Pills of love

Why Did It Have to Be Me? (part 1)

"You and your passion for Italian songs!".

"But I play them perfectly!".

Björn picked up the guitar again and began to sing the notes of "Che Sarà", an Italian hit revisited by his group and presented with the title of "Aldrig Mer" on television a few days earlier.

It had gone well, the song was liked, but, on the other hand, the melancholy cut of the song had attracted the teasing of his friends.

"While not really my thing, at least your shirt gave a country tone to the performance".

"Thank you so much, Benny. And here I thought you loved me mainly for my good tastes!".

Benny mock saluted him and laughed, reaching over to the coffee table to take a sip of his beer.

Benny loved those afternoons spent laughing, having fun, playing until dark and exchanging hundreds of new ideas. Having met Björn had literally catapulted him into a totally unexpected and new dimension of inspiration and stimuli.

He loved the novelty, he didn't like to stay fixated on the same things for too long and, as much as he loved playing with his band, well, let's say that reality was starting to feel too closed up to him.

He leaned back in his wicker chair and looked away at the setting sun. A few more weeks and then they would have had to pack their backpacks and leave for the military service. This thing excited and frightened him at the same time. Everyone said that you came back different from the military service and he wasn't exactly sure he wanted to embrace that change or not.

"Björn!".

Björn stopped playing and turned to the back patio door "I'm out here, mom!" he yelled.

After a few seconds, Mrs. Aina came out "Oh, hi Benny! I didn't know you were here" she told him with a smile.

"Good evening. I hope it's not a problem" Benny greeted her with a hint of a smile.

Mrs. Aina snorted "Stop it, boy. You know you can come here whenever you want. Björn, I need you to go unclog the boiler in the shed. It's stuck again and I can't cook. I don't know how many other times I've to tell your father to fix it once and for all" Mrs. Aina rolled her eyes and put her hands on her hips.

Björn stood up quickly "Right away, Captain! Walk with me, Benny".

Her mother rolled her eyes again and went back into the house.

The two walked slowly towards the end of the garden of the Ulvaeus house, towards the side furthest from the house, Björn still with the guitar on his shoulder, strumming various folk and national songs, mangling the words or getting the notes wrong, laughing like two children .

When they got to the little cabin his father had built when they moved, Björn handed the guitar to Benny and went inside.

"Oh, there's the best acoustics in all of Stockholm in here" Björn told him, crouching next to some iron pipes and starting to sing at the top of his lungs, causing a loud and distorted echo. Benny looked at him laughing and started accompanying him on guitar and singing with him.

"Excuse me!".

Benny looked up to his left and stopped playing "Hello".

"There are people here who are trying to study, you know?".

Benny raised his eyebrows and gave an amused smile "And...?".

"And... with all this noise it's quite difficult to focus!".

Benny snorted amused "Noise?! Miss, I'm sorry to inform you that this is called music... and I'm also very good!".

The girl snorted derisively "... And very conceited too".