London Harmony: Water Gypsy (3 page)

Paya and I woooed in excitement as they kicked in. More dancing ensued. A wasted bloke interposed himself between me and Paya. Harry came to my rescue. “Buggar off mate. She's here with me.” He started to turn toward Paya, still more staggering than dancing. Harry said, “She's with me too.” The guy was complaining that Harry had two pieces of tail and he had none as Harry pushed him off on his drunken way.

Both Paya and I exchanged sputtering laughs and then evil eyes and we turned and danced sexily with Harry as I blurted out, “I'm one of your pieces of tail am I?” Paya's high-pitched squeak of laughter made me grin.

Harry didn't miss a beat and played off our teasing. “I'm more afraid of you stealing away my Paya here.” Paya grinned and shot him a coy look then turned to me and danced even more suggestively while maintaining eye contact with her man. I smiled and rolled my eyes and pushed her toward Harry. I still remember the first time he had figured out I was gay. His brows creased as he pointed between Paya and I. “You two never...”

We both rolled our eyes at him and she asked, “Would you ever do it with Diane?”

He had made a sour and disgusted face. “God woman, she's my sister.”

Satisfied, my evil friend let him off the hook. “There you have your answer then.”

After two numbers, the Salamanders slid offstage and Ronnie introduced a pop singer, Lisa T. Ronnie caught my eye as the bleach blonde singer started an upbeat and fun set. He motioned me over with his head. Paya grabbed my hand and gave it a squeeze as I went, Harry said, “Break a leg.”

I got up to the stage and was a little distracted by the three blokes from the Salamanders frantically ransacking their own things, looking for something. Ronnie snorted bringing my attention to him. He rolled his eyes saying, “J-Card.” I chuckled and nodded in understanding and stuffed my bag under the stage.

He said, “I can only give you one song. I didn't expect Scratch tonight. That bloke is a genius. Never says a single word though.” My eyes automatically went to the back wall and I could see the short man just staring at the stage like he did during the last performance, he didn't seem impressed. I was probably reading too much into his um-moving form.

I nodded, I was just happy to get any stage time. He asked, “So what ya got for me?” I cued up one of my emotional ballads, Tattered Soul, on my mobile and handed it to him. It was edgy like that old stuff from Leather and Heels. I compiled the instrumental in Garage Band on my tablet. He asked, “How do you want to be introduced? Stage name?”

Bloody hell. Did I need a stage name? I've never needed one at any of the bars or raves I sang at. I almost panicked, that shows how unprofessional and unprepared I was. How did I ever think I'd ever make a name for myself when I didn't even 'have' a name. I started going through all the iterations of Tabitha in my head, and before I could stop my traitorous mouth, I gave him Paya's nickname for me from primary school. “Tabby Cat.”
Oh shite!
He was grinning.
I did not just do that to myself.
I sighed in resignation.

As Lisa T was finishing her set and the crowd was applauding, I saw Scratch start moving through the crowd to a side door exit. Ronnie was on stage pulling me up; he was surprisingly strong; then handing me a mic as he attached my mobile to the console. I almost snorted when I saw Lisa T, rummaging through her bag behind the stage like a mad woman. Ronnie announced, “Now everyone, more fresh meat! I give you the vocal stylings of Tabby Cat!” I wanted to blush away into non-existence at the cute little rapid clapping and look of glee on Paya's face as she heard the name.
I'll have to remember to kill the smug woman in her sleep later.

There was some clapping as the instrumental and the heavy, syncopated bass beat blast out. I took a deep nervous breath and started with the first, subdued and restrained line as people started dancing to the slower beat. I noticed Scratch's hand pause on the door handle when I switched from pianissimo to stentato and I hit the first power note that was a huge counterpoint to the subdued intonations of the prior notes.

The man looked up and pulled his hood back slightly as he tilted his head as if listening intently. The light caught the lower part of his face for a moment, it was so... feminine. Was Scratch a woman?

I got lost in the undulating wave of the song as I couldn't stop my body from dancing with the melody. I'd drop into pianissimo and let portions of my soul swirl around it, caressing it, trying to mend the emotions bleeding through. Then the hope and beauty of family and friends exploding from me, chasing the darkness away and urging the maestoso of the power notes to soar up to the heavens to challenge the angels themselves.

Then my final promise to the universe with the refrain building and building and my voice hitting impossible volume until the final note that was nothing more than a whisper, a longing in my soul not realized. An acceptance of what is and not of what could be.

My head yanked up as the crowd exploded into cheers. I looked around and people were in a frenzy. The whistles and whoops were making my ears hurt. I looked down at a grinning Paya, who had made her way to the stage during my set. She had her hands pressed together and against her smiling lips, nodding. Her eyes were glittering, sharing her smile. I shrugged with wide eyes.

Ronnie pressed my mobile into my hand and yelled into my ear above the cheers. “I'll call. I want you at the next rave. Send me your playlist.” I nodded and blinked. I felt so exposed and so embarrassed standing there.

Harry offered me his hand and I took it as he helped me down. I retrieved my bag and when I turned back around I was engulfed in a silly side to side hug by my grinning best friend as she said, “You were brill! I don't think I've ever heard you sing like that, you're getting better and better...” Then she asked loudly with a barely contained laugh, “...Tabby Cat?!”

I sighed and offered her a waggling fist that promised so much pain, then grinned as I said, “I panicked when he asked for a stage name. Just know, I will have my revenge on you some day.” She just stuck her tongue out at me then grabbed Harry and my arms and dragged us into the middle of the room as the next artist was introduced. My eyes went to the side door, Scratch was nowhere to be seen.

I glanced at the stage where a techno band was starting up. I had never felt like that on stage before. I have had just a few sets here and there and sang in some Karaoke clubs, but this time I was feeding on the energy of the crowd and shaping it, using it in my music. I... I liked the feeling, and I wanted more. I made them happy, and that made me happy. I promised myself I'd finish up the other two songs I was working on that were in the same vein as that one. Had I just finally found my style?

I thought about that the rest of the night. I was sad to see my friends go as they dropped me on the road by the Persephone. I got a hug from my bestie then wandered through the increasing cold on the crunchy slush that had refrozen. They stayed on the road until I walked up the plank to the deck of the ship. I gave a wave and they drove off down the lane, tires crunching on the ice.

I dove into my bed, changed into my night clothes under the covers, and curled into the quilt near the stove pipe. I thought about the night as I read the letter from my mum, telling of her own recent adventures.

I woke the next morning to the soft chime of my mobile and seeing my breath in the air. It was chilly but not as bad as the previous morning. I remember the feeling of being on the stage last night and smiled in glee, hugging myself. I... was in a bloody good mood.

I was grinning as I playfully knocked out Shave and a Haircut on the walls. “Sixty minutes until power, lovelies.” I chuckled at Wendell's cursing protests, then started my morning routine. I checked my mobile before heading to Joe's for a shower. Three text messages from Ronnie. He was serious about wanting me at the next rave. I texted back that I was available any night, just to give me a day's notice.

When I got to the deck outside. The captain was pulling a hose topside on the Tennessee. He already had one over to the Gertrude on the other side. I stepped over and grabbed the small bilge pump he was trying to dangle over to the Persephone and pulled some hose over with it. I got a grunt of thanks and I just grinned at the man then made my way off the barge.

That was a weekly ritual, I was glad I wasn't below decks as the pump and thrumming of water in the hoses down below sort of filled the space. The boats always took on some water down in the recessed area where some mechanical stuff used to be located. I was always stuck with having to watch to make sure the pump didn't run dry when the water was drained overboard. “Not anymore.” I thought smugly, now that I had a chilly topside cabin with a window.

After cleaning up, returning home, and doing the ritual morning prep during generator up-time, I headed off to work. I'd need to make a laundry run tonight as most of my clothes and both of my uniforms were now dirty and smelling a bit manky.

Paya and I went right to work. I gave my best effort, not wanting to upset that terrifying woman from the previous day, wanting to please her and give her no reason to get me sacked.

When lunch came around, I paused at the storage room door and reached out for the handle only to withdraw my hand and turn away. I almost ran into someone as I started back toward the little break room Paya ate in. I blurted out, “Oh, I'm terribly sorry! I didn't...” My words were choked off in my throat when that same woman stood there, with an impassive look on her face and hard green eyes that seemed to reflect the light around us.

I blushed and was about to scoot around her and basically run for my life as I felt like such a bloody git, just knowing it had to be possible to die from embarrassment. She cocked her head, as studied me, like she was trying to understand me and what made me tick. She came to some sort of decision with herself and shoved a book and some papers at me.

She said, “I've marked the relevant passages. You need to work more on diaphragm control, I've highlighted some bridges and refrains on that sheet music for you to practice.” Then she reached over, opened the door to the storage room and then marched down the hall without another word and disappeared back into her office before I could form a single word.

I must have stood there like a muppet for ten seconds before I could move and breathe again. I looked down the hall in both directions.
What just happened?
I glanced at the items she handed me then at the open door. She wasn't going to report me for eavesdropping on the class? I looked into the storage room, trying to determine if it were just a test to see if I would go in or not.

I made a decision in my warring mind and then just stepped in quickly and shut the door behind me. I divided my attention between the class, the book, and the sheet music. The book was amazing! I flipped through the instructional manuscript. Advanced Vocal Training, by Marjorie McClellan Ph.D.

There were a couple pages marked with sticky notes. I flipped through those pages and there were brilliant and detailed instructions on advanced diaphragm and breath control that were highlighted. Bloody hell, she had defaced the book. They were in the master's section of the book, there was no bloody way I'd be able to do those exercises!

I looked at the front of the well used book as I absently sang along with the class as they were applying today's lesson to a song. There was a name written inside the front cover, Teresa McClellan. I panicked, the woman took a book from a relative of the author! I was in such deep shite here!

I closed my eyes and took a deep calming breath, it was evident the woman intended for me to get caught and sacked for my indiscretion and having a nicked book. I looked at the book longingly, and flipped back to the highlighted passages and committed them to memory. I had to get rid of the bloody thing. I looked at the sheet music, the song on it was tailored for that lesson in the book. It would be darn near impossible to actually sing the passages, they were so intricate.

I listened to the class winding down and my tea was almost over so I scurried from the storage room like a mouse, and down the hall to the woman's office to leave the book beside it. I was starting to lay the book on the floor when I took note of the name on the little placard on the door for the first time. I never actually paid attention to the signs, my only concern was cleaning the rooms. I blinked at the name, “Teresa McClellan, Headmistress.”

I paused, not knowing what to do, so I turned and hustled down the hall with the book to my cleaning cart to work. My mind spinning at dizzying speeds. Headmistress? The evil dragon lady Paya keeps talking about, who has sacked the last few cleaning services? But she's so young, maybe a year or two older than me. How can you be a headmistress at that age? Why was she giving me the book and music?

Then I paled in realization...
I'm a charity case for her aren't I?
Which only confused me since Paya says the woman is heartless? I hissed out a breath in frustration then went back to work cleaning. Concentrating on doing a good job for the scary emerald-eyed enigma.

As Paya joined me at the rubbish bin in the alley to empty our carts, I asked, “So this dragon lady that runs the Conservatoire. Is she our age?”

She grinned at me and said, “Yeah, I believe she's maybe twenty four-ish. She's some sort of business whiz. You know, the intellectual types that have no emotion or sense of humor. Her mum is the lead instructor, some kind of famous opera prodigy. They started this little school together last year. She runs it and her mum handles the students with one other instructor. This is just a family endeavor.”

Then she squinted her eyes at me and tilted her head, taking in my nervousness. “Why are you asking? You didn't do something stupid did you Tabs? She sacked the last crew for using the front door to take the trash bags out.”

I shrugged in apology. “Well she sort of caught me listening in on the lessons from the storage room yesterday.”

Paya closed her eyes and exhaled heavily. “Bloody hell woman. That's about it for us then.”

I shook my head and said, “She ummm... gave me homework.”

My friend blinked in confusion, her pretty Indian features scrunched and her brow furrowed as she asked slowly, “What do you mean?”

I shrugged and pulled the things the woman had given me and held them out for her to see. I scrunched up my nose as I repeated, “Homework.”

She tilted her head. “She didn't go ballistic?” Then added comically, “She left you your head?”

I shrugged again and said, “I really don't know what she is on about, and I was too terrified to speak.” Then I smiled and added, “She's bloody gorgeous. So prim, proper, and immaculate. Those emerald eyes of hers would give you the collywobbles if she weren't so intimidating.”

Paya was suddenly all toothy grins as she asked, “Are you sweet on her Tabs?”

I blushed profusely, the burn of it heating my cheeks and neck. “I hate you.” Then added, “No, I was just making an observation. You'd say the same.”

She grabbed both of my hands in hers playfully and rocked them back and forth. “No you don't. I'm your sweet caramel.” She batted her eyelashes.

I held in a bark of laughter and said, “That's true, but it doesn't change the fact that you Miss Doshi, are mean.”

She giggled and let go of my hands and motioned her head back inside. “Let's clock out and hope we still have a job in the morning. You better not do anything to upset her, I need this job and you need to get out of your floating water gypsy camp.”

I rolled my eyes, smiled at her and said, “Yes ma'am,” she held the alleyway door open for me to push my cart back in.

She chuckled as we went to the time clock. “Oooo I like it when you say that.” I bumped her out of the way and clocked out first, giving her a smiling, 'take that' look.

I studied the book on the coach ride home. The author, Marjorie McClellan, must be Teresa's mum. There was so much insight into vocal theory in the book, it was beyond incredible. I flipped to page one and started absorbing every word, realizing that I knew absolutely nothing about music compared to this woman. Oddly, I found that exciting instead of depressing, there was so much to learn.

After getting home, I gathered my clothes and brought them to a local laundry, leaving my devices hooked up to charge when the generators came on while I was gone. I read the lessons in the book as I waited.

When I got back home, I kicked back on my mattress, under a blanket like a little fort and using my tablet for light. I spent the entire night attempting the highlighted sheet music passages, stopping only to use apple slices to scoop peanut butter out of the jar, and drink my last bottled water.
Supply run tomorrow.

I finally gave up in frustration as it was getting late. I called Paya and chatted a minute, then rang off and went to sleep with an imposing woman on my mind. I replayed the encounter today in my head and just now appreciated the professional forest green dress she wore with the smart white jacket over it. I grinned at the memory of the thick, forest green, hairband holding her hair tight to her scalp. Then I tilted my head, was she wearing makeup today? She hadn't that first day I saw her.

I shrugged and smiled as I drifted off to sleep, still trying to figure the dragon lady out.