Starman 5

It was a cool winters day in Chicago and after waving his goodbyes and thanks to the friendly and supremely helpful truck driver Buddy set off along the city streets among the tall buildings trying to negotiate a way through so many people. The traffic was a challenge as well. So many vehicles of all different shapes and sizes and velocities. It was an achievement for him just to make it from one side of the street to the other.

The traffic and the crowds were making him quite anxious but he just kept walking and walking until the number of people gradually reduced to just a passing one or two and then, after another block or so he found he was the only being on the street. Also, the street was much narrower than it was a few minutes earlier. He could not work out which was the more uncomfortable - hundreds of humans surrounding him or none at all.

He walked more slowly now and, as he walked, he heard an amazing sound. It was a slow, sustained cry. He could not work out if it was made by an animal or a machine. It wasn't an unpleasant sound, in fact it sent a warm shiver through his body. He heard it again, another cry. Then again. What was this sound? "Wow!" he said to himself. He followed the sound, walked towards it like it had some sort of power over him, drawing him in closer and closer as it cried louder and louder.

There was an open door and the sound was coming from inside. He walked in. It was dimly lit inside but he could see what was making the sound. There was a man, a dark colored man who was holding something about waist high and every time he touched it it mad that crying sound. But the sound was not coming from the thing he held, it was coming from a rectangular box behind the man. The man would hit the object with his right hand and he could change the sound it made by moving his left hand on another part of it. Buddy was completely transfixed by the sound and the way this man was making the sound with this strange object. The man suddenly stopped what he was doing when he looked up and saw Buddy standing there in his dream like state.
"Hi, my name's Buddy" said Buddy using his new vocabulary.
"Well hi yourself" said the dark colored man, "my name's Buddy too. I'm just practicing. How long you been there?"
All Buddy could say was "wow!"
"You like it? I was just testing out my new Stratocaster." He held the object out in front of him to show Buddy. "I got a new guitar, a new band, new place to play. First show with my new band tonight."
Buddy just looked confused.
"Do you understand me Buddy?" He held up the object even higher, "It's a guitar, you look like you ain't seen one before."
Buddy smiled, looked at the man and said, "Rock and Roll."
"Ha, no. This ain't Rock an' Roll, I play the blues."
"Bloooos," said Buddy repeating the man.
"That's it. You not from around here are you? You gotta be the whitest white man I've ever seen. Where you from, you sound Russian. You Russian?"
"My name's Buddy," was all he could reply with.
"Well come on over here, Buddy, and sit down and I'll play some more. It's good to have such an appreciative audience," he said as he pointed to a chair near where he was playing. "My name's Buddy, Buddy Guy. Tonight's my first time with my new band. I been playing with Muddy Waters. You heard of Muddy Waters?" He began to play a Muddy Waters song - Hootchie Cootchie Man.
As he played the alien screamed "Oh boy!".
"You like it. Say ooo wee!"
Buddy repeated "Oooo weeeeee".
"That's it."
Buddy Guy kept on playing and Buddy the alien kept on screaming, "ooo weee."

Buddy was so taken with this new sound that he had discovered and Buddy Guy was so taken with the enjoyment he could see that his new friend had for the music that he made sure that Buddy stayed where he was as the place opened up and streams of people crowded into the bar.
"Now you probably gonna be the only white man here tonight but if anyone gives you trouble you just point to me and say that Buddy Guy said it's OK."
Buddy pointed to Buddy Guy and said, "It's OK."

So the evening went on. Buddy Guy made sure that Buddy had something to eat and drink and his enthusiasm for the music throughout the night endeared him to everyone in the bar. They even joined in with his "ooo wee" every time Buddy Guy played a solo. Eventually it was closing time and, after saying goodbye to everyone in the bar, twice, Buddy found Buddy Guy and said goodbye. The bluesman could see by the elated look on Buddy's face that the night had been an amazing experience for him so he was elated as well. So he took Buddy's hand, shook it and told him that he was welcome any time he played. Buddy almost floated as walked out of the bar, so uplifting had his first experience with live music been. He was so happy that even though it was the early hours of a cold Chicago morning he just found a nice little gap between two buildings to lay and sleep to rest and prepare for more life experiences on this new planet.