That joke, "send Sylvianne away so Aaron can write a Ballad". Yeah hahahahaha.
When I'm alone was released Jan of 1998, but the song took shape June of 96. We received a call from my brother in-law that Sylvianne's dad had stage 5 cancer. That he only had a couple of months left. So she took our two sons Vaihi and Tevaiurirau and went home to take care of her dad. She was there for 3 months.
Those were some hard times, not being able to see her or my 2 sons was really rough. Its funny how we take for granted the things we cherish and love until it's not around. Thats how I felt those 3 months. Mind you the internet didn't exist. My damn phone bill was $2000 for the month. For those of you who can remember penny talk? thats what saved me the other 2 months.
Today we can video chat back then there was none of that. Every chance I had I would call. Just to hear her voice and to hear my boys who where 2 and 1. I wanted to ask her when she was coming home but I knew, that her dad meant the world to her so I kept that question to myself and gave her as much support as I could. All the while our home was just there. Void of little ones getting into things and crying. Just empty.
So the guitar became my companion and slowly the song took shape, I found chords that felt right. They struck a chord in my heart. Then I wrote what I felt, every bit of it I put on paper. Finally I received a call from Sylvianne. My father-in law told her she needed to go home. That her place and my sons was with me. He then told her brother Roger to bring her home. So he did, I was on cloud 9, I didn't sleep that night. The flight was a red eye, it still is till today.
At around 5 that morning I received a call from my sister in law. My father in law passed. As happy as I was, I felt deep sadness, I had to deliver this when both her and her brother arrived. I really felt for my brother in law. Because in Tahiti, they don't wait a week. They bury there loved ones the very next day.
That morning to see Sylvianne and my sons was such an incredible moment, it's still fresh in my mind as if it was yesterday. We cried about the loss of my father in law. He knew he was going and sent her home. I can't express enough the love I have for my in laws ALL of them. The most loving and giving family. AND very musically talented.
One of our top songs that got played on FM100 off of our Can You imagine Album the song "When I'm alone". Families are Forever.
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