Godin

Chapter 1

It was a hot summer day in Zaanstad, Holland. The band Godverdomme was looking for a new bass player. The previous one quit over "creative differences" The lead guitarist was Kracht, a long blond haired twenty-five year old man who stood 6 foot 1 with piercings and tattoos. He was relatively built and had a scar over his right eye. The rhythm guitar player was Pjin, a long black haired twenty-four year old man who stood 5'9 who wore black leather with piercings and tattoos. The drummer was Verwoesting, a bald thirty year old man with tattoos and piercings who stood about 5 foot 5. The lead singer was Godin, a chubby, brown haired twenty three year old girl with bangs. She was around 5 foot 4 and weighed about 230 pounds. She sat with the others at a table as one musician after another played notes, discussed their likes and said why they wanted to join. Then someone walked in who looked different from the others. He walked in wearing a black leather jacket, white sneakers, blue jeans and a white t-shirt. He was holding a black guitar case and amp, had short blonde hair, one tattoo and no piercings. The tattoo was on his upper left shoulder and it said FA. Pjin, Verwoesting and Kracht looked at each other as Godin looked him up and down. Unlike the others, he had discernible build to him, like an ex-athlete. Kracht asked in Dutch “What's your name?” but the man didn't answer. Pjin looked at him and said in Dutch “Did you hear him? He asked your name. What is it?” The man still didn't answer and Kracht turned to Pjin while saying in Dutch “Well fuck this guy then.” Godin stuck her hand out and looked at the man sideways. She asked in Dutch “Wait.....do you speak Dutch?” The man shook his head as Verwoesting laughed. Kracht threw his hands up and said in Dutch “This guy can't even speak Dutch, what is he, Swedish?” Godin asked in Swedish “Do you speak Swedish?” The man shook his head and Verwoesting asked Godin in Dutch “He can't speak Dutch, he can't speak Swedish, where the hell is he from, France?” Godin asked in French “Do you speak French?” The man answered in French “Yes, but not very well.” Godin asked in French “What do you speak?” The man answered “English” as Kracht and Verwoesting rolled their eyes. Pjin said in Dutch “Just what we needed.” Godin said “Ah, you are English, yes?” The man replied “American.” Kracht turned to Godin and asked in Dutch “An American? For real? What's he doing here?” Pjin asked “How did you end up here in Holland?” The man looked at Pjin and said “A Hostel trip gone wrong.” Kracht looked at Pjin and asked in Dutch “Was that a joke or is he being serious?” Godin answered coldly “We're in Zaanstad and you don't speak Dutch. How do you expect to join this band?” The man answered “Like this” and he put down his amp. He plugged it into a nearby outlet and then plugged in his bass. He asked “Ready?” Kracht put his palms out and said “Go! Play!” The man started with a bass solo then went into Headless Cross by Black Sabbath. Verwoesting stood and said “Headless Cross!”

Kracht asked Godin in Dutch “He can play but can he play our style?” Godin nodded her head at Kracht and asked “Can you play one of our songs we cover?” The man answered “What is your style?” Godin answered “We're a metal band.” The man replied “Name it, I'll play” Godin turned to the others and said in Dutch “Alright you guys, play something. Let's see if he can follow along. Pjin and Kracht picked up their guitars as Verwoesting sat behind his drumkit. Pjin started to play Welcome To The Jungle and the man knew it instantly. The man channeled his inner Duff McKagan and played along as the song kicked in. After thirty seconds Kracht told everyone to stop. They went into several established songs seeing if the man could follow along and he ended up following each and every one of them. After the final song Godin stood up from her seat and said “You're hired.” Pjin stuck his hand out and said “Not bad for an American” and the man shook it. Verwoesting also shook his hand but Kracht walked over to Godin and said in Dutch “What? You can't be serious! We can get anyone to play bass that can speak proper Dutch. He's good but how are we going to communicate?” Godin looked at the man and replied in Dutch “There's something about him that's different. He's too good not to hire. I can feel it.” Kracht said in Dutch “Fine, have it your way. He'll last about two weeks, just wait.” Kracht wasn't really prejudicial against Americans, he just had a lot riding on this band. He didn't want to go back to working on the streets with the road crew. Kracht grew up in a tough section of the Netherlands never knowing his mother who died during childbirth. His father was abusive and he ended up dropping out of school when he was fifteen years old. He did oddjobs to make money and music was his way out of the slums once and for all.

Pjin actually grew up in Zaanstad and was the most well known of the group since he grew up in town. If Pjin liked you, the rest of the town did. Pjin grew up relatively normal with both parents and a younger sister who was in university. He was an acoustic guitar player in high school and had learned electric in the years since. He had the least riding on the band because his father ran a successful insurance business and Pjin could join at any time. Pjin realized that if the American could play well, he could stay with the band instead of going to work at his father's business office. Verwoesting was what they called a “journeyman drummer” bouncing around from band to band ever since he was eighteen. He didn't expect this band to play out any different than every other band he was in. They'd tour for a while, never get noticed and break up. It was a jaded attitude but that was what he was used to. He was the eldest of the group and was essentially a mercenary. Godin was originally born in Greece but her parents immigrated to Holland when she was eight years old. She actually went to school with Pjin and they had a minor band where she was the singer. Godin's older brother worked on the road crew with Kracht which is how they found him. They simply hired Verwoesting at an audition. Godin was always being told she couldn't make it because she was chubby but she loved to prove people wrong. She didn't just want to be a plus sized Adele either, being in a metal band could showcase that she was badass too. Godin looked at the American and asked “What's your name?” Before the American could even answer, Kracht put his hand out and said in Dutch “No no no, forget his real name. Give him one of ours.” Godin looked at the American and admired his body, his looks and his general build. It reminded her of the Spartans she used to read about with her father as a child. Godin smiled and said “You shall now be known as....Strijder.” The American asked “What's that mean?” Godin says “Warrior.” The man smiled and said “Sounds good to me.” Kracht looked at Godin and Godin pointed at him while saying “Kracht.” She pointed at the others and said “Pjin, Verwoesting.” Strijder asked “What's your name?” She answered “Godin” Strijder asked “What's that mean?” Godin giggled and answered “Goddess.” Strijder cracked a big smile and said “That's exactly what you are.” Kracht rolled his eyes but Verwoesting said in Dutch “Ha, I like this guy. Great sense of humor.” Godin and Strijder admired each other's figures and smiled at each other.