As the current song came to an end, Katie took a deep gulp and told the band what to play next before she spoke into the mic.
"This is an original song I wrote for someone very special. I hope he’s smiling over me right now." Her hands began to shake as she picked up her acoustic guitar and slid a bar stool up to the mic. This song exposed her emotions at a vulnerable time in her life. There was no makeup to put on, no wig or big dress to hide behind. It was time to show the audience who she really was.
Wiping her hands on her jeans, she took a steadying breath and began to sing David’s song.
“Red, white, and blue
I can’t see those colors without thinking of you.
Red is the blood you freely spilt,
White is your innocence I felt.
Blue is the sky where birds fly free
Like your spirit that I can’t see.”
Each chord she played hummed deep inside her. Every nerve came alive, and she let out the heartache and pain that had been living inside. Tears pricked her eyes, but she couldn't stop singing now. The song was a part of her. It lived and breathed, and the words overcame her. She could remember her older brother playing soldier as a kid. She also remembered the flag draped over his casket when he'd come home from the war.
“Red, white, and blue
Oh, how I wish I could see you.”
As she played the last note, she looked up at the blurry room. Suddenly, everyone stood up and clapped. She looked for her mother's face and smiled weakly. They had borne the loss of her brother together. She couldn't lose her mother too. She wouldn't!
***
Chase sat back down as Katie began the next song. He swiped at his eyes with the back of his hand. He was grateful for the bad lighting. He was reeling from the words of that song.
He leaned over to Shirley. "I didn't know you had a son who served."
Her watery eyes looked back at him with a loss he understood.
"The war?" he asked simply.
"Yes." And with that, they dropped the subject.
He allowed himself to look back at the stage. Katie’s next song was another original she’d written. He watched the curves of her body as she swayed to the music. Her wavy hair bounced and moved with each step she took. She closed her eyes like the music took her to another place and another time, where nothing could ever hurt her. He wanted to be in her world, they could hide together, the world could fade away, and he wouldn’t notice. She was like a mythical siren mesmerizing him with each note.
The audience loved her. She had an eerie control over them, too. They danced when she danced, they laughed when she laughed, and they cried when she cried. Why didn't she have a recording contract?
An idea hit him, and suddenly, he could think of no one else he wanted to sign up for the benefit concert more than her. Hadn't she said benefit concerts often featured new artists who wanted to get their names out there? The thought consumed him, and he turned to Shirley to tell her his brilliant idea. But he noticed her breathing was labored.
“Shirley, are you okay?”
She tried to nod, but she started to cough. Her face turned to the shade of a raspberry, and she slid to the side. He caught her, but didn’t know how he was going to get her to the floor. His leg was still awkward. He scooted back in his chair and slowly lowered her head, then got the rest of her body from the chair to the floor.
“What’s wrong?” Roderick was at his side.
“She’s not breathing very well. Call 911.” Chase didn’t know when the music had stopped, but he noticed when Katie knelt down next to her mother.
“Mom!” Katie looked so helpless. Much like he felt.
“Is she breathing?” Roderick asked with his cell phone up to his ear.
“Not very well.” The terror in Katie’s voice cut him to the heart. It reminded him of the terror of war.
He couldn’t even get down there to help her or hold her hand. He was stuck bending over the scene like a decrepit old man. As he slowly backed away, a
"This is an original song I wrote for someone very special. I hope he’s smiling over me right now." Her hands began to shake as she picked up her acoustic guitar and slid a bar stool up to the mic. This song exposed her emotions at a vulnerable time in her life. There was no makeup to put on, no wig or big dress to hide behind. It was time to show the audience who she really was.
Wiping her hands on her jeans, she took a steadying breath and began to sing David’s song.
“Red, white, and blue
I can’t see those colors without thinking of you.
Red is the blood you freely spilt,
White is your innocence I felt.
Blue is the sky where birds fly free
Like your spirit that I can’t see.”
Each chord she played hummed deep inside her. Every nerve came alive, and she let out the heartache and pain that had been living inside. Tears pricked her eyes, but she couldn't stop singing now. The song was a part of her. It lived and breathed, and the words overcame her. She could remember her older brother playing soldier as a kid. She also remembered the flag draped over his casket when he'd come home from the war.
“Red, white, and blue
Oh, how I wish I could see you.”
As she played the last note, she looked up at the blurry room. Suddenly, everyone stood up and clapped. She looked for her mother's face and smiled weakly. They had borne the loss of her brother together. She couldn't lose her mother too. She wouldn't!
***
Chase sat back down as Katie began the next song. He swiped at his eyes with the back of his hand. He was grateful for the bad lighting. He was reeling from the words of that song.
He leaned over to Shirley. "I didn't know you had a son who served."
Her watery eyes looked back at him with a loss he understood.
"The war?" he asked simply.
"Yes." And with that, they dropped the subject.
He allowed himself to look back at the stage. Katie’s next song was another original she’d written. He watched the curves of her body as she swayed to the music. Her wavy hair bounced and moved with each step she took. She closed her eyes like the music took her to another place and another time, where nothing could ever hurt her. He wanted to be in her world, they could hide together, the world could fade away, and he wouldn’t notice. She was like a mythical siren mesmerizing him with each note.
The audience loved her. She had an eerie control over them, too. They danced when she danced, they laughed when she laughed, and they cried when she cried. Why didn't she have a recording contract?
An idea hit him, and suddenly, he could think of no one else he wanted to sign up for the benefit concert more than her. Hadn't she said benefit concerts often featured new artists who wanted to get their names out there? The thought consumed him, and he turned to Shirley to tell her his brilliant idea. But he noticed her breathing was labored.
“Shirley, are you okay?”
She tried to nod, but she started to cough. Her face turned to the shade of a raspberry, and she slid to the side. He caught her, but didn’t know how he was going to get her to the floor. His leg was still awkward. He scooted back in his chair and slowly lowered her head, then got the rest of her body from the chair to the floor.
“What’s wrong?” Roderick was at his side.
“She’s not breathing very well. Call 911.” Chase didn’t know when the music had stopped, but he noticed when Katie knelt down next to her mother.
“Mom!” Katie looked so helpless. Much like he felt.
“Is she breathing?” Roderick asked with his cell phone up to his ear.
“Not very well.” The terror in Katie’s voice cut him to the heart. It reminded him of the terror of war.
He couldn’t even get down there to help her or hold her hand. He was stuck bending over the scene like a decrepit old man. As he slowly backed away, a
Similar Books
