LiTTLE CHERiNE Book 02 - post053

“It is time the two of you celebrate your anniversary on your own. Take her to Disneyland.” Cherine came into my arms crying and I hid my tears by burying my face in her hair.

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Socrati stood up, a little tipsy and motioned to us for our attention. He stood behind Sonja. “I want to share something special with all my friends. I have asked Sonja to marry me and she has agreed. Tonight we are engaged.” He took out a box and put a ring on her finger. She stood up and hugging him gave him a long passionate kiss - which got the whole club clapping and shouting their encouragement. The laughter and comments made us all feel alive and Cherine naughtily took all our feelings of love and spread them to the audience, careful to make them feel it was their own emotion.

Our singer came out. She sang her opening songs and then came to our table. She spoke into the microphone, telling everyone that two special friends are here and made Cherine and Dommi stand up. She kissed them cheek to cheek and returning to the band, continued singing. When she had sung about six songs, I decided she had not agreed to let Wendy sing. She went offstage for a few minutes and returning came to our table again. She asked, through her mike, which one of us is ‘Vendy’. I pointed to Wendy who was blushing. The singer was taken aback at seeing such a young child, but she did not back off.

She got Wendy fitted with a microphone and told the audience that Wendy wants to sing with her for her friend Dominique. Half seriously and half joking, she reminded everyone that they have not rehearsed and got a few laughs.

She began the song, not certain where Wendy is going to join in, looking over to her, trying to encourage her to do so. It took a few moments for everyone to realise what they were hearing was not the band, not a musical instrument. The singer nearly paused in astonishment, but carried on.

Wendy wove a tapestry of sound around her voice, bringing out the strengths and beauty of her singing and a beautiful song became a song made of magic that had everyone weeping (for the words were sad and Wendy brought out that sadness and made it also a paean to love). When the song ended, the whole room erupted in a roar and everyone stood to clap.

Wendy was not allowed to sit down and had to sing another two songs. Though she did not know the songs, she seemed to instinctively know how the song should have gone, even if the composer had not realised it, and brought out the same magic in all of them. I then got up and collected her, despite the calls for her to continue. The singer spent the rest of the evening glancing at her out of the side of her eyes. When she had finished she joined us, but it soon became obvious she wanted to speak to Wendy.

She asked if Wendy would like her to introduce her to a recording company. Wendy pointed to me. I thanked her, but told her it is too early. She then asked for Wendy to join her in the recording of a new song she is bringing out. I saw Wendy’s face and against my better judgement agreed.

Wendy hugged me and whispered, her voice a fervent breath of passion and determination, “I will make you proud of me.”

“More than already? Not possible my little blonde love-bug.”

“If I am your blonde love-bug then you are the sound of music in my heart.”

Cherine who was sitting next to me jerked around and was up and running before I could move. I quickly put Wendy onto her seat and followed. She had gone outside, stopping at the entrance. I grabbed hold of her.

“What did you feel?”

“A girl. She felt us and got scared, she ran away.”

“From the audience?”

“No. I think she only came in to … I think it was to sell flowers.”

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I turned to the doorman and demanded in Greek, “Do you know the girl that just ran out?”

“Boutana! She stole something from you?”

“No. I need to know who she is.”

“She is an Albanian. She comes to sell flowers. Must I call the manager, is there a problem?”

“No. Do not call anyone. I need to find her. Can you find out where she lives?”

“These girls,” he put his hands out in a shrug, “who knows!”

“Whoever does know will get two hundred thousand Drachmaes from me. Write my phone number down."

“What happened?” Socrati and Alki had come out. I explained. Alki had a quiet conversation with the doorman.

“You offered two hundred thousand?”

“I had to make it enough to get him to find her.”

“We will, do not worry.”

Driving home in the early hours of the morning, with two girls dozing on either side of me, Alki and Marian in the front, Alki chuckled and looked at me in the mirror. “And you were worried about making this a special celebration!”

“If we find that girl it will be very special.”

“Oh her! She will not disappear. You’ll have her within hours. I was talking about Wendy.”

I was still obsessed with the flower girl. “They must not frighten her Alki.”

“It is strange. You are out of action for seven months and we do not gain one new Cherinian. Soon as you are up and about again, you find two!”

“It was pure luck. With the first one, don’t forget I had some wonderful bait.” He chuckled again and suddenly swerved, shouting out of his window ‘malaka’. I too chuckled, though silently. Becoming younger has changed Alki quite a bit.

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I hope you enjoy reading this story of fantasy, adventure and love.

Αλέξανδρος Ζήνον Ευσταθίου

(Alexander Zenon Eustace)
^{5th October, 2018}
* posted on Steemit: 5th October, 2018



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