Saturday, February 27, 2016

FADE IN, PHOTEMP PLACE IN HONOLULU, HAWAII

Photemp Place is packed. It is smaller than the arenas and stadiums that Michiko Takahashi usually plays, but this isn’t for the usual purposes of her concerts: making money and promoting herself. No, this is for charity. Though Hawaii’s capital is in most ways the paradise tourists seek, the city of Honolulu and the whole island of Oahu (the most populous though not the largest of the Hawaiian Islands) has a lot of homeless. The cost of living is high in the Aloha State, but jobs can be as scarce as on the mainland, and it’s more expensive to leave the state and seek work elsewhere. Local relief services, both governmental and charity, are struggling to keep up. Takahashi, born and raised in Honolulu, is eager to help and a benefit concert is the best way that she can. And suddenly, there is something extra.

The crowd is buzzing; unlike Takahashi’s regular concerts, there was to be no opening act, but just yesterday there was an announcement: “A Very Special Opening Act” was added to the schedule, and nothing was said about who it will be. Normally, her opening act would be either Paul Macon or Paula Akron, the two children who together make up the increasingly popular Paul & Paula 21. They have been taking turns opening for the teenaged pop star ever since a court order came down forbidding them to appear together. Paul Macon had been the last to appear, so now it would be Paula Akron’s turn. But if it was the little girl or the little boy, then why all the mystery and such? Richard Photemp, the owner of this venue, had spent his own money to publicize that “somebody” was going to be there, but he wouldn’t say who. Paul or Paula wouldn’t be surprising at all, and so many in the crowd assume that it must be somebody else.

The stage gradually lights up, just enough for the band to be visible though not enough to identify the individual musicians. This is different than the way either of the children, or both of them together, have made their entrance since the first time they opened for Takahashi. In each case the stage would go from dark to lit in an instant. But if not Paula or Paul, then who?

As a spotlight hits the left of the stage, the entire audience waits to see what adult walks on.

One Day Ago, 9:30 A.M., Friday, February 26, 2016

UNDISCLOSED LOCATION, HONOLULU, HI

Teenage pop star Michiko Takahashi smiled as Richard Photemp walked into the room. He hadn’t liked this secret meeting, but the young woman was the primary draw for the charity fund raiser being held at his new facility. The publicity could make the difference between Photemp’s new venue being the hot new thing in Honolulu or being an ignored nightclub space in a city full of nightclubs. Takahashi had sworn that she could bring him even more publicity, but it had to be secret. Show business was her business, so she was worth talking to.

“Greetings, Michiko,” Photemp said, extending his hand. “I hope all this 007 stuff is worth it.”

The fourteen year old girl took the forty-six year old man’s hand and shook it.

“Good to see you, Richard.”

Takahashi noted the quick flash of disapproval on Photemp’s face as she used his first name, but as he had used hers, she felt that the impression that this was a meeting of equals required that she do the same. She suspected that “a meeting of equals” was the last thing Photemp wanted, but to make her offer appealing, it had to be clear that she could make it happen, and a lesser person doesn’t make that impression.

“So, what’s this all about?” the man asked.

Takahashi smiled. “Promise not to tell until after the show, and I’ll tell you.”

Photemp wasn’t smiling. “I’m not a big fan of this ‘I’ve Got a Secret’ stuff.”

“Neither am I, but it’s worth it. So promise. Nothing in writing; I’m taking your word.”

The older man heaved a weary sigh.

“Alright, fine. If it isn’t going to cause me trouble or cost me money, I won’t tell. And that’ll have to be good enough.”

“Good enough for me,” Takahashi nodded. “Now, what I need is to use your facility for an extra hour and fifteen minutes. I checked and nobody else is booked for that time. I can line up an opening act which will easily double the attention you get, more than double, but only if it hits everybody by surprise.”

“If it’s the little boy or the little girl,” Photemp pointed out, “that’s not much of a surprise to anybody. That’s exactly who people expect your opening act to be.”

“It’s not the little boy or the little girl,” Takahashi deadpanned, “it’s the little boy and the little girl.”

“What do you mean ‘and?’ I thought...”

Takahashi managed to keep her own face blank as the man’s voice faded, his eyes grew round, and he just stood there. Takahashi felt that she could almost hear the wheels grinding in his head. She said nothing until Photemp’s lips parted to speak. That’s when the teenage girl struck, knowing that it would be the most effective point.

“That’s right,” she said, looking the older man straight in the eyes, “I’m giving you the chance to host the Paul & Paula 21 Reunion Concert.”

Photemp’s face broke into a huge grin. Hosting a charity concert featuring the up-and-coming teenage pop star might make the news in Honolulu, and her fans anywhere might find out, but it wouldn’t make much of a splash outside the island of Oahu. Having one or the other of the children as her opening act wouldn’t make much difference. But if the world learned that the child-couple was back together because they appeared on stage together at his venue, THAT would definitely make the news across Hawaii and probably back on the mainland as well. Yes, this easily more than doubled the publicity.

Photemp thrust out his hand again. “Ms. Takahashi, we have a deal.”

The teenage pop star took the proffered hand and shook it.

“Thank you, Mr. Photemp.”

Who walks on is Paul Macon, singing “Hey Paula,” generally considered Paul & Paula 21‘s signature song. There is applause; any audience for Michiko Takahashi will by default contain a goodly number of people who like the little boy and his girlfriend. Still, there is also some sense of disappointment; this is exactly who they might have expected, so why all the mystery and hype? As the little boy walks onto the stage singing “Hey Paula” the audience can’t understand why there was such a mystery about Paul Macon being the opening act; that it would be him or Paula Akron was to be expected. Less than a second later it hits them that Paul is singing “Hey Paula,” a song both children have insisted they will not sing until they can sing it together. At about the same time it hits them that he is saying Paula’s name. But what about the court’s gag order?

Just as the boy finishes the fifth line to the song another spotlight appears in the center of the stage and sweeps to the right side. Paula Akron strolls onstage, singing her part of “Hey Paula.” There is a collective gasp, a short bout of murmuring, and then the audience absolutely explodes with applause. The child-couple meets in the middle of the stage to sing together, but nobody can hear them. In fact, the rest of the song goes unheard, so great is the cheering at the site of them together again.

The cheering continues long after the song has finished, but it does eventually die back. Only when it does do either of the children try to speak to the assembled masses.

PAULA: We thought this was a better way to let you all know than a press conference.

PAUL: You guys have been so good to us, so we wanted to let you know in a special way and, well, we sing. So that’s how we let you know that we are BACK together, all gag orders are RECINDED, and I hope I never see another courthouse as long as I live.

PAULA: Me too!

The two kids hug each other and the crowd applauds again. Paul Macon is wearing his “business casual” clothes: black slacks, black dress shoes, white shirt tucked into the slacks, no tie, vest, or jacket. Paula Akron is wearing a green and red sun dress with green sandals.