Disco Balls and Plane Tickets
Chapter 9
Melissa: “Lipstick,” someone yelled from the bathroom as I desperately searched my bag for my rosette. “Sorry,” I yelled back, then, “yes!” “You have some,” the voice questioned peeping its head through the doorway. “Nope, my rosette,” I held it up in the air in triumph. “Oh,” Lillie went back in the bathroom to apply more makeup. Locating a hair band, I attempted to gather the mass of toned down curls sprouting from my head. Lillie emerged from the bathroom ready to go. “No…come here,” she took the hair band out of the tresses and taking a few strands, clipped them together in the back, leaving a few golden curls to frame my face. “That’s a lot better. Very pretty,” she told me as I grabbed my jacket, thanked her and we left the stuffy hotel room. We walked out of the hotel with time to spare into the bright sunlight along the busy cobblestone street, the sun reflecting off the water in the mid-afternoon heat. “Which way,” she asked. “I think it’s about a mile and a half or so that way,” I pointed up a main street. “Time?” “Now?” “No, Melissa. Tell me the time 20 years from now.” I shot her a well-thanks look and told her the time NOW. “Ok, lets get going then. Have you seen this place,” she asked as we turned off the side street onto the wider road jammed with hundreds of cars. “Its that one we pasted on the bus over here, right?” “Yea, the really big one? I think I know which one you mean. Yea, its that one.” “That’s pretty big. Are you sure its in that one,” I asked a bit overwhelmed with the size of the place. “Yea, that’s it all right. I think its like that biggest venue, or whatever, we’re singing at…I think.” “Really?” “Yep.” “Doesn’t that make you a bit excited,” I asked her beaming with excitement. “Oh yea.” Wow, I thought. This is gonna be huge. Think of how many people might be there, even though I doubted that anyone had even heard of our small choir from Atlanta, Georgia. “I feel funny in this, ya know? Its kinda weird walking down the street in these outfits. I don’t know, a bit embarrassing maybe,” I became aware of onlookers as we hurried towards the waiting church, its form beginning to come into view. Lillie laughed and we were soon on the steps of the cathedral, to join everyone inside. As we walked under the huge archway, I dreamed that I was in another time and that I was someone else clothed in the rich gowns of reality or even simple peasant dresses from the renaissance, intrigued with the time and magic in seemed to draw from it. I wondered who else had stood in the same spot and what they were like. The place exuded a brilliant light and presence. Had I ever seen a place so beautiful? And magic? I slowly zoomed back to my reality regretful of having to leave my fantasy world behind. We were quickly ushered into a similar, but much smaller room to practice and warm-up. As we moved in line towards the door to exit into the great hall we had come into earlier, I could here the crowd assembling, as the sound of my heart beating in my head grew louder by the second. I took a deep breath and turned to express my excitement to Rachel. Turning back around, I saw the line slowly move up. Ok, I thought, this is gonna be great! Think about how great it will be to echo off these walls. I giggled as nervousness and excitement lingered within me. Took another deep breath, stepping forward, and the magnitude of the vast crowd, like little ants, became visible. My heartbeat raced as the show went on. Each song flying by, flawless. We exited the stage and returned to the small room, Mr. Anderson beaming with Congratulations. I checked my watch as I entered back into the large hall, pulling off the thick tux jacket and constricting rosette. I sighed and focused on the beauty of the place, walking in circles in awe. I was suddenly overwhelmed by two warm soft hands covering my eyes. Confused, I pried them off, not knowing what to say or who it could be. A smile spread across my face and I turned around. “Omg!” I pulled him in with a big kiss as my eyes filled with tears. He laughed. “I love you,” I laughed in pure joy as he handed over the flowers grasped tightly in his hands. I kissed him again hearing voices all around me. Heather: “I told you, Lillie!! Hahaha!!” Various hoots and hollers from other choir members. I didn’t want to let go. He wiped the tears from my eyes, “I missed you, angel.”
Chapter 10