TURN BACK THE TIME, BABE. BOOK 5. GIVING IT ALL MY SOUL

REMEMBER IT'S MY HEART THAT'S BREAKING

Brighton, outside Brighton Centre. 10th december 1979.

- Hey, darling. What are you doing here on your own? You are searching your owner, right?

We were heading Brighton Center to do the soundcheck when all of a sudden there he stood, that cute ginger cat and Freddie's heart melted down.

- Freddie, don't touch him. He might scratch you -I warned him, I liked cats just what's reasonable.

- Don't be ridiculous, love. He would be the first to scratch me.

The truth is he was a beautiful cat. A striped ginger and white belly and he had amazing green eyes.

- Oscar! Damn you... sorry. He has escaped again.

Oscar. Brighton. What the hell.

- So you have your owner -Freddie mumbled talking to the cat but he couldn't take his eyes off his owner anymore.

So this was Tony Bastin. And the kitten was Oscar. Luckily I stood there to finish that meeting as soon as possible.

- Sorry, did he scratch you? He's very special with strangers.

Freddie was starting his scanning with his eyes and that example of ordinary british male seem to please him. Sturdy built, blonde, with moustache and clear eyes. Nothing special. At least for me.

- No, darling. He didn't scratch me, he purred me.

It was a lie, sure. He had put up with his sticky strokings and that's it. But at the moment the guy cracked a smile and Freddie... on seeing that smile for the first time seemed to set on fire.

My first wild and uncontrolled instinct of "Freddie's saviour" would be come up to that guy and telling him quite a few truths. But as usual, I was witnessing the first meeting between them. Calm down, Elideth, don't get nervous.

- My name is Freddie.

Why did he introduced himself now?

- Tony.

- Please to meet you, Tony. Oh... she's Elideth, my wife.

We shook hands. I did it reluctantly, he was showing the same good guy smile. He had pale and chubby hands. Quite ugly. Well, I found him ugly in general. And I didn't mean his looks. Simply I regarded him ugly and very bad for him.

- Do you know some place around Brighton to have some fun at night?

The question caught him by surprise but he replied it just naturally.

- Oh, actually I do... quite a few.

- Really? Would you be so kind to be our guide tonight?

- Freddie, you are compromising him, don't you think? -I took part without helping.

- If you don't have anything else to do tonight, sure.

- Alright. Shall we meet at 7?

- Better a little later. At 7 I'm performing.

- Are you an actor?

- A musician. We're playing tonight and tomorrow at Brighton Center.

- Queen?

- That's right.

- I've heard some of your songs on the radio. You sound cool.

- Thanks, darling. Stay here till someone from the staff get out to give you a backstage pass, ok? You can come to the show if you like. Later on we're meeting and talk.