Chapter 57

Brian and Isabel stood first, followed by everyone else.

“Michael has loved that song forever,” Janice said. “Are you OK, honey?”

“I could use some water.” (I really felt fantastic!)

Jenn and Isabel both raced to the fridge and I was handed two. I took Jenn’s drained it, and then Isabel’s and did the same.

“Could we start keeping some saltines around here?” I asked. “Having some with me in school could only help.”

“You got it, boss,” Ally said. “Top of my list, tomorrow.”

“So, should I give that song to somebody, or sing it myself?”

Jennifer came up to me and said, “If you let anyone else sing that instead of you, there will be no more kisses from me.” To emphasize that, she crossed her arms.

“Me neither,” my Redhead said, standing by Jennifer.

Every woman in attendance crossed their arms as well.

“OK, but I need the music, Daddy,” I said in a little boy voice.

Isabel ran and got on his lap and said, “We really do need it right away, Daddy.” She kissed him on the cheek.

“Don’t worry, consider it done. It might be expensive. I am not really sure who owns the Fine/Kaye catalogue. I will have to talk to Jeff about it. My first guess is that it’s ASCAP, but I am not sure.”

“Has it ever been put on stage. I mean ... the whole show THE COURT JESTER?”

“Uh-oh,” Janice said.
“What?” Isabel said.

“I hear you loud and clear saying, ‘I have got an idea to put THE COURT JESTER on stage, with all the songs and characters.”

“Would you play the lead character?” Ally asked.

“Heavens no, I am not an actor ... that’s why we have 25 singers/performers.”

“What the hell was what we just saw, Michael?” Brian said. “You were performing, dare I say acting, during that entire piece of music.”

“But, I have to conduct...”

“You have Mike Bell as a backup conductor. Let him have a whole show of his own, while you get to finally wear a codpiece on stage,” Katherine said.

Isabel asked, “What’s a... ?”

“I will tell you later, Red. You know, you might be right. I do have a bit of an outgoing gregarious personality, but I don’t plan to wear a codpiece in front of anyone. This can be a concert with some moments added, like the sword fights.”

“How soon could we do it, honey?” Janice said. “This next year?”

“No, we would need to wait for the following year. I don’t want to keep changing things on the principals and everyone else. Could I get another water, please?”

Katherine went to the fridge and tossed one to me. I got it one-handed, with my right hand ... to a bit of applause.

“There are at least twenty roles in the movie, but I don’t know how well our current set of singers matches up to the parts,” I said.

“Stay focused on the GSS Concerts and WICKED sweetie,” Isabel said still sitting on Brian’s lap. He was looking uncomfortable, so I got up and walked over and brought her up saying, “Your turn to sing, Beautiful.”

“Have you learned “Morning After?”

“Yup.” (It’s from THE POSEIDEN ADVENTURE)

IZZY (MICHAEL)
There’s got to be
a morning after
If we can hold on
through the night
We have a chance
to find the sunshine
Let’s keep on looking
for the light

Oh, can’t you see
the morning after?
It’s waiting right
outside the storm
Why don’t we cross
the bridge together?
And find a place
that’s safe and warm?

It’s not too late,
we should be giving
Only with love can we climb
It’s not too late,
not while we’re living
Let’s put our hands out in time

There’s got to be
a morning after
We’re moving closer
to the shore
I know we will be
there by tomorrow
And we will escape
the darkness
We won’t be
searching anymore

There’s got to
be a morning after
(There’s got to
be a morning after)
There’s got to be
a morning after
(There’s got to be
a morning after)

There’s got to
be a morning after
(There’s got to
be a morning after)
There’s got to be
a morning after
(There’s got to
be a morning after)

As usual, she got a nice round of applause. I next motioned Jenn to come forward, and quietly said ‘Papa’...

God ... Oh God
May the light

Illuminate the night,
the way your spirit
illuminates my soul
Papa, can you hear me?
Papa, can you see me?

Papa, can you
find me in the night?
Papa, are you near me?
Papa, can you hear me?
Papa, can you help
me not be frightened?

Looking at the skies,
I seem to see a million eyes
which ones are yours?
Where are you now
that yesterday
has waved goodbye
and closed its door?

The night is so much darker;
the wind is so much colder
the world I see is so much bigger
Now that I am alone.

Papa, please forgive me
Try to understand me
Papa, don’t you know
I had no choice?

All the way to the end, her perfect pitch and this song were a match made in heaven.

After the applause, I called up the entire quartet to do “Buttons” by the Pussy Cat Dolls. They all started writhing the moment I started to play. Too bad Peter isn’t there.

I looked and saw Brian’s face having broken into one of those lecherous smiles older guys do. Isabel was matching some of their moves. I motioned her to get up and join the dancing.

The only person left to applaud was Brian, but he didn’t stand. I wonder why?

I thanked the ladies as they all went back to their places they had been sitting.

I started another song that I hadn’t ever played before, but the energy in the room made me decide to do it...

You see this guy,
This guy’s in love with you
Yes, I am in love
Who looks at you the way I do
When you smile I can tell it
we know each other very well

How can I
show you I am glad
I got to know you ‘cause
I have heard some talk
they say you think I am fine
This guy’s in love and
what I’d do to make you mine
Tell me now is it so
don’t let me be
the last to know

My hands are shakin’ don’t let
my heart keep breaking ‘cause
I need your love,
I want your love
Say you are in love
and you will be my guy,
if not I will just die

Tell me now is it so
don’t let me be
the last to know
My hands are shakin’
don’t let my heart
keep breaking ‘cause
I need your love,
I want your love
Say you are in love
In love with this guy,
if not I will just die

I kept playing to the end.

There was applause and Jennifer came to me to give me a great big kiss.

Isabel was applauding and smiling. I sat back down and before I could get any words out of my mouth, Katherine came to me with a new bottle of cold water.

“Thank you Kit Kat,” I said pouring some of the water on my face. “I am done for tonight. If you ladies want to keep singing, someone else needs to play the keyboard.”

I got up, and Janice came up to play. She started to play, but I didn’t recognize it, “I have to tell you all something. When Michael was around seven years old, I first tried to get him up and sing for me. Whenever he heard music, his cute little butt just started to move perfectly in time with it. That actually started when he was only three.”

“Since he didn’t want to sing, I insisted he learn how to play the piano...”

“It wasn’t, I didn’t want to sing mother, but you said ... and I quote, ‘Honey, maybe you should take up the trumpet or something,’” I interrupted.

“Quiet you,” she said. “Anyhow, between all my singing, and other lessons, I insisted he practice three times a week for an hour each.”

“He seemed to plateau, but I was certain he could be better, so I spent more time with him. He could instantly recognize the key of anything I put in front of him.”

“Nowadays, I am amazed daily when I hear him playing and singing everything he does. I am not really sure what is motivating him at this point, but I still love him like I did when it was just you and me, Michael”...

JANICE
Out of the tree of life
I just picked me a plum
You came along and
everything’s started’ to hum
Still, it’s a real good bet;
the best is yet to come

The best is yet
to come and babe,
won’t that be fine?
You think you
have seen the sun,
but you ain’t seen it shine
Wait till the
warm-ups underway
Wait till our lips have met
And wait till you
see that sunshine day
You ain’t seen nothin’ yet

The best is yet to come
and babe, won’t it be fine?
Best is yet to come,
come the day your mine

Her playing during the interludes is still much better than mine.

Come the day your mine
I am gonna teach you to fly
We have only tasted the wine
We’re gonna drain the cup dry

Wait till your charms are right
for these arms to surround
You think you have flown before,
but baby, you ain’t left the ground

Wait till you are
locked in my embrace
Wait till I draw you near
Wait till you see
that sunshine place
Ain’t nothin’ like it here

The best is yet to come
and babe, won’t it be fine?
The best is yet to come,
come the day you are mine

Come the day you are mine
And you are gonna be mine!

Despite being tired, I stood up for her and blew her a kiss.

“One more than we need to leave and let Michael get a good rest before school in the morning,” Jan said. “How about Izzy and Jennifer come up and sing “First Time in Forever?”

From off my lap, Red ran to the synthesizer meeting up with Jenn. They hugged each other as mom began to play...

ISABEL
The window is open,
so’s that door
I didn’t know they
did that anymore
Who knew we owned
eight thousand salad plates?

For years, I have
roamed these empty halls
why have a ballroom
with no balls?
Finally they’re
opening up the gates

There will be
actual real live people
it will be totally strange
but Wow, am I so
ready for this change

‘Cause for the
first time in forever
There will be music,
there will be light
For the first time in forever
I will be dancing
through the night

With the enthusiasm I knew she had, my almost little sister sang her heart out, like I had asked. Jenn sang her part when it came about three-quarters through the number.

When it was over, they grabbed hands and curtseyed. I am so proud of them both ... plus Janice ... Ally, Katherine and Peter, even Stuart ... the whole gang.

I got up, with Ally quick to help. Everyone is being so nice to me. It’s wonderful, feeling loved like I do.

Isabel got my door; Jenn turned my side of the bed down. I gave them all a kiss, and I yelled ‘Goodnight’ to Brian. Jennifer pulled off my shirts, Isabel yanked off my pants. I had to grab my boxers or the current state of my ‘Thingy’ would be obvious to everyone.

Everyone, but the two girls, left the room. “Red, would you mind if I had only Jennifer with me tonight?”

“No problem, Michael,” she said turning to leave.

“Don’t be mad, Isabel, please?”

“I am not, really, Goodnight.”

From behind me, I heard, “She’s going to be OK, Michael.” I felt her loose bosom against my back, and I said, “I love you.”

After sleeping very soundly, I woke up to being kissed, by Isabel. She had joined us sometime during the night. Apparently, they are content tag-teaming me ... in a non-sexual way.

I gave a kiss to Jennifer plus a tweak to her nipples. We got up and went to the shower together, making out a little, but not as much as she usually likes to. I was OK, so we finished by washing each other’s hair.

We met up with Red at the kitchen table, with scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast. It was marvelous, as I told Katherine.

I gave her a kiss as we left for school.

I am beginning to like Mondays, no after school rehearsal today. I checked in with both principals, and their lovely assistants.

I told everyone I encountered about our new concert in Indianapolis. They understood the concept of giving back, getting a very small payment for performing for first responders and their families. Nobody refused, as I had expected, and the day was quite blasé compared to some of the moments we had been having.

I didn’t bother to tell anyone about my hospital visit. No need to trouble them or worry anybody.

After the un-stressful day was over, we stopped by the Walgreen and I picked up my prescription. It was a 90-day supply.

We got home and I read it: “Two times a day with a meal,” I said out loud.

“That means take one at breakfast, sweetie,” Jenn advised.

“And, the other at dinnertime,” Isabel added.

“I doubt I will ever forget, with my two nurses taking care of me,” I said giving them each a kiss.

Isabel took the bottle from my hand and went into my room. She came back empty-handed.

We smiled and I sent them off to work on homework.

I grabbed a water and just sat down to veg out a little. Nothing happened today that felt like my Syncope was acting up. I guess it’s just one day at a time from this point forward.

“What would you like for dinner tonight, honey?” Ally asked giving me a kiss on the lips.

“Since a healthy portion of Alice Guthrie ... isn’t on the menu, I guess something with chicken maybe. Surprise me, why don’t you?”

“Oh Michael, it feels a million years since we ... were together. I loved you, I really did, but it’s all about Jeff these days. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be, Alice. My memories are still fresh.”

“You have always been such a sweet young man,” she said to me.

I went back to thinking about my day, closing my eyes while I did.

“Dinner,” was said much quieter than I was used to.

I smelled fried chicken, and I saw cornbread as I got up to wash my hands. “Hey Jenn, it’s dinner time,” I said walking by her working on the bed.

“Thanks,” she said, handing me a towel and washing her hands. “Wait for me, please?”

“Sure gorgeous, no problem,” I said waiting for her. I liked the slowed down pace. It felt healthier.

We came out together with the table set and Isabel giving us a beautiful smile. Jenn helped me to my usual place, pulling out my chair out for me.

The dinner much like the ladies around the table was not only very tasty, but it was very pleasant to the eye. I had a new dimension to my meals. The bewitching placement of the food on the plate I was now taking the time to enjoy.

Of course, that caused me to slow down and start to enjoy the food I was eating. I honestly never thought of food as a visual thing.

“Is everything all right, Peter Pan?” Isabel said.

“Yeah, I am fine. Just enjoying the food ... and the pretty company. Is this cornbread homemade, it tastes like it?”

“Thank you for that, Michael,” Katie said, “but it’s not homemade. However, I did add a bit of cinnamon to the mix.”

“That’s what I taste” I said. “That was a marvelous idea, Kit Kat.”

“Thank you, kind sir,” she said with a giggle, and a royal curtsey.

“Are we going to have some singing after dinner tonight?” Jennifer questioned.

“Certainly, I must keep my ladies entertained, don’t I?”

The rest of the week went as planned with the GSS rehearsals after school and the WICKED during the day. I had reminded them all about our Indianapolis concert the week after our GSS concert. Very few hadn’t known, but all wanted to be involved. I knew there would be no mutineers.

There were no signs of ‘my condition’ with the now regular occurrence of my twice-daily pills. It seemed like I now had the proverbial ‘time to smell the roses’ ahead of me.

I was slower to anger, if I got at all ill-tempered. People who rubbed me the wrong way, which were few, I learned to ignore completely. It was rather ironic, from a certain point of view.

Barely a week away is our April Concert, which is a showcase of the Gold Standard Society. I had them in good spirits and of the highest quality. They were primed to be their best. I hadn’t yet given them their GSS shirts and those I had, promised not to wear theirs until I give them out the day before our concert.

At our Saturday, all day rehearsal, I assigned the new songs for the Firefighter concerts. Brian again came through with the scores for each of them. It was ASCAP, like he had thought.

The orchestra loved the Who medley of “Who Are You?” “Won’t Get Fooled Again” and “Baba O’Riley.”

I did practice “The Maladjusted Jester,” using the orchestra for the opening moments, then the violins had some marvelous moments.

When it was over everyone cheered for the King ... Jester!

I took a break, getting a salt pill and a water from my bag. After that, I got Joan and John up for a cut version of “Master of the House.” I explained what was cut and then they performed it like LES MISÉRABLES was yesterday.

I gave “Courtesy of The Red White and Blue” to Sam. He deserved it and sang it with as much passion as I had, except he didn’t fall over when he was finished.

Peter got to sing “The Dying Firefighter” and poured his heart into it. Many of us were in tears.

Isabel, Rose and the younger girls got “Smokey the Bear,” singing it with lots of energy.

With Jason on the guitar and my wonderful violinists, I sang “The Fireman’s Prayer,” with Jenn being my harmony singer. We had yet to do a song together like this, but it worked like a charm.

The Mitchell’s; Rich, John, and Mary, sang the Firefighters song. Her harmony reminded their sound to be similar to that wonderful folk group, Peter, Paul, and Mary.

Damn, I am proud of these people!

I cut them loose earlier than I ever had, but I wanted their School Concert to be their best ever. After that is over, we put the pedal to the medal for our Indianapolis concert, then put the final moments to WICKED. According to Samuel and the people Mr. Schwartz left behind, practically all the special effects we are able to perform.

Jennifer loves her entrance and Joan gets a kick out of her ‘death scene.’ Stuart is also stoked over the special effects he gets to control. Everybody is having a great time.

After the place was pretty close to empty, Paul and Cece came up to Jennifer and me.

“Getting excited about getting married?” I asked.

“Just making sure you have time for us,” Cece said.

“Of course, July Sixth, a day that will live in infamy. You know Cece, there is still time to leave this goof and become part of my harem.”

Paul faked a punch. “You have your hands full already, as far as I can see Michael,” he said. Just then Isabel came up to me taking my hand. She waved to Paul.

“After we have put WICKED to bed, we can focus on the wedding and the reception. This is the only freebie you will get from me ... I hope you realize.”

I felt Jenn’s grip tighten. “I understand,” Paul said.

“See you guys during the week. Toodles,” Jenn said as we left.

Jennifer had the balls to drive through Dairy Queen without any hesitation and no scratch. We parked and ate it in the parking lot being careful not to drip anything in her car.

We all were sharing the fries that I placed between my legs. They were both getting their own fries and I realized they were having too much fun. I looked down to see the bag was empty.

“OK girls, stop that. Finish your drinks and we can go home.”

“Who wants to go home, do you want to go home Jennifer?” my snarky redhead said.

“If we don’t go home, what do you suggest?” I said clearing my throat.

“What do we suggest?” Isabel asked Jennifer.

It seemed we were at an impasse. The game either ramped up, or we headed home.

“I have an idea; first we go home.”

“Michael.”

“Don’t worry, for my idea to work we need to get home first.”

“Ooohhh, he has an idea. For both of us?”

“Yes, if you both really mean what I think you mean?”

We got home, throwing our trash away as we went in the house.

“Hey, where were you?” Katherine said.

“We went straight to lunch. Instead of fixing a meal for just the two of you, why don’t you ladies go out and treat yourselves to a nice lunch. I have the girls here to watch over me.”

“Yeah, but who’s watching the watchers?” Ally said.

“Go ahead Mom,” Jennifer said. “You guys are always taking care of us. Leave for a while, go eat, shop or whatever...”

“All right ... all right ... you have talked me into it. Come on Katherine, we can find something, or someone to do, can’t we?”

“You are so bad, Ally?”

“WE’RE HO-OME!”

I had just cum inside my girl, when that announcement was proclaimed.

Izzy had gone to her room to listen to music.

Jenn had the shower running very quickly, I saw her go through the door with a smile.

“Hey, Isabel! Where are Jenn and Michael?” Katherine yelled up.

“I don’t know,” she said. Plausible deniability.

“Nah, they needed some time alone. I have been taking too much of Michael’s time. I was listening to music when you yelled.”

We came out, having the fastest shower on record, me in just sweatpants and Jenn in a t-shirt without a bra.