Chloe stood in front of the mirror as she put a barrette in her short, brown hair. She stepped back a bit to examine herself.
It was the day of the concert and Chloe was wearing her concert black, the 'uniform' her choir had for concerts. They could basically wear whatever they wanted as long as it was black and dressy.
Chloe glanced at her watch and immediately headed down the stairs and tapped on the bathroom door, "Lauren," she called, "are you about ready?"
"In a minute," Chloe's older sister Lauren called from the bathroom.
"We have to be there in fifteen minutes," Chloe reminded her sister.
"Don't worry, we won't be late," Lauren answered.
"Yes, we will," Chloe muttered under her breath as she walked to the living room and plopped down on a lazy boy chair.
She found her folder on the table next to the chair and leafed through the pages of music. She stopped at one particular song, called 'Wanting Memories'.
I am sitting here, wanting memories
To teach me to see the beauty in the world
Through my own eyes.
Chloe began to sing softly.
You used to rock me in the cradle of your arms.
You said you'd hold me 'till the pains of life were gone.
You said you'd comfort me in times like these and now I need you,
And now I need you,
And you are gone.
So I am sitting here, wanting memories
To teach me to see the beauty in the world
Through my own eyes.
Lauren walked in the room. "Ready to go?" she asked.
"Yeah," Chloe said.
They walked outside and went to Lauren's gray Blazer.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
After finishing with warm-ups, everyone in the choir had an hour to wait for the concert to start. Some people had brought cards to play with and others had books to read, while still others brought homework along. Chloe was practicing to make sure she knew all of the music. She continued to sing 'Wanting Memories' very softly to herself.
Since you've gone and left me,
There's been so little beauty,
But I know I saw it clearly through your eyes.
Now the world outside is such a cold and bitter place.
Here inside I have few things that will console,
And when I try to hear your voice above the storms of life, then I remember
All the things that I was told.
Yes, I am sitting here, wanting memories
To teach me to see the beauty in the world
Through my own eyes....
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
"So why exactly are we fifteen minutes early?" Peggy asked Declan as he drove his truck into the parking lot.
"We want to get good seats, don't we?" Declan responded as he took his key out of the ignition and opened the door. "Besides, that's when Miranda said she'd meet us."
"Miranda's coming?" Peggy asked, surprised.
"Yeah," Declan said casually, as if Peggy should have known that.
"There she is," Peggy spotted Miranda by the door and waved.
Miranda acknowledged Peggy in her own Miranda-like way as they came to the front door of the auditorium.
"You're on time," Miranda said, surprised, or at least, as surprised as Miranda gets.
"Well, let's just go on in," Declan said.
"Okay," Miranda and Peggy said in unison. The three of them went into the lobby of the auditorium.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
Chloe waited nervously backstage. She was always nervous just before concerts, and she probably always would be.
She closed her eyes and listened to the dull roar of conversation between people in the audience. She couldn't pick out any particular voices. That reminded her of just how large the audience was.
It would probably be a good idea to think about something else.
What about that one professor guy? He certainly seemed to be interested in her music. He had even brought that one girl with him to her practice. What was her name again? Melissa? Mariah? Miranda. That was it. She wondered if he would be at the concert. Of course, she wasn't going to look. She knew from experience that it looked very tacky when someone peeked through the curtains.
She looked at her watch. It was 7:20. Ten more minutes. It was probably time to get in our line to go on stage.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
"See," Declan said with a smile on his face, "I told you we'd get good seats if we came early."
Declan, Peggy, and Miranda sat down in the sixth row from the front.
One of the choir members hurried across the stage, wearing her formal black outfit. Glancing over at Miranda, Declan said, "Looks like you would fit right in with this choir,"
Miranda ignored Declan. It was almost time for the concert to start.
The members of the choir, dressed in formal black attire, filed silently onto the stage. After every person was in place, the conductor walked onstage. He was greeted with applause.
"Good evening and welcome to tonight's concert," he said into the microphone, "because of the mood of tonight's repertoire, we ask that you withhold your applause until the end of the program. We also ask that you turn of any cell phones, beepers, or other electronic devices and not take any flash photography. Thank you and enjoy the concert."
Peggy looked down at her program. The first song was entitled 'Wanting Memories'. She listened as the piano started playing a steady rhythm and the choir started in unison.
I am sitting here, wanting memories
To teach me to see the beauty in the world
Through my own eyes.
Yes, I am sitting here, wanting memories
The alto part came in.
To teach me to see the beauty in the world
Through my own eyes.
You used to rock me in the cradle of your arms.
You said you'd hold me 'till the pains of life were gone.
You said you'd comfort me in times like these
And now I need you,
And now I need you,
And you are gone.
Suddenly, Peggy began to remember her husband. She realized that she could really relate to this song.
The chorus began again.
So I am sitting here, wanting memories
To teach me to see the beauty in the world
Through my own eyes.
Since you've gone and left me
There's been so little beauty,
But I know I saw it clearly through your eyes.
A tear ran down her face. Sadly, this was true. She remembered being so happy with Adam there right beside her, and now ...
Now the world outside is such a cold and bitter place.
Here inside I have few things that will console.
And when I try to hear your voice above the storms of life,
Then I remember
All the things that I was told.
As the chorus repeated itself again, she felt a hand hold on to hers. She looked to her left and saw Declan's worried face. "Are you all right?" he asked.
Peggy pursed her lips and nodded.
I think on the things that made me feel so wonderful when I was young.
I think on the things that made me laugh, made me dance, made me sing.
I think on the things that made me grow into a being full of pride.
Think on these things,
For they are truth.
The chorus repeated itself yet again and Peggy started thinking that maybe this wasn't such a bad thing after all. Adam's death was very sad, but Peggy realized that she had been remembering his death too much, and she had to remember his life and all of the good things that his presence in her life had brought to her.
I thought that you were gone,
But now I know you're with me.
You are the voice that whispers all I need to hear.
I know a please, a thank-you, and a smile will take me far.
I know that I am you and you are me and we are one.
I know that who I am is numbered in each grain of sand.
I know that I've been blessed again and over again.
Peggy's face was now wet with tears, but they weren't sad tears. They were happy tears. She had thought that Adam was gone forever, but she was wrong. He was there with her, and she had ignored him in her own grief.
She looked down at the hand that was still holding her hand. She knew Adam wouldn't mind.
It was the day of the concert and Chloe was wearing her concert black, the 'uniform' her choir had for concerts. They could basically wear whatever they wanted as long as it was black and dressy.
Chloe glanced at her watch and immediately headed down the stairs and tapped on the bathroom door, "Lauren," she called, "are you about ready?"
"In a minute," Chloe's older sister Lauren called from the bathroom.
"We have to be there in fifteen minutes," Chloe reminded her sister.
"Don't worry, we won't be late," Lauren answered.
"Yes, we will," Chloe muttered under her breath as she walked to the living room and plopped down on a lazy boy chair.
She found her folder on the table next to the chair and leafed through the pages of music. She stopped at one particular song, called 'Wanting Memories'.
I am sitting here, wanting memories
To teach me to see the beauty in the world
Through my own eyes.
Chloe began to sing softly.
You used to rock me in the cradle of your arms.
You said you'd hold me 'till the pains of life were gone.
You said you'd comfort me in times like these and now I need you,
And now I need you,
And you are gone.
So I am sitting here, wanting memories
To teach me to see the beauty in the world
Through my own eyes.
Lauren walked in the room. "Ready to go?" she asked.
"Yeah," Chloe said.
They walked outside and went to Lauren's gray Blazer.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
After finishing with warm-ups, everyone in the choir had an hour to wait for the concert to start. Some people had brought cards to play with and others had books to read, while still others brought homework along. Chloe was practicing to make sure she knew all of the music. She continued to sing 'Wanting Memories' very softly to herself.
Since you've gone and left me,
There's been so little beauty,
But I know I saw it clearly through your eyes.
Now the world outside is such a cold and bitter place.
Here inside I have few things that will console,
And when I try to hear your voice above the storms of life, then I remember
All the things that I was told.
Yes, I am sitting here, wanting memories
To teach me to see the beauty in the world
Through my own eyes....
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
"So why exactly are we fifteen minutes early?" Peggy asked Declan as he drove his truck into the parking lot.
"We want to get good seats, don't we?" Declan responded as he took his key out of the ignition and opened the door. "Besides, that's when Miranda said she'd meet us."
"Miranda's coming?" Peggy asked, surprised.
"Yeah," Declan said casually, as if Peggy should have known that.
"There she is," Peggy spotted Miranda by the door and waved.
Miranda acknowledged Peggy in her own Miranda-like way as they came to the front door of the auditorium.
"You're on time," Miranda said, surprised, or at least, as surprised as Miranda gets.
"Well, let's just go on in," Declan said.
"Okay," Miranda and Peggy said in unison. The three of them went into the lobby of the auditorium.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
Chloe waited nervously backstage. She was always nervous just before concerts, and she probably always would be.
She closed her eyes and listened to the dull roar of conversation between people in the audience. She couldn't pick out any particular voices. That reminded her of just how large the audience was.
It would probably be a good idea to think about something else.
What about that one professor guy? He certainly seemed to be interested in her music. He had even brought that one girl with him to her practice. What was her name again? Melissa? Mariah? Miranda. That was it. She wondered if he would be at the concert. Of course, she wasn't going to look. She knew from experience that it looked very tacky when someone peeked through the curtains.
She looked at her watch. It was 7:20. Ten more minutes. It was probably time to get in our line to go on stage.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
"See," Declan said with a smile on his face, "I told you we'd get good seats if we came early."
Declan, Peggy, and Miranda sat down in the sixth row from the front.
One of the choir members hurried across the stage, wearing her formal black outfit. Glancing over at Miranda, Declan said, "Looks like you would fit right in with this choir,"
Miranda ignored Declan. It was almost time for the concert to start.
The members of the choir, dressed in formal black attire, filed silently onto the stage. After every person was in place, the conductor walked onstage. He was greeted with applause.
"Good evening and welcome to tonight's concert," he said into the microphone, "because of the mood of tonight's repertoire, we ask that you withhold your applause until the end of the program. We also ask that you turn of any cell phones, beepers, or other electronic devices and not take any flash photography. Thank you and enjoy the concert."
Peggy looked down at her program. The first song was entitled 'Wanting Memories'. She listened as the piano started playing a steady rhythm and the choir started in unison.
I am sitting here, wanting memories
To teach me to see the beauty in the world
Through my own eyes.
Yes, I am sitting here, wanting memories
The alto part came in.
To teach me to see the beauty in the world
Through my own eyes.
You used to rock me in the cradle of your arms.
You said you'd hold me 'till the pains of life were gone.
You said you'd comfort me in times like these
And now I need you,
And now I need you,
And you are gone.
Suddenly, Peggy began to remember her husband. She realized that she could really relate to this song.
The chorus began again.
So I am sitting here, wanting memories
To teach me to see the beauty in the world
Through my own eyes.
Since you've gone and left me
There's been so little beauty,
But I know I saw it clearly through your eyes.
A tear ran down her face. Sadly, this was true. She remembered being so happy with Adam there right beside her, and now ...
Now the world outside is such a cold and bitter place.
Here inside I have few things that will console.
And when I try to hear your voice above the storms of life,
Then I remember
All the things that I was told.
As the chorus repeated itself again, she felt a hand hold on to hers. She looked to her left and saw Declan's worried face. "Are you all right?" he asked.
Peggy pursed her lips and nodded.
I think on the things that made me feel so wonderful when I was young.
I think on the things that made me laugh, made me dance, made me sing.
I think on the things that made me grow into a being full of pride.
Think on these things,
For they are truth.
The chorus repeated itself yet again and Peggy started thinking that maybe this wasn't such a bad thing after all. Adam's death was very sad, but Peggy realized that she had been remembering his death too much, and she had to remember his life and all of the good things that his presence in her life had brought to her.
I thought that you were gone,
But now I know you're with me.
You are the voice that whispers all I need to hear.
I know a please, a thank-you, and a smile will take me far.
I know that I am you and you are me and we are one.
I know that who I am is numbered in each grain of sand.
I know that I've been blessed again and over again.
Peggy's face was now wet with tears, but they weren't sad tears. They were happy tears. She had thought that Adam was gone forever, but she was wrong. He was there with her, and she had ignored him in her own grief.
She looked down at the hand that was still holding her hand. She knew Adam wouldn't mind.