"You want me to play the violin?" Monica asked incredulously, after she
found her voice. "Tess, music isn't exactly my forte. actually, it's
definitely not my forte. Are you sure about this?"
"Would you stop worrying Miss Wings?" Tess scolded, "Didn't I just get done telling you that you'd have what you need when you need it? Now, you'd better get ready for your audition."
Monica looked back up to the orchestra with a anxious look on her face. They were done with rehearsal for the day, and the musicians were putting away their instruments and the stagehands were clearing the chairs and stands away. The conductor arranged a music stand and a microphone on the empty stage. He hooked the microphone up to a recording device, and then he and Dana stood off to one corner of the stage, waiting for the people auditioning to arrive. Monica watched the entire process with a growing feeling of nervousness. She knew somewhere in her heart that everything would be fine - she had done this sort of thing before - but the last time, she had suddenly lost her ability in the middle of the case. The one thing Monica feared as much as water was to be humiliated. She had run into a few situations in her time as a caseworker that she would rather forget, and she hoped that this would not be one of them. But, at the same time the young angel was a little bit excited about having even a temporary musical ability. The one thing Monica had always wanted was to praise God through music, a skill that she usually didn't have. The young angel's thoughts continued to race, until a nudge from Tess brought her out of her reverie, and the two angels took seats in the house.
After about 10 minutes, all the people who were to audition were sitting in the house. The conductor stepped to the edge of the stage, and began to address the people sitting in front of him. "Welcome everyone. I want to thank you all for coming down to audition today. My name is Kevin Schneider, and I'm the conductor of the Springfield Philharmonic Orchestra. And this is our concertmaster, Dana Larkin. We'll be hearing the auditions today. Basically the process goes like this. everyone will be waiting outside the house until it's your turn to audition. When you're called, you'll come up here and play your prepared piece. After all the auditions are complete, Dana and I will decide on the new members, and we'll notify you all before you leave here today. So. let's get started. If you'll all just exit the hall through that door, you'll find some warm- up rooms to use before you are called."
Monica and Tess, along with the 15 other people who were to audition, went through the door Kevin had indicated. They walked down the corridor, until they came to an area that held several soundproof booths. Monica stepped into one, and placed the music that Tess had handed her on the stand. "Go ahead baby, I'll wait out here," Tess said, nudging Monica into the booth.
Monica nodded and closed the door to the practice room, placing the violin case on the chair before opening it. It was a beautiful violin, with a honey colored body and ebony trim. Monica picked up the bow, and put the violin to her shoulder, the way she had seen Dana hold it. As she raised the bow, the angel felt a rush of knowledge fill her. She suddenly knew exactly what each part of the instrument was called, and she also noted that she could now read the music sitting on the stand in front of her. She drew the bow across the strings, and a beautiful, lilting sound came from the violin. Monica looked out of the window of the booth to Tess, who was smiling knowingly, and nodding. Monica smiled back at Tess, amazed, and decided to attempt the piece she was supposed to play for her audition. She began to play the piece, and was pleasantly surprised to find that she knew the concerto as if she had been playing it forever. She played through the piece once, and was about to do it for a second time when Tess knocked on the door.
"C'mon baby, they just called your name," Tess told her. The two angels headed back down the corridor to the main house. Monica stepped up onto the stage, and Tess took a seat a few rows behind Kevin and Dana.
As Tess took her seat, Andrew walked down the aisle and sat next to her. "Sorry I'm late," he whispered. "I had to take Mrs. Callahan home. She's a wonderful lady, but she refused to go until she had finished making a quilt for her third great-grandchild." The two angels shared a quiet chuckle, and then Andrew asked, "Did I miss her audition?"
Tess shook her head, "She just got up there."
Up on stage, Kevin Schneider began the recording device. He dictated some notes into it, and then turned to look at Monica. "Ok, Monica," Kevin said, "you can start whenever you're ready." Monica nodded as she placed her music on the stand and got ready to play. As she began the piece, she felt herself being drawn into the music. Her fingers flew over the fingerboard, and the hall once again filled with music. The melody coming from Monica's violin was haunting and beautiful, and the few people in the house sat listening with rapt attention. As the last strains of the solo drained away, Monica received applause from Tess and Andrew, as well as Kevin and Dana. "That was incredible," Kevin said. He turned to say something to Dana, and when the blonde woman nodded and smiled, Kevin looked back up at Monica. "There's no need for you to wait for the decisions. You were the last audition today, and I already know where I want you. I'm going to place you as Dana's stand partner."
Monica looked stunned. "Wow. thank you Mr. Schneider." She looked at Dana; "I look forward to working with you, Dana."
Dana smiled, "Likewise."
"The first rehearsal will be tomorrow night at 6:30. You'll probably want to be here about 10 or 15 minutes early, so you can get acquainted with everyone," Kevin told her. "Oh, and we don't do the whole formality thing here. Just call me Kevin." Monica nodded as she gathered up her music and other things. She left the stage and walked back to the practice room to get her violin case. Tess and Andrew were waiting for her there, both with gigantic smiles on their faces. "Way to go Miss Wings," Tess said as she hugged her charge.
Andrew stepped forward to hug Monica as well, "That was amazing."
"Thank you," Monica said, hugging her friends, "When did you get here, Andrew?"
"Right before you started your audition," He replied. "I'm still not sure why I'm here, but I was just told to come here and wait."
"Well, there's no reason we can't celebrate while we're waiting," Tess said. "There's nothing you can do with Dana until tomorrow, Monica, so let's go get some coffee."
"You don't have to ask me twice," Monica said, beaming. The three angels exited the concert hall and climbed into Tess's car after stowing Monica's violin in the trunk. They enjoyed the evening together, laughing and talking.
"Would you stop worrying Miss Wings?" Tess scolded, "Didn't I just get done telling you that you'd have what you need when you need it? Now, you'd better get ready for your audition."
Monica looked back up to the orchestra with a anxious look on her face. They were done with rehearsal for the day, and the musicians were putting away their instruments and the stagehands were clearing the chairs and stands away. The conductor arranged a music stand and a microphone on the empty stage. He hooked the microphone up to a recording device, and then he and Dana stood off to one corner of the stage, waiting for the people auditioning to arrive. Monica watched the entire process with a growing feeling of nervousness. She knew somewhere in her heart that everything would be fine - she had done this sort of thing before - but the last time, she had suddenly lost her ability in the middle of the case. The one thing Monica feared as much as water was to be humiliated. She had run into a few situations in her time as a caseworker that she would rather forget, and she hoped that this would not be one of them. But, at the same time the young angel was a little bit excited about having even a temporary musical ability. The one thing Monica had always wanted was to praise God through music, a skill that she usually didn't have. The young angel's thoughts continued to race, until a nudge from Tess brought her out of her reverie, and the two angels took seats in the house.
After about 10 minutes, all the people who were to audition were sitting in the house. The conductor stepped to the edge of the stage, and began to address the people sitting in front of him. "Welcome everyone. I want to thank you all for coming down to audition today. My name is Kevin Schneider, and I'm the conductor of the Springfield Philharmonic Orchestra. And this is our concertmaster, Dana Larkin. We'll be hearing the auditions today. Basically the process goes like this. everyone will be waiting outside the house until it's your turn to audition. When you're called, you'll come up here and play your prepared piece. After all the auditions are complete, Dana and I will decide on the new members, and we'll notify you all before you leave here today. So. let's get started. If you'll all just exit the hall through that door, you'll find some warm- up rooms to use before you are called."
Monica and Tess, along with the 15 other people who were to audition, went through the door Kevin had indicated. They walked down the corridor, until they came to an area that held several soundproof booths. Monica stepped into one, and placed the music that Tess had handed her on the stand. "Go ahead baby, I'll wait out here," Tess said, nudging Monica into the booth.
Monica nodded and closed the door to the practice room, placing the violin case on the chair before opening it. It was a beautiful violin, with a honey colored body and ebony trim. Monica picked up the bow, and put the violin to her shoulder, the way she had seen Dana hold it. As she raised the bow, the angel felt a rush of knowledge fill her. She suddenly knew exactly what each part of the instrument was called, and she also noted that she could now read the music sitting on the stand in front of her. She drew the bow across the strings, and a beautiful, lilting sound came from the violin. Monica looked out of the window of the booth to Tess, who was smiling knowingly, and nodding. Monica smiled back at Tess, amazed, and decided to attempt the piece she was supposed to play for her audition. She began to play the piece, and was pleasantly surprised to find that she knew the concerto as if she had been playing it forever. She played through the piece once, and was about to do it for a second time when Tess knocked on the door.
"C'mon baby, they just called your name," Tess told her. The two angels headed back down the corridor to the main house. Monica stepped up onto the stage, and Tess took a seat a few rows behind Kevin and Dana.
As Tess took her seat, Andrew walked down the aisle and sat next to her. "Sorry I'm late," he whispered. "I had to take Mrs. Callahan home. She's a wonderful lady, but she refused to go until she had finished making a quilt for her third great-grandchild." The two angels shared a quiet chuckle, and then Andrew asked, "Did I miss her audition?"
Tess shook her head, "She just got up there."
Up on stage, Kevin Schneider began the recording device. He dictated some notes into it, and then turned to look at Monica. "Ok, Monica," Kevin said, "you can start whenever you're ready." Monica nodded as she placed her music on the stand and got ready to play. As she began the piece, she felt herself being drawn into the music. Her fingers flew over the fingerboard, and the hall once again filled with music. The melody coming from Monica's violin was haunting and beautiful, and the few people in the house sat listening with rapt attention. As the last strains of the solo drained away, Monica received applause from Tess and Andrew, as well as Kevin and Dana. "That was incredible," Kevin said. He turned to say something to Dana, and when the blonde woman nodded and smiled, Kevin looked back up at Monica. "There's no need for you to wait for the decisions. You were the last audition today, and I already know where I want you. I'm going to place you as Dana's stand partner."
Monica looked stunned. "Wow. thank you Mr. Schneider." She looked at Dana; "I look forward to working with you, Dana."
Dana smiled, "Likewise."
"The first rehearsal will be tomorrow night at 6:30. You'll probably want to be here about 10 or 15 minutes early, so you can get acquainted with everyone," Kevin told her. "Oh, and we don't do the whole formality thing here. Just call me Kevin." Monica nodded as she gathered up her music and other things. She left the stage and walked back to the practice room to get her violin case. Tess and Andrew were waiting for her there, both with gigantic smiles on their faces. "Way to go Miss Wings," Tess said as she hugged her charge.
Andrew stepped forward to hug Monica as well, "That was amazing."
"Thank you," Monica said, hugging her friends, "When did you get here, Andrew?"
"Right before you started your audition," He replied. "I'm still not sure why I'm here, but I was just told to come here and wait."
"Well, there's no reason we can't celebrate while we're waiting," Tess said. "There's nothing you can do with Dana until tomorrow, Monica, so let's go get some coffee."
"You don't have to ask me twice," Monica said, beaming. The three angels exited the concert hall and climbed into Tess's car after stowing Monica's violin in the trunk. They enjoyed the evening together, laughing and talking.