Blog Post #3 The Big Night

"Ya gettin ready for ya big night there Leroy?" Cullen asked as he walked in on Leroy who'd been tuning his guitar for what seemed like an hour and a half. "Justa let ya know, don't think they'll notice much if yer strings aren't tuned to a T. Ya are playin for a buncha drunks aint ya?" They both laughed.
"You got a point...but hey. May as well practice fer my big concerts. Ya know like when catch my break and stuff... go on tour an all that. Can't be outa tune then!" Leroy continued to tune and practice his guitar until nine when it was time for him to head down to the bar. Along the way he was sure to tell everyone he saw -on the sidewalk, in the elevator- about his "concert" that night. He was sure there'd be a crowd anyway but more folks couldn't hurt! Besides it was already drizzling outside and was only supposed to get worse. Surely folks would need something to do to keep dry.
He walked in and introduced himself to the manager and anyone else he happened to see. The manager pointed him to the stage he was going to be playing on- or rather the old platform with a bar stool and a microphone. Within minutes Leroy had his guitar out strumming a few notes as he talked to the measley two people trying to watch the game at a table and the three seemingly depressed people equally spaced two stools apart at the bar. "How is everybody tonight?" He unnecessarily yelled into the microphone. "My first song isa little something I wrote 'bout my hometown Paintlick. That is the fabulous Paintlick, Kentucky. Home of the best BBQ east otha Mississippi! Yall really gotta try it out if your ever passin through. Well yall. Here it is hope ya like it." He stopped strumming for a second to take off his cowboy hat and place it in front of him upside down for tips. Thats what he'd seen folks do before.
He strummed a couple notes and began to belt out his first of many twangy country songs for the night. The people in the bar couldn't hide the dumbfounded looks on their faces. "Who the hell is this guy? And what is he doing here?" One man leaned to ask his fellow drunk at the bar. Leroy wasn't singing to much of anybody but it didn't stop him from singing his best and loudest. The people went from being in shock, to trying to tune him out, to obviously annoyed. Leroy kept on singing. Half the time his eyes were either squinted or closed because he was so into it...he didn't even notice their reactions. People who came in were more than confused. Poor guy, they thought.
"I'll see ya all tomorrow! Enjoy yer night ya hear. Don't drink too many more fellas!" He said as he pointed to the guys at the bar as he walked out of the smoky bar into the drizzling rain. He counted his change he got in tips and realized it was just enough for a bag of pork rinds. He walked in, passed the produce to the chip stand next to the register. It was obvious nobody else cared much for pork rinds judging by the dust on the package. He stood behind two women waiting to check out. One was buying pears and the other apples. He noticed that her fingers weren't much less plump than the apples she was buying when he saw them as she handed the man a five dollar bill. Looked like he had a lot of fives in her wallet when she dropped them on the floor. He reached to pick them up as some woman who looked like she fell into her daughters dress up trunk got to them first.
"Well ya beat me to it miss, I coulda got that! My name's Leroy... Pickler that is. Leroy Pickler's the name." The two women awkwardly said "I'm Lola" and "I'm Delilah" and turned back around. "Ya know...I had a girlfriend back in Paintlick named Delilah." Neither of them turned around and continued to ignore Leroy. They thought he must be crazy or something. Why was he talking so much?
They left. Leroy paid in change and headed back to his apartment, ready to lay back, get out of his wet boots, pop open a beer, and eat his pork rinds.