Goodbye Rosalina

The next morning Nat felt like his heart was in his shoes. He got up and pulled out a pair of black dress pants and a black dress shirt. Then he gently woke Alex up and told him that they had to get ready. Tears rolled down Nat's cheeks as he got dressed he brushed them away when Miss Kelly came upstairs to check on him and Alex.

Miss Kelly was wearing a full length black dress. She hugged Nat and said gently "do you know what you're singing today and at the funeral in three days?"

Nat sighed and said "yeah thanks for your help yesterday. I just couldn't believe that it happened. She was so young and strong Miss Kelly. I thought she'd fight this I guess that this was one of those things that people can't fight."

Miss Kelly sighed and said "she fought so hard Nat. You did the best thing you could have done for her. You were right next to her until she fell asleep the night she died. You showed her pure love and chased away her fears."

Nat leaned into Miss Kelly's warm arms and cried again. Then Alex said "Nat we forgot to tell the guys that they are playing at the wake. They don't even know the song Rosalina. You never recorded it you only sang it when she cried and she never cried in front of Tomas, Cooper, and David. She only cried in front of you and me. It means that you have to use another song."

Nat said "oh this is just great! I can't think of another song that meant as much to her as that one. Alex why didn't you tell me last night before I hung up with Cooper? Cooper would have helped me come up with one that would work and the guys know."

Miss Kelly said "Nat let me hear the songs that are soft and sweet. Maybe I can help you pick one."

Mr. Wolf called from down stairs "Nat Qaasim's on the phone. He has a question about the Christmas tour if the dates of that are going to change."

Nat said "I have a bigger problem right now dad. The song I was going to play for Rosalina the rest of the band doesn't know it. I need to find another one right now."

Miss. Kelly said "Nat what is that one song that is real gentle and sweet?"

Nat said "oh that's everybody cries at least once. I really don't think that I should play that."

Alex said "Nat we have exactly one hour to get there. Grab your stuff and let's go!"

Nat sighed he hated rushing but he had to. He grabbed his coat and walked out to the car. When they got to the funeral home Cooper and the others were already there. Nat got out of the car and hugged Jesse who was sobbing her heart out. Qaasim clapped Nat on the back and asked "why do you have your guitar Nat? We're not holding rehearsal after this are we?"

Nat sighed and said "I forgot to tell you last night but her dad wants us to sing today and at the funeral. Today you guys sing with me we're doing everybody cries at least once. I'm not sure what song to sing in three days."

Cooper said "Nat the rest of us don't have our instruments. Can you and Alex do this by yourselves? I'm sorry but if we want to see Rosalina without it being crowded we have to go now. I don't have a chance to run everybody back to their houses and grab their stuff. Are you faking having it together so your dad doesn't know you hurt or are you really ok?"

Nat said "I'm really ok Coop I just need to say goodbye. Let's just go in and get this over with. Alex you ok little bro?"

Alex stayed beside his father and Miss Kelly until they were inside the funeral home. Rosalina's father was standing by the coffin tears falling down his cheeks. Nat walked up to the coffin first. He sighed as he looked at her small frame lying in the coffin.

Nat said "oh Rosie I said I wasn't afraid of anything. I lied I was afraid of loosing you. Now I guess that fear doesn't matter any more. I will always love you so much Rosie. Goodbye Rosalina but I know that this isn't forever. Wait for me ok Rosalina. I'll wait for you always as long as it takes."

Then Nat kissed Rosalina's cheek and let Alex go up and see her. Alex whispered "Rosalina I know you and I weren't really friends but I'll miss you. Why did you have to leave the band hanging? Practice just won't be the same without you and Nat breaking it early so you can make out. Goodbye Rosalina I'll miss you."

Tomas went up next tears flowed freely down his cheeks. He said "Rosalina we didn't take a lot of time to get to know each other. I'm sorry for all the times I hurt you. I'll miss you Rosalina rest in peace ok."

Jesse went up next. She tried to say something but she burst into tears. She ran from the funeral home. Nat touched Alex's shoulder and said "go help Jesse she's really taking it hard."

Alex said "Nat I can't help her. I don't know how to talk to her. She's not going to be my girlfriend for much longer. I still love Juanita Nat. If I try to comfort her and then break up with her she'll never speak to me again."

Nat said "part of friendship is cheering someone up when they're sad. Go talk to Jesse please."

Alex walked outside to Cooper's truck and set his hand on Jesse's arm. Jesse wiped the tears from her eyes and said "Alex you scared me baby. Why aren't you with Nat and the others? You and Nat have to sing in a little bit. What are you doing standing outside of Cooper's truck in the middle of winter?"

Alex said "I'm standing here because my friend is hurting on the inside. Plus Nat asked me to talk to you. I'm also here because I don't think that we are working as a couple. I love Juanita. She might have hurt me but I can't do things with you that I can with her. You hate skate boarding and she loves it. You don't beat me up she beats me up on a daily bases. I can't stand having my hair ruffled you do it all the time. Juanita never does its complicated all you really need to understand plainly and simply is I don't love you more than a friend. I'm sorry it took me so long to figure that out."

Jesse put her head in her hands and sobbed then she punched Alex in the face. Alex didn't leave. Instead he got closer to her and gently lifted her tear stained face so she had to look at him. He sighed and said gently "Jesse I'm sorry. I'm an idiot ok. That's not the point though the point is you are my friend. I'm sorry I hurt you now let's go say goodbye to Rosalina before Nat has a major meltdown."

Jesse threw her arms around Alex and sobbed hard. Alex gently helped Jesse out of Cooper's truck and gave her a light kiss on the cheek. By then time Alex and Jesse reentered the funeral home Nat was as Alex had predicted having an emotional meltdown. He had his face buried in his hands and his guitar on his lap. Alex ran to his brother and sat down next to him. Nat didn't notice to his brother was there he moaned into his hands something about not having the music. Alex put his around Nat and said "you know everybody's cried and least once by heart. You sang it to Rosalina with out even the piano. Everything will be ok Nat you'll see. I know this sucks but it'll be ok I promise."

Nat said "where in the name of god were you! I just fell apart up there singing in front of Rosalina's family. I can't believe you weren't there Alex! Just stay the heck away from me! I don't even want to know you exist right now!"

Mr. Wolf walked over to Nat and said "how could you talk to your brother like that? I know you just lost someone close to you but stop taking things out on Alex. What would Rosalina say right now? You know she hated it when you guys fought. Go talk to your brother I think you really hurt him."

Nat snapped "dad I'm really hurt right now! Alex swore up and down he'd be there beside me when I did this! He wasn't and for the first time in my life I panicked while I was singing! The last time Rosalina would ever hear me and I freaked out. If she was here she'd never speak to me again."

Meanwhile Alex was sitting outside crying. He had let his brother down on the day he needed him the most. He closed his eyes and tried to pull himself together. He started to get up when he could've sworn he heard Rosalina's voice.

Alex heard "take care of Nat. He's pretending not to care but he just had to face his worst fear. I'll miss you guys especially you and Nat. Tell Nat I don't love him any less because he freaked out. I have to go Alex but let me give you a hug first. Goodbye be strong ok don't let anything stop you for achieving your dreams."

Alex shivered as he felt a warm gentle breeze run through him. He decided against telling Nat that he'd talked to Rosalina. He went to brush the tears off his cheeks and realized that Rosalina had wiped them away. He stood up and went to go talk to Nat he wanted to make things right and tell him what Rosalina had said.

When Alex went back inside he found Miss Kelly standing with her arms around Nat. He walked over and said "mom can I talk to you for a minute? I heard something when I was outside and want to know if I'm crazy or not."

Miss. Kelly smiled and said very gently "I'll be right back Nat. You just keep trying and when you're ready you can play for Rosalina."

Alex led Miss Kelly into the parking lot and said "I heard Rosalina's voice. Then I felt a warm gentle breeze. Am I crazy or do I just miss her so much that I thought I heard her?"

Miss. Kelly said "I think it is possible that she did try to talk to you. What did she tell you Alex? I'm so happy to hear you call me mom. I never thought that this day would come."

Alex said "she told me to take care of Nat and to be strong. She said nothing is ever supposed to stand in between me and my dreams."

Miss. Kelly said "that sounds like Rosalina to me. Alex did you mean it when you called me mom or were you just not thinking straight?"

Alex said "I barely knew my real mom. You are the closest thing to a mom I'll ever have. To tell you the truth I just wasn't sure you were right for my dad. I didn't want to have you and him get into a fight and then have him get hurt again."

Miss. Kelly sighed and said "you're dad told me about the big Christmas tour you guys do every year. He said that it was your favorite thing about Christmas. Are you guys still going to do it this year after what happened with Rosalina?"

Alex said "I don't know Nat is freaking out. He refuses to rewrite Rosalina's part in let it snow. If we get a new base player then we'll have to change it. Nat doesn't seem to understand that finding a girl with her exact voice range is almost impossible. That's our biggest piece and it was Rosalina's favorite song. That's why it has to be perfect."

Miss. Kelly said "maybe I can take a look at the harmony and see if I can sing it."

Alex said "It's a duet though Rosalina and Nat always sang it together. It's always been our big opening number. I'm not going behind Nat's back plus I doubt your voice sounds at all like Rosalina's used to."

Miss. Kelly said "speaking of you're brother you both are supposed to sing in a few minutes. I convinced Nat to try again but this time you'd be right beside him."

Alex said "Rosalina wasn't talking about me taking care of Nat. She was talking about you. He wouldn't have agreed to sing again if you hadn't talked to him."

Miss. Kelly sighed and said "that's what mother's are for. They help you when you feel down and are afraid. I've Nat the best that I could now he needs his brother and the band to truly pull him together."

Alex smiled and said "you're the best mom! I guess I should go talk to him and apologize. I was talking to Jesse that's why I wasn't there earlier. I didn't think that it would take so long to get her to stop crying. She is taking this a lot worse than Nat is."

Miss. Kelly said "some people have more trouble saying goodbye than others. I think that Nat is having trouble and is hiding his feelings. That's why you're going to sing with him so he has the guts to sing for her one last time."

Alex said "he's never going to stop singing for her. Every song he writes is written for her. She will always be the one he sings for. If that's what keeps him going I'm not going to change that."

Miss. Kelly said "Alex I don't think that you want to rewrite Rosalina's part either. You're just trying to get Nat to say he wants to so it'll be done."

Alex said "how did you know? I was hiding the fact that I missed her from Nat. If he found out he'd hide things from me about how he really feels. I don't want the truth to be hidden if he needs help I want to help him."

Miss. Kelly and Alex walked back into the funeral home. They heard Nat singing "I don't want you I need you. I don't care for you I love you. I'll be there for you because of you. I'll do anything for you. I'd do anything for you. I won't sing for you I'll belt for you. I won't cry for you I'll bawl for you. I won't die for you I'll live for you. If you want me to stay I'll stay. If you want me to stay then I'll stay. If you want me to go then I'll go. I won't kill for you I'll live for you. I'll do anything for you. I'd do anything for you."

Nat finished singing and then said "I did everything I could for Rosalina. I didn't do this because I cared for her I did it because I loved her. People say I dated her because I wanted her. I didn't want her I needed her. Rosalina was the sweetest girl in the world. I think I speak for everyone in the band that our tour over Christmas won't be the same. Rosalina lifted me off the ground when I could barely stand. I've loved her since I was six years old. I trusted her with everything and never regretted a second of it. I guess what I'm trying to say is I'm never going to forget her and I will always love her. Goodbye my beautiful Rosalina."