Chapter 123 - I Still Remember

Standing in the middle of that historic stage, Monica can't help but have a serious case of the nerves.  She sees the crowd is restless and she knows that she is in uncharted territory, but this is her night and she's going to shine.  

She stands there for a few moments after she takes the microphone in her hand. Rolling it back and forth between her palms, she puts the mic to her mouth and says, "Thank you ladies and gentlemen for coming.  I am Monica Bongiovi."  The crowd gets loud again.  Monica lets her eyes fall and fix on her husband, who is sitting between Richie and David, clapping his hands and whistling.  "You are here tonight to screen my new documentary, one that only 2 people have seen since it's completion.  Tonight you will see 5 guys with a dream and a passion, make their dreams come true."  She inhales deeply, listening to some cheers that come from the crowd.  As she exhales, she takes a few steps, "Tonight you will see Jon Bon Jovi, David Bryan, Richie Sambora, Tico Torres and Alec Such be at their highest, as well as their lowest.  You will see them raw and uncut, vulnerable and confident - but most of all, you will see them as real."

{{{Applause}}}

"You are going to see them as themselves, in their everyday lives.  On stage and off stage.  You will see that this is truly a band of brothers, in good times and in bad."  She moves closer to the edge of the stage, center.  With her left hand, she points to Jon and the guys, "A film made possible by these guys.  Jon, Dave, Richie and Alec and Tico, who couldn't be here tonight, by Bon Jovi."  The mass just about went crazy as the four guys stand up.  Monica smiles at them and from her heart she says into the microphone, "Thanks guys.  Thank you for allowing me into your lives and into your stories."  She blows one big group kiss, fighting back the urge to cry.  Richie sees that she's moved by emotion so without thought, he makes his way onto the stage.  As he reaches Monica, with his own slight touch of the nerves, her kisses her cheek and takes the microphone from Monica.  The audience, along with the band take their seats.

Richie loving the rush of being on any stage starts with, "Give it up for my best friend and my little sister from another mother, Monica Bongiovi."  The audience politely applauds, hanging on Richie's next word.  "What some of you may not know is, she's been working on this for sometime now, months and months."  he gives a little chuckle.  "She has had her camera in our faces, all the time and at the most inconvenient of times, but we didn't care."  He wraps his arm around her and pulls her tight.  She's not sure what to do.  This was unexpected and definitely unrehearsed.  "I have no doubt that we will we see her passion, as well as our own in this film.  A film that none of us have seen, by the way."  Richie turns his head and plants a kiss on her forehead, "So, without taking up anymore of your time - thank you for coming to support her and to see our crazy asses on tour and at home."  Riche passes the microphone back to Monica before kissing her on the cheek.  Whispering in her ear, he confides, "I'm so proud of you.  You're going to be famous."  Monica grins at him, accepting the microphone.  Richie leaves her alone on the stage to do what she's up there to do.  

Monica, with an ear to ear grin starts with, "Thanks for that Richie.  I love you and thank you for letting me follow your crazy as all over the place."  she starts to laugh, "And thank you for letting me get that unflattering film of you running around in your underwear."

The crowd responds to that with some clapping, screaming and whistles.  At one point Monica wasn't sure that they would stop.  She knows that she needs to get the show on the road, so at the tail end of the applause she continues, "Without further explanation and introduction, here's Bon Jovi - Raw and Real."  She can hear the curtains behind her open so she starts to walk stage right.  From the corner of her eye, she can see the massive movie screen and the film start.  At first, it was just numbers to count down to the beginning with Shot Through The Heart playing.  Her stomach is in her throat and her heart on the floor, thinking to herself, "Well, this is it."   She takes hereat next to Jon, leaning into his kiss.  The only sound that she can hear is the music.  She takes a look around and all eyes are glued to the big screen.  

The film rolls on after opening credits.  "Jon, what do you like most about being on the road?"  she hears herself ask Jon on film.  The camera is zoomed in, Jon on the screen having just finished a show.  He's dripping with sweat, his long locks stuck to his face and a Marlboro hanging from his mouth.  Through the mumble of the towel that's wiping his face, she records him saying, "I like the fact that we travel.  That we see the world, but I also miss being home with family and friends."  He takes a drag of his cigarette, inhaling deeply.  Upon his inspiration, he asks the interviewer, "What do you like most about being on the road, Monica?"  He blows smoke in her face, with a wink.

The audience can her response, "Being with all of you, that's the best part."

Jon takes a few steps toward her, walking into the camera lens with a coy little grin on his face.

The footage quickly turns to a family dinner at David's parents house.  The band along with David's parents are seated at a huge dining room table.  Monica caught the family toast, "To the road ahead for you boys.  May that road meet your expectations and take you further than you ever imagined."  David's dad boasts, with his throaty voice.  "We wish you nothing but the best of luck and we're here for you should you need us."  Monica is glad that she captured that, for many reasons.  Looking at it now, she can't believe how much has changed since that dinner.  She turns her head and looks at David.  He's sitting close enough to his parents that he's startled when he's touched on the shoulder by his father, giving the 'I'm proud of you" pat on his shoulder.  David and his parents are smiling.

The next few scenes are just road footage, with She Don't Know Me playing for background noise.  The camera shows Monica and Richie eating backstage before a show.  Monica had her camera on a tripod, wanting to get some balanced and not moving footage, so she asked permission form the guys to just record the goings on back stage that way with a stationary camera. They did not care, not at all.   Everyone can hear, "What are you doing when you get home?"  Monica asks Richie.

He looks up from his eggs and bacon and replies, "I'm sleeping for the first week.  This schedule and the hard partying are kicking my ass, what are you guys doing?"  

"I think he'll do the same.  He's pretty tired."

"Ok, then what will you do?"

"Oh, I don't know.  Maybe I'll get a job and be normal for a while." she confesses.

"Doing what?" he mimics her.  "Working at the local pizza joint?"

Monica gives Richie a glare, "Well, that would give me more experience than you have.  Ha ha."

That scene ends and flips to one of them on stage playing Runaway.  They are dead on and error free, all with confidence and entitlement.  They know that they are amazing and Monica captured those feelings beautifully.  She catches the machine at work in it's early stages noticing the queue's that they worked out.   The solo starts and she zooms in on Richie and his fingers.  

Richie gets a little pumped and starts to air guitar in the theater.  The rest of the guys have a good laugh at that.  He's excited and a little conceited.  Solo is over, the camera pans in on Tico.  The film shows him drumming with passion.  Tongue in, tongue out.  He always breaks a sweat, but he makes drumming look as easy as breathing.  Monica is always fascinated by his work, from beat one to the final song - Tico is a machine.   The band and family sigh a little seeing Tico on the screen, knowing that he's not with them and just as fast at the sadness overcomes them, the footage goes to Jon, in a hotel room.

The voice on the film this time says, "What do you and your wife plan to do here, while you're in Madrid?"  

The camera shows a devilish smile come over his face.  "We'll do whatever she wants to do."  She captured the smile that melted her heart oh so long ago.  

The scene switches to still photos, one after the other, with a new song playing in the background.  When Jon hears the music, he looks at his wife and his look is not one of happiness. The words from the once played I'll Be There For You bellows in the theater.  Monica looks at him and mouths, "What?"