To The Heart
'So, how was everyone's summer?' Mr Schu asked as he saw his glee club sitting together for the first time since last term. 'Anything exciting happen?'
'Really Mr Schu, this is Lima, what could possibly happen.' Puck said. 'the only thing I did was clean some more pools, if you know what I mean.' He grinned and then gave Finn a high five.
'You're such a pig, Puckerman.' Santana was sitting at the back on her own, listening to everyone chat about their summer. Vacations they had taken with their families and the like. 'Oh yeah, I bet I had a better summer than you. I hardly saw you, where the hell were you?'
'Yeah Santana, I didn't see you at any of the pool parties, what's up?' Finn asked.
'None of your business Frankenteen.'
'Okay, so new term, new competition at sectionals.' Mr Schu interrupted.
'Mr Schu, I've been doing some research.' Rachel said.
'That's shocking.' Mercedes joked.
'Hey, I just want to be prepared, so I went to watch some of the other schools summer gigs. They are really good guys, so emotional and powerful.'
'Emotional huh?' Mr Schu thought to himself for a minute.
'Oh dear, I don't like that look.' Kurt said looking at his teacher.
'Right, this weeks assignment, emotion. Pick a song that displays your inner most feeling, of pain or happiness.'
'Mr Schu, not to be picky but haven't we don't this sort of thing before?' Sam pointed out.
'Okay, your right Sam. Another condition this time will be that the song has to be unexpected. For example, Rachel, you are not allowed to sing a song by Barbra Streisand. Mercedes, no Whitney. Kurt no Patty. Just like the guys aren't allowed to sing anything about how many girls they've been out with. I want real emotion here guys.' The bell rang, and they all scattered. 'See you tomorrow.' Mr Schu shouted.
The days went by, and all of the glee club performed their songs. All of them were great songs, but Mr Schu couldn't really feel the emotion coming from anyone. That is, until Santana stepped up to the floor. 'So, Santana, last up. What are you going to sing for us?'
'Well, it's called The greatest man I never knew.' She said, expecting that no one would know what it was.
'Oh my god, you're singing Reba?' Rachel said.
'How did I know you would be the only one to know what I'm doing Berry.' Santana smiled.
'Wait, who?' Finn asked confused. Santana could only roll her eyes.
'Reba McEntire. Country music. Album released in the 1960's or something. Anything?' She asked, looking at Finn's blank expression. 'Nope, didn't think so.'
'Okay Santana, do you want to just do the song?'
'Yeah Mr Schu, sorry. This is, for my dad.' She looked away from everyone and started to sing. No one really knew much about Santana's home life, but they were about to find out.
The greatest man I never knew,
Lived just down the hall.
And everyday we said hello,
But never touched at all.
He was in his paper,
I was in my room.
How was I to know he thought I hung the moon
Santana was completely lost in the song. There were whispers going around about how they had never heard the song before, and that they didn't know Santana liked country music.
The greatest man I never knew,
Came home late every night.
He never had too much to say,
Too much was on his mind.
I never really knew him,
And now it seems so sad.
Everything he gave to us took all he had
They knew she was singing about her three younger siblings, and that the song was a tribute to her father.
Then the days turned into years,
And the memories to black and white.
He grew cold like an old winter wind,
Blowing across my life.
The greatest words I never heard,
I guess I'll never hear.
The man I thought would never die,
Has been dead almost a year.
He was good at business,
But there was business left to do.
He never said he loved me,
Guess he thought I knew .
'It's been a year. One year since my dad died. That was for him.'
(Song - Reba McEntire, The Greatest Man I Never Knew)