorry, sorry, sorry," James apologized, with his eyes always at his shoes.
"You clumsy little," Janice started but then she noticed his shirt. "Do you like The Beatles?"
"Yes, why?" James asked.
"Because I have to tickets to the concert and I was wondering if you would like to go."
"I would love to!" James answered.
"Where do you live, I'll pick you up."
"How about I drop by your house and we'll walk from there."
"O.K, be at 530 5th Avenue at 8."
James accepted and they were off. But what James didn't notice is that Susan saw him. She had a little extra work to do and was late leaving. What she saw hurt her deeply. James was talking to another girl. She ran right by James and ran crying all 16 blocks home.
The day of the concert came and James was excited. He was waiting for this day his whole life. Not only was he going out with a beautiful and rich girl but he was going to a concert, a Paul McCartney concert no less. He saved up his money for a nice shirt. He showered, shaved, got dressed, and at 7:35 he zipped up his leather jacket and walked out the door.
Susan stared out the window of her bedroom wishing she was going to that concert with James. Oh, if only I could afford a ticket to that concert! I would do anything to be there! Suddenly Susan got an idea.