CHAPTER 1
Dublin – 1978Sarah looked at the young man in front of her. He wasslumped in a chair, his hair sweat soaked from an energetic performance a short while ago. He wasn’t exactly attractive in the true sense of the word. There was a raw sensuality permeating from him, an air that sucked you in if you were not careful. His nose was a little too big for his face, but the one feature that did stand out, was his pale blue eyes. They were intense and much too focussed for someone just 18yrs of age. His fingers played through his hair, a mannerism that will intensify over the years, especially while performing.
“I’m telling you for the last time, do not trust Bryan Morrison” she said, her hands in fists on the table in front of her as she tried to get her point across.
The young man grinned and folded his arms across his chest. “And why not? He’s offered us a record deal, that’s more than anyone has ever done for us.”
His voice was distinct with the slight Irish brogue. His voice would become well known in the future; not just for singing songs, but also giving speeches in front of political audiences.
Sarah felt anger slowly build, and tried to remain calm. She just had to talk some sense into his thick head. She just had to. If only he’d listen. If only he wasn’t so bloody pigheaded!
“All I’m saying to you is this. Bryan Morrison offered you the deal but he’s going to withdraw. Don’t be hasty. Your time will come. A man that goes by the name of The Captain will …”
He sat forward, his eyes intently on her. “Who the fuck is The Captain? All that matters to the band and me is that we’re finally getting the chance to go into the recording studio. Our only priority is to record an album and start paying off our bills that are heaping up.”
Sarah heard the words, and wished she could knock some sense into him. Why does he have to be so stubborn? She knew the answer to that question of course; it will help him tremendously in the future when he’ll tackle moral issues and bring it to the attention of the free world and their leaders.
“What makes you so sure about Bryan Morrison?” he asked and sat forward eagerly, waiting for her to answer.
Sarah sighed softly and looked around the crowded room, noticing the other 3 young men of the band. How did she answer his question? And most importantly, would he believe her?
“He offered you a three thousand pound deal right?” she asked. When he nodded, she continued, “Just before your departure to London, he’s going to cut that offer to fifteen hundred. In the long run, that means you would’ve sold your publishing rights for a pittance for next twenty-odd years. The deal is shite and you know it. He’s gonna do this because he knows you’ve already booked the tour and wouldn’t be able to withdraw.”
He looked at her, a stunned expression on his face. He was curious about the woman in front of him and what she had to say. “Bastard!” The word was loud enough for her to hear above the noise around them. He looked at her, a slight blush on his face, “I’m sorry, the word just slipped out.”
There was a worried frown on his face, and for a moment, she wanted to reach out and tell him everything. But she couldn’t. She was bound by an oath to guide and assist, but not to change destiny; it was forbidden. Everyone was in charge of their own destiny … as was the young man in front of her. He was so young, and so passionate, the world beckoning, and she knew what was ahead for him.
His eyes searched hers, “what do we do now?” he asked, his voice intense. “I mean, if this is true what you just told me … we’ll be screwed. There’s no one else that would offer us another deal, not now.”
Sarah had a knowing smile on her lips as she nodded slowly, “it will all work out, you’ll see. You will find a way. And don’t forget a man by the name of The Captain. He will cross your path very soon.” More than that, she couldn’t say. She just had to trust that the man in front of her would heed her words and follow his instincts.
The woman sitting opposite him intrigued him immensely. There was something about her that just felt … different, and yet he trusted her for some reason. He quickly took in her features. Her hair was slightly curly and a rich dark chocolate colour. It was fastened with a bow low in her neck, and accentuated her sea green eyes. A pert nose with a scattering of freckles made her look much younger than her actual age. Her lips were a dark shade of dusty pink, and when she smiled, he noticed perfect white teeth.
She got up and smiled apologetically, “I have to go, it’s getting late.”
“Why don’t you stay a little while longer? I’ll buy you a drink” he invited and smiled at her.
She shook her head, “maybe some other time. I really have to go.” Just before she left, she looked over her shoulder, her eyes on him, “and you shouldn’t be drinking anyway. You’re barely the drinking age anyway.” Before he could utter another word, she turned around and quickly made for the exit close by.
When he realised that she left, he got up quickly and made for the door she disappeared through. He stepped outside and looked around. She was nowhere to be seen. ‘Impossible’ he thought and walked a few paces up the narrow street to where it crosses a busy road. He noticed parked cars and a few people strolling by, but no sight of the strange woman. ‘Shite! I don’t even know her name …’
He pushed all thoughts of her from his mind as he made his way back into the club. He had to find the rest of the band and tell them about the mysterious woman. It didn’t enter his mind how he was going to explain to them what she told him. The only important thing was to have a plan B in place should her warning be true.
Sarah sighed with relief when she stepped back into the brightly lit room. For a moment she thought the young man was going to follow her, but she made her hasty escape just in time. He cannot discover the truth.
She closed the book with a soft sigh and walked to the windows dominating the room. She let her eyes roam the surrounding landscape and noted the wind moving through the tall fir trees. She shivered involuntary as clouds passed in front of a pale moon, dunking the landscape in darkness. She thought back about her encounter with the young man in Dublin a few minutes ago. She smiled as she recalled his cockiness, the self-assured air surrounding him as he looked at her with those hypnotic blue eyes. The hint of a smile when he offered her a drink … this man is going to have the female hearts of all ages aflutter with his charm.
“Oh Bono … there’s so much install for you … I wonder if you realise just what an important man you’ll become one day. There’s so much for you to do …” Sarah’s voice was a soft whisper as she spoke, and she could only pray that he’ll stand strong to face whatever was on his path. She turned around when she heard the soft chimes of the clock against the wall, and glanced at the calendar on her desk in passing. It was Saturday, 19th June, and the year was 2007.
CHAPTER 2Sarah had to tell everything to her dearest friend, her soul sister that lived thousands of miles from her, and being so faraway was yet so close. She sat at her laptop and logged in to her now extremely familiar contact in her email base. Luckily, Ariana was on, so they started chatting.
Sarah says: hey, Ari, are u there?
Seconds later…
Ariana says: Yep, hiya!!!
Sarah says: I saw them!!!!!
Ariana says: What???!!!!!
Sarah says: Dublin, performing at Nucleus, a club at Raheny and they were still The Hype…
Ariana says: Thought you were going to wait for me!!!!
Sarah says: Yes... but I had this calling…
Ariana says: I know … I’m pissed all the same!
Sarah says: Silly! You must come soon…
Ariana says: I’ve already had the ticket…
Sarah says: So when?
Ariana says: Tomorrow…
Sarah says: Great!! What time shall I meet you?
Ariana says: 10am, Dublin time.
Sarah and Ariana had met in a U2 fans base in the net. Both were fanfic writers and between them a special bond had grown through the wire…soon they discovered they were “cosmic twins”, “soul sisters” as they shared likes, music, readings, even their past stories were similar! They lived one on each part of the world, separated by thousands of miles literally, but they had never had a so close relationship. Through the net, they laughed, cried, had fun and shared their happiness and sorrows…Sarah loved the early mornings and Ariana adored the late nights, which was all so convenient for the time difference, so they chatted on a daily basis.
Sarah had always thought of moving to Ireland, the place of her dreams, the place where her true self was going to bloom. With the encouragement of Ariana, she took the decision and early this year she had made the great move. Truthfully, she was not leaving much behind in her home country, but she felt a melancholy of things past that would only subside when she reached the emerald country.
She felt she belonged there from the moment the airplane rested its wheels on the runway. The river Liffey attracted her like no other sighting and the first outing she took was to the bridges across the river, which told the story of Dublin itself, from the earliest crossing in medieval times to the most recent additions. The city of Dublin was defined by its bridges through times; the city’s spirit was in its river. Of course, she went to U2´s first studios in Windmill Lane and left a memory on the U2 wall; she left the visit to the Hanover studios for Ariana’s coming. She immediately communicated with her friend faraway to let her know her feelings and thoughts while she was walking through her beloved dream city.
It was when they were sharing their visions on THE BOOK (their idols´ biography book) that it happened. First, it happened to Ariana and she was not sure how to express it to Sarah. She had opened the book randomly and started reading, but then she, thought, fell asleep and had a dream; in her dream, Ariana was in Dublin in the past when Bono and his friends were not famous but just four lads trying to have a good time and make a little money if possible. The dream was so real that she woke up with the sense of having walked the street they had walked. Strangely enough, she realized she had never closed her eyes…
When she told Sarah, she was flabbergasted to hear on the phone her friend had had a similar experience when she was reading THE BOOK. They wondered for days and days what that had meant as they knew it had not been a dream. But they didn’t experiment it again for months.
One day Sarah had a dream (was it a dream?) where she was revealed some truths…A petite lady, looking like a gypsy, talked to her with crystal clear voice that gave her trust and hope.
“You’re privileged, Sarah, and you know it…”
“Who are you?”
“It doesn’t matter who I am, but what you and your friend have to do…”
Sarah didn’t know what to think but she knew she had to pay attention to this gypsy-like woman. She realized that by just looking at her she knew things.
The woman’s voice was soft as she spoke; trying to explain as plainly as she could in the hopes that Sarah’d understand the grandeur of their mission.
“Don’t be afraid of your journey ahead. All will become clear.” She told Sarah and added, “I helped Bono in a way, and now it’s your turn to help the band in the best way you could. But beware, you must not change destiny… Everyone was in charge of their own destiny.”
Sarah understood. The strange woman went on,
“You and your friend must swear you would assist but not change their destinies…”
“But how would we know what to do?” Sarah was desperately to know.
“You will, trust me. THE BOOK will help you and I’ll be watching you too…”
“But we don’t know anything about you, who are you?”
“Storm, the healer…and now I must go. We’ll meet again.”
Sarah woke up with a start. It was 6 am in the morning but she knew she had to tell all this to her friend. She logged in and Ariana was not on-line, of course, in her country, it was 9 am, time for work. She sent her an urgent mail as she knew she was going to check her mails in the office…
CHAPTER 3
Sarah felt disturbed by the dream she had of the strange woman. Who was she and how had she helped Bono? This whole thing was getting very weird … but intriguing. Ariana and herself could never resist the temptation of unravelling something that was out of the ordinary. She logged into her email to send Ariana an urgent message:
Ari,
Go to MSN the second you get this mail … it’s urgent ok? I HAVE to talk to you!
Sarah xx
She tried to occupy her thoughts with something else to pass the time while she waited for Ariana. She opened the latest fiction she was busy with and contemplated typing a few lines. She gave up after a few false attempts, her thoughts scattered about her and Ariana’s important ‘mission’. Just then, she heard a soft peep, indicating that her friend was online.
Ariana: I’m here!!! What is so urgent? Are you ok?
Sarah: I’m fine. Ari ,,, something happened, I had another dream …I think.
Ariana: Tell me … sounds serious.
Sarah: I had this gypsy looking woman, Storm, telling me about our important mission.
She said we must help the band … and we cannot change their destinies. She said
we’ll know what to do & that she’ll be watching … Ari, what the f*ck is going on??!
Ariana: Mmmm … how will we know what to do? Did she say anything about that?
Sarah: She said THE BOOK will help us … jeez … since when did we get chosen for
something we have no clue about??
Ariana: I guess because maybe we understand them a little … and because we care so
much. We sense things about them …
Sarah: You’re not really helping here you know! Yeah, so we love U2’s
music and we think Bono’s the best thing that ever happened to
music, but surely there must be others better qualified for this??
Ariana: I don’t think it’s got anything to do with qualifications at all here my friend. I
dunno what it is … but we must’ve done something right … whatever that is! Sit
tight, my flight leaves tonight and I’ll see you tomorrow morning 10.00am Dublin
time.
Sarah: Hurry up and get yourself here! At least we’re in this together. I think I’ll do a bit
of investigation while I wait for you. Will let you know if anything comes up – keep
your cellphone on! Safe trip & can’t wait to see you!!
Hugs from Dublin … we’re waiting for you!! Xxxx
Ariana: Don’t do anything stupid Sarah … be careful ok? I’ll see you
tomorrow morning … keep the wine ready. Xx
Sarah felt much better after speaking to her trusted friend. She knew she’d feel better after Ari’s level-headed approach to things. She couldn’t wait to see her friend again. She had a feeling that things were going to change drastically for them once Ariana was there in Dublin with her. She glanced at THE BOOK on her way to the kitchen to make a pot of tea … it was going to be a long day. After pouring herself a big mug of tea, she picked up THE BOOK, and started paging through it. She’d read it a few times, and still found it fascinating and fresh every time she read it.
An hour later, she put THE BOOK down and decided to go for a walk along the river Liffey, the mass of water that always brought calm when her spirit was restless. She grabbed her coat and started her walk, her eyes scanning the surface of the water. There weren’t many people about this time of the morning; everyone that held a regular job, was already at the office. Her mind was miles away, thinking about her and Ariana’s friendship that developed so strongly, and of course their favourite band. She smiled as she recalled her and Ari’s ravings about their music and lyrics, and how excited they’d get when they could share with the other a new discovery about Bono, Larry, Edge and Adam.
When she became aware of her surroundings, Sarah recognised where she was almost immediately. She was only a block away from Nucleus, a club at Raheny where a very young Bono and friends appeared the previous night. Her heart beating a little faster, she retraced her steps from the previous night and walked down a one-way alley. She came to a stop in front of an old derelict building that had seen better days. Dirty paint peeled from the walls, and the heavy wooden door had deep gashes etched onto it, the handiwork of hoodlums with nothing better to do. She could just make out the name of the club above the door, obscured by an awning. Her eye caught an old poster, framed, and hung up against the wall: ‘LIVE!! See new group ‘The Hype’ perform at our venue. One night only! Date: 25th July 1978.’ Even though she was there the previous night and spoke to Bono, she experienced an eerie feeling of surprise. There was no mistake; she was there and she did speak to Bono about something important. She shivered involuntary and thrust her hands deeper into her pockets. With a last glimpse at the poster, Sarah turned around swiftly and hurried away, “Hurry up Ari … I need you. I can’t do this on my own!”
Bono Vox of O’Connell Street was sitting in a café, enjoying a cup of coffee. He recalled his encounter with the woman the previous night at Nucleus, and for the hundredth time wondered about her. He was puzzled. How did she know he’d just turn 18 a few weeks ago? And how did she know about Bryan Morrison? But most importantly, who was she? She clearly didn’t fit in with the rest of the crowd in the club; she looked too classy for a joint like Nucleus. She was definitely older than the average women in the club, and he felt flattered that she singled him out. ‘Yeah sure, she was interested in picking up someone … you keep telling yourself that my friend.’ Irritated with his train of thought, he paid for his coffee and headed for the door. He harboured the false hope that he might bump into her in the streets. Humming under his breath, he left the café in a hurry.
Sarah woke up with a start, and immediately felt the hammering of her heart against her chest. She took deep breaths and tried to recall her dream. She and Ariana were together in what reminded her of a maze. Everywhere she looked, she could see little signboards sticking out, all named after U2 songs. She showed Ariana the signs and felt overwhelmed at what they were embarking on. What if they failed in their mission? What if, for some reason, they give the wrong advice or guidance? What happened then? As if their eyes were guided to a certain point, they both looked at a signboard, a little obscured from view. When they walked a little closer, the name seemed to mock them, and Sarah felt helpless at someone’s weird sense of humour. The signboard read; ‘I Will Follow.’
Follow where? Follow what? Follow whom? ‘F*cking great … innit??’
A Friend & I are running this blog-site & we absolutely adore U2 (amongst other things!) but they also inspire our creativity. We are in the process of collaborating on a U2 story/fanfiction with a difference ... Imagine 2 friends been given a 'gift' to travel back in time to assist/help the members of the band on certain decisions ... Think how their smash hit 'With or Without You' nearly landed in the bin because they couldn't find the right arrangement ... the issue of Bono & Ali going to Africa & the affect it had on Bono ...
