London Harmony: Water Gypsy by Erik Schubach

fallen asleep practicing. I wrapped myself in my quilt and curled up as close to the stove pipe as I could, then slowly went back to sleep.

Chapter 5 – Into the Fire
    The next morning after my ritual of rousing of the boat, traveling to Joe's for my shower, then my daily prep, I hopped a coach. I listened to music from my mobile on my headphones as I read the lesson book.
    I passed by the food carts and paused and looked longingly, I hadn't eaten this morning, my mind was on other things. I had to scramble to throw together a sandwich for my lunch before I left. I sighed, I was so weak. I broke my convictions about being more frugal and stepped up and grabbed a bagel and coffee. Keeping my expenditure low. This is the last time, I promise.
    I finished as I arrived at the Conservatoire. Paya and I went straight to it and started scrubbing the hardwood floors in the hallway in preparation for the waxing tomorrow. The students arriving stepped around us I noted that for such a small school, they seemed to have a lot of pupils. There were at least thirty split between the two classrooms. They ranged from young men and women in their twenties to upward of fifty.
    By the time tea came around, my knees and back ached from scrubbing on my hands and knees. Paya asked, “You have lunch?” I nodded. She squinted an eye. “What is it? Let's have it.”
    I held up my little brown bag and crinkled my nose at her as I said defiantly, “I have a cold cut sandwich, an apple, and water.”
    She smiled and said, “I honestly don't know how you survive on so little, woman. I suppose you're going to lock yourself away again?”
    I nodded. “Sorry. The instructor is just brilliant.”
    She smiled and trundled off to the break room and I hustled to the storeroom clutching my lunch and the book with the lesson sheets to my chest. I read as I snacked and listened through the wall. I sang with the group. When tea time was almost over and I was gathering my things, the door opened again.
    The very prim, proper, and professional looking headmistress stood there looking me over in silence as I stood still. Why did she intimidate me so bloody much? She looked a combination of untouchable and breathtaking all at once. She wore a sky blue, immaculately pressed dress with a professional white business coat over it and a matching sky blue fabric headband that held her shiny hair so tight to her scalp it had to hurt. Her makeup was done subtly to enhance her features, not dominate them.
    I was just staring like a bloody git. I caught the slightest hint of a smile on her face that disappeared as she cocked one of her exquisitely sculpted brows. “Well?”
    I blinked finally and looked on nervously. “Sorry Missus. Umm...” I looked up at her, timidly making eye contact as I hugged my things to me.
    I opened my mouth to sing and her mouth tightened and she shook her head impatiently. “No, put that stuff down so you can sing properly...” Then she actually did smile if for just a millisecond as she tilted her head. “You know, I don't know your name.”
    I was placing my things on a shelf as I said, “Tabitha. Tabitha Romanov missus.” Then pointed at my name badge.
    She exhaled then snapped, “Right then. Stop calling me Missus, Tabitha. My name is Teresa McClellan, I'm the headmistress here.” I nodded and she repeated, “Well?”
    I took a couple conditioning breaths then straightened up and began. I closed my eyes and did my very best, I wanted to please her. I almost got past the first trouble area and buggered the second, the rest I thought was my best attempt yet. This lesson was the spawn of Satan himself, sent from the underworld to torture singers. I noticed the class behind us had fallen silent.
    When I was finishing I opened my eyes and saw the most serene look on the woman's face as she listened with her head slightly cocked. She had the tiniest smile on her lips until she opened her eyes, then her face was all business,