Chapter Five

"Love must have wings to fly away from love, and then back again."-Edwin Arlington Robinson

"But mom, he really wants you to come and try out for his company." Desiree pleaded on the phone. She didn't particularly like the idea of having to recruit her mom to try out for Mr. Foster's show, but with the money he promised her, it changed her mind.

"Well Dessy, I just don't know." Christine murmured.

"You already said you haven't signed a contract with the James yet?"

Christine sighed. "That's because they are still working on it."

"Yeah, so! It's not like you have to stick with them. Just go sing for my boss, and see what contract he can come up with. Then just take the one with more money He said he really wanted a big name like yours." Dessy pleaded, not giving in. She suspected she must have inherited her stubbornness from her unknown father.

Her mother laughed softly. "My, you are starting to sound like you're my agent or something. Besides it's not just about the money."

Dessy rolled her eyes; glad her mother wasn't there to see.  Whatever the sky is colored in your world, mom she thought.

"Listen just say you'll come to an audition. Then if you don't want the job, then don't take it. It that simple!"

There was a long pause on the line then Christine answered. "All right, I'll do it, even if it's only just to shut you up. I'll meet you at Grand Central Station at 10:30 on Tuesday."

"Sounds good to me."

"But after that, your boss has to let you have the day off so we can go shopping like we promised. Okay?"

"Yeah mom." Dessy said. "We'll spend lots of time together."

            Christine descended the main stairs at Grand Central; and could pick out Dessy immediately. She stood near the doors, with a bright orange visor on and a gray sweater. It reminded Christine of a Halloween when her daughter was six, and had visited to go trick-or-treating. She was dressed in an oversized pumpkin costume. It was the first time Dessy had trick or treated in the New Jersey suburb were Christine lived. She smiled remembering when they had come to a house were there was no one to pass out treats, and an angry Desiree began to pound and kick at the door shouting, "I want candy!" at the top of her lungs. She even shined her little plastic flashlight inside the window of the reluctant neighbors before Christine dragged her away.

The two met and took the subway down to 43rd Street. Desiree stopped at a hot dog stand before they went to the theater, because she hadn't had lunch yet, even though Christine had been planning to go out to eat later in the afternoon. As they rounded a corner to take them to the theater, Christine couldn't suppress the feeling that this place was very familiar. Something about the bricks in the walls, and the way the Broadway posters were aligned.

"Well here we are." Dessy announced, pointing up to a towering marquee. It read "The Off Broadway Theater Company." Around the box office and the door were signs advertising a forthcoming opera called "Illusion in Time" But the architecture of the building caught Christine's eye.

She wasn't imagining things. This was the exact theater that almost 20 years ago; she had first encountered Erik Destler. She could almost see the shadow of his presence in the gray bricks and dull colors of the marquee and the signs. Dessy walked to the door, but stopped at the box office station to look at her. Christine stood frozen, looking up in blank horror.

"Uh, mom. Everything okay?" she called.

Christine shook her head. "Yeah, I'm all right sweetheart. I was-just thinking. That's all." Christine took long breaths trying to calm down. He can't be here, she told herself, and you are just imaging things. They both walked in the door and into the dark theater. Dessy called out to some men on the stage doing light stage work.

"Hey, Mr. Spangler! You up there."

One man in a dark jacket raised his hand, jumped off stage and walked towards them. Christine held her breath as her came closer.

"Yes, Destler I'm here. What are you bugging me about now?' he asked

Christine let out a sigh when she saw a man with a dark bushy beard and light blue eyes answer Dessy's summons.

"Hey, is that any why to talk around the show's new star?" She jested than turned towards her mother. "Jim, I want you to meet my mom, Christine Day."

Spangler's eyes lit up. "The singer?" he shook Christine's hand warmly. "Ms. Day, I really admire your work on Broadway these past years. I'm James Spangler, operator and casting director of this company and it's a pleasure to have you interested in us."

"Well my daughter was rather insistent." Christine joked relived.

The bright lights of the stage didn't affect her eyes now that she had been use to them for so many years. The piano music started, and Christine almost opened her mouth to sing Don Juan. She shut her eyes. That part of Erik, his glorious music was the thing she missed the most. She had some times dreamed at night that he would come to her, and play for her. She had wished for him to come during her nights of unrest to hold her hand and sing to her.

She focused on her music. She had selected her solo piece she sang at her debut at Carnegie Hall with the Mid-America Music Production choir, only last spring. It was the "Pie Jesu" from Faure's Requiem. Even there she had felt Erik's presence, as if he were the pianist across the stage or the other baritone soloist sitting next to her. All these years, she could imagine him, whispering words of in encouragement in her ears and holding her in his arms full of comfort and pride. And now here, she felt him even more now.

She began the opening line, her voice and the piano becoming one. She swayed slightly and closed her eyes. She latter opened them to see Dessy in the first row, smiling and looking up with wonder, next to Mr. Spangler.

The song ended and the house was full of heavy applause considering the small numbers of occupants in the auditorium. She smiled ad gave a slight bow. Dessy whistled loudly and the stagehands in the rafters did the same. She nodded in their direction then to her accompanist. She they gather her music and walked off stage. She felt almost as giddy as she did back in college after a good audition. She waited in the dark wing for Mr. Spangler. He barked orders to the workers as Christine saw Dessy jump on stage. She jerked a thumb upward. "Gotta get back to work." She called.

Christine waved at her, and then turned to leave. But she was blocked by another body standing in the wing with her. She hadn't noticed another person there before.

"Excuse me please." She asked politely, trying to push her way through.

The shadow didn't move. Then it lifted it head and Christine took a step back, startled by the flash of fire she saw its green eyes.

She dropped her music and felt as if her heart sank into her stomach. The shadow cornered her and now in the dim light she could make out his features perfectly.

"Well Christine, it's been a long time." Erik's icy voice taunted her. "But I knew you would come back to me."