Angeleyes

Chapter 4 - Benny

Benny's fingers jumped from one piano key to another. He played the same funny song like one and a half week ago. But it didn't sound as funny as usual. He sighed, stopped and began to play the longing melody he started to compose the last week. Every tune was a sprinkle in Anni-Frid's eyes, every accord was a smile on her wonderful lips. The song wasn't really funny but it wasn't sad too. It was full of love.
Benny played the end but he wasn't glad about it. Somehow the last part of the song sounded wrong. The harmonies were perfect but it was lifeless, grey and it didn't fit. He tried some variants but they didn't work too. So Benny decided not to play this end when he wasn't happy with it, sometimes he accepted parts which weren't that perfect but this song had to be as beautiful and fantastic as Anni-Frid was and so the song stayed uncompleted. Discontented Benny stood up and made a cup of coffee. He took some cake and sat down at the table.
Suddenly the doorbell rang. Annoyed Benny stood up again to open the door.

Some minutes later Björn and Agnetha ate cake too. They have taken a walk and passed Benny's flat by accident and so they decided to say hello. Unfortunately they were in great mood and so Benny tried to smile a lot too although he felt just awful. But his friends wouldn't be his friends if they didn't notice.
Agnetha gave Björn a meanfull look. "Someone's got love sickness?", she asked Benny caring. "Well... Yeah, sort of...", Benny answered, the faked smile on his face disappeared. "Anni-frid?", Björn asked. "Sure you smurf!", Agnetha laughed. Even Benny showed a smile, a real one. Her name was so beautiful... He got lost in his thoughts like so often this times.
"No but serious, you don't look that good...", Agnetha interrupted him. "Thanks a lot", Benny said ironically. But Agnetha was right, he had dark rings under his eyes because he couldn't sleep well anymore. His bed seemed empty and cold, he felt alone. He hadn't take a shower for nearly four days because it was unimportant to look good and clean when there was nobody to see it. And he even didn't cut his fingernails which usually were very short because it was annoying when they clicked on the piano keys. So it was understandable that Agnetha and Björn worried about their friend.

They finished the coffee and then Björn and Benny left the kitchen to play the piano and the guitar. Sometimes Agnetha was listening but today she had a little nap on Benny's sofa. She dreamed of Björn and her watching the TV. Boring dream but when she woke up she remembered how she and Björn were watching the TV some time ago. There has been this music competition and this girl with the catching smile who won. She had been interviewed about her life. Agnetha remembered how surprised and respectfully she has reacted as the girl had said that she was married and had two children. And Agnetha remembered that the girl named Anni-Frid Lyngstad had lived in Eskilstuna...

Usually Benny and Björn could play together like it was the simplest thing on earth. The melodies just flew out of them. But today they had problems to stay harmonic. And it wasn't Björn's fault, Benny always drifted up in minor... "Hej, stay in major", Björn laughed. "But it sounds so... happy...", Benny complained. "That's what we want, remember. Our album is called Lycka, it has to sound happy!", Björn explained like Benny was a small child. "I know...", Benny mumbled, "but today I'm not in the mood to play Lycka..." Björn sighed, "It's okay, what do you want to play instead?" "Nothing", Benny said and surprised himself too with that answer. It didn't happen that Benny Andersson don't want to play the piano. Usually.
"Okay...", Björn said slowly, "so..." "Let's listen to some music", Benny proposed. Björn agreed and Benny walked over to his big LP collection and chose a small single. A pretty woman with a beautiful and in the same way teasing smile was shown on the cover. The song was called En ledig dag...

Björn giggled. "Anni-frid Lyngstad? You're really in love..." Benny mumbled something sounding like "not funny". But in fact he was just totally sunken in Anni-Frid's voice. Warm and soft, not clear and high like Agnetha's, a little deeper but even more beautiful and she got the tunes just perfect...

Some time and hundred times of En ledig dag later they decided to end their daily music hour and to look after Agnetha. They searched a while but then they found her. She sat on the sofa and smiled absent minded. Björn took a seat beside her and cuddled her up. "Hej", he whispered with love. She woke up from her daydream and smiled at him. "Hej back", she said kissing him. "What were you thinking about?", Björn asked. "Oh, just about this and that", Agnetha twinkled. "Okay, so what do you want to do now", Björn kept asking. "Well... What do you think of Benny and you making a boy's evening like in the old times and me visiting some friends for a girl's sleepover?", Agnetha wondered. "Great idea", found Björn, "Benny really needs some party mood! We can go to our favourite pub like we did before I met Agnetha. What do you think Benny?" Benny looked up, "Sounds okay", he said not really enthusiastic. "Oh no, a smile for me please or I'll leave you all alone!" Benny gave him a exaggerated smile, "Like this?", he asked. "Oh yeah great! Look he can still smile, the love sickness can't be that bad", Björn said ironically. But that were the wrong words, immediately Benny's smile got lost and he looked unhappy again. "Well done Björnie", Agnetha boxed his arm. Björn sighed, "This gonna be a wonderful evening..."