Something to remember me by
Joe Mazzello & John Deacon
Author note : Hi my beauties !! Here we go again for DeazzelloWeek 2020, hosted by the kind @roger-taylors-car. For this sixth day I’m trying to fit the prompt 'Time Travel’. Perso, this one is my fave. I’ve really enjoyed writing it. So I hope you enjoy as well. Thanks in advance for the feedback and sorry for the mistakes, English is not my first language.
Summary : Time flies. Literally....
Word Count: 3,578 Words
Warnings: None. Just fiction around here
Permanent taglist : @anotheronebitesthedick, @reavenedges-lies, @thosequeenboys, @orionis8689, @roger-taylors-car
New York City, 2008
Joe Mazzello was wandering in the streets, drinking his coffee, without milk of course, letting his legs guide him in the City that never sleeps. He was trying to lead his minds to happy thoughts. Last time he was actually shooting for his last movie was in 2005. He sighed a little. Really, there was nothing to complain about, he had been acting since he was a little boy and financially speaking, he could still afford a fancy living. But still. He loved his job. Being behind the camera was really cool as well, but portraying someone, anyone, was something that actually animated him. His friends often made fun of him when he would say ‘I was born to do it’, but this was truly how he felt.
The streets of Manhattan were quite agitated that day, so he decided carry on his walk in Central Park. It was still a bit cold but the fresh air and the surrounding trees would only do good to him. And to his current mood. This was what he really loved about Big Apple. The fact one could find anything there. A little world inside the world as he liked to say. A melting pot, where you could find anything you needed, at any time, the City that never sleeps, with big spots like Time Square, but also a more peaceful side, with natural places such as Central Parc obviously. Joe also thought about Roosevelt Island, where he loved to seat in from of the skyline of Manhattan. He thought about getting back there really soon, this was also such a really nice place.
He carried on walking a little and spotted a bench where he planned to sit and merely look around, enjoying the quietness of the moment. The lake facing him was peaceful and the ducks were happily putting their heads under the water and cleaning their feathers. Joe noticed a man was taking pictures. His camera seemed quite big, maybe he was a professional or something. It was not rare to see people immortalize such cute scenes.
Joe was still staring at the man when he frowned a little. In fact, it was a little weird. The man seemed quite young, maybe around his own age. He had long wavy hair and was wearing a mere vest and blue jeans, but also platform boots. Joe was not someone to judge, anyone, especially in New York City, could put on the clothes they wished to wear. But the fact was the man seemed to be out of time.
Joe was naturally very curious and could not help but stand up and come closer to the mysterious man, pretending he was carrying on his walk. The man looked at him and smiled as he got closer to him.
“These ducks are cute.”, the long haired man suddenly said, still smiling.
“They are yes.”, Joe replied as he stood next to the man, looking at the ducks as well.
“I’m sorry. I’m usually quite shy, but I thought I might start the conversation....”, the man carried on, looking at his feet.
“It’s okay, don’t worry. Egh.... Is everything okay?”, Joe awkwardly asked.
“Not really.”, the man almost apologized. “I would like to ask you something but you’re going to make fun of me, I’m quite sure of it....”, the man affirmed.
“Well, go ahead, and we will see.”, Joe tried to reassure him.
“What year is it?”
“What year?”, Joe repeated, quite puzzled.
“Yes, I know this is weird, but I would like to be sure.”
“Well, we are in 2008, as far as I know.”, Joe tried to joke a little.
“2008!”, the man repeated, incredulous. This time he looked at Joe directly in the eyes and the latter could see the man was not faking, nor did he seem to be out of his mind. He merely looked puzzled, maybe a bit worried and anxious. Joe could see he was thinking, trying to figure something out.
“Is everything okay, mate?”, Joe questioned him, because he had been silent for a good whole minute, lost in his thoughts.
“Not really.”, the man said no with his face. “I have no idea what I’m doing here.”. The wind blew a little and the man shivered.
“I’m Joe. Joe Mazzello. The kid from Jurassic Parc.”, Joe tried again to appease the atmosphere.
“I have no idea what this means, but Joe it’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m John Deacon, bassist for the band Queen.”
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The electrical kettle stopped by itself with a little ‘ding’, letting Joe know the water was boiling. John was sited at the kitchen table, looking at all the electronic things surrounding him. As he had studied electrical engineering, all of this was fascinating to him. Joe served tea, and sat in front on him, trying to remain calm. He had no idea why but he had merely followed his instinct and had asked the man if he wanted to come to his apartment to talk a little more. It sounded crazy, as the stranger could be a very dangerous serial killer, but Joe could feel in his guts the man needed help. It was as if destiny had put him on his path that very day.
“So. Tell me again what had happened. I’m not sure I understood.”, Joe asked. The man took a sip of tea and licked his lips.
“Hum, this is good, thank you.”, he started to say, putting his cup on the table. “Yesterday, I was in Japan with my band, Queen. I’m bassist for the band. And we were visiting before giving our gig. I love Japan. Last time I’ve been there, I did not enjoy fully because my wife was expecting. Our first. I was nervous, but I tried to take as many pictures as I could for them to see.”, John carried on, showing his camera.
“Yeah, yeah. Facts, please. You’re a member of Queen and you come from Japan.”
“That’s right, I’m John Richard Deacon, and I was born on August 19th, 1951. I’m bassist from Queen. Yesterday, it was 1976 and I was in Japan. Today, it’s 2008, I’m in New York City it seems, and I have no clue what is going on.”, John tried to be clear.
Joe looked at him and sighed as he passed his hands in his hair. How could this man in front of him pretend he had been travelling in time. And how could he be sure he was indeed the man he was saying he was? Joe looked around him, thinking as John was quietly sipping his tea.
“Stay here, just one minute. I’m coming back in a moment.”, Joe warned him as he stood up to go in the living room and John nodded.
His computer was on and the internet was working. This would be the easiest way to find out the truth. Joe quickly opened a random browser and searched ‘Queen’. Several picture of the group appeared but he tried to focus on the band members he actually did not know. Freddie Mercury was the one with the moustache, obviously. According to the legend of the picture, the curly haired man was Brian May, the guitarist. The blond, and quite handsome, Joe had to admit, was the drummer. Last name. John Deacon, bassist for Queen. Yet, the picture’s date was from the mid 80’s it seemed. The long haired man in his kitchen looked nothing like the permed one on the picture he had opened. Joe remembered what John had told him. ‘Yesterday was 1976 in Japan.’ So he opened a new page and searched more precisely : ‘John Deacon, 1976.’ The images started to show and Joe understood he did not have to search more precisely with the word ‘Japan’. The picture in the browser were clear enough. The man in his kitchen was indeed John Richard Deacon, but from 1976. This was a total nonsense.
“Oh, is this a computer?”, Joe heard him say behind him, making him startle. “I’ve studied electrical engineering, this looks interesting.”, he carried on as he came closer.
Joe was obviously no Queen expert but he was aware lead singer Freddie Mercury had died in the early 1990’s. John should not know this information. Thus, Joe decided to close all the windows and turned to him, anxiously smiling.
“Yes this is a computer, but it would be too long to explain how it actually works. So.... I have no idea how this had happened, but you’re John Deacon. No doubt about it. And you look like you’re coming from the 70’s.”, Joe tried to summarize.
“1976.”, John specified.
“Yeah, 1976.”, Joe repeated, trying to remain calm. “This must be a dream.... Some kind of fantasy.”
“Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?”, John tried to appease the atmosphere, even if deep inside he was certainly as scared as his host.
“What?”
“These are from Bohemian Rhapsody. From our album a Night at the Opera.”, the bassist precised. “Seems our song did not became a hit after all....”, he sighed.
“Well. I guess I can’t really tell you this kind of information, can I? It would modify some things about your future. About the future at all I guess.”, Joe shrugged.
“You must be right. But I still can’t understand why I’m here. I mean, there must be some reason....”, John pointed out.
Joe looked at him, not knowing what to say. Yes, he had agreed to help him, but he was not magician nor some psychic. How could he know why John had ended up here and there? He remained silent, completely lost in his thoughts.
“Erh.... I don’t know, are we related or something?”, John asked.
“What? No, of course not !!”, Joe hastily replied, but immediately regretted talking to the bassist this way. He was certainly as lost as he was at this very moment. “I mean, I don’t think so....”, he carried, almost apologizing. “Sorry, it’s just this situation is very unlikely and I’m a bit nervous.”
“And I’m totally terrified.”, John very surprisingly very calmly said. “My wife and my kid are in England, I guess. I was already stressed to let them alone. Now, I’m in God knows what future, stuck with someone I don’t even know, with no idea on how to go back.”, he said, his voice trembling a little this time.
“You seem really young to have a kid.”, Joe tried to make him speak about his family, hoping it would calm him down a little. Well, he was hoping to think about something else as well.
“I’m 25.”, John replied, sitting on the couch.
Joe frowned. “I’m 25 too.”, he pointed out. “Maybe this is our first clue.”, he came to sit next to him. “Keep talking to me about you, John, about your family, about Queen, about Japan. Maybe I’ll think of something.”
John raised his eyebrow but nodded. He explained his life to Joe, who tried to engrave the elements the bassist was giving him, hoping this messy puzzle would become a clear image in his mind. Yet, the musician was talking and talking, tenderly when it was about his wife and his son, passionately about Queen and his music, inspired about Japan. Joe was not particularly fond of rock and roll and the band’s music, even if he knew some of their biggest hits, but it was a real pleasure to listen to John. His nosy voice and his British accent, the way he was standing on the couch, shyly smiling while talking, Joe could not help but have a good feeling about him. And eventually, dream or not, he was glad this was happening to him, even if he still had no clue on how and why this had occurred.
At the end of the afternoon, John stomach started to make strong noises and Joe realized he had not even offered him something to eat. He stood up and phoned the Japanese restaurant at the corner of the street to be delivered some specialties from the country of the rising sun. Very soon, a man rang at the door and the food was served on the coffee table in front of the couch.
John was delighted. He really loved Japan and to have food delivered was some kind of a science fiction movie to him, but again, he tried not to think about it. Inside the boxes was a tiny origami bird. He handed it to John.
“I know it does not come directly from Japan, but maybe Robert will love it.”, he shrugged.
“This is very thoughtful, thank you.”, John replied as he took it and put in inside the note book he always had with him. “I’m sure he will love it, when he will be older.”
“Yeah, sure.”, the actor carried on, awkwardly passing his hand in his hair. “I’m sorry, John, really.”
“Sorry? Why?”, John asked.
“Sorry about all of this. I mean, you’re here and I don’t even know what to do. Maybe we will find something tomorrow, after we’ve slept a little. The day has been quite long and full of emotions.”, Joe stated.
“Sounds like a plan to me.”, John agreed.
Joe stood up to tidy up the dishes and the bassist followed him to help. Back in the kitchen, John looked around him again. All of this was so weird, all those machines, he wondered how they worked. Joe was loading his dishwasher and John smiled. Around his neck, his camera was still hanging. He looked at it and noticed there was one slot left before the end of the roll. He tried to place himself properly, holding the camera before him, trying to have Joe in his shot.
“Joe?”, he asked.
“Yup”, the other replied and suddenly closed his eyes because of the flash. He heard the roll make a weird noise inside the camera.
“It was the last one.”, John said, looking at his camera. “I hope it will be nice.”
Again, Joe did not know what to reply. They headed back to the living room, where the actor gave the musician extra sheets for him to sleep, or at least try, on the couch.
“I will be in my bedroom. Just call me if there is anything wrong or if you need anything.”, Joe told him, trying not to yawn.
“I will. Thank you, Joe. I would certainly still be totally lost without you.”, John replied.
“Ah, don’t you worry. We will think of something tomorrow, for sure.”, he said, as they both went to bed.
The following morning, when Joe opened his eyes, he had almost forgotten the stranger was still in his living room. He quickly got dressed and headed to the corridor, ready to face this new day and ready to find a solution for John. Yet, when he entered the room, it was all quiet. The sheets were still on the couch, but the musician was nowhere to be found. Joe called him and search his apartment but the man had merely vanished. Joe came back to sit in front the coffee table where they had diner the previous night. The situation was getting even weirder. John would certainly not have gone without a word. Or maybe he had not been given the choice? Or maybe it had all happened in his mind?
Joe noticed another origami on the table, slightly bigger than the one he had found in one of the food boxes. He took it and laughed a little. The animal looked like an dinosaure, or maybe some creature like Godzilla. At the bottom, in a tiny handwriting was noted ‘Something to remember me by’.
Maybe it had not all happened in his mind after all.
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London, 2018.
Joe Mazzello was hanging around in the set of the movie Bohemian Rhapsody. He had been picked to portray the bassist from Queen in the biopic about lead singer Freddie Mercury. In fact, the actor had been really convincing during the auditions. His knowledge about Queen and more precisely about John Deacon had really impressed.
Joe had never mentioned it, but it had not been necessary for him to look up for much information about the bassist on the Internet. John and him had had a very long afternoon chatting together. Yet, the actor, still fearing he had dreamed it all, had never tried to get in touch with the musician. And he knew he was now retired, only willing to have a peaceful life with his family.
Yet, Joe could not help but ask Brian May and Roger Taylor, quite active on the set, if John was going to appear at some point. The answer was always the same though. And the end of the filming was getting closer and closer. But Joe understood it. He was aware losing his dad when a teen and losing his best friend because of Aids had certainly been very hard situations to handle.
Eventually, this was it. This was the end of the filming. Joe perfectly knew this feeling. He had been acting since forever it seemed. But with Bohemian Rhapsody, it was different. He now had the feeling he could really understand what they meant when they say ‘we are a family’ in the movie. He felt this way with his now friends but also co-stars. Rami, Lucy, Gwilym and of course Ben. All of them had become really close. Joe knew actors usually parted at the end of a filming, the feeling of sadness fading after a while, people checking on each other less and less regularly after a few weeks, but he knew this time, it was different. Joe could not explain it, but he knew those people were now real friends.
On the very last day, as they were all together having a nice time, merely snacking and randomly talking, Brian came closer to Joe and handed him an envelope. Joe frowned a little but a smile appeared on his lips when the guitarist whispered in his ear :
“This is from Deaky.”
Joe hastily opened the envelope and unfolded the letter to read it at once.
‘Dear Joe,
I’ve been thinking about this letter for quite a while, I must admit. But what would I say? How could I start? How?
We both were 25 when we first met. I, too, thought I was completely mad when I woke up in a hotel room bed in Japan, back in 1976. But a few days later, I understood it was not the case at all.
First, when I opened my note book, I found a little origami bird. This was your present for my son, Robert. I think he still has it. It was a gift from you, a friend who lend me a hand when I was lost.
Second, the last slot from my roll. What was my surprise when I looked at all the pictures I had taken. All wonderful memories from Japan, its superbe nature, its typical buildings, the people I had met, the traditions I had tried to immortalize, but also ducks in a park. And you. You and I. In your kitchen, back (or forwards? I’m not even sure myself) in 2008. 10 years ago for us now.
I think I know now why something happened that day. You and I were meant to meet. Destiny had decided to take my best friend way too soon, but when Bri and Rog told me about the movie, I thought of you at once. The kid from Jurassic Park. Back then, when we were in Central Park, it had made no sense for me. But when the movie came out in theaters I recognized you of course. And when my band mates came to me to speak about the actors who could portray my person, this was the expression I used, because I wanted no one else but you, kid. And they perfectly knew why, as I told them our very story a long time ago.
Today, I’ve found my balance with my family and my retirement. Bri and Rog perfectly understand it, and I hope you do too, this is why I won’t come on the set. But I’m sure you and your partners have made an excellent work and that Queen’s music still has many years of success ahead.
I hope nothing but the best for you, kid. And maybe we will meet again, who knows?
Friendly yours,
JR Deacon
PS : I’ve left something in the envelope, just in case you would need some evidence of our meeting.’
Joe finished reading and laughed. He looked more carefully in the envelop and something fell on the floor. He took it back and tears came to his eyes. This was the very last picture John had taken with this very roll in 2008. Joe and him were in his New York City’s kitchen, right after he had finished loaded the dishwasher. The two young men were clearly visible on the picture.
“Oh my gosh.”, he eventually said.
“What it is, buddy?”, Ben asked, a little concerned by the several emotions Joe had been showing.
“This is quite a long and strange story, to be honest.”, Joe started to say.
“39’, here we go again.”, Roger joked as he sat back on his chair to listen to the actor.
