Finally, she reached the top. She was one of the best singers in the world,
and she had her angel to thank for it. One day the Angel of Music told her
that he must leave her and go teach another child. Lottie begged him to
stay, but he could not. As he left, he sang to her one last time.
"She never heard him again after that," Uncle Joe ended.
I sighed, "Whatever happened to Little Lottie?"
"She continued singing, until she met a wonderful young man, and they." He waited for us to finish.
"Lived happily ever after!" Christine and I chanted.
"That's a lovely story, thank you Uncle Joe!" Glancing at the clock, I added, "I'd best get home, before Mamma begins to worry."
"Goodbye, Meg. I am sure I will see you soon." Uncle Joe grinned.
"I'll walk her home, Papa. I will be back before supper." Christine took my hand and led me to the door. As we walked, we talked about the story.
"It's so beautiful, imagine, an angel who makes your voice so perfect!"
Christine agreed, and then secretly confided, "You know, Meg, I believe the Angel of Music is real!"
"Real?" I echoed doubtfully.
"Yes. I believe in angels in heaven, so why not an angel of music?" She had a point there. "I always pray that he will visit me someday. Papa says." She giggled. "Papa says that when he is in heaven he will send me the Angel of Music."
We came to the flat. "Well, I guess I will see you tomorrow," Christine said.
"Thank you so much for inviting me over, I had a wonderful time." I gave her a grateful smile.
"I suppose we will have to work awful hard, to catch up to the others. In the corps de ballet, I mean. We will most likely be the youngest ones there." Christine sounded nervous.
"Don't worry," I said, sounding more confidant than I felt. "We will manage fine. Goodnight!" We hugged and parted, best friends. I walked up two flights of stairs, then opened the door to my home. "Mamma?" I called.
"In here," was the reply. I entered the parlor, and found Mamma sitting on her chair, looking at a manuscript.
"Mamma?" I questioned.
"Just looking at my old diary. How was your day?" She stood, brushing my forehead with a kiss.
"Fine. The audition went well. Oh Mamma, I was so nervous!"
"But you did wonderful, of course."
I smiled. "I met a girl, Christine Daae."
"Daae? The name sounds familiar. There's a famous violinist named Daae."
"I think that's her father, he played the violin for us. The music was." I was at a loss for words. How do you describe heaven? "Just heavenly."
"It sounds like you had an interesting afternoon. I have a meeting with Lefevre, so you must find some supper for yourself. I'm sorry, Meg."
"No Mamma, its perfectly all right. I want to practice for tomorrow, anyways. Have a good meeting."
"Goodbye, darling."
I sat and listened to the door close and my mother's shoes clump down the stairs. Sighing, I looked around at the apartment. It was very nice, but it lacked a certain quality of Christine's home. The flat was dark, with weak lighting. Chilly, with a distant atmosphere so different from the radiant, airy, cheerful villa. I envied Christine that.
Shifting in my chair, my thoughts drifted to the magnificent story from earlier of foolish Little Lottie and her angel of music. How truly wonderful; the thought of an angel who could turn your voice to silver. I sighed again.
Even if there were an angel, he would never have chosen me. In that way I was quite unlike Lottie, despite our similar looks. While my voice was tolerable, it certainly was not exceptional, with no special quality to attract attention' dancing was my forte.
The clock struck nine, startling me out of my reverie. Aloud, I laughed and chided myself. "Meg Giry, sitting and regretting something that is no more than a tale, a fairy story. And it as late as nine o'clock? To bed, young lady." I often spoke to myself; it made the house feel less empty.
I went upstairs and quickly changed into my frilly white nightgown; the day's events still running through my head. After performing my nightly toilette, I left my mother a note to come home to before leaping into bed.
I snuggled in my covers and blew out the light. Sighing, I closed my eyes and relaxed. A thought crossed my mind; I had not said my prayers. I debated for a moment, determining the possibility of skipping them and still doing well at the class tomorrow. I decided I would not try my luck.
Climbing out of bed, I knelt in the dark and quickly prayed, "Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thine name." I continued on to my childish, "Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep. If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take. Blessed is the Lord, forever an' ever, Amen."
Hastily I added, "And please let me do well tomorrow! Blessed is the Lord, forever an' ever, amen again." Satisfied, I crawled back into bed. I admitted to myself that I was nervous about tomorrow.
The butterflies swooping in my stomach proved the fact true. But there was nothing I could do about it, besides get a good night's sleep, I told me new winged inhabitants. Shutting my eyes, I waited for sleep to come.
"She never heard him again after that," Uncle Joe ended.
I sighed, "Whatever happened to Little Lottie?"
"She continued singing, until she met a wonderful young man, and they." He waited for us to finish.
"Lived happily ever after!" Christine and I chanted.
"That's a lovely story, thank you Uncle Joe!" Glancing at the clock, I added, "I'd best get home, before Mamma begins to worry."
"Goodbye, Meg. I am sure I will see you soon." Uncle Joe grinned.
"I'll walk her home, Papa. I will be back before supper." Christine took my hand and led me to the door. As we walked, we talked about the story.
"It's so beautiful, imagine, an angel who makes your voice so perfect!"
Christine agreed, and then secretly confided, "You know, Meg, I believe the Angel of Music is real!"
"Real?" I echoed doubtfully.
"Yes. I believe in angels in heaven, so why not an angel of music?" She had a point there. "I always pray that he will visit me someday. Papa says." She giggled. "Papa says that when he is in heaven he will send me the Angel of Music."
We came to the flat. "Well, I guess I will see you tomorrow," Christine said.
"Thank you so much for inviting me over, I had a wonderful time." I gave her a grateful smile.
"I suppose we will have to work awful hard, to catch up to the others. In the corps de ballet, I mean. We will most likely be the youngest ones there." Christine sounded nervous.
"Don't worry," I said, sounding more confidant than I felt. "We will manage fine. Goodnight!" We hugged and parted, best friends. I walked up two flights of stairs, then opened the door to my home. "Mamma?" I called.
"In here," was the reply. I entered the parlor, and found Mamma sitting on her chair, looking at a manuscript.
"Mamma?" I questioned.
"Just looking at my old diary. How was your day?" She stood, brushing my forehead with a kiss.
"Fine. The audition went well. Oh Mamma, I was so nervous!"
"But you did wonderful, of course."
I smiled. "I met a girl, Christine Daae."
"Daae? The name sounds familiar. There's a famous violinist named Daae."
"I think that's her father, he played the violin for us. The music was." I was at a loss for words. How do you describe heaven? "Just heavenly."
"It sounds like you had an interesting afternoon. I have a meeting with Lefevre, so you must find some supper for yourself. I'm sorry, Meg."
"No Mamma, its perfectly all right. I want to practice for tomorrow, anyways. Have a good meeting."
"Goodbye, darling."
I sat and listened to the door close and my mother's shoes clump down the stairs. Sighing, I looked around at the apartment. It was very nice, but it lacked a certain quality of Christine's home. The flat was dark, with weak lighting. Chilly, with a distant atmosphere so different from the radiant, airy, cheerful villa. I envied Christine that.
Shifting in my chair, my thoughts drifted to the magnificent story from earlier of foolish Little Lottie and her angel of music. How truly wonderful; the thought of an angel who could turn your voice to silver. I sighed again.
Even if there were an angel, he would never have chosen me. In that way I was quite unlike Lottie, despite our similar looks. While my voice was tolerable, it certainly was not exceptional, with no special quality to attract attention' dancing was my forte.
The clock struck nine, startling me out of my reverie. Aloud, I laughed and chided myself. "Meg Giry, sitting and regretting something that is no more than a tale, a fairy story. And it as late as nine o'clock? To bed, young lady." I often spoke to myself; it made the house feel less empty.
I went upstairs and quickly changed into my frilly white nightgown; the day's events still running through my head. After performing my nightly toilette, I left my mother a note to come home to before leaping into bed.
I snuggled in my covers and blew out the light. Sighing, I closed my eyes and relaxed. A thought crossed my mind; I had not said my prayers. I debated for a moment, determining the possibility of skipping them and still doing well at the class tomorrow. I decided I would not try my luck.
Climbing out of bed, I knelt in the dark and quickly prayed, "Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thine name." I continued on to my childish, "Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep. If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take. Blessed is the Lord, forever an' ever, Amen."
Hastily I added, "And please let me do well tomorrow! Blessed is the Lord, forever an' ever, amen again." Satisfied, I crawled back into bed. I admitted to myself that I was nervous about tomorrow.
The butterflies swooping in my stomach proved the fact true. But there was nothing I could do about it, besides get a good night's sleep, I told me new winged inhabitants. Shutting my eyes, I waited for sleep to come.