Chapter 4

I stopped moving my hands, but my entire body was full of sexual desire. I broke away, but I didn’t really want to. My erection was filling my pants.

“I am sorry for my hands. That was inappropriate touching. I hadn’t asked you if I could. I was afraid you might say ‘No.’ My love for you is growing so intense. I love you Jennifer.”

“You didn’t ask, but I didn’t stop you either. We have these feelings for one another. They will only get stronger.” She pulled me up close and whispered, “I feel you against me, Michael!”

“I am ... thirteen, and you are only fourteen. Do you love me?” I asked.

“With all of my heart and soul.”

Alice came out of the kitchen and they left together. My heart is so full of love, and lust for Miss Jennifer Rose Guthrie.

Mom came out ready for my hug. “We heard most of what you said to each other. You have such a marvelous joy inside you. You also seem aware of the consequences of doing too much too soon. You must be strong, Michael. The man, even one only thirteen years old, must always be the stalwart one. Honey, I have heard you humming recently. Have you tried singing since the ‘incident?’”

“No mom, I haven’t. I have been too busy to think of that. Remember how bad I was at nine? I have not likely improved a lick, but if you want to hear my guttural noises, go for it.”

“How about, we try “Together,” she asked. “Do you know the Herbie part?”

“Does a bear crap in the woods, Janice?”

She sat down shaking her head saying, “Nasty boy.”

“We don’t have a Louise?” I said hopeful to put this off.

“We will muddle through it, together,” she said with a giggle. She started it. I was just listening to her voice...

JANICE
Wherever we go,
Whatever we do,
we’re gonna go through it together
We may not go far,
But sure, as a star,
wherever we are, it’s together
Wherever I go I know he goes.
Wherever I go I know she goes.
No fits, no fights, no feuds and no egos.
Amigos, together!

JANICE & MICHAEL
Through thick and through thin,
all out or all in.
And whether it’s win, place, or show.
With you for me and me for you,
we will muddle through
whatever we do.
Together, wherever we go

(Well Shit! I can sing! My smile was huge. You should have seen my mom’s!)

Wherever we go, whatever we do,
we’re gonna go through it together.

We sang it to the very end singing all the parts as needed. Janice Marie Elizabeth Forester Thomas stopped there! She got up and we hugged each other very tight!

I was no Robert Goulet or that guy from the movie OKLAHOMA... (What’s his name?) Gordon McRae. I was sustaining fucking notes. I could never do that before! What the hell happened?

Mom was really crying, as she sat down shuffling the pages.

“Stand behind me, Michael ... and sing each tone as you hear it?”

That’s the same vocal tone she uses for her singing students ... it ave me a chill down my back!

“Mother ... it’s late...”

Taking a big breath, she said firmly, “I said ... to stand behind me ... and sing each note as you hear it, Michael Robert Thomas Jr.”

Wow, I hadn’t heard my full name in a long while.

She started me at middle C. (C4)

I repeated the mantra she always put everyone else through, AH-ah-ah-ah-AHHH-ah-ah-ah-ah going up a semitone only when I completed the previous one to her satisfaction.

We went late into the night. I had a sore throat. She made me some tea with honey and put me to bed.

“Michael, don’t sing in front of Jennifer, or anybody else for that matter, until you are up to snuff. OK honey?”

“Janice, I love you.”

She turned off my light and closed my door. I think she started crying again. Us Thomas’s were criers, that’s for sure.

All the while I was growing up, I spent my time either listening to music, watching TV, doing homework, reading ... a lot, and working on my personal genealogy.

Janice M. Forester, Mom, was the daughter of Steven R. Forester and Susan L. Hrcek. The Hrcek’s were part of the Czechoslovakian (Bohemian) immigration that settled southeast South Dakota, specifically Brule County. None of my grandparents were around to talk to. They passed away before I turned five years old. I have seen pictures of Janice when she was only ten years old. What a doll!

Grandma Susan was the youngest of six children, and the only girl. The five boys each got a quarter section (160 acres) to build a home and farm the rest. They all had large families of their own.

I have grand cousins I have never met, maybe someday!

Thomas was too common of a name, so all I got from Mom was his father’s name was Michael, which technically makes me a third. Junior is bad enough, The Third could ruin me, as I thought of the many absurd nicknames that develop from the kids knowing too much about me.

Remember, I was invisible, and I liked it!

I woke up, and my throat was feeling much better. I came out ready for school going, AH-ah-ah-ah-AHHH-ah-ah-ah-ah.

To which, my mother, the ex-professional singer, did the same thing three semitones below me, making a dissonant harmony, but a harmony nonetheless.

“Show–off,” I said to her.

What’s that number from THE PRODUCERS, “If You Got It, Flaunt It?”

“See you later, Beautiful,” I said, quite possibly for the first time ever to my own mother. She is ... a doll, you know, like GUYS AND DOLLS!

I walked to Jennifer’s bus stop and waited for her there. She walked up and when she saw me, the most perfect smile on earth came over her. That’s what love does to you. It makes you smile ... all the time.

We kissed while sitting among the other students. The girls giggled, and the boys couldn’t care less. I was the only guy who stood to let a girl sit on the bench. That made the young ladies all titter, and Jenn got a strong hold on my arm.

Once on the bus, I turned to her and said, “Remember ... don’t practice the ‘Phantom of The Opera’ number until you have had an afternoon with my mom to hit those notes only Sarah Brightman has sung. I think that Jim Allen will do just fine singing it with you. When the staging of the number happens, hopefully, I can be mature enough to handle him holding you in an emotional embrace. OK?”

“Is my little man growing up?” she said.

“Oh yeah, I may surprise you yet, young lady,” I said, getting a chaste kiss from her.

We got to school, and I saw Joan Prefontayne and I said, “Wait up, Joanie!”

She turned to me and immediately turned on the charm, “Yes Michael, what is it?”

“My mother has time to work with you today after school, is that OK with you?”

Her smile gleamed at me, as she said, “Thank you, what bus is that?”

“Eleven, see you then.”

My girl came up and took my arm saying, “She is after you, Michael. Be strong.”

“With a girlfriend who looks like Emily Van Camp and sings like you do, I am not even looking.”

“I have seen you not looking, just no touching,” Jenn said, “Do I really look like her ... the girl from Everwood?”

“Yes, but prettier,” I said. “I will love you forever.”

Kids started coming up to us, asking about ANNIE. I guess we should put up a poster. Jenn said she would work on it when she had a chance.

The first couple of classes went well as I headed to orchestra. It had gotten so big so fast ... they rented a modular school building just for them and another one for choir. They are behind where the new performance center will be built. There is a groundbreaking ceremony planned at the end of the school year. The shell should be up by the time my seventh grade begins.

I am not really looking forward to that. Jenn will not be around to hold and kiss between classes. What we do for love?

I walked into orchestra, and they were getting ready for the start of class.

“Two Minutes,” I said.

“What is the plan for today, Paul?” I asked.

“‘Buenos Aires.’ Without a singer, what do you think of a trumpet lead?”

“Great idea, Mike Bell is getting very good. Why not rotate between him, Sean McGuire and Bobbi Griffin during the song?”

I sat down and Mr. Planck gave out some instructions, including our idea. Mike was pleased. Sean and Bobbi looked jazzed about it as well. No reason not to get three excellent trumpeters.

“Michael. What instruments do you know how to play?” Paul asked me.

“The piano and most brass instruments (Trumpet, Trombone, but not Tuba). That is a nice benefit to having a mother who teaches. I hope to learn more about woodwinds this coming summer, then after that violins and its family of string instruments (Violins, Violas, Cello, Bass, and Double Bass). My mom thinks I should know how to play most, if not all, of the instruments in the orchestra. In high school, I hope to get more all-around knowledge about all the instruments that are played.”

“Sounds great! Want to lead their first run-through?”

“Have they had a single practice on this yet?” I asked.

“No, I want you to hear how good they have gotten at cold playing,” Paul said, sounding like a proud parent.

I went and got my baton. I stood in front of the boys and girls.

“Hey!”

“Hey,” they said in return. They seemed trainable.

“Percussion, you start this. Mr. Bell, be ready at measure 19, please?”

I raised my baton...

They got a nice groove going. Mike was clear as he took the melody standing up. Each succeeding movement sounded great as I swayed as I conducted.

Our now six-person percussion team is fantastic. The three, who play the bongos, sound quite crisp.

The horns as a group are the best. Violins are getting better. It worked out that Mike had the final melody line and the rest of them ended together. A fourth grader went an extra beat.

“Sorry, Michael,” Tom Elliot said, “Won’t happen again.”

“Phil. On measure 88, look at your music; I heard a wrong note in there somewhere. Don’t worry! You people are fantastic! Who thought that fourth, fifth, and sixth graders would get along so well? How about the ‘Jet Song?’”

‘Yeah!’ came from all around.

“Violins, start pianissimo and build. It will only be you, and the choir for about twelve measures. When the rest of you come in, come up to mezzo forte, or moderately loud. You don’t want the choir to overwhelm you. ARE YOU READY?”

“Fantastic, you all finished together this time.”

We went on to practice, “Bounce,” “A Weekend in The Country,” “Everybody Ought to Have a Maid” and “If I Could Dream This World Away,” which started with a complicated bit of percussion, then a mezzo-piano or moderately soft music behind Nancy and Julie, when we all joined up.

Our string section is getting quite good. Our first violinist is a talented sixth grader named Genny Schraeder. I believe she is the daughter of my Social Studies teacher.

The music behind the dialogue is rather straightforward. “If I Could Dream” and “Jellicle Ball” are twice as long as most of the other songs.

We finished the hour with “The Jellicle Ball,” which will also be these people, the choir and some featured singers not yet selected.

Meeting up with Jennifer at lunch was the best part of my day. We went through the lunch choices, which weren’t so bad.

“How was your morning?” my one true love asked me.

“Orchestra was awesome. They are reading new music quickly and accurately. I started using some Italian terms like pianissimo and mezzo forte and the bulk of them understood. That means they are reading at home to learn all they can. Sometimes I feel like a parent in orchestra and choir.

“We should be ready to combine the two groups to clean things up a little in about two weeks. I am hopeful for Joan today. She’s likely nervous getting her first voice lesson.”

“As long as she doesn’t learn anything about you. That’s my domain,” she said, with a grin, a giggle, and a kiss.

After getting in line for lunch, and settling down next to one another, I said, “I think Sally Brown, the third grader, might just come out of this as a star, the next Jennifer perhaps. Her audition was so good. I remember she sang ‘My daddy’ from ANNIE 2: MISS HANNIGAN’S REVENGE. It broke my heart.”

“You are such a romantic, Michael. That’s one of the reasons I fell in love with you. I hope that you aren’t worrying about next year. We will still leave and come home together from school together.”

“I do have a surprise for you after Joan leaves. It’s something big.”

“Oh, you tease,” she said.

“I am not as good at that as you are, but I am working on it.”

The bell rang. I cleared our trays and we went our separate ways, but not before a kiss. Cece walked by saying, “Get a room.”

“When are Paul and you getting married?” I asked, turning the tables on her.

She stopped and said, “I have a schedule for that. Just haven’t told him yet.”

Jennifer quickly said, “I completely understand that. I have a schedule too.”

“See you after lunch, Michael,” my prettiest teacher said.

Choir was about to start; we had some of the soloists arrive to practice. Miss Crabtree wasn’t there yet, so I got up and said, “Settle down. Until your teacher arrives, why don’t you guys practice?”

“Richard, are you ready for ‘Any Dream Will Do?’”

“Yessir,” he said.

I motioned to the choir’s piano player, a young girl named Cathy Amos, a fourth grader. This group, like the orchestra, requires my baton.

I raised it getting all eyes on me. “Just a minute,” I said.

After all three doors were wide open, I raised my baton... “Ready?”

Eight and a half measures of piano begin this...

JOSEPH (RICH MITCHELL)
I closed my eyes, drew back the curtain
To see for certain what I thought I knew
Far far, away, someone was weeping
But the world was sleeping
Any dream will do
(Wowser, what a performer!)
JOSEPH and the CHOIR
(repeating his words)
I wore my coat, with golden lining
Bright colors shining, wonderful and new
And in the east, the dawn was breaking
And the world was waking
Any dream will do
(Donny Osmond, eat your heart out!)
JOSEPH
A crash of drums, a flash of light
My golden coat flew out of sight
The colors faded into darkness
I was left alone...
JOSEPH and the CHOIR
May I return to the beginning?
The light is dimming,
And the dream is too
The world and I,
We are still waiting
Still hesitating
Any dream will do

(An instrumental break happens here. Seventeen measures worth! I might cut it.)

JOSEPH (choir ‘Ooohs’)
A crash of drums, a flash of light
My golden coat flew out of sight
The colors faded into darkness
I was left alone
JOSEPH and the choir
May I return to the beginning?
The light is dimming,
And the dream is too
The world and I,
We are still waiting
Still hesitating
Any dream will do

By the end of the song, all the doorways were stopped up with students and teachers. Cece fought her way in, giving me a kiss on the cheek, “Sorry, I was late.”

“You sounded wonderful, especially Richard. What else should we do, Michael?” she remarked, actually deferring to me.

“I asked Sally Brown, Mary Mitchell plus Lily Rogers and Nancy Newman to have their songs learned for today. Sally and Lily, come on down!”

“Do you girls know this completely?” I asked.

The song was from SWEENEY TODD. It is called “Not While I am Around.” I changed it from a son and his mother to a daughter.

They both shook their heads affirmatively.

Sally is a third grader. Lily is in fourth grade.

“Skip the dialogue for now ladies,” I said.

“GET READY?” (All the choir does is ‘Oooh’ during this)

I pointed at the pianist...

SALLY BROWN
Nothing’s gonna harm you,
Not while I’m around.
Nothing’s gonna harm you, No Ma’am,
not while I’m around
Demons are prowling
everywhere, nowadays,
I will send ‘em howling,
I don’t care — I got ways

No one’s gonna hurt you,
No one’s gonna dare.
Others can desert you,
Not to worry, whistle, I’ll be there
Demons will charm you with a smile,
For a while. But in time
Nothing can harm you
Not while I’m around

(A dark musical interlude for the orchestra that’s four and one-half measures long)

Not to worry, not to worry
I may not be smart, but I ain’t dumb

I can do it. Put me to it.
Show me something I can overcome.
Not to worry, mum
Being close and being clever
Ain’t like being true
I don’t need to,
I would never hide
A thing from you,
Like some

(All dialogue was skipped over for now until the orchestra is added. There is some background music)

LILY
Nothing’s gonna harm you.
Not while I am around.
Nothing’s gonna harm you, darling
Not while I am around
Demons will charm you with a smile,
For a while, but in time...
Nothing’s gonna harm you
Not while I am around

The piano plays until it’s final two-handed chord!

I was in tears! “Sally, come here, please?”

She walked over to me and I asked her, “Can I hug you, please?”

We did. What an adult voice from a ten-year-old. Lily Rogers is only eleven! Many in the choir were wiping tears from their eyes, as well.

“Jennifer, would you and James like to do your Phantom number?” Cece asked while dabbing at her eyes.

“I would like to wait until tomorrow. I have a lesson from Michael’s mother concerning this piece of music,” my girl answered.

“Although we don’t need the choir for it,” I said. “How about Mary and Nancy perform ‘Every Day A Little Death’ from A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC.”

Their siblings in the choir yelled their support.

“Have you practiced this together?” I asked them.

“One time through, before school today. We expected you might want us to sing,” Mary explained, with a lovely grin.

“Do the best you can with the tight harmonies near the end? Everybody else, listen to why these particular young ladies were selected.”

I raised my baton, and nodded to Cathy, who had turned to that number...

CHARLOTTE (MARY MITCHELL)
Every day a little death
in the parlor
in the bed
in the curtains
in the silver
In the buttons in the bread
Everyday a little sting
In the heart and in the head
Every move and every breath
And you hardly feel a thing
Brings a perfect little death

He smiles sweetly
Strokes my hair
Says he misses me
I would murder him right there
But first I die
He talks softly of his wars
And his horses and his whores
I think loves’ a dirty business
ANNE (NANCY NEWMAN)
So do I
So do I

CHARLOTTE
I’m before him on my knees
And he kisses me
He assumes I lose my reason
And I do...
Men are stupid
Men are vain
Love’s disgusting
Love’s insane
A humiliating business
ANNE
Oh how true
CHARLOTTE
Ah well
Everyday a little death
ANNE
Every day a little death
CHARLOTTE
In the parlor, in the bed
ANNE
On the lips and in the eyes
CHARLOTTE
In the curtains, in the silver
In the buttons, in the bread
ANNE
In the murmurs, in the gestures
In the pauses, in the sighs

(‘Wow!’)

CHARLOTTE
Every day a little sting
ANNE
Every day a little dies
CHARLOTTE
In the heart and in the head
ANNE
In the looks and in the lies
CHARLOTTE & ANNE
Every move and every breath
And you hardly feel a thing
Brings a perfect little ... Death

“Marvelous!” I said as the entire choir applauded in response. “Miss Newman, look at your entrances, they are just barely behind the beat.”

“They are all yours, Miss Crabtree,” I said with a wink.

She turned to them and said, “OK, we need to give out all the solos in the song ‘COMPANY,’ who wants to...”

The balance of the period was trying to give everyone who wanted a line in our song from the Sondheim show COMPANY. It gave me a chance to sit and work on other things.

With all this stuff going on, my day moved very quickly. I found Joan and Jennifer waiting for me.

“Joan, are you going to Lincoln High School when you leave here?” I asked.

She took my arm and said, “Probably. To be honest, I would love to stay nearby, in case the two schools put on something together. Do you think that might be possible, Michael?”

Taking my other arm, Jennifer said, “Michael can do just about anything, can’t you, honey-bear?”

She punctuated her remark with a kiss upon my lips.

Isn’t there a song from CABARET called ‘Two Ladies?’

We all got off at stop eleven. I helped both ladies off the bus. They hadn’t known each other until the music brought them together.

Under different circumstances, they would probably be best friends, but, not at the moment. The word to best explain their current relationship would have to be ‘Frenemies!’

I opened the door to see my mother at the piano.

She got up and said, “You must be Joan. Hello dear, I am Janice. Don’t be nervous dear. I saw you at auditions and I believe you have a high contralto voice. You just need some ... polishing. That is what I am offering you today, free of charge!”

Without looking at us, Mom said, “If you two stay in here, be quiet. Or, you could go somewhere else.”

“We will stay here,” I said for the two of us.

“Come over here, beside me, but facing the other way,” Janice said to Joan.

Joan handed me her school pack and took off her outer jacket producing a minor gasp from me. She had ... breasts. Hmmm.

I got a glare from Janice.

“OK Joan, I will play a note, try to match it the best you can?”

She played F3 ... Joan tried, but wasn’t getting any breath to her tone.

“Excuse me mother, may I help?” I asked.

I had never spoken to her while she was working with a student!

“Do you have ... something in mind?”

“Yes, I do.” I got up and walked over to Joan asking her to stand straight. “I am going to touch your stomach, is that all right?”

She looked at my mother and Janice said, “He’s not dangerous, go ahead.” I heard a chuckle. Both from Joan and Jenn.

“Play that note again, please, F3,” I asked.

She did, and Joan gave it her best, but I pushed on her diaphragm and the quality to the tone improved ... impressively. “Another tone, please?”

She pressed B4, Joan took a nice breath, and I pushed her diaphragm and a marvelous tone came out.

“Holy Shit, that was me?” she said.

“That sort of language will not be tolerated,” I said, imitating my mother’s voice.

“Joan,” my mother said turning around, “What my son just did, although somewhat crudely, was to help you use your diaphragm to put some force behind your tones. While helpful, I still believe you could improve your tonal quality. Do you wish to continue?”

“Sit down, Michael,” Janice said assertively.

Before I could get away, Joan gave me a kiss on the cheek. I thanked her and sat back down.

Joan said, “Yes,” and Jenn pulled me into the kitchen before they began again.

Without asking, I got us a couple of glasses with cold water in them. I handed Jenn hers and drank mine straight down and refilled it. “Must keep my instrument - moist,” I said with a haughty attitude.

“Is that how I sounded when I said that before?” she said to me.

“Yeah, a little. I was already in love with you. You could have said anything, and I would have agreed.”

She took a drink and giggled, “I am sorry.”

“For what?”

“For being pretentious.”

“I believe you were more ... magniloquent.”

“You made that word up, didn’t you?” she said.

I got out my phone, opened the dictionary app and showed her the word.

She broke into the most wonderful smile as she came over and sat on my lap. We began a nice kiss until, “MICHAEL?”

She got up. We both checked each other for evidence, then she led the way.

“Michael, is there another song you could give Joan?”

“Instead of ‘Comedy Tonight’ or in addition to it?” I asked back.

“In addition to,” she answered. Joan clapped her hands in anticipation.

“Give me a moment.” I found a song and told Jenn where to find its sheet music. “The song is from CATS. It would become the first of our possible three CATS pieces. I remember when I heard it that it would need a slightly lower voice, but we had so many sopranos. This would sound wonderful with the orchestra and the choir. Play it an octave lower than written, Janice.”

“Here it is, the CATS complete set,” Jennifer said handing it to Joan. After she looked at it, she handed it to Mom, who smiled at me saying; “I knew my son would have a song in reserve. Thank you dear.”

She played the piece called ‘The Railway Cat’ once through, and Joan was picking it up. She would occasionally look at me while she was singing.

Jennifer pulled me into the kitchen. She got back on my lap, and we began a nice and wicked kiss, exchanging tongues as we heard Joan sounding much better. I felt Jenn’s hand on the move. I took it and kissed it. “Uh-uh, that is a no-no, my dear.”

“I can’t touch it, even from the outside?”

“That always ends up on the inside. We need to wait, at least, until I am fourteen in five months. Wait for me, I will wait for you, no matter how much Joan, or anyone else flirts. I never realized her figure was so ‘womanly’ until today.”

We started another kiss. This was even hotter. I felt her grinding on me a little. “You are such a tease.”

“MICHAEL!” came from the other room.

I came in and she plunked a note.

“B6-Flat,” I said being her little monkey.

“Anything else you want her to sing, Michael?”

“Where is your sister right now?” I asked Joan.

“At home, do you want me to get her here? It would only take a couple minutes. I have to call my mother anyway.”

“Yes please,” I said, pointing her to the phone.

“What are you thinking?” Both Jenn and Janice asked me.

“Trading Shirley for her in ‘No One Is Alone.’ That would have the sisters singing together. I can make sure Shirley gets in both selection songs. That gives her three leads,” I said explaining my logic.

She came out saying, “It will be less than five minutes ... I promise.”

There was a knock on the door. I let in Anna Prefontayne and her mother, who introduced herself as Ruth. Her daughters all looked like mini-versions of her.

“Is it fair to assume that you sing as well, Ruth?”

“Well yes, I was a Coloratura at BYU and sang with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir for five years. A lifetime ago, it seems.”

“Your daughters have got your gift for song as well as their beauty,” I said, offering her a place to sit. “I thought you had to be LDS to join the MTC?” I remarked.

“I was, but I met James and he wouldn’t, so ... Can I explain this some other time, please?”

“Is he always like this?” Ruth asked, looking at my mom and changing the subject.

Mom, Jennifer, and Joan all said, “YES.”

“Anna, we are making a change in who sings what. Shirley is getting some other things, but I want you to sing with your sister, “No One Is Alone.”

Her eleven-year-old eyes got all shiny as her sister said, “Sure. Come on Anna, you helped me learn this.”

“We need a Baker,” Anna announced.

“I can sing Jack’s part,” Jennifer said.

“Michael ... why don’t you sing the Baker part?” Janice said with a wink to me.

“I will try my best ... however, I am conducting as well,” I insisted.

Jenn handed me my baton, giving me a kiss. I raised it to everyone...