One of us

Music

For the next hour me, Hop, Maxi, Azza and another lifeguard who I had been introduced to a Matt Dee sat in the tower watching the water and talking about Australia and how great it is. The beach is was really quiet today, and there was only one rescue in the hour. We were just about to go on a lunch break when Hoppo said; 'Hey Zoe, you said earlier that you like singing and playing the guitar.' He had a menacing look in his eyes. 'Yeah.....' 'Well, I was wondering, could you play us a song? The beach is so quiet that all the lifeguards could come up onto the sand and listen.' He said, gesturing to the empty area of sand just outside the tower. 'We have a guitar here!' Maxi chirped. I agreed reluctantly. Although everyone said I was good, I doubted it.

Hoppo immediately called all the lifeguards up and we walked down to the sand. All the time I was contemplating which song to perform. I decided on 'Song for Josh' by Frank Turner. This song means so much to me, and the boys were about to find out why. As I stepped onto the soft sand, with guitar in hand, I realized that I had never even met these men two hours ago, and now I almost certainly had a job.

The rest of the lifeguards were introduced to me. Their names were Corey Oliver, Kris Yatesy Yates, Andrew Reidy Reid and Ryan Whippet Clark. They all seemed like nice guys and were all really hot! I sat down on the sand, with everybody else in a circle around me. I started to prepare myself, however, before I began, Reidy asked if he could film it for Instagram. 'Yeah go ahead.' As I played the first note, I thought about how much emotion would be present in my voice. The boys didn't know my story.

Why didn't you call?
My phone's always on
Why didn't you call?
Before you got gone

And I can't say for certain what I would have said
But now I am helplessly silent instead
There's a hole in my heart and in my head
Why didn't you call?

Why didn't you say something, on the last time we met?
Why didn't you say something? There's always hope left
And I can't say for certain what I would have done
But I can't do anything now that you're gone
And it kills me to think that for a second you felt alone

Now you can measure the mark of a man on the day that he died
In the mixture of memory and wreckage that he leaves behind
And I know you were carrying too much weight on the evening when you slipped away
But I loved you like a brother, man, and I never really had a chance to say

So at half past nine each evening, I'll think of my friend
And at half past nine, I'll remember you were better than your end
Cause I too have stood up on that ledge, but I know you'd have pulled me back down from the edge
And I let you down in your darkness, I wasn't there

So I'll remember you making a hole through the kids in the crowd
And I remember you lifting me up, each time I fell down
And I'll glance at the barrier when I'm watching the band
And I'll expect to see you there stood on the foot stand

But I guess I will see someone else
That's when I'll whisper to myself
Brother I miss you like hell...

As I finished playing, I looked up and saw everybody struggling to hold back tears. I wiped a single droplet of my face and laughed. 'I didn't think I would make everybody cry on my first day meeting you! I'm really sorry!' The lifeguards all smiled. 'RIP Josh Burdette.' Reidy whispered. 'OH MY GOD finally I've found someone who likes Frank!' Reidy laughed and said 'We used to fit like mittens but never like gloves!' I jumped up and hugged him. Everybody cracked up, especially Maxi.

I just want to say I am probably Frank Turner's biggest fan, I have seen him 7 times in concert! Go check him out and see how good his music is!