Chapter 11
5.2 Million
"Aren't you excited son?"
"Of course I am, Mother! Very!"
"Hurry darling, take a seat!"
"Ja, Father, hurry! You'll miss it!"
We all rushed into the living room of our cottage home and took a seat on the sofa. I was back in Germany for the winter holiday. In front of us was a television Steven, my manager, had sent to us in time to watch. I went into my vest pocket and placed a daisy on the carpet, where Isis usually sat after chores. I wanted to let her know she was still part of the family. I could feel her around and that made this moment all the better.
"Channel eight, Father!" I smiled. He did his best to change the channel and together, we waited anxiously for the commercials that were on to pass. Finally, the moment came.
"LOOK! LOOK, MOTHER! LOOK! IT'S ON! IT'S ON!"
"I see, Sigmund! I-I see!"
My new show was on. There I was with my overly done up hair and flawless face. The makeup had actually looked a lot more natural on screen and I grew to appreciate it the more I watched. My mother giggled at my television persona and both my parents laughed when I winked at the camera in the opening sequence.
"My goodness! How cute!" My mother laughed. I blushed. My father covered his face as a smile came to it. A hearty laugh escaped him.
"So much sparkle, Sigmund! And that expression, what is that?"
We all laughed together toward the expression on my face. The dramatized, focused look was totally out of character for me. My father was obviously proud at this moment. I was proud myself! We all watched the screen as if we were in a trance. It didn't feel completely real. I studied myself on screen to see what I could improve on, how I could've entertained my audience more and to see if my tricks were pin-point accurate in execution.
"You've been dazzled~!" I chanted from the screen. When the end credits rolled, my parents applauded me. I smiled and took a bow.
"You liked the show?"
"Ja! That was wunderbar!" My mother yelped with joy. My father nodded in agreement.
"It truly was." He added. "I can't believe that was my son on television."
"I can't believe it was me either!" I replied. "I really can't..."
"Tune in next week for more magic and mystery with Sigmund the Sorcerer!" The television announce through one of my commercials. I stood up from the sofa and turned off the tv. At the same time, the phone rang from the kitchen. I quickly ran in the direction of the noise and answered it.
"Guten abend, who is speaking?"
"Hey there, Sigmund! It's me, Steven!" I smiled down at the phone. It was my directive manager.
"Oh, hallo Steven!"
"So, how did you like the show? Wasn't it awesome?"
"Yes! Very awesome!" Steven laughed over my enthusiastic response.
"Well, your viewers thought so too. Your first episode was viewed by five-point-two million people!" I gasped.
"What?"
"Yup! That's right kid. It was more anticipated than we imagined! People absolutely love ya! And you're getting great feedback over the internet too. I have our team popping into some forums to see what people thought and folks are over the moon for you! You're going places kid!" I hopped around the kitchen. I couldn't believe I was a success!
"No way! I can't believe it!"
"Well, believe it Sigmund. You're gonna be a big star!"
After a long conversation about plans for my next chain of episodes and a sudden opportunity that had come up for me, I hung up the phone and dashed back into the living room where my parents were.
"FIVE-POINT-TWO MILLION VIEWERS TO THE SHOW!" I cheered. My parents screamed and shouted with me. This was it. This was the start of it all.
—
Early in the morning, on a cold winter day, I was headed into town by taxi. This time, I was on my way to an airport with my parents. Although it was officially the holidays, we were traveling once again. We hadn't had anything planned anyhow because of my full schedule.
"How exciting!" My mother spoke, hugging her best fur coat. It was her only fur coat actually, and she never wore it unless it was a special occasion. "Isn't this exciting?"
"Ja, Mother!" I could hardly believe where we were going.
The night before, I filled my parents in on the discussion I'd had over the phone with Steven. We ended up having to pack bags, immediately. We were heading to America for a daytime television show interview. Since my new show had amazed so many people and grabbed so many viewers, I stirred up a ton of buzz in American media and was requested for a visit to talk about the show. I was anxious to get on an airplane for my first, overseas flight and when I saw the taxi pull into the airport, I couldn't hide the smile on my face. We were escorted out of the taxi by one of my many new security guards, sent over by Steven. They'd be awaiting my arrival.
"This way, sir."
They directed me, huddling around not only me, but my parents. One of them gave me a pair of sunglasses with dark tinted lenses. I could hardly see around them and I also couldn't see where I was going. I also wasn't sure why I needed sunglasses till cameras started flashing. I was more confused than ever.
The security moved aside after a while of walking through the airport and in front of us was a staircase that would lead us into the plane we'd be taking to America. I looked back at my parents as the cameras continued to flash in the distance and they looked back at me with a smile. We all rushed up the stairs together. The inside of the plane was massive. The seats were chocolate leather and the interior was colored a soothing mint. We threw our bags in the overhead compartments and took a seat.
"This is so nice!" I laughed. "I could live in here if I really wanted to."
It seemed like the ride was a private one, because after our security boarded, the doors closed behind them. A soft ding could be heard over the speakers of the jet.
"To the family of Sigmund the Sorcerer, please relax and enjoy your flight. Any requests during the duration of the trip will be taken with a push of the yellow buttons on the armrests of your seats." I looked down at the yellow button. It glowed and flickered on and off. It tempted me to push it. "Please clip on your seat belts and stay seated for take off."
I shoved my hand into my coat pocket and pulled out some daisies I had picked from around Isis' grave earlier. I set them on the seat beside me. Across the aisle, my mother smiled gently. I smiled back at her and faced the window when the plane engine started.
Outside, I saw a huge crowd of people being held back by more of my security personnel. They must've gathered after we'd already arrived. Out of all the people in the crowd, I spotted Lila,from the village. She held the sunhat on her head down as the plane forced out gusts of wind. She looked up at the jet with saddened eyes. I noticed a few of the people in the crowd had also come from my village. They were waving and cheering and dancing around. The cheers grew louder when the plane started to move forward. I leaned back in my seat when the plane engine began to rumble.
"What's wrong?" My father asked.
I hadn't realized my expression at the moment. I was totally disgusted. The adults and children who shunned me and wanted NOTHING to do with me now suddenly supported me? Now that they heard of me leaving for America, they wanted to be part of me? They saw me hopping on a plane, so they wanted to celebrate me? All those years of being alone and now they wanted to be there for me? I shook my head and turned back to the window as the plane finally rushed down the runway and took off, allowing me to breathe again. I hadn't noticed that I'd stopped breathing.
"Nothing at all, Father." I mumbled.
Two faced and evil. All of them.
I sat back in my seat again and stared down at the blinking yellow button. I gave myself an excuse. 'Well, I'm somewhat parched...'. I pushed the button and nothing happened straight away. After a while though, a woman dressed in a clean, white uniform rushed over to my seat. I wasn't sure if her smile was genuine or false, but it made me feel warm.
"Is there anything you need, sir?" She asked in a tone that made me feel younger than I was. I didn't like that.
"Water." I replied flatly. Her smile dropped.
"What is it you need?"
"Water."
"Oh! Water? My apologies, I couldn't catch what you were saying with that accent of yours!" She giggled to herself before turning away to get what I had requested. I heard my father muffle a laugh and I faced him.
"What's so funny?" He shook his head, but his laugh blurted out anyways.
"Nothing son!" He snickered. I cracked a smile and ended up laughing with him. We were thinking the same thing at the moment, that woman was kinda slow...
—
Screaming. Very loud, very high pitched screaming. And girls, lots and lots of teenaged girls. That's what was waiting for me at the airport in the United States. My security guards looked stressed already. The walk from my plane to the car looked so very far, but I didn't mind a bit. Neon paper signs were being waved and hands reached out to me at both my right and left from behind metal barricades. I slowed my walk and took time to wave, smile and shake a few hands as cameras flashed in all directions. There were more cameras here than back home for sure. Now I knew what the sunglasses were truly for. The screams grew louder.
"I LOVE YOU, SIGMUND!"
"AHH! HE'S SO CUTE!"
"MARRY ME! PLEASE!"
My eyes grew behind my glasses at that last one and it instantly made me laugh. The girls shrieked when they caught glimpse of me laughing. When we reached the car, a limousine, I let my parents in before me and hopped in afterwards. I let out a huge sigh when the closed door muffled out the sound of the screams and I leaned back in my seat. My parents seemed to do the same.
"Well, that was..um..something." My mother giggled. A window between us and the limo driver rolled down a crack before the driver on the other side spoke to us.
"Expect that again once we get to the studio." He told us. "Your security let me know that people have been waiting for you since three this morning." I gasped. It was already well after eight in the morning.
"Mein Gott..." I mumbled to myself. "Why would they wait that long?"
"It means you've got fans, kid!" The driver replied. "And one hell of a strong fanbase too!"
I quickly faced the window, eager to spot any signs of my fans on the way to the studio. In America, New York specifically, I was surprised to pass massive billboards, bright lights and steady highways. My father gasped, pointing toward the window on his side suddenly.
"Sigmund, LOOK!" He shouted.
There I was, my face on a billboard overseeing the highway we sped on. It was an advertisement for my show on the American version of the MagicTV1 network. My eyes sparkled at the sight of it and we all went quiet as we stared at it. On the way to the studio, we passed a few more of my ads and it was slowly starting to sink in for me. Slowly.
The limousine pulled up in front of the studio building and a larger crowd than the one at the airport was already screaming. I watched security guards approaching the door and I looked back at my parents.
"Go ahead, Sigmund." The driver spoke. "Your parents will meet you inside after." My stomach dropped and I gave them a concerned expression. My parents nodded.
"Don't worry about us, darling." My mother assured me.
"Right, you should be a little worried for yourself at the moment!" My father joked.
I chuckled lightly and turned to the door when it was opened. As the screams entered my ears, I put my sunglasses on and hopped out, instantly turning on confidence I didn't know I had. Cameras immediately started flashing. I hopped a little so the people in the back could catch a glimpse of me.
"HALLO!" I yelled out to the crowd.
The screaming felt like it would burst my eardrums. They screamed and jumped. I even saw one girl crying. I didn't understand how people could get so hot over just seeing me. I mean, I was a kid, like them. Just a little different. Before I finally entered the building, I stopped and signed a few posters. For others, I smiled with them in a selfie on their phones and personal cameras, lifting my sunglasses when I did and offering them a wink. At the door of the studio, I faced the crowd of my fans one more time.
"ICH LIEBE DICH!" I smiled back to myself when I got the reaction I was looking for and I finally turned away into the building. I followed two security guards who'd been waiting for me into an elevator.
"Fourth floor, sir." One of them instructed me. I nodded and stepped in, hitting the floor when the doors opened.
While I waited for the elevator to reach the floor, I looked at my reflection in the mirrored walls. I quickly adjusted my coat and smoothed out my hair. I also tightened my gloves and with an index finger, swiped across my teeth. The doors opened finally and revealed a tall, thin woman with bouncy brown hair.
"Hello there, Sigmund!" She greeted me. I shook her hand gently.
"Hallo!"
"Are you ready for your first live interview?" She asked me. "I'm Rita, the host of the show, and I'm so excited to have you here!" I nodded and the host lead me over to the backstage area of the show. "You're going to be called out to our live audience. When you're called, just walk through these doors."
I nodded again and watched her go through the doors herself after a countdown, out to a cheering audience of people. While she started up the crowd with an opening line, a couple stylist came over to me and dusted me with powders. After a few minutes of waiting and primping, the audience cheered again and I was ushered to the same doors she'd walked out of by the backstage crew.
"Please give a warm welcome to TV's newest star, Sigmund the Sorcerer!"
Looking back at the crew, they gave me a thumbs up and I nodded back. I composed myself quickly and walked through the doors, giving the audience a wave and a warm smile. The audience smiled back and clapped for me. The host greeted me again with a brief hug in front of the cameras and together, we sat down across from one another on the stage. The cameras pointed at us from the audience and I could make out a bright sign above that read 'LIVE'.
"Hello, Sigmund! So great to meet you!"
"Hallo!" The audience giggled when I spoke. I blushed.
"So, how was your trip here from Germany? This is your first time in America, isn't it? First time in New York?"
"Oh, really nice!" I grinned. "Ja, my first time in America and that was actually my first overseas plane ride."
"Really? Do you hear that guys? How nice is that! His first time in New York!"
The audience clapped and I giggled at the response before the host started the conversation back up.
"So, let's talk about this show of yours. Are you aware that the first episode of your show pulled five-point-two MILLION viewers in it's first night?" I nodded at her question as the audience applauded the number. "What was that like, Sigmund?"
"Well, I got a call from my director, Steven, and—."
"I'm sorry to cut you off, but I just have to say this, and I know my viewers at home are thinking the same thing when I say this. Your accent is the most adorable thing I've ever heard!" When a couple audience members clapped at her statement, Rita nodded in their direction. "No, go ahead and clap guys! Isn't it cute?" There was a loud roar of applause this time. I covered my shy smile and chuckled to myself. "Please, go on."
"O-oh.." I coughed, collecting myself again. "So I got the call from my director, Steven, and he informed me about the amount of viewers I had that night. I was so shocked. I just had to dance and my parents screamed and all that!" The audience laughed. So did the host.
"Your parents were screaming?" She giggled. I nodded, holding back a laugh at the thought. It came out anyways which made the audience and host laugh with me. "That's too cute. Oh, Sigmund, I heard your birthday just passed. How old are you now?"
"I'm thirteen now."
"Wow, superstar at thirteen! That's really amazing!"
"Thank you so much." The host turned to the camera.
"After the break, Sigmund will perform a few tricks for us, so stay tuned!" The audience cheered and a cameraman gave us a signal to let us know we were off air for now. "You're doing a great job, Sigmund. You're such a likable kid."
"Thank you!" I was directed to another stage by a crew member.
"You'll perform here." The member told me. I nodded and looked around at the space I had to work with. Not much. I would have to stick to smaller tricks. I thought about a few I could pull off and nodded to myself in time with the audience applause when we went back on air. Quickly, I fixed my posture and turned my new persona back on.
"And we're back!" Rita smiled at the camera. She walked over to me on the performance stage and set a hand on my shoulder. "How exciting having Sigmund the Sorcerer on set with us today! We're all ready for some magic, aren't we?" The audience applauded as Rita retreated into the audience. I gave a graceful bow.
"Then prepare to be dazzled~!" I announced to the crowd with a sweep of my jacket. The room went silent as they focused in on me with the studio cameras.
"WATCH NOW! I will form, from my hands, a ball of flames right before your eyes!"
I showed my palms to the audience, then the backs of my hands to prove I wasn't using any devices. I steadied my hands and after a dramatic pause, I quickly lit a flame and lifted it to the cameras for all to see. The audience rumbled with excitement in that moment. Wide eyes and opened mouths from everyone, including the host.
"Oh my goodness!" She gasped. "And we all thought it was just special effects last night!" The audience laughed. I chuckled with them. "H-how do you do that?"
"It's a sorcerer's secret." The audience applauded me again as I waved the fireball away. Rita clapped with them.
"Please do one more for us!" She insisted.
"As you wish!" I replied. "Watch closely, please, as I conjure the spirit of the dragon. The darkness that will soon be among us requires your complete and total silence." The audience fell to a dead silence at my request. "I must warn you, this is an evil spirit here in the studio. I'll have it exterminated once and for all!"
There was no evil spirit. I actually learned this trick at Milkweed while tutoring a centuries-old wizard. My father was never fond of this trick, since it was borderline black magic, but I realized I was actually pretty skilled with that form of magic myself. I also wanted to do something a little less pageant-like.
I sat on the floor of the stage in a meditation position, part of the dramatics. I concentrated and smiled to myself when I heard a response from the audience. I had started to let off an aura, which meant the spell was working. Then came the sound of the muffled dragon's roar that made me look up. I had done it! Above me was a ghostly image of a black dragon.
"Oh my!" I heard Rita whisper into her microphone. I stood up to face the dragon. This was the hard part of the trick.
"I have summoned you." I spoke. "Follow me."
I took a deep breath in, setting my hands over my abdomen. I tried my hardest to blow out fire and although it was weak, I managed to do it and the dragon copied my action.
"Be gone. Rest."
When the dragon faded, the audience roared themselves. The volume was incredible and it bought a smile to my face when I was given a standing ovation.
"Sigmund the Sorcerer, everyone!" Rita announced, joining me on stage again. I gave another, deep bow.
"You've been dazzled~!"
—
"I forgot to mention it over dinner, but I saw you on television this morning."
"Did you? How'd you like it?"
"Oh, you were brilliant!"
I blushed as I sat in Erin's living room on the sofa beside her. Since I was in New York, I'd surprised her after my interview and showed up to her brownstone home in Manhattan with a gift. She hadn't been expecting me at all and neither were her family members, which I'd met over Christmas dinner with them. They'd insisted on me staying after filling me in on a young fan in the family who'd be elated to eat with me, Erin's baby sister, Ellie. I couldn't say no to that, even though her older brother, Eric, had been practically interrogating me for half the evening.
I was happy to have some time to sit and talk, just the two of us, after dinner. I'd baked some pastries for Erin using ingredients from my family's farm and she absolutely loved them. I'd been worried about her possibly rejecting the gift, so I was over the moon when she'd eaten the danishes happily.
"I'm relived!" I sighed, setting a hand over my chest. "I was nervous you'd find it too sweet. My mother says she can't eat too much of those without her teeth hurting her. She actually told me I shouldn't have made these. She had other ideas, but—."
"You're so much different now than when I spoke with you at the Yule ball..."
"Hm?"
"At the ball, I felt like I couldn't speak with you. And to be honest, I didn't want to."
"...w-why not?"
"You were just so...flashy. And I don't mean wardrobe wise, I love how you dress actually."
"You do?!"
"Listen!" Erin giggled. I was dreading the feedback she was about to unleash on me. "I was already inside when you walked into the ball. You made that little announcement and I was so turned off. It was your entire aura, you and your posse."
"They're not my posse!"
"Oh, cut it out! They totally are! And you all walked in, noses high in the air, heels clacking real loud and making a giant scene. It was obnoxious, to say the least."
"Ah..." I was embarrassed. I was right about the impression I'd made on her that night and I agreed with her, it was pretty obnoxious.
"Then you show up here, and it's like night and day! I like everything about you."
"You like me?!"
"Well...yeah." Erin smiled warmly. I felt my stomach drop. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "I like talking to you, joking with you, my family liked your company, my father was laughing with you. You've been a total gentleman. Excuse my language, but why the heck were you so weird at the ball? Weirdo!"
"AH! I DON'T KNOW!" I flushed, covering my face. Erin had a great laugh at my expense and the jokes we shared through the evening really lifted my mood, especially after not having Christmas with my family this year. We'd always had Christmas together, but with my parents micro-managing me, they seemed to be more focused on my upcoming engagements than anything else.
Throughout the entire evening, my phone had been going off in my pocket, but I refused to answer. I wanted to stay with Erin for as long as I could. I knew going back to my hotel meant I was going back to work. During a playful scuffle we'd been having, my phone fell out of my pocket and Erin had spotted it, ringing. It had been on vibrate, so the tones had never gone off. Before I could reach for the phone, Erin had answered it herself.
"Hello?"
"H...Hello? Sigmund?"
"Erin."
"Erin? Wait, what? I'm sorry, who am I sp-"
"Can I help you? We're a little busy." I covered his mouth, hunching over to keep the laughter in. It was my directive manager, Steven, on the line.
"Sigmund, seriously, it's been three hours! I've been trying to reach you all evening! You left before we could do your fitting and the stylist can't stay any longer!"
"AYE! QUIT SHOUTING!"
I finally laughed and Erin hit the mute button to laugh with me, handing me my phone. Steven continued to shout and after a while, I noticed Erin's expression change.
"Maybe you should go..." Erin muttered. "He sounds really angry."
"I don't care if he's angry." I shrugged. "He never lets me rest."
"Sigmund..."
"I'm having fun with you, Erin."
"I know, but I don't want any trouble. Answer the phone, okay?"
I groaned, but listened to her anyways, clicking the phone off mute to finally speak over Steven, who was still actively shouting.
"OKAY! I'M ON MY WAY! GOODBYE!" I hung up without allowing him to speak and pushed my phone down into my vest pocket. Erin gave me a sympathetic smile and stood up from the sofa to walk me out, I followed behind her.
She handed me my coat, which had been on a coat rack near the front door, and I worked at buttoning it up. It had snowed heavily in New York and by the look of the outside, I knew it would be chilly. With my coat on, I turned to the door.
"Your family has been so kind." I told her. "I've really enjoyed my time."
"I think they'd say the same about you too, Sigmund. You really kept up with all our jokes and jabs. I'm impressed." I pulled on my winter gloves as Erin bought up a question suddenly. "Do you have a crystal ball?"
"Ja. Do you?"
"Yeah. Call me when you get back to wherever you're going, okay? So I know you made it back safely."
"I will. Make sure you answer as soon as I call. Don't let the crystal ring twice!"
"Hehehe~! I will."
As she finally opened the door for me, I gave her one last smile before heading out the door and down the stoop. The fresh snow under the street lights on the sidewalk sparkled and crunched under my boots. I took in my surroundings as I conjured my broom. I actually loved this city. I sighed to myself, reminded by the thought of having to go back to work. I didn't want to leave Erin just yet.
To my surprise as I turned to wave goodbye, Erin had followed me outside and met me on the sidewalk with a warm embrace.
"Erin! You scared me!"
"I wish you could stay a little longer..."
There were absolute butterflies in my stomach now. This was completely unexpected, even after the great night we'd had. I knew she'd said she'd enjoyed my company, but I suppose I hadn't realized just how much. I hugged her back, happy to be greeted by the fragrance I remembered from that day at the relay. I felt the same way. I didn't want to leave and I didn't want to go back to work. The holiday had been a different, but special one. Looking down at Erin, I noticed she didn't have a coat on.
"O-oh! It's cold. Go in."
"No."
"Fine." I pulled my own coat off and draped it over her. Though she protested, I insisted on her keeping it. In my pocket, I felt my phone buzzing again and sighed to myself. I needed one last hug before I left.
Hopping on my broom, I held my arms out to her and she instantly complied. I didn't mean to, but I let out a deep sigh. It was as if all the stress and irritation I felt before had just melted down. And when Erin kissed my cheek, the phone calls didn't matter anymore. Nothing did, to be honest. Just her. I tested my luck.
"One more~?"
"Bye, Sigmund!"
"Please?" I pleaded. "The other side this time!"
Of course, she approached to give me what I'd asked for. With her eyes closed, I watched as she leaned into me and I don't know what compelled me to, but I did the same. I kissed her. It took a moment for her to realize, but when she did, she hopped back in surprise and covered her mouth. I couldn't help but laugh at her reaction and in time, she laughed with me till something thumped me over the head.
"OUCH! WHAT THE—?!"
Looking down at the snow below, I'd spotted a sneaker. Someone had thrown a shoe at me! Looking back at Erin's house, her older brother was stood at the door and he didn't look very happy. I guessed he'd seen the stunt I'd just pulled.
"AYE! Get back in the house, Erin!" Eric shouted over Erin's booming laughter. After a playful punch to my arm, Erin rushed away with the sneaker and the door to her home was promptly closed.
I sighed lovingly and finally took off into the night sky. Not only had I fallen in love with New York City, I'd fallen in love here too.