The Ballad of Pablo and Consuela
Ch.1
At least they said it was. In truth I guess I never really knew their names. I was a younger man back then, mostly singing Johnny Cash songs for ex-cons and truckers in country bars through out the south and the Midwest all the way into Colorado and I guess that’s where this story begins….
I was playing a small bar just on the west of the Rockies before you get to Utah and to far north for it to be New Mexico yet. I had a band back then. Big one. Back up singers, fiddle players, the works. Had a wife too. Devil of a woman who spent all the night yelling at me and making me miss the road. Maybe that’s why I took to the life so easily back then, when other men start to slow and settle down.
Anyways, like I was saying, I was working a bar somewhere down that way Mesa Vista or Anazazi Junction or some such shit, just another second rate Aspen during the winter and near empty most the summer. Just before I started my set I noticed her. She had on cheap blue jeans and Versace sunglasses. She left her sunglasses on and took a seat at an empty table in the corner. I shrugged and turned back to the normal kind of groupies one gets on the roads. You know, the girl who’s willing to sleep with any guy who’s able to put two notes together. Maybe they just like to hedge their bets and sleep with anyone with a shot at money or fame. I used to wonder in those days if other woman sitting around thinking about the fact they gave up a shot to sleep with some fuck head who became a big success before their drug addiction took what was left of them and their money down the toilets. I guess I never cared enough to ask.
I’m not sure exactly when he showed up, maybe he was there before the show even started, but I know when I noticed him. About halfway through the set there was a small lover’s trist going on somewhere in the back. Anyone who’s played enough of these kinds of places knows you just keep on moving into the next song and try to help the rest of the patrons ignore it. Pablo didn’t. Turns out the lover’s quarrel got messy and he pulled a knife before the bouncer’s managed to work their way there through broken glass, saw dust and vomit. But before anything could happen with the bouncers or the knife an arm wrapped in a leather was around the man’s neck and the knife was on the floor, the hand that held it in his back and before anyone knew exactly was happening the lover was on the parking lot pavement. And I’m pretty sure before his face’d skidded to a stop outside, Pablo’d already won her heart.
By the end of my set the two were as far apart as at the beginning though. Maybe he just couldn’t see that he’d caught her eye through the sunglasses but he stood at the bar by himself in a crowd of people. Nodding at the occasional pat on the back from drunks impressed with his gallantry and refusing drinks from strangers who tried to impress their own dates who looked at them coldly for not risking their own lives to save a poor damsel in distress. And it was on such an occasion that I entered into the scene.
A woman in a cherry red slip was smiling at the casual Pablo. “He’s just jealous he’s not a real man like you.” She gave him a come fuck me smile and opened her lips like she was ready to swallow…. Him up whole. Her dates hand slipped from her shoulder as she slowly inched towards Pablo and his protests began to fall into a murmur.
Pablo stood erect and smiled with a nod at her, “Thank you for your flattery ma’am, but in truth I saw your fella there ready to fight, but he knew better than to risk your safety.” and the blond looked back at her date and I’m not sure what transpired between them but soon she was in his arms and kissing him and tears were flowing of joy and reconciliation and the two of them moved toward the door.
“You got yourself a silver tongue there boy,” I said as I took their empty seat at the bar next to him. I ordered a whiskey sour.
“Thank you sir, I suppose I do at times.” his eyes were lost somewhere in the distance and he shook a curly lock of hair out of his eyes. “You got yourself a gift there”
“Well thank you son,” my drink came and looking round the bar I decided to keep my seat. “You like Johnny Cash?”
“I’ve always loved Johnny Cash. Saw him live once.” He took a sip of his own drink. “You should play more of your own stuff though.”
Now, to this day, I don’t know why I listened to him. But I did. I chuckled a little bit and nodded too, “Oh, and why’s that son?”
He turned and looked fully at me for the first time. “You won’t live long if you’re only singing another man’s songs.” He took another sip from his drink and looked across the bar for a moment before motioning the bartender for another round. “And all them pretty women will only be making love to your instrument and not to you.” he smirked and nodded and offered to buy me another round. I accepted and we spent most of the rest of the night talking and trading jokes and it was at some point when he went outside for a cigarette that I saw her for the first time since she’d walked through the door. And it was just intime to watch her walk back out again.
Outside she found her Pablo standing against the wall alone, staring off somewhere that I can only guess at and I wonder if maybe she did too. She stood and waited, searching for the right words to say. Finally deciding to say something she stepped forward just in time for him to turn around and bump into her. He caught her in his arms as she headed for the ground and her sunglasses scratched around the cement.
“Excuse me ma’am,’ He said as he held her still and for the first time he saw the eyes he’d caught inside. Hazel sun fires of green browns and yellow flashing and sparkling with the colors of neon lights. “I’m sorry, uh,” and he put her back on her feet and picked up her sunglasses, dusting them off on his shirt before handing them back as she added her apologies.
“I’m sorry, I uh, was just, on my way out.” she said and biting her lip in spite started to walk quickly and embarrassedly towards her shiny clean rented car.
“Ma’am!” Pablo said hopping towards her car in a brisk step before stopping, “Uh… Are you going to be here again tomorrow night ma’am? Say around eight o’clock? Cause if so…”
“Cause if so what?” she asked leaning forward against the driver’s side of her car.
“Cause if so I would love to ask you for a dance.” Pablo said standing on the opposite end of the car staring into the sunglasses trying to find her eyes again. “What do you say?”
She smiled as she opened the door, “I’ll be here tomorrow. You can ask me to dance then,” he watched her drive away and when I saw him walk back inside hw was smiling.