Summer of 1980

It was a chilly nighttime in Calumet City, Illinois despite the summer season. The chilly air was due to the recent rain that poured earlier that night and the mice in the allies paid the price for it. One little mouse shivered as it scurried towards an open trash can but quickly stopped once it heard the sound of footsteps. It stopped, for a few brief moments and scurried away. Coming out of the alley, was a young woman, looking cold and upset as she carried a guitar. The woman, Maria Valens, dragged her feet slowly down the dingy wet streets with her head & her hopes down as she struggled to carry the guitar case on her back. As she looked down, she saw her reflection in a big puddle in front of her and stopped walking as bitterness filled her thoughts.

Tommy kicked me out of the band...I'm dirt broke...and the only home I have is a fucking hotel...I'm a failure in life..

She kicked a rock into the puddle in frustration and anger to distort her reflection and stormed off to the direction of her hotel/home. Her converse shoes stomped rapidly down the streets and her mind began to flood with worries...

How am I gonna make the extra money? The restaurant only pays me for basically shelter and almost nothing else...and here's no way in hell I'm going to be a stripper...

Her thoughts were interrupted suddenly as a rat scuttled across right in front of her and she stopped in her tracks abruptly. As she came to a halt, her foot slipped on a slippery part of the street & made her fall forward having the guitar case crush against her back painfully and made her knee scrape against the street with additional forced pressure applied to it.

"AHHH!" Maria cried painfully

She laid idle on the ground in pain until she gained enough stamina to pick herself up. She stumbled down the streets for a small duration when her bad knee gave out and made her fall again.

Godammit!

She wiped some dirt off of her knee & looked up as she tried to get up before she realized where she was. In front of her stood the oh so familiar orphanage she grew up in, St Helen's Orphanage. Maria rolled her eyes and sneered at the sight of her former home. It was the place in which she was denied the things she wanted in life: a comfortable home, to have a dream career and to love & to be loved back. The only thing the orphanage provided for her, was Moral values concerning the fact it was a Catholic orphanage. Her true moral values however, were easily looked down upon because of her love for Rock N Roll growing up.

"I see a red door & I want it painted black. No colors anymore I want them to turn black…"

"MARIA! Turn that off at once!" one of the nuns would yell. "Rock n Roll is the devils music designed to lure poor, religiously naïve minds into the into the words of Lucifer!"

No one in the girls' section of the orphanage understood what Maria went through since everyone around her would listen to "Ave Maria" or "The Lord's Prayer".

Maria desperately wanted to get away from the site of her former home, but she knew with a bad knee, she wouldn't make it far.

I can't turn this place away, right now..The hotel is too far to walk to and the bus lines are down Maria thought as she winced in pain some more I need help..

She got up & tried to walk but limped on one leg due to the fall. Maria sighed defeated as she approached the threshold & knocked on the door, feeling guilty about possibly waking up the orphans & nuns. The door creaked open and there stood a familiar face to Maria. Sister Mary.

Wow. thought Maria She's still alive?

The sister looked at Maria in surprise & recognition. "Aren't you the Valens' girl?"

Maria nodded in pain. "Please, I hurt my knee & my home is too far to me to walk to. May I please stay here for the night? I promise I'll leave first thing in the morning. I won't be a bother."

She suddenly winced in pain as her knee throbbed.

"Of course you can come in, you poor thing!" Sister Mary replied sounding frantic as she let Maria in. Maria hopped into the orphanage as her guitar case swung back & forth on her back.

She plopped down tiredly on the nearest chair as the sister retrieved some bandages & helped bandage the knee.

"Thank you so much, sister!" Maria cried gratefully "I'm grateful you're helping me in a time of need."

The sister smiled at her kindly. "It's not a problem at all, my dear. You were always a good girl."

Maria sat up a little in the chair to face the nun. "You actually thought I was good? I thought the nuns here didn't like me because I would blast out music."

Sister Mary chuckled "That was true, but you reminded me so much of my niece. She was a lot like you"

Sister Mary looked up at her from Maria's knee "She was strong willed, rebellious, sometimes got into trouble, but overall a good girl with a good heart who loved God & her elders."

Maria smiled a little

"Yeah that's does sound like me." she said playfully

She moved her leg gently, after the sister said a prayer & it felt a lot better.

"You should spend the night here to let your knee rest." Sister Mary advised

"I'm sorry to impose…" Maria began to say but the sister shook her head

"No, you're not imposing at all." Sister Mary objected "Just rest up, dear."

Maria sighed "alright" she replied quietly with a small smile

"So tell me" The nun began as she sat on a chair nearby Maria "How have you been doing?"

Maria slowly faded her smile "Not good. I feel like I'm a failure. I failed at music the only thing I love! My bandmates kicked me out of the band"

"You know" Sister Mary began as Maria mentioned her being a musician "You remind me of these two men who also grew up here in this orphanage like you."

"Who?" Maria asked curiously "Maybe I might know them."

Sister Mary shook her head "I highly doubt that, dear. They were in the boys section of the orphanage. Jacob & Elwood Blues."

"Ohh." Maria replied "Yes, you're right. I wouldn't know them"

"They loved their blues music as much as you love your rock n roll."

Maria smiled "Blues music is pretty good. These guys sound alright!"

A frown then formed on the nuns face. "Unfortunately, one of the brothers had to go & get himself locked in Joliet prison!"

Maria lifted her eyebrows in surprise "What for?"

"He robbed a gas station, but Jacob got himself caught." The nun said as she shook her head to express shame "The poor troublemaker got himself 5 years in in the penitentiary..."

"Oh...that's...unfortunate" Maria commented

"Indeed it is" The nun agreed

"Well, nevertheless, I would still like to meet these two brothers." Maria said "They sound interesting"

"Perhaps you'll meet each other in the future." Sister Mary said

"Yeah, maybe" Maria agreed with a yawn

Sister Mary noticed the female musicians tired state "Go up to the Bishop's room and get some rest. He is currently away on business so you'll cause no trouble."

"Thank you very much, Sister Mary" Maria said kindly

She carefully made her way upstairs, trying not to apply top much pressure on her knee, and found a small bedroom with a small rosary hanging over the bed. She set down her guitar case at bed side and quickly fell asleep.