Rosanna couldn't stop laughing. "Hey Hubie, come here, look what they have written about Dad!"
Hubie came over to his sister's room to see why she seemed so hysterical. He found her, as usual, sitting in front of her computer, excitedly pointing at the screen.
"Look what I found, Hubie, here's a story about Dad! It's been written by his fans." Rosanna couldn't stop giggling, as if it was hard to believe that there were people who were actually fans of her Dad. "They are fantasizing about how Dad and Mum met, and about some time travelling that Dad has done where he met someone called Lady Christina. Isn't this weird? Oh, and look here, they wrote that Dad had an accident in Grafton street, and that some girl named Tess was pregnant from him, oh that's so funny!!"
"What's so funny, Rosanna?" Chris had just picked up the last words of his daughter, as he passed by her room. "Oh, I see, you're on the internet again. Didn't I tell you that you shouldn't stay online so long? All that rubbish that you find on the net isn't the real world anyway, so why don't you go outside and play a bit with your brothers? Go to the garden, Hubie, Michael is waiting for you."
Hubie smiled and ran out of the room.
"But, Dad", Rosanna was still giggling. "Look here, I have found something about YOU on the net!"
"Really", Chris seemed little impressed. "What is it then?" He walked over to his daughter's desk and peeked on her monitor. There was a greenish-blue website showing up, and he read the word 'Yahoo' in the corner.
"Yahoo? What's that rubbish, don't you know any websites with names that actually make sense?" Chris liked to make fun of his teenage daughter. He never cared much for computers himself, and just failed to understand what was so interesting about sitting in front of them for hours on end.
"Dad, this is a website from a group of your fans. I have sneaked into this group to find out what they are writing about you. And guess what..."
"What?", Chris became slightly impatient. He had heard about this internet group before, in fact he had met several of those people at his concerts. They were nice people, however he thought they were a bit crazy, travelling large distances just to see him in concert. That's something he'd never do.
"Look, Dad, here they have come together to write a story about you. They are making up things from your past, how you met Mum and about your accident on Grafton Street."
"Accident, what accident?"
"Told ya, they are just making it up, Dad. But it's so funny! You should read the part when you're breaking up with Tess."
Chris paused for a second. Tess? How on earth? But that's impossible, how can they know? It's been such a long time that he heard her name. How long exactly he couldn't remember. Just that she was the last girlfriend he had before he met Diane. He had completely forgotten about Tess, and now she is being mentioned in this story. It must be a coincidence. Or was it? Chris became curious. "Who wrote this story, Rosanna?"
"Oh, it's a collection by several of your fans, Dad. The one who started it is a nice lady from California. I think her name is Jeri."
Chris paused again. California! He hadn't been there since his Man On The Line tour in 1984. That was just before Rosanna was born. He looked at his daughter, always happy about an opportunity to teach her something. "Do you know where California is, Rosanna?"
"Oh Dad, of course I do..." Rosanna groaned, knowing what was to come.
"Come here, my dear.", Chris walked over to the globe in Rosanna's shelf, spinning it round, "Show me."
"Gee Dad, everyone knows that! I'm not a little kid anymore."
"So? Where is it then?"
"Here", Rosanna pointed somewhere on the American continent.
"Well, at least you've got the continent right, honey. But it's not in the middle, it's here in the West, down the coastline. See where it says San Francisco and Los Angeles? That's California."
"Ok, Dad."
"It's a beautiful place with a breathtaking landscape, but a little bit too hot in the summer." Chris grinned, remembering his concert in Los Angeles, and how he had wished for an open air concert, just for the fresh air. He didn't really know why he had never played there again. Maybe he should give it a try again one day...
"So what does this Jeri write about Tess, Rosanna?"
"I didn't say that she wrote anything about Tess, Dad, I just said that she started the story!"
"Oh, ok then, who was it that mentioned Tess?"
Rosanna looked through the files on her computer. Chris was always amazed how quickly the girl worked with her fingers on the keyboard. He had even difficulties holding the mouse upright himself.
"Here, Dad. It's in part two, written by Kathy Olson." Chris shook his head; he hadn't heard this name before. So after all it must be a coincidence then. A funny coincidence though, he chuckled by the thought of how she had hit the nail on the head.
"Ok, Rosanna, read me a bit from the story. Is there anything romantic in it? I'm in the mood for some soppy romance tonight." Chris grinned, and suddenly wished that Diane were home tonight. Alas, she was out with her girlfriends and was expected to be late.
"Hang on, Dad", Rosanna searched through her files again. "That's here, in part four. It describes how you and Mum have met."
"Oh really! Well, read it to me then!"
Rosanna began to read. Chris sat down in a chair and listened to his daughter's voice. He smiled at the description of his mother in the story. Yes, it was obvious that this was just a piece of fiction, but somehow he felt very flattered that his fans actually considered writing stories about him. Of course there had been fictional stories written about him before, but most of those were written by rude journalists and they weren't exactly writing to his liking. This story however seemed to be different, he could sense a connection with his fans through it. "I think Diane is inspiring me to write more songs, about my feelings", Chris heard his daughter read on. Yes, this part was true, Diane was really one of his most important inspirations.
"I really like this, Rosanna. Can you read me a little bit more?"
"Hang on, Dad, gotta switch to the next part."
"Sure darling." Chris looked out of the window where he saw Hubie and Michael playing together. It was hard to describe how much pride he felt in this moment. He loved his family to bits, and was so happy when he could spend time with them like right now. Even if his daughter seemed to spend too much time on the computer lately ...
"Ok Dad, found it. Are you ready?"
"Sure, I'm listening, just read on." Rosanna continued with the story. Chris chuckled when she read the part about Tess and how he made up a date with her to break up. This wasn't how he remembered the situation many years ago, but then again he didn't expect this to be the truth. Rosanna read on: " 'There's no easy way to say this, so here goes. Chris, I'm pregnant.' "
"Whaaattt?" Chris couldn't help letting out this surprised remark. His mind was racing. Ok, he knew this was just a story, but technically could there be some truth behind it, or couldn't it? Did he have another child? How old would it be today? No no, he reminded himself that this was just fiction, it just couldn't be true.
"So who wrote this part, Rosie?" he asked, as his daughter had finished.
"Lemme see... Helen and Laura Lind, Dad, they're from Canada I believe."
Chris was relieved. The Tess he used to know didn't live in Canada, so it seemed obvious that this was just a story. Still he felt his curiosity increasing. He really wanted to know how this story continued. "Want to read some more, Rosie darling?"
"Can we do that tomorrow, Dad? I'd rather write some emails to my friends now."
"Ok my dear, but tomorrow we have an appointment, remember? And I want to hear all about these fans that write stories about me."
"Ok, tomorrow then, Dad." And as she turned back to her computer, Chris left the room and wondered if he'd be able to find out where Tess was today.
