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He was looking for something else when he found it. A box with all sort of things that he had saved for one reason or another. He hadn’t realized he was so sentimental in his younger days. Movie ticket stubs, train tickets, a gum wrapper (how did that get in here…oh, there’s a phone number on it), receipts, odd and ends, and a few envelopes of pictures. They were envelopes from a photo developer, the kind where you used to take the whole roll of film in and drop it off to be developed. A few days later you went back in and picked up your envelope of pictures. Adam opened the first envelope and began looking through the photos one by one. They were photos from some of the first trips outside Ireland for the band. On tour like a real rock band. Well, sort of anyway. They all tried to look so serious and worldly but really none of them knew what they were doing and were just fairly innocent kids having a good time but trying their best to make it happen. He smiled at the memory.
He opened the second envelope of pictures and sifted through them. He remembered taking all of these with a camera he borrowed from his mother. Just casual pictures of Bono, Edge, Larry, Paul hanging out, drinking, playing guitar. The usual stuff. He shuffled quickly through the snapshots until he got to one that made him stop.
For most of those first years, Bono and Larry were roommates on the road. They bonded over the mutual deaths of their mothers and had a connection that was different because of that. Adam and Edge would room together but Adam would end up staying in Paul’s room, drinking and smoking most of the night so Edge would have the room to himself. That was fine with Edge, most of the time anyway. But they would switch up sometimes. Bono would tease Larry relentlessly for being worried about the sheets on the bed and insist on sleeping in a sleeping bag that he brought with him. Eventually, Larry would have enough and ask to switch roommates, at least for a night. That’s how Bono and Edge ended up rooming together this night. The night of this photo. Adam remembered it.
They seemed reluctant to room together. They always tried to work it out so that they wouldn’t be sharing a room. Adam always thought that was odd given the fact that Bono and Edge were such close friends. They had an obviously close relationship and a way of communicating with each other that seemed to, at best, confuse everyone else. It was as if they spoke their own language with each other. A conversation only they could make.
But this night, Bono had made Larry so mad about the whole sleeping bag thing that Larry stood in the middle of the room and shouted at the top of his lungs, calling Bono every name he could think of. Adam remembered it vividly because, though Larry could be angry, he still looked like a sweet kid in many ways and so his rant seemed more like a temper tantrum thrown by a 6-year-old who was refused a cookie before supper. But the tantrum got Larry (and Edge) a new roommate and nothing less was going to happen but to switch.
Adam looked at the photo again. Two men. Barely men. In the same twin-size bed with each other despite there being two beds. They were covered halfway up by a blanket, their naked torsos were wrapped around each other. They were sound asleep but both seemed to be so comfortable and content in each other’s arms. Adam remembered walking into the room from his and Larry’s adjoining room. He was going to wake them up so they could get an early start. He found them like this and was struck by the scene. He had long suspected something was going on between them, but he wasn’t sure. He remembered nodding and saying to himself, “Uh huh. I knew it!” So he decided to go get his camera.
Adam quietly walked back into the adjoining room and found his camera. He turned it on and walked back into Bono and Edge’s room. He had the advantage of knowing that both Bono and Edge were sound sleepers who didn’t wake easily but he wasn’t sure what would happen when he took the picture and the shutter snapped. He raised the camera and framed it, focusing in on their arm-wrapped bodies and making sure to capture their faces. There was enough light in the room that he didn't need a flash. He took the photo. SNAP! Bono and Edge remained asleep and Adam went back to his room.
Here was this picture all these years later. Lost in a pile of random snapshots of silly faces and pretty girls for over 40 years. Adam thought about how this picture had gone from being a funny photo to tease his mates with to something that could affect their entire career now. He thought about what to do with it and eventually decided he should give it (and the negative) to Edge, mainly for security reasons (Edge was the responsible one) but he thought Edge would appreciate the memory.
Adam, knowing Morleigh was in LA and Edge was home alone, called Edge and asked if he could come over. He told him he had something he wanted to give him. Edge, always affable, said to come on over and that he would put the kettle on. Adam made his way to Edge’s place where Edge greeted him at the door.
They chatted over tea and biscuits like a couple of actual normal people instead of mega rock stars, off the road for a bit. But that’s what the four of them always were with each other, normal people who have known each other since they were teenagers. Longer than that for Edge and Adam.
Adam handed Edge the picture and Edge stared at it. Adam knew that Edge wouldn’t react dramatically because that’s not his way, but he wasn’t sure what he would say. Edge and Bono’s relationship wasn’t a secret between the four of them, but they didn’t ever really discuss it much. It just existed. It was known. That’s all. When Edge stared at the picture and gave a wistful smile, Adam was relieved.
He told Edge he had had it for years in a box in the closet and he felt like he should have it for safe keeping now.
“Neither one of you woke up when I took that picture.”
Edge laughed, “Well, we are very committed sleepers.”
“The two of you look so happy.”
Edge paused briefly and then said with a smile, “We were.”
“Does this still happen?”
“It does. Not like it used to, though. We just aren’t alone much anymore.”
“Yeah.”
“Thank you for this, Ad. You’ve had this all this time and you never used it against us.”
Adam looked aghast, “I would never!”
“I know. But you could have. Easily. Thank you for not doing that.”
After Adam left, Edge called Bono and asked him to come over. He told him Adam brought them something. Ali and the kids were out of town and Bono, bored by the silence, arrived in minutes, curious to know what Adam’s gift might be.
Edge showed him the photo and Bono chuckled.
“My God, B, we were so young.”
“And skinny! Look at you, Skinny Boy!”
It was Edge’s turn to chuckle, “Well, I’m not that skinny anymore.”
“You will always be my Skinny Boy.”
“B, I’m 61. Somehow, I don’t think Skinny Boy sounds appropriate anymore.”
Bono glared at Edge. “OK, but Skinny Old Man sounds rude.”
Bono looked at the photo and then back to Edge, “Edge, you were so beautiful. You’re still beautiful, but back then, I had never seen anyone that looked like you.”
Edge smiled.
“Adam had this picture all this time, and he’s never shown it to anyone until now.”
“I guess it will just be our secret now. It’s good that he gave it to you to keep, The Edge.”
“Want to stay over and recreate it tonight?”
Bono smiled widely, “Oh, Skinny Old Man, you read my mind!”
“Let’s go back to Skinny Boy, B.”