CHAPTER 6: Moonlight
Saturday evening rolled around and Tatiana again went to the cave for her dancing lesson. When she arrived, Mistoffelees was already there.
"Am I late?" she asked, a look of panic crossing her face.
Mistoffelees laughed. "No," he said. "I am merely early."
"Oh, good," Tatiana said, relieved.
The lesson flew by quickly and they were soon making their way back to the junkyard. Mistoffelees was just praising Tatiana on how much she had progressed in a mere two lessons when the sound of singing reached their ears.
"Is that you?" Tatiana asked the tom, wondering if his magic could produce vocal strains as well as instrumental.
Mistoffelees shook his head. "No, that's Jemima."
Tatiana listened to the soft voice floating gently across the air. "Wow, she has a beautiful voice. What is she singing?"
The two listened carefully to the words.
"Moonlight,
Turn your face to the moonlight
Let your memory lead you
Open up, enter in…"
"'Memory'," chuckled Mistoffelees. "She has been obsessed with that song ever since Grizabella sang it at last year's ball."
"Who's Grizabella?"
"Uh, that's another story," said Mistoffelees quickly.
"…If you find there the meaning of what happiness is
Then a new life will begin…"
"I can see why she loves that song so. It's so beautiful, so…touching. Haunting."
"I suppose it is," Mistoffelees admitted. "Well, here you are. Goodnight."
"Goodnight," Tatiana returned as Mistoffelees walked off. She quickly washed herself and then hopped into her bed, listening to Jemima's sweet voice as she drifted into a peaceful slumber.
Every night thereafter, Jemima could be heard singing to the moon. She sang a variety of songs, but each session began and ended with 'Memory'. One night, Tatiana went for a walk to try to find Jemima. She finally found her up on top of the highest garbage pile the junkyard had to offer. Before she could reach her, however, Tatiana stumbled across Victoria dancing. Wow, she thought, she looks so graceful and elegant. Not wanting to interrupt, Tatiana waited until the song had ended before making her presence known to the other two Jellicles.
Victoria jerked her head up quickly at the sound of paws softly clapping. "Hi, Tatiana," she said when she realized it was her new friend nearby.
"You dance so beautifully!" exclaimed Tatiana. "I wish I could dance like that."
"Oh, uh, thanks," said Victoria, blushing at the compliment.
"I mean it," insisted Tatiana. "And Jemima has such a gorgeous voice."
"Well, why don't you tell her yourself?" Victoria suggested. "Hey, Jem," she shouted up to her friend, "come down here! We have a visitor!"
In a few very short seconds, Jemima could be seen scrambling down the rubbish pile. "Hey," she greeted Tatiana as she landed nimbly on her paws after jumping the last two metres.
"Hey, you have such a gorgeous voice," Tatiana said, trying not to gush.
This time, it was Jemima's turn to blush. She, like Victoria, stuttered her thanks.
"I heard you singing 'Memory' the other night," continued Tatiana. "It sounded so beautiful. I was wondering if…you would be able to teach me how it goes?"
Jemima smiled and nodded. "I'd love to. Do you sing?"
"Yes, a bit, but I'm not very good."
"Well, we can soon fix that," said Jemima cheerfully. "I'll sing you a verse and you repeat it after me. How about that?"
"Okay," agreed Tatiana.
"Oh, before we begin, what voice type have you?"
"Soprano."
"Oh, well that makes it a lot easier. I'm a soprano, too. Now…"
Jemima sang the first verse of the song and Tatiana repeated it as they had agreed. When she had finished, Jemima exclaimed, "Not very good my paw! You've got a lovely voice! You'll have no problem technically; you just need to learn the song." And with that, Jemima proceeded to teach Tatiana 'Memory' while the other queen blushed madly and Victoria sat nearby, watching and listening to the proceedings.
"Daylight," Tatiana sang softly as she danced her way to bed later that night.
"See the dew on the sunflower
And the rose that is fading –
Roses wither away –
Like the sunflower, I yearn to turn my face to the dawn
I am waiting for the day
"Sunlight through the trees in Summer,
Endless masquerading
Like a flower as the dawn is breaking,
The memory is fading…" Tatiana purposefully let her voice fade away on the last note. Not being able to help herself, she started singing another two verses.
"Midnight,
Not a sound from the pavement
Has the moon lost her memory?
She is smiling alone
In the lamplight the withered leaves collect at my feet
And the wind begins to blow
"Memory,
All alone in the moonlight
I can smile at the old days –
I was beautiful then –
I remember the time I knew what happiness was
Let the memory live-"
"– again," finished a tenor voice.
Tatiana whirled around to see Mungojerrie behind her. She blushed, having not realized previously that anyone had been listening. "Oh, uh, hi. I didn't realize anyone was listening."
"It's a bit difficult not to – yer voice carries."
"It – it does?" Tatiana's cheeks were flaming hot by now. Oh, no, how embarrassing!
"Oi didn't know ya could sing," commented the tom.
"I can't."
"Then what was ya jes' doin'? Gymnastics?"
"I mean, I can't sing very well."
"That's not what Oi 'eard jes' then."
Tatiana glanced at him quickly. What had he heard just then? She rather feared the answer.
"'As Jemima bin teachin' ya?" inquired the tom.
"Yes," Tatiana admitted, suddenly becoming interested in the ground.
"Well, Oi'm glad she 'as such a wonderful student."
Tatiana didn't know what to say. "Uh, well, I'm quite tired, so I should be getting to bed. Goodnight," she said rather lamely, giving him a small, flustered smile and walking away.
Mungojerrie smiled to himself. He ticked a mental checklist. She's beautiful, she 'as a great personality and she can sing. Good enough for me.
After about three singing lessons from Jemima, Tatiana could sing 'Memory' perfectly. It was then that Jemima and Victoria decided that they, along with Tatiana, should form a vocal trio. Victoria was a mezzo-soprano, which made it easy to harmonize. Tatiana would sing the melody, Victoria would sing the harmony and Jemima would sing beautiful, soaring countermelodies over the top. This was so for every song they sang.
The other Jellicles could hear the music all over the junkyard during any given night. Little did the three young queens know it, but they even had a fan club – some of the young toms often gathered nearby and peered around the rubbish to watch them, particularly when Tatiana's dancing improved and the trio began to combine dancing into sections that would usually be instrumental interludes. The fan club consisted of Pouncival, Tumblebrutus, Admetus, Plato, Mistoffelees and Mungojerrie. The toms would gape, gasp and whisper amongst themselves while the trio sang and danced, completely oblivious to the fact that they were being watched.
The trio soon began receiving comments and compliments quite frequently and decided that they should think up a name for the group. Thus was born the 'Junkyard Singers' – not necessarily the most inventive of names, but certainly a hit with the other Jellicles.
Being with Jemima and Victoria so often, Tatiana began to appreciate the full effect of the power that the moon had on the two. Jemima could make up entirely new melodies without thinking while looking, enraptured, at the moon. Victoria could make up entirely new dance routines without thinking, like Jemima, while looking, enraptured, at the moon. Tatiana started to realize just why the Jellicle moon was deemed to be so special – because it was special, and its presence led to special things.
The Junkyard Singers were famous within the tribe. Tatiana's dancing skills improved rapidly, unbeknownst to anyone but herself and Mistoffelees. Tatiana no longer felt any animosity towards Electra and the two had become quite close. Actually, Tatiana had become quite close with all of the young queens and queenkits.
The toms, however, were a different story. Tatiana still kept her distance from them and attempted to avoid any conversation with them, with the exception of Mungojerrie and Mistoffelees. Actually, she tried to steer clear altogether whenever possible.
But she was still in love with Munkustrap. While the other queens were busy following Tugger around, Tatiana was busy stalking Munkustrap. When the other queens went to Tugger for comfort when they were hurt, Tatiana went to Munkustrap. Or Mungojerrie. Well, she usually went to Mungojerrie for that, but she did go to Munkustrap when Mungojerrie wasn't around. While Tugger flirted outrageously and, from Tatiana's point-of-view, nauseatingly, Munkustrap smiled and talked to her. And when he patted her head…Tatiana found it difficult to stay standing upright.
Unbeknownst to her, Mungojerrie watched Tatiana follow Munkustrap everywhere. Every time she was spotted tagging along behind him (keeping her distance, of course) or when she received attention from Munkustrap, Mungojerrie felt a sharp stab of jealousy. He knew that Munkustrap wouldn't be able to return Tatiana's feelings, even if he knew of them, as he was already mates with Demeter, but he envied Tatiana's affection. Darn 'im…whoiy does 'e 'ave ta 'ave the looks? he often wondered. Nevertheless, as Tatiana began to become so infatuated with Munkustrap that she started following too closely, Mungojerrie was always at Tatiana's side with a grin, a joke or a look of sympathy whenever Munkustrap walked away or met up with Demeter. Hating to see Tatiana feel dejected or rejected, he always tried to cheer her up in one way or another and usually succeeded. His spirits always lifted when she smiled at him and, for this reason – along with his loving her, of course – he did this whenever Tatiana hung around Munkustrap.
Tatiana was surprised the first few times she felt a paw on her shoulder after being left alone by Munkustrap and turned around to see Mungojerrie sitting beside her, but she soon became accustomed to him appearing beside her, always ready to crack a joke with a big, goofy grin on his face. She did not object whatsoever, and was actually quite grateful that someone had the courtesy to take her mind off her fear of rejection.