My Life So Far
Music Short Story Competition WINNER
by Terry Baldock
Terry Baldock lives in Droitwich Spa and has retired three times in the last four years. He lived in Hong Kong until 1996 where he had some success with short stories. Since returning he has been shortlisted twice in WM poetry competitions; had a second place and a shortlisting in WM short story competitions, but has never won before. Terry says he is ‘over the moon’ with this success.
Never fall in love with a musician. You’ll always take second place. They’ll be thinking of chords; humming melodies when they should be loving you. Their instruments will be your children to care for; to keep in tune. If loving a musician is bad, make sure that you don’t give your heart to a singer – a songwriter – for they not only hum the music of your lives but put words to it and sing to strangers of your most intimate secrets.
I wish that someone had given me that advice. It wouldn’t have stopped me falling in love, she was too lovely for that, but, maybe, I would have recognised the signs.
When I first saw her she looked so vulnerable; so fragile. Alone on a stool on a small stage, a folk singer. And she looked the part with her long blonde hair, blue eyes; she was perfect. I can’t remember what her first song was. I just heard her voice – my heart heard something else.
In those days folk clubs were often in pub back rooms where warm beer, finger in the ear sea shanties and Irish Rovers were the norm – until she came on and then even the drunks stopped talking.