Summer Collections # 1
Part fact. Part fiction. Part fantasy.
A Ghost Radio Story
Photo by: Zukiman Mohamad - Photography
“Some of the sweetest sounds radio ever did play.”
“Some of the sweetest sounds radio ever did play.”
Ghost Radio
From the musical Ghost Radio
Lyrics by Bill Ferguson
Music by Darren Worrall
© 2000 All Rights reserved
“Nice,” 16 year old Sally Cummings said as she approached the lengthy dock that looked rather magnificent in the shallow bay. The fishing boat on one side of the dock and the speed boat on the other side were perfect accessories to the view of the gorgeous Sandbanks at the other end of West Lake. The sun going down behind the Sandbanks made it picture perfect. It helped that the summer of 1974 had been one of the best on record. “You brought the radio down to the dock,” she stated as she stepped on the dock slats, moving towards him. “Having tunes for tonight will add that extra layer of enchantment for our final evening together.” she said, looking right at him.
Jim Tedesco, a young looking 16 old, looked up quickly from where he was sitting cross legged near the end of the dock and then returned his eyes to the radio as he continued to fiddle with the dial for a minute before settling on a radio station. “Yup some great tunes on some great stations are what this night is calling for.”
“Are you doing the Ghost Radio thing again tonight?” she inquired.
“It’s a perfect night to hear radio stations from such a great distance.” he replied
“I’ve never heard of Ghost Radio before I met you. I love the idea that we are all so connected. Just the thought of people who live thousands of miles away listening to the same tunes we are seems implausible.” She stood looking out over the water for a moment. “I am going to miss this place. The way the sun sets over the Sandbanks is perfect every night,” she said as the light reflected off the calming water sending sprays of sunlight towards her.
“It sure has been a fun two weeks hasn’t it.” he said with a grin reflecting on how the sunshine off the water illuminated her face.
“The beach, the skiing, the endless days of sunlight. It’s sad that something so perfect has to end,” she sighed wondering what the next week was going to bring.
“And now a perfect evening,” replied Jim. “The sun setting, the water lapping at the docks edge, some tunes, and you. It couldn’t be more perfect.” She smiled and looked out again over the water.
They listened as singers warbled “W.L.S.” and then the DJ’s voice boomed, “You are listening to the great WLS out of Chicago. What a beautiful day today was. Tonight the weather is clear with a low of 65 and tomorrow is hot and sunny with a temperature near 80. Tonight we have a dedication from Jim who is right now sitting on a dock in beautiful Prince Edward County, Ontario, Can - a - da with the girl of his dreams. Sally, here is a song for you.” and with that they heard the first notes,
She looked at him before asking, “What is this?”
He responded with, “The perfect song for right now.” The waves on the radio began lapping at the edges of the speakers while the seagulls squealed in rhythm in the distance. Jim closed his eyes and fell in with the musical sequence singing with a fervour that replicated Otis’ style. He moved with it as the song gently swelled towards its conclusion. His swaying was more along the lines of Stevie Wonder rather than Otis Redding. Jim tried to add the whistling at the end.
He looked sheepishly at Sally,”I can’t whistle.”
Sally applauded with great enthusiasm. “An excellent choice for a song. And you weren’t too bad either. And the whistling? Not a problem.” she replied as she put forward an equally feeble whistle.
“Thank you. You are too kind. The song was a natural choice.” replied Jim as he spread his arms towards the water, the dock and to Sally herself.
“Chicago?” she questioned quietly. “How did you get this dedication on the radio in Chicago? How did you know I would be down here tonight? How did you know we would be listening at this time?”
“Connections.”
“That’s it? Connections?”
“You didn’t like it?” he asked.
“Didn’t like it?” she said, taking a step towards him. “I loved it!” and with that she gave him a kiss. Jim looked a bit shocked at this but accepted the kiss and didn’t force the issue as she moved away. “How did you set it up?” she asked.
Jim smiled a small smile and opened his lips to reply but before he could Sally answered, “I know. Connections? Right?”
“Right,” he replied. “All it takes are connections.”
“And you have the connections? At 16? In Chicago?”
“Yup,” he replied as he continued to turn the dial to home in on the next station. “It’s your last night and I wanted to make it as memorable as this week has been.”
“Well, a dedication of a song on a radio station from Chicago would do that.” She paused and wrinkled her nose a bit. “Wait a minute. If we heard it here then…” she paused.
“Yup. If you draw a circle around Chicago that has us on the line…”
“Then anyone inside that circle would have heard the dedication.” She sat beside him with her eyes opened really wide. “That is mind boggling.” And as she thought some more, “How far away can WLS be heard? I mean if we are on the outside edge it is one thing but if we are inside the circle then it is,” she whispered, “millions of people.” She reached out and hugged him tighter. “And you did that for me?”
“Only for you. I thought it would be a perfect way to start the evening. No jukeboxes here. Just some old fashioned radio.”
“That was a great station. Why change it now?” she questioned as she noticed him turning the dial on the radio.
“Stations fade in and out,” he replied. “This station is starting to get stronger.” he said and they listened.
“This just in: The King has returned to his castle. That’s right folks Elvis was just spotted entering Graceland. You heard it here first on WHBQ from Memphis Tennessee. Things keep happening at WHBQ. This note just crossed my desk. Jim says, “we are sitting on a dock in the bay tonight. My girl is absolutely in love with this song. She is heading home tomorrow so to hear this song would add to a perfect week.” With a girl like that Jim you need to be having a last dance! Don’t fall in the water.”
And with that the music started.
Ba da bump,
Da da da,
Ba da bump.
Jim shyly looked up at Sally. She said,” I give it a 10 out of 10 Dick. It is highly danceable.” Jim laughed at the Dick Clark reference and watched Sally who was growing with strength as she stood and began to sing the first verse feeling the bass line with the undercurrent of the slashing guitar moving with her voice.
Jim stood and picked up the next verse and when they got to the chorus together they belted out the rest of the song, dancing and singing on the end of the dock. When it came time for the solo each took turns verbalizing it for good measure. They collapsed on the end of the dock at the end of the song laughing hysterically.
Sally recovered first. “Oh man, that chiming guitar, the beautiful baseline and then that piano. Wow! Feel the intensity. It certainly rocked me.”
“Gently,” replied Jim, smiling at her as she spoke with the greatest of pleasure. Her last night here had started off pretty well and she was enjoying herself. That was a big bonus. He began turning the knob on the radio.
“Another new station?” she inquired.
Jim laughed. “So it seems,” he answered.
“And does this mean a new dedication?” she smiled inquisitively.
“Maybe,” he drew out slowly. “You will have to wait and see.”
“Chicago first. Memphis second. I wonder where this station will be from.”
Jim looked up as he settled on the station. “We still have a few minutes,” he said. “You did a great job water skiing back from the Sandbanks this afternoon. That is at least a 25 minute ride. And it was in rough water.”
“When you learn from a great instructor anything is possible.”
Jim looked at Sally who quickly looked away to stare out over the water. Her shoulders hunched a little bit, frustration was showing all over her face.
Jim was perplexed. “Is it something I said?” he asked.
“No. You have said and done all the right things for the last 2 weeks. This is me.”
Jim looked at her carefully. “You were a little awkward at first and took a few days to open up a bit but since then you have been having a great time. At least that’s how I see it.”
Sally looked up at the sky for a minute, took a big breath and said, “My home life hasn’t been that great but the time we have spent together has made my life so much more than it is.”
“But your family,” Jim started.
“Have been doing what they normally do and I haven’t,” she replied, turning and hugging him. “Thank you.”
“That’s a good thing?” he asked, relishing the hug.
Sally smiled. “Yup. The first couple of days here were brutal. I was nervous and not sure if I could fit in but you kept including me in everything.”
“I kinda pushed the point, didn't I?” he replied.
“Which I am quite thankful for. I learned to trust you and look where it got me? A great friendship and an amazing two weeks. On top of that I didn’t have to spend much time with my family so it was an added bonus.”
“I am happy that you enjoyed yourself.”
“Oh yeah. With my family I don’t know who to trust. With you and your family there were no words to hurt me. I learned to depend on that. It was nice.”
Jim started to reply, “Is it….,” but Sally cut him off.
“Always like this. Yes. Words, comments, looks. They are always present and always hurt.”
“WO, WO,” sang a female group of voices. “Fort Wayne, In-di-a-nahhhh.” A male voice picked up after the line. “Yes, here in Fort Wayne, the cultural centre of the United States, we are going out on a limb tonight. It seems that Jim from the country to the north of us has sent us a long distance request. We find it hard to believe that he is listening but we have been assured that he is. One of the best songs from this summer happens to be one of Sally Cummings favorite songs so here you go Sally and Jim from Canada. Enjoy.
Sally shrieked with delight as the twanging guitars hit the airwaves.
“I can’t believe you did this.”
“To see the smile on your face makes it worth it,” Jim stated as the singer worked his way through the first verse both of their bodies swaying and arms pushing and pulling to the syncopated words the singer was pausing and pushing with great relaxation.
“C’mon, join me,” Sally yelled as the singer approached the next part of the song and she started singing while pointing at Jim. He laughed as she echoed the chorus. He didn’t feel the need to go and get her love. She had been sharing it all week.
“That was fun!” Sally intoned as the music faded out. “This last week was fun,” she said with an enthusiastic voice. “I so needed this past week.”
“Why?” Jim asked. Sally had touched on this minutes ago but Jim wanted to hear more.
“Things were horrible. All the yelling and screaming, it was too much. Everyday all year it is the same. These past two weeks, meeting you, doing things with you and your family have helped clear my mind. I see things differently now. While I have to go back and continue living through all of that I now know there is something to look forward to, something that shows life doesn’t have to be the way I am living it. I will ensue and grow until I can make it my own. I know that every family is not like mine.”
“Not all families are alike.”
“You would think so wouldn’t you. I felt before now there was no way to escape the feelings I had,” she paused and rethought it, “have. I would start to feel good then it would happen again. And sometimes it was just piled, one thing on top of another.” Sally paused at this point and Jim was willing to wait for her to restart.
“One of my best memories from this last week was when we went, what was it snorkelling or scuba diving with that machine.”
“The way it looked, maybe it was a bit of both.” Jim replied. “It was like snorkelling with the mask and the tube but the tube was attached 20 feet to the air compressor that was sitting on what looked like an inner tube. It sputtered away forcing air down the tube so we could breathe.”
“Anyway it was so peaceful down there at the bottom of the lake. Just you and me swimming along looking at fish, finding fishing lures, seeing all those things standing up out of the sand.”
“And we didn’t see a sign of the motor that went down out there.”
“It could have been anywhere out there and from the look of the sand it could have covered it up so we wouldn’t see it.” Both were lost in their thoughts of the pleasure of swimming side by side exploring the bottom of the lake. “I was surprised that the fish were not afraid of us. They swam along just out of our reach, not rushing, not worrying, just taking their time.”
“It was nice wasn’t it? I have to remember to thank Uncle Fred again for letting us use it. ” Jim replied.
“Please do. It was very generous of him to do that. He is such a nice guy.”
“He is great,” Jim smiled and said, “And now we listen.” With that the radio spoke loud and clear.
“And here we are with another gorgeous evening. It’s Joltin’ Joe Schmidt on WU, WYOO 980 on your dial. We are dialling in from Minneapolis. Here in the land of great lakes it’s dedication night. So many dedications and so little time. And apparently our little radio station is able to be picked by radios in places far and wide if this assortment of dedications crossing our desk is any indication. Here is one from Ontario, Canada. “My girl has been humming this song all week. We will be listening tonight and as it is our last night together before she heads home from her vacation it would be amazing for her to hear it on the radio. Sally Cummings from Ontario, this one's for you.”
With the first notes of the song Sally gasped and held herself tightly, her eyes filling with tears.
Jim had anticipated the tears but realized quickly the tears were from release, not sadness but for hope. John Denver’s voice filled the air giving everyone the reason for loving someone else.
At the end of the song Sally released her arms and walked over to Jim. She looked him in the eye and said, “That song is so beautiful. And while this week we have started towards the feelings indicated in the song, I know that somewhere, someday I will find someone who loves me like this. I will find someone who loves me so deeply and so truly that there will be nothing else that really matters. They will make everything else in life become a pleasure to explore.
“We could have that,” Jim intoned.
“As I said before we have a start. What you are doing tonight is really and truly special. It makes my heart sing in so many ways. But what we have is a summer romance. It is meant for the here and now. We still have a way to live and grow and yes, if our paths ever cross again we may move in that direction. At 16 it is a start on that path but not the path itself. Does that make sense?”
“Totally, although my heart does disagree at the moment.”
“Oh, don’t get me wrong. My heart is thumping with extended excitement at what you have done for me this past week. It is beating wildly for what you are doing tonight. And yet through all this time you have remained respectful and caring.”
“What else is there in life? It is who I am.”
“Some would see you as distant and not feeling but in truth you see more and put the other person first. For that I thank you.” she paused. “Other guys look at me and see one thing. They say they have to try for things I can’t give right now. How is that respectful to me? You have done what needs to be done. You have built trust. You have demonstrated caring. You have listened, not worshipped.
Jim looked at her. She was a seriously drop dead gorgeous girl who any guy would respond to and many have this week, to try to get her attention. She turned them all away to spend time with him.
Sally continued, “Things happen in life that people don’t know about. Sometimes all that one needs to do is to listen and care and let the pieces fall respectfully between them. Remember Wednesday on the sand dune when you tried to kiss me and I backed away? You didn’t let it upset you. You laughed a bit and then we continued talking and went swimming as if it never happened. I liked that. It said more about you than anything else could have.” and with that she leaned in and gave him another kiss.
“Hello New York City! We are WABC-AM, 770 on your dial. Always tune to WABC for the best in music. Is it hot enough for you? Summer in the city is always sticky! And it’s such a great song too! Cousin Eddie is here tonight with all the hot tunes you want to hear. Our dedication line is open and our first dedication of the night goes out to Jim and Sally. Sally, we hear that you are heading home tomorrow and Jim thought this tune would cap your perfect night. Here you go live from New York City. The place where all your dreams come true!”
The music started with the horns and sax leading the way. The joyous enthusiasm pushed the song into new territory suggesting both undying love and a loss that was unavoidable. Much like us thought Jimmy.
Sally looked over at Jim during the song. She could see the sadness on his face as he was singing along with the singer. When it was over she asked, “Why Chicago and why this song?”
“Well,” he started, “Because it speaks to my heart. You are leaving tomorrow. I may never see you again and I wanted to send a message that no matter what I am here for you. As you said summer romances are not supposed to last forever. The distances are too great and other people will enter our lives. Songs have so much meaning. These songs will be stuck in my memory and will help me to always think of you. What we shared this week will live on for a long time because of the friendship you have shown. It is a special moment to be cherished. I cherish it. I honour it.
Sally thought about this for a minute. “The song is not only about beginnings but endings too. It was a very nice touch.” She paused. “I think that is enough for me tonight. “
“Enough? It is still early.”
“It is enough. I am a mess all because of you.”
“A mess?”
“A mess, yes. Look at me. I am so happy yet so sad at the same time. You have romanced me in a way that I have never heard of or experienced before.”
“Romance? I was only trying to make you smile and be happy. I wanted to create a memory that would last for a while.”
“Well it worked. I am so conflicted. I want to stay but I have to go. I want you for my boyfriend but you live so far away. I want to explore all the emotions you have made me experience tonight but time is so short. How can they all be happening in one night? At one time? Right now when I am leaving tomorrow? How? Why?”
Jim stood there trying to make further sense of the conversation. He didn’t want it to end this way. “There are always confusing moments. I know this is one of them. I have had so much fun this week. Yes, all these emotions are rising to the surface for what should be an ending. I don’t want it to end but it is. There is nothing we can do about that. But to paraphrase a great movie there are things that are important and there are things that seem important but don’t mean much. What I am trying to say is that we should take away what is the best and use it to help us grow.” As he spoke thunder rumbled off in the distance yet the moon was still shining off the water and the stars were twinkling above them.”
She stepped closer to Jim and embraced him. “This week, these dedications are so special. You are showing me that someone really does care. That makes it extra special.” They stood hugging for a long time until they both realized the wind was picking up and that the end was near. “I backed away from kissing you at the Sandbanks because I was nervous. I had been hurt before and didn’t want to be hurt again. Tonight I have kissed you briefly….” and with that she kissed him with a passion that was worthy of the pleasure she had for the last two weeks. The rain began to gently fall and still they stood there, not willing to let go.
Finally a flash of lightning signalled the end. They hurried off the dock.
“Well this is it,” she said, still holding onto his hand. And with that she gave him one more kiss, turned and ran. He stood for a long time, ignoring the thunderstorm to watch her disappear down the road.
“There is so much to learn,” he mused. “So much to learn.
“Ghost Radio late at night
Won’t come in 'less the sky is right.”
Ghost Radio
From the musical Ghost Radio
By Bill Ferguson and Darren Worrall
2000, All Rights Reserved
Summers come and summers go. After 75 years of them Jim had seen the best and worst of times. Tonight he stood in his bedroom looking into the mirror as he reflected back on his life on the night of his 75th birthday party. His life had been long and fulfilling. He mused, “There have been points of absolute beauty and some of the opposite. In life we have to expect a bit of everything.” He had had a couple of marriages that were reasonably happy for as long as they lasted. He was on good terms with both of his exes and had his children and grandchildren around often enough to make even those tough times disappear. Still he felt there was something missing. He tried not to spend much time reflecting on the one that got away all those years ago but memories of Sally still stood firm as sunshine on a summer day. Tonight his thoughts again drifted towards her and for the first time in a long time he allowed them to hold court. The thoughts and memories were rushing back and he had no hope of stopping them.
His mind replayed that final night on the dock with all the dedications and understatements they were both making. They both knew then that in the time of snail mail and expensive long distance phone calls there was no way a relationship could last. “Even today,” Jim mused, “One would be hard pressed to pursue something that had barriers imposed.” Still she was an exquisite beauty in so many ways who left an indelible mark on his soul.
“There was another song on the radio on that last night all those years ago.” Jim reflected. “It was another dedication. It was too much in the end and even today I have a hard time listening to the song because it summed up our feelings at the end of that night. It said more than the other songs combined, especially in light of what happened.” The ever present music played gently over the speakers in his bedroom as the song came on over the internet. It was nothing like Ghost Radio but at least it didn’t fade out at inopportune times.
“How right Jim Croce was! There are some things in life that are never fulfilled no matter how much we want them to be fulfilled. “
Jim sighed as he walked over to his dresser and reached into the drawer where he kept all the things pertaining to that summer. He pulled out the box that was wrapped with a ribbon. Slowly Jim opened the box and removed the letter, addressed to him that sat on top of the things in there. Slowly his arthritic fingers opened the flap and withdrew the handwritten letter. He had read it only twice before, once after receiving it and another before his first marriage. And today, on his 75th birthday he would read it again because of the memories that damn song had drawn out of him. The memories that would not be denied.
He read it carefully although he was well aware of what each word said. His lips trembled and his eyes watered. Jim fought to compose himself once again. When he finished reading the letter he set it on the dresser.
The summer of 74 came flooding back in stronger detail, much like the waves that pushed against the dock that summer. 59 years was a long time but it had been the perfect summer. The singing, the dancing, the laughter and the belief that neither could do any wrong, that they were meant to find each other and enjoy each other’s company. Sally had been alive in all the right ways. Fun, thoughtful, caring, intelligent and insightful. She had opened up his eyes in so many ways that he appreciated every second they spent together. She threw him an unknown lifeline that summer.
And less than 6 months later she was dead. Killed in a car crash on a first date on a night they shouldn’t have been out at all. The road was icy, her parents said in their letter. The car hit a tree and she was gone.
As much as he tried during all of his relationships he realized now that he was never meant to measure up to the love he felt that summer. No matter how he tried it just wasn’t the same. As much as he tried, his efforts at being romantic and caring and loving never seemed to be enough. Maybe he set the bar too high with Sally. Maybe when she died all the beliefs he had faded away. He wasn’t sure. All he knew was it was never the same again. He loved her deeply and truly.
Summertime romances were short and sweet and meant to end. Sally was the exception. Everything they said that summer was true and heartfelt. It felt more real than anything he had experienced since. Sally had more to offer him at 16 than most people have been able to offer him since. The communication was effortless. It was a once in a lifetime connection. Oh Jim had married and loved but it wasn’t the same. Each marriage was special but that summer Sally had more to offer in the long run and it was hard to replicate.
He removed the ribbon from the box and held it. Sally had had it in her hair for most of the two weeks he saw her. She had left it tied on the dock morning she left. If he strained he could still smell the perfume she had worn. A picture of her formed in his mind.
There was a knock at the door.
“Dad, your guests are arriving.”
“I will be down in a minute,” he replied.
Slowly he slipped everything back into its place and closed the drawer. His memories would be enough for now. Before too long he would see her again. They had much to discuss.