Fandemonium, Part 2
Keith gingerly tucked his shirt in, being careful not to strain his back. He stood at the mirror on the closet door and glanced at his reflection. The image he saw startled him somewhat. His face was still quite bruised, especially over his left eye. And the flesh colored bandage there on his cheek stood out with all that black and blue background. He reached up, his fingertips just barely touching the bandage.
"Keith Partridge!"
The female voice behind him made him jump and he whirled.
It was Laurie, leading a nurse with a wheelchair into the room, and he closed his eyes in relief as she grinned at him.
"Your limo has arrived," she added, moving towards him.
He turned, once again staring into the mirror as she came up behind him, lovingly putting her arms around him, her chin on his shoulder. She caught his eye in the reflection, reading his thoughts.
"It'll take time to heal," she murmured in his ear. "Personally, I like it." To his reaction, she added, "I was getting tired of being the plain one."
A hint of a smile tugged at his mouth and she grinned again, hugging him gently. "Mom's downstairs signing you out. You ready to hit the road?"
Still looking at her in the mirror, he sighed. "Yeah," he said, ever-so-softly.
She kissed the side of his head and stepped back, taking his arm and leading him to the wheelchair.
The cab ride was, as expected, a quiet one. Sitting on the far right, Keith pressed his head against the window and watched the traffic around them as they zoomed through the city.
He still hadn't spoken more than a handful of words since they'd left the hospital, causing mother and daughter to exchange several concerned glances. Dr. Farrell had told them that although Keith was still traumatized by the fans' attack, he would eventually regain his confidence and that the family would need to be patient. It was just so darned hard, Laurie surmised, because the Keith sitting beside her right now was not the brother she knew and it was so disconcerting to see him this way.
She tried to be cheerful as she reached over, patting his leg. "Danny's sure missed you something fierce," she told him. "He was going to bribe the nurse into letting him upstairs to see you."
Keith's reaction was a slight nod and a half-smile and Laurie looked helplessly over at Shirley to her left.
Her mother just shook her head and Laurie sighed. Taking Keith's hand in hers she intertwined her fingers in his, staring down at her lap for the remainder of the ride.
As the taxi pulled up to the hotel, they could see the wildly painted bus parked there in front, and Reuben and the kids loading it for their seven-hour drive up to Reno.
Keith took his time getting out of the cab while Shirley paid the driver and Laurie scrambled out, running around the car to help Keith.
The driver unloaded the trunk, all of which consisted of Keith's duffel bag and a cane that Dr. Adams insisted Keith use while his back healed.
As the cabbie drove away, Shirley placed the cane into Keith's hand, much to his dismay.
"I don't need this," he muttered.
Holding his arm, Laurie nodded. "The doctor says you do. Come on, make Mom happy."
He shook his head in resignation as he heard Danny, Chris and Tracy shouting his name. He looked up to find them running at him and, much to his mother's and sister's surprise, he squatted down, letting them nearly bowl him over as they gathered for a group hug.
"Careful, kids!" Shirley warned.
It was total commotion for a moment as they surrounded their brother, laughing, shouting, and literally having a free-for-all
Tears started streaming down Keith's face as he held the children, literally clinging to them and Laurie drew Shirley's attention to it. Both women watched with fascination as Keith, now relegated to his knees, wept openly. The kids did not draw back, as if they knew exactly what he needed to begin the healing.
Shirley had to wipe her own eyes and Laurie swallowed back a large lump in her throat as Reuben approached them, smiling at the fracas still going on with Keith dead center.
"All loaded," he announced.
"Great," Laurie said rather absently, her eyes shining.
Reuben slipped his arms around Laurie's and Shirley's shoulders, clearing his throat. "Uh…we've got a seven hour drive, if anyone cares…"
With Danny, Chris, Tracy and the cane's help, Keith stood up, wiping at his eyes. "Let's go."
Tracy took Keith's hand, leading him to the bus as Chris and Danny dashed ahead of them, sounding like a marauding band of Indians, while the adults followed.
Stopping at the bus door, Keith looked hesitantly inside for a moment, then, with Tracy nudging him on, he climbed the stairs.
Watching sadly as the bus barreled past the San Pueblo exit on I-5, Keith pressed his head up against the window of the bus, trying to ignore the activity going on around him. Laurie sat quietly reading a book, Shirley conversed with Reuben up front as he drove and Danny and Chris were playing keep away with Tracy's tambourine. The little girl was all but tormented, but the boys were oblivious to her anger as they just kept tossing the instrument across the aisle to one another.
"Give it to me." Tracy reached for it, but Danny pulled away, a sly smile on his freckled face.
"Nope." He tossed it back to Chris, who shook it at her, then threw it back to his brother.
"I'm gonna sock you!" Tracy warned.
"Yeah, right. Like we're scared of a girl!" Danny snorted.
"I'll give you a black eye, like those girls did to Keith!" Tracy hissed.
Keith looked over. They were too involved in their game to notice the hurt on his face. Suddenly he felt claustrophobic. He pulled himself up, stumbling for the front of the bus. "Stop the bus," he told Reuben, clutching the back of Shirley's seat.
Laurie and Shirley looked up, startled, as Reuben tried to keep his eyes on the road.
"What?"
"Stop the bus!" Keith repeated, pleading.
"Keith, what is it?" Shirley took his arm.
He pulled away as Reuben eased the bus into the emergency lane. It took a few seconds for the huge monster to come to a stop, but Keith started down the stairs just as Reuben pulled the doors open.
Outside, Keith began to gulp in lungfuls of air, despite the pain it was wreaking on his ribs. He stood trembling near the bus as, above him, his brothers and sisters hung out the windows, watching him worriedly. Shirley and Reuben wasted no time in joining him outside.
"What's the matter, honey?" Shirley knew that if she touched him, he would just pull away, so she stayed back.
"I just need some air," Keith muttered, leaning back against the bus.
"You need to sit down!" Reuben said, watching Keith's slight form tremble.
Keith waved him off, still hauling in deep breaths.
He pressed his shoulders hard into the bus's side, his face more than a little pale, and Shirley fought the urge to grab him.
They all waited, staring at his every move as he huddled there against the vehicle.
"Come on inside, now, honey. You look exhausted. You need rest." Shirley pleaded with him.
Keith closed his eyes, pushing his head back. "In a minute, okay, Mom? Just let me stay here for a minute."
Sighing, Shirley looked at Reuben and the two of them hesitantly reboarded the bus, leaving him alone for the moment.
"Come on, kids, let him be," Shirley ordered as she and the manager sat down.
"But, Mom, he's crying," Laurie said sadly.
"I know. But he doesn't want our help. He needs to work this out by himself. He's confused, he's hurt, he's angry with what happened the other night."
"It's not fair," Laurie murmured, looking back out the window. Keith was sitting down now, weeping, his head down on his knees. "He seems so lost. Can't we do something?"
"Right now, the best thing we can do is let him have his space. When he's ready for us, he'll let us know."
With that, everyone just sat back and waited.
Keith awoke alone in the bus. Still a little dazed, he sat up and looked out the window. They were at a gas station in what looked to be a remote town, and he could see Reuben and the family milling around outside, stretching their limbs. Chris and Danny were chasing one another around the pumps, releasing some of their pent-up energy. Laurie was leading Tracy from the ladies room and Shirley and Reuben chatted over by the pop machine.
Keith rubbed his eyes and realized he really could use a pit-stop, not to mention another painkiller. Sliding out of the seat, he stumbled down the aisle to the door.
As he exited the bus, Shirley looked his way and interrupted her conversation to greet him.
"Keith, where's your cane?"
"Later, okay, Mom?" Keith indicated the men's room door, and she smiled, letting him by.
He disappeared inside and Shirley put her hands on her hips, watching the door like a mother hen. Reuben joined her. "Space, Shirley, space."
She looked up at him. "I know." She said it softly. Her words were coming back to bite her.
"We're ready to hit the road again," Laurie announced, having gathered up her younger siblings.
"Not quite. Keith's in the men's room. Speaking of which, does anyone else need to go?"
"Went!" Chris and Danny said in unison.
"We're okay, huh, Trace?" Laurie's hand was on the little girl's head.
"Yeah," the child agreed.
The bathroom door opened and Keith exited, eyeing the gathering. "I need something to wash down this pill," he muttered, fishing through his pockets.
"Here, it's on me. Orange okay?" Reuben put a quarter into the pop machine and withdrew the soda, snapping off the cap.
"Yeah, thanks." Keith took the bottle from Reuben and popped the pill into his mouth. He drank about half of the soda and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, uneasy at the attention this apparent show was bringing. Clearing his throat, he glanced over at the bus. "Are we...broke down or something?"
"Nope, just a routine stop. We should be in Reno in about an hour and a half," Reuben answered.
Keith nodded, squinting up at the sun. It had to be late afternoon by now.
Shirley spread her arms. "Okay, what say we get back on the road?"
One by one, the kids filed towards their psychedelic limousine, Keith hanging back to drink the rest of his soda. Danny waited for him at the bus' door.
"Want something, squirt?" Keith asked as he approached him.
"Nope, just making sure you're okay." Danny's answer was accompanied by an innocent shrug.
Keith looked a little surprised as he followed Danny into the bus.
It was raining in Reno; a steady drizzle that just dirtied the windshield as Reuben exited the freeway onto Virginia Street. It was just a short distance to the hotel and as they pulled up to the curb, most of the kids were already gathering their belongings. Keith, however, was not one of them. He peered out the window, looking at the marquee that boldly
announced their engagement for tomorrow night: ONE NIGHT ONLY/ THE PARTRIDGE FAMILY! For some reason, seeing it only unnerved him, and he swallowed. Why was he feeling so skittish? It was just another of at least 500 shows they'd done over the course of their careers. Why was this one so different?
"Coming, Keith?" Shirley was at the front of the bus.
"Yeah," he replied, forcing himself up out of the seat. He reached down, grabbing his duffel bag and swinging it over one shoulder, then picked up the cane he knew she would call him on.
She waited until he was closer, then stepped out. He was right behind her, gripping the cane. The sidewalk was covered with a canopy that adorned the hotel front, and they could hear the patter of the rain above them.
"I'll check us in; you kids find a place to sit down." Shirley's hand was on his back, and for the first time, he didn't move away.
'She means, you find a place to sit down,' Keith thought to himself as they entered the lobby. It was expansive and old-fashioned, as if they'd stepped into an old gangster movie. Laurie, Danny, Chris and Tracy were gathered by a huge potted palm tree and Keith worked his way over to them, leaning more on the cane with every step.
"There's a chair over here," Laurie pointed, but Keith shook his head.
"I want to find the showroom."
"Why?" Danny wanted to know.
"I just do, that's all."
"I think it's down that way," Laurie indicated a hallway that led to the casino. "Want someone to go with you?"
"No. Tell Mom where I went." Keith sat his bag down near Chris's feet and moved off.
Reuben was supervising the stagehands as they brought the Partridge's equipment into the dimly-lit showroom, a 3000 square-foot room with mostly tables and a few booths facing a 20 foot wide and 15 foot deep stage.
Keith entered warily, watching the scene he'd watched nearly 1000 times. There were two men under Reuben's direction, both a little older than Keith, but they knew their jobs well. As they set up the drum kit and amplifiers, Reuben saw Keith standing by the leather-cushioned doors.
"If you're here to help, forget it," Reuben smiled, coming toward him. "These two are union."
Keith shook his head, looking around the expanse of the room. "I'm just checking it out," Keith said in his soft manner. "Okay if I stay a while?"
"Suit yourself. Your mother know where you are and everything?"
Nodding, Keith sat down at a booth in the back. Reuben patted his shoulder, a little bewildered, and moved back towards the stage.
It didn't take long at all for the setting up to be completed. Everything was in its place within half an hour; the amps, speakers, Shirley's piano, Laurie's organ, the drums…even Keith's and Danny's guitars sat shining on their stands, just waiting to be played. The stagehands left while Reuben took one last look at their hard work.
"How's it look?" Reuben asked.
"Great," Keith replied. He hadn't moved from the table as yet.
Satisfied, Reuben soon joined him. He didn't sit down, but towered over his lead singer. "Should be about dinner time. Wanna go to Kilroy's?"
Keith shook his head. "No, thanks."
"There's nothing to do here; you might as well." Reuben leaned over the table.
"I'm not hungry. I think I'll just stay here for awhile." Keith's voice sounded so distant…
"Anything wrong?" Now Reuben sat down, his rubbery face bunched in a frown.
Again, Keith shook his head. Reuben wasn't sure, but he thought he saw tears in the boy's eyes. He put a fatherly hand on Keith's shoulder.
"Keith…?"
"I'm okay, really." Keith's words were a mere whisper. He swallowed. "Go on ahead with the others. I'm just gonna stay here for a little bit."
Reuben shook his head. "No. I don't want you sitting here alone. Come with me to Kilroy's. You don't have to eat, just come. We can talk if you want, and if you don't want to, that's fine, too." He paused, their eyes meeting. "Please?"
After a second, Keith nodded, averting his eyes back to the stage. "Can I ditch the cane?" he looked back at Reuben.
"I won't tell." The manager's smile was sly.
The two of them rose from the table.
As usual, Kilroy's was busy, but once the hostess realized whom she was about to seat, she ushered them right in and service was prompt. Reuben finished his giant Kilroy burger and Keith made an attempt at a chocolate milkshake, looking guardedly around him. He was trying his best not to draw attention to himself, and it had worked thus far.
Wadding up his napkin, Reuben smiled at his singer, putting his elbows on the table. "Did I tell you that milkshake was a killer?"
Keith smiled a half-smile, working the straw around in the glass.
Reuben sighed. Keith hadn't said ten words since they'd sat down. Not that Reuben hadn't tried to draw him out. He'd brought up several different subjects, hoping that he would get a response, but to no avail. It looked as if Keith just wasn't in the mood to talk; not that he expected it, but at least he tried.
Glancing at his watch, Reuben tried once more. "We'd best be getting back. I've got to take a shower and check with Janet for next month's itinerary."
Keith swallowed. "What time's the show tomorrow?"
Surprised at hearing a full sentence, Reuben answered, "Eight."
Keith nodded, going back to concentrating on his milkshake. Then: "There's no way it could happen again, right? I mean, it shouldn't get out of control, should it?"
Reuben shook his head. "No. I promise. This crowd will be older; people who can afford the price of the tickets. There'll be no rushing the stage, not even a scream." At Keith's skeptical look, he grinned. "If there is, then I'll let Danny stay in my room for the night. Now, that's confidence!"
That drew a chuckle from Keith and Reuben tossed some money on the table. "Come on, let's get going before your mother sends out the National Guard."
Continued....
Keith gingerly tucked his shirt in, being careful not to strain his back. He stood at the mirror on the closet door and glanced at his reflection. The image he saw startled him somewhat. His face was still quite bruised, especially over his left eye. And the flesh colored bandage there on his cheek stood out with all that black and blue background. He reached up, his fingertips just barely touching the bandage.
"Keith Partridge!"
The female voice behind him made him jump and he whirled.
It was Laurie, leading a nurse with a wheelchair into the room, and he closed his eyes in relief as she grinned at him.
"Your limo has arrived," she added, moving towards him.
He turned, once again staring into the mirror as she came up behind him, lovingly putting her arms around him, her chin on his shoulder. She caught his eye in the reflection, reading his thoughts.
"It'll take time to heal," she murmured in his ear. "Personally, I like it." To his reaction, she added, "I was getting tired of being the plain one."
A hint of a smile tugged at his mouth and she grinned again, hugging him gently. "Mom's downstairs signing you out. You ready to hit the road?"
Still looking at her in the mirror, he sighed. "Yeah," he said, ever-so-softly.
She kissed the side of his head and stepped back, taking his arm and leading him to the wheelchair.
The cab ride was, as expected, a quiet one. Sitting on the far right, Keith pressed his head against the window and watched the traffic around them as they zoomed through the city.
He still hadn't spoken more than a handful of words since they'd left the hospital, causing mother and daughter to exchange several concerned glances. Dr. Farrell had told them that although Keith was still traumatized by the fans' attack, he would eventually regain his confidence and that the family would need to be patient. It was just so darned hard, Laurie surmised, because the Keith sitting beside her right now was not the brother she knew and it was so disconcerting to see him this way.
She tried to be cheerful as she reached over, patting his leg. "Danny's sure missed you something fierce," she told him. "He was going to bribe the nurse into letting him upstairs to see you."
Keith's reaction was a slight nod and a half-smile and Laurie looked helplessly over at Shirley to her left.
Her mother just shook her head and Laurie sighed. Taking Keith's hand in hers she intertwined her fingers in his, staring down at her lap for the remainder of the ride.
As the taxi pulled up to the hotel, they could see the wildly painted bus parked there in front, and Reuben and the kids loading it for their seven-hour drive up to Reno.
Keith took his time getting out of the cab while Shirley paid the driver and Laurie scrambled out, running around the car to help Keith.
The driver unloaded the trunk, all of which consisted of Keith's duffel bag and a cane that Dr. Adams insisted Keith use while his back healed.
As the cabbie drove away, Shirley placed the cane into Keith's hand, much to his dismay.
"I don't need this," he muttered.
Holding his arm, Laurie nodded. "The doctor says you do. Come on, make Mom happy."
He shook his head in resignation as he heard Danny, Chris and Tracy shouting his name. He looked up to find them running at him and, much to his mother's and sister's surprise, he squatted down, letting them nearly bowl him over as they gathered for a group hug.
"Careful, kids!" Shirley warned.
It was total commotion for a moment as they surrounded their brother, laughing, shouting, and literally having a free-for-all
Tears started streaming down Keith's face as he held the children, literally clinging to them and Laurie drew Shirley's attention to it. Both women watched with fascination as Keith, now relegated to his knees, wept openly. The kids did not draw back, as if they knew exactly what he needed to begin the healing.
Shirley had to wipe her own eyes and Laurie swallowed back a large lump in her throat as Reuben approached them, smiling at the fracas still going on with Keith dead center.
"All loaded," he announced.
"Great," Laurie said rather absently, her eyes shining.
Reuben slipped his arms around Laurie's and Shirley's shoulders, clearing his throat. "Uh…we've got a seven hour drive, if anyone cares…"
With Danny, Chris, Tracy and the cane's help, Keith stood up, wiping at his eyes. "Let's go."
Tracy took Keith's hand, leading him to the bus as Chris and Danny dashed ahead of them, sounding like a marauding band of Indians, while the adults followed.
Stopping at the bus door, Keith looked hesitantly inside for a moment, then, with Tracy nudging him on, he climbed the stairs.
Watching sadly as the bus barreled past the San Pueblo exit on I-5, Keith pressed his head up against the window of the bus, trying to ignore the activity going on around him. Laurie sat quietly reading a book, Shirley conversed with Reuben up front as he drove and Danny and Chris were playing keep away with Tracy's tambourine. The little girl was all but tormented, but the boys were oblivious to her anger as they just kept tossing the instrument across the aisle to one another.
"Give it to me." Tracy reached for it, but Danny pulled away, a sly smile on his freckled face.
"Nope." He tossed it back to Chris, who shook it at her, then threw it back to his brother.
"I'm gonna sock you!" Tracy warned.
"Yeah, right. Like we're scared of a girl!" Danny snorted.
"I'll give you a black eye, like those girls did to Keith!" Tracy hissed.
Keith looked over. They were too involved in their game to notice the hurt on his face. Suddenly he felt claustrophobic. He pulled himself up, stumbling for the front of the bus. "Stop the bus," he told Reuben, clutching the back of Shirley's seat.
Laurie and Shirley looked up, startled, as Reuben tried to keep his eyes on the road.
"What?"
"Stop the bus!" Keith repeated, pleading.
"Keith, what is it?" Shirley took his arm.
He pulled away as Reuben eased the bus into the emergency lane. It took a few seconds for the huge monster to come to a stop, but Keith started down the stairs just as Reuben pulled the doors open.
Outside, Keith began to gulp in lungfuls of air, despite the pain it was wreaking on his ribs. He stood trembling near the bus as, above him, his brothers and sisters hung out the windows, watching him worriedly. Shirley and Reuben wasted no time in joining him outside.
"What's the matter, honey?" Shirley knew that if she touched him, he would just pull away, so she stayed back.
"I just need some air," Keith muttered, leaning back against the bus.
"You need to sit down!" Reuben said, watching Keith's slight form tremble.
Keith waved him off, still hauling in deep breaths.
He pressed his shoulders hard into the bus's side, his face more than a little pale, and Shirley fought the urge to grab him.
They all waited, staring at his every move as he huddled there against the vehicle.
"Come on inside, now, honey. You look exhausted. You need rest." Shirley pleaded with him.
Keith closed his eyes, pushing his head back. "In a minute, okay, Mom? Just let me stay here for a minute."
Sighing, Shirley looked at Reuben and the two of them hesitantly reboarded the bus, leaving him alone for the moment.
"Come on, kids, let him be," Shirley ordered as she and the manager sat down.
"But, Mom, he's crying," Laurie said sadly.
"I know. But he doesn't want our help. He needs to work this out by himself. He's confused, he's hurt, he's angry with what happened the other night."
"It's not fair," Laurie murmured, looking back out the window. Keith was sitting down now, weeping, his head down on his knees. "He seems so lost. Can't we do something?"
"Right now, the best thing we can do is let him have his space. When he's ready for us, he'll let us know."
With that, everyone just sat back and waited.
Keith awoke alone in the bus. Still a little dazed, he sat up and looked out the window. They were at a gas station in what looked to be a remote town, and he could see Reuben and the family milling around outside, stretching their limbs. Chris and Danny were chasing one another around the pumps, releasing some of their pent-up energy. Laurie was leading Tracy from the ladies room and Shirley and Reuben chatted over by the pop machine.
Keith rubbed his eyes and realized he really could use a pit-stop, not to mention another painkiller. Sliding out of the seat, he stumbled down the aisle to the door.
As he exited the bus, Shirley looked his way and interrupted her conversation to greet him.
"Keith, where's your cane?"
"Later, okay, Mom?" Keith indicated the men's room door, and she smiled, letting him by.
He disappeared inside and Shirley put her hands on her hips, watching the door like a mother hen. Reuben joined her. "Space, Shirley, space."
She looked up at him. "I know." She said it softly. Her words were coming back to bite her.
"We're ready to hit the road again," Laurie announced, having gathered up her younger siblings.
"Not quite. Keith's in the men's room. Speaking of which, does anyone else need to go?"
"Went!" Chris and Danny said in unison.
"We're okay, huh, Trace?" Laurie's hand was on the little girl's head.
"Yeah," the child agreed.
The bathroom door opened and Keith exited, eyeing the gathering. "I need something to wash down this pill," he muttered, fishing through his pockets.
"Here, it's on me. Orange okay?" Reuben put a quarter into the pop machine and withdrew the soda, snapping off the cap.
"Yeah, thanks." Keith took the bottle from Reuben and popped the pill into his mouth. He drank about half of the soda and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, uneasy at the attention this apparent show was bringing. Clearing his throat, he glanced over at the bus. "Are we...broke down or something?"
"Nope, just a routine stop. We should be in Reno in about an hour and a half," Reuben answered.
Keith nodded, squinting up at the sun. It had to be late afternoon by now.
Shirley spread her arms. "Okay, what say we get back on the road?"
One by one, the kids filed towards their psychedelic limousine, Keith hanging back to drink the rest of his soda. Danny waited for him at the bus' door.
"Want something, squirt?" Keith asked as he approached him.
"Nope, just making sure you're okay." Danny's answer was accompanied by an innocent shrug.
Keith looked a little surprised as he followed Danny into the bus.
It was raining in Reno; a steady drizzle that just dirtied the windshield as Reuben exited the freeway onto Virginia Street. It was just a short distance to the hotel and as they pulled up to the curb, most of the kids were already gathering their belongings. Keith, however, was not one of them. He peered out the window, looking at the marquee that boldly
announced their engagement for tomorrow night: ONE NIGHT ONLY/ THE PARTRIDGE FAMILY! For some reason, seeing it only unnerved him, and he swallowed. Why was he feeling so skittish? It was just another of at least 500 shows they'd done over the course of their careers. Why was this one so different?
"Coming, Keith?" Shirley was at the front of the bus.
"Yeah," he replied, forcing himself up out of the seat. He reached down, grabbing his duffel bag and swinging it over one shoulder, then picked up the cane he knew she would call him on.
She waited until he was closer, then stepped out. He was right behind her, gripping the cane. The sidewalk was covered with a canopy that adorned the hotel front, and they could hear the patter of the rain above them.
"I'll check us in; you kids find a place to sit down." Shirley's hand was on his back, and for the first time, he didn't move away.
'She means, you find a place to sit down,' Keith thought to himself as they entered the lobby. It was expansive and old-fashioned, as if they'd stepped into an old gangster movie. Laurie, Danny, Chris and Tracy were gathered by a huge potted palm tree and Keith worked his way over to them, leaning more on the cane with every step.
"There's a chair over here," Laurie pointed, but Keith shook his head.
"I want to find the showroom."
"Why?" Danny wanted to know.
"I just do, that's all."
"I think it's down that way," Laurie indicated a hallway that led to the casino. "Want someone to go with you?"
"No. Tell Mom where I went." Keith sat his bag down near Chris's feet and moved off.
Reuben was supervising the stagehands as they brought the Partridge's equipment into the dimly-lit showroom, a 3000 square-foot room with mostly tables and a few booths facing a 20 foot wide and 15 foot deep stage.
Keith entered warily, watching the scene he'd watched nearly 1000 times. There were two men under Reuben's direction, both a little older than Keith, but they knew their jobs well. As they set up the drum kit and amplifiers, Reuben saw Keith standing by the leather-cushioned doors.
"If you're here to help, forget it," Reuben smiled, coming toward him. "These two are union."
Keith shook his head, looking around the expanse of the room. "I'm just checking it out," Keith said in his soft manner. "Okay if I stay a while?"
"Suit yourself. Your mother know where you are and everything?"
Nodding, Keith sat down at a booth in the back. Reuben patted his shoulder, a little bewildered, and moved back towards the stage.
It didn't take long at all for the setting up to be completed. Everything was in its place within half an hour; the amps, speakers, Shirley's piano, Laurie's organ, the drums…even Keith's and Danny's guitars sat shining on their stands, just waiting to be played. The stagehands left while Reuben took one last look at their hard work.
"How's it look?" Reuben asked.
"Great," Keith replied. He hadn't moved from the table as yet.
Satisfied, Reuben soon joined him. He didn't sit down, but towered over his lead singer. "Should be about dinner time. Wanna go to Kilroy's?"
Keith shook his head. "No, thanks."
"There's nothing to do here; you might as well." Reuben leaned over the table.
"I'm not hungry. I think I'll just stay here for awhile." Keith's voice sounded so distant…
"Anything wrong?" Now Reuben sat down, his rubbery face bunched in a frown.
Again, Keith shook his head. Reuben wasn't sure, but he thought he saw tears in the boy's eyes. He put a fatherly hand on Keith's shoulder.
"Keith…?"
"I'm okay, really." Keith's words were a mere whisper. He swallowed. "Go on ahead with the others. I'm just gonna stay here for a little bit."
Reuben shook his head. "No. I don't want you sitting here alone. Come with me to Kilroy's. You don't have to eat, just come. We can talk if you want, and if you don't want to, that's fine, too." He paused, their eyes meeting. "Please?"
After a second, Keith nodded, averting his eyes back to the stage. "Can I ditch the cane?" he looked back at Reuben.
"I won't tell." The manager's smile was sly.
The two of them rose from the table.
As usual, Kilroy's was busy, but once the hostess realized whom she was about to seat, she ushered them right in and service was prompt. Reuben finished his giant Kilroy burger and Keith made an attempt at a chocolate milkshake, looking guardedly around him. He was trying his best not to draw attention to himself, and it had worked thus far.
Wadding up his napkin, Reuben smiled at his singer, putting his elbows on the table. "Did I tell you that milkshake was a killer?"
Keith smiled a half-smile, working the straw around in the glass.
Reuben sighed. Keith hadn't said ten words since they'd sat down. Not that Reuben hadn't tried to draw him out. He'd brought up several different subjects, hoping that he would get a response, but to no avail. It looked as if Keith just wasn't in the mood to talk; not that he expected it, but at least he tried.
Glancing at his watch, Reuben tried once more. "We'd best be getting back. I've got to take a shower and check with Janet for next month's itinerary."
Keith swallowed. "What time's the show tomorrow?"
Surprised at hearing a full sentence, Reuben answered, "Eight."
Keith nodded, going back to concentrating on his milkshake. Then: "There's no way it could happen again, right? I mean, it shouldn't get out of control, should it?"
Reuben shook his head. "No. I promise. This crowd will be older; people who can afford the price of the tickets. There'll be no rushing the stage, not even a scream." At Keith's skeptical look, he grinned. "If there is, then I'll let Danny stay in my room for the night. Now, that's confidence!"
That drew a chuckle from Keith and Reuben tossed some money on the table. "Come on, let's get going before your mother sends out the National Guard."
Continued....