Woodstock

1

Louis jumped and stumbled to his left when two men in nothing but jeans came walking towards him. He had no idea what he was doing here. He fiddled with his tie nervously. He was clearly overdressed.

There were so many people walking to the big field where the festival was happening. He had seen a poster. An Aquarian Exposition: 3 days of peace & music. It made him curious. He wanted to experience something different.

He was brought up in a religious home. His parents were wonderful but strict. This whole flower power, free love movement that was currently happening was very foreign in his home. His family wasn't judgemental. God loved everyone and so should they. That doesn't mean that they participated in such behavior. Drugs, sex, and rock'n roll weren't seen with kind eyes. Not in his church. And yet, here he was. He was here for the music and the music only. Even though he didn't own a single LP he had heard snippets of songs here and there and the music fascinated him. The voices, the heavy beat, the guitar solos. He just wanted to experience it live.

He hadn't told his family where he was going and he felt bad about lying. They thought he was at church camp. As soon as he spotted the stage he forgot all about feeling bad about it. He managed to find a good spot amongst thousands and thousands of people. Most of them were sitting in groups, smoking something that smelled sweet. He glanced at them while he fiddled with his umbrella. It looked like there could be rain later.

Suddenly people started to cheer and he looked over to the stage. A band was getting on. He had memorized the setlist. Richie Havens was first up. He had never heard him or heard of him either. A black man entered the stage and started to play a song called from the prison. Louis swayed along to the music. This wasn't rock'n roll. It was blues but he loved it. He closed his eyes and let Richie Haven's dark, soothing voice overpower him.

He liked the songs and when Richie Haven made some Beatles covers he smiled in recognition. Everyone knew The Beatles including his mum who had a soft spot for them.

People were dancing around him, feeling the music. Louis could see that they were high as a kite. He wondered how that felt like? He had been drunk once, a while back. He and a friend decided to try it out. It was nice.

He was curious about everything life had to offer. He was twenty-two after all and so far he had lived a very sheltered life. They moved to the states when he was fifteen. It had been somewhat of a cultural shock coming to New York from Doncaster in England. His dad got a job offer he couldn't decline.

Richie Havens was done performing. That had been awesome! Louis smiled brightly and looked around at the massive crowd. They all seemed to enjoy the festival, some more than others. It was wild. They were dancing and bumping into each other even though the music had ended. He was getting a little concerned for his safety. Something was happening on stage so he turned his gaze forward and gasped in surprise. Men in white clothes were sitting there and another man in an apricot dress took a seat on a podium. He had long hair and a big beard. He started to speak with an accent and Louis listened intensely like the rest of the crowd.

"My beloved brothers and sisters, I am overwhelmed with joy to see the entire youth of America gathered here in the name of music. In fact, through music, we can work wonders. Music is the celestial sound and it is sound that controls the whole universe, not atomic vibrations. Sound energy, sound power, is much, much greater than any other power in this world.

One thing I very much wish you all to remember - with sound we can make, and at the same time break. So let all our actions and all our arts express Yoga. Through the sacred art of music let us find peace that will pervade all over the globe. The future of the whole world is in your hands. You can make it or break it. The entire world is going to be watching. The entire world is going to know what the American youth can do for humanity."

Louis thought that he made sense. He overheard someone next to him talking about the Indian man.
"Dude, that Swami Satchidananda is so cool."

Louis silently agreed. His stomach growled from the lack of food and he decided to find something to eat while he waited for the next act, Sweetwater. He walked around searching for the food tents. He noticed a lot of children running around. Their parents brought them to a festival? That shocked him.

He found a tent and was handed a plate of some kind of stew. He sat down in the grass and ate. It tasted okay. When he returned to his previous spot the band had already started playing. They had a flute player and a cello player on stage. A woman sang. It sounded haunting.

A group of four young men were sitting to his left, sharing a joint. He glanced at them. Like so many others they were barely dressed. Jeans and a vest, no shirt underneath. At least they weren't naked like a lot of others he had seen. He had been all flustered while he ate, trying to avoid looking at people's genitals. Nudity wasn't something they practice at his house.

He glanced at the group of men again and one of them had noticed him. He was eyeing him curiously and when their eyes met the man smiled brightly. Louis blushed and immediately looked away. That didn't discourage the man in question.
"Hey! Wanna join us for a smoke?"

"No thank you." Louis replied politely. He was surprised to hear that the man had a British accent.

The man shrugged and took a drag of his joint before he passed it over to the man next to him. Louis tried to focus on the music but the man kept staring at him. Louis twisted uncomfortably and fixed his tie. He wasn't interested in free love or whatever, no matter how cute the guy was.