He wears a big smile on his face and behind his glasses are proud, watering eyes. The feeling is overwhelming. He holds his wife's tiny hands to steady his tall body up. His legs are shaking and his heart pounding. I wonder how it feels to be there. Standing on the side of a stage with your wife. Looking at your child, now an adult, a musician playing in front hundreds.
His eyes run over the crowd and his head tries to absorb the scene. He thinks about how he got there. The images are flooding in his head. Winter 1979. A scream. Joel's tiny pink hand reaching for his. The little red drums that didn't catch the kid's attention. The spark as the 6 years old holds a guitar. All those nights where Carey, Tim and Stephen would come over to the house in Dartford and listen endlessly to Blur, The Flaming Lips, Radiohead, Grandaddy, Oasis, Graham Coxon etc...The teenager, working with the youth group, writing and singing his songs. The creation of the band, practicing and recording at the Bear. The American tour. Joel sitting, his blue eyes set on the last edition of National Geographic.
He was supportive of the boys, never doubting even when he was worried. It wasn't long before people started seeing what he had seen years ago. How brilliant was his son. How the music was glowing in him. Two platinum albums, the Ivor Novello Award. Not bad. Not bad at all.
His hands slide over his face and feel the wrinkles. There has been hard times to. For his family, his grandchildren, for the band. But those kids are driven. They take the strength from their lows and turn it into highs.
He smiles as Carey puts his bass down to take a picture. Now is the big moment. Time to sing. "What a great way to celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary" thinks The Proud Father. When the music starts, Joel's melancholic voice takes him to the sky. From above, he sees the stage set in the garden of the Old Royal Naval College; the other choir members also dressed as pirates; the boys playing happily; his son, standing beautifully in the middle of the stage, singing along with the crowd. What a great way to celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary indeed.
In 10 years ? The Proud Father may be celebrating again on stage or he'll be enjoying a quite moment with his family, who knows ?
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