The several times I saw them play, I never saw Merle embarrassed. I saw pure love and joy pouring out of him. He seemed to take his dad with a grain of salt, and loved him while mugging onstage to let us all know he knew his dad was human. He and the bass player would repay Doc's comments about them being his eyes (sincerely given), with awful faces making us all laugh, and Doc would sit there, blind, knowing they were having one on him, and being fine with it.

And the best musician I have ever seen, Merel seemed. I would just hold my breath and watch. I had come because I had heard Doc's records and many people who had learned their music off them. But I came back for Merle. And I thought we would all get to see him mature and ripen in his own way, as Doc had, and I was curious how Merle would be, old.

That boy didn't play music. He WAS music, like you and I are flesh and blood and water.

I am sure he still is.

~S~