THe Musician - part 13

I slowly dressed in my brand new clothes the next morning soon after I fixed myself an early breakfast of corn bread and bacon. Despite my shaved head, I didn't think I looked too horrible. Sallow and sickly I looked, but I didn't think I appeared bad enough to not attend the talent show. I just had to get past Gary beforehand.

Gary wasn't even awake when I left for Tex's house. My stomach still ached, but I took some tylenol in hopes of getting rid of the pain in my body. On the way to Tex's house, I felt like puking, and wound up vomiting before I even reached his house. Fifty dollars was a lot of money and we easily could have used that to buy some new clothes for Lara Jane, better food for the house...pay bills. I desperately hoped Tex and I would win this talent show.

That morning, Tex and I practiced our Elvis song dilligently before we left for the church, where the show was to be held. On the way there, Tex spoke to me about his predictions of the outcome.

"With your voice, Eliot, we easily could win this thing," he told me.

"I sure hope so," I said, finding myself slowly smiling at him.

He continued talking, tipping his cowboy hat back to scratch his scalp. "I'm worried Paddy Jordan might win, but after hearing you sing, I don't think he has anything on you."

"Thanks."

The church basement was packed when we arrived and took our seats in the front row, where all the other contestants were. Tex had signed us up on the sheet hanging outside the door - we were last. The din in the basement was enough to make me feel deaf, but I knew that, soon enough, we were to take our spots on that stage and perform in front of all these people. Seven people were to go before us, telling me this wouldn't last very long. Soon enough, the grand prize would be given to the winners.

A bald man waddled up the stage and addressed the audience, a microphone at his lips. "Okay everyone, let's have complete quiet in here. This is the first talent show to be held in our town, so let's make this a grand event. It's not often we have real talent performing in front of us, so enjoy the show and be quiet during the performances." He was smiling at everyone, reminding me of a clown. "The grand prize...one hundred dollars in cash. Now, put your hands together for Paddy Jordan."

Tex's nemesis. When Paddy took the microphone from Baldy and held it, he began to sing a song by the Beatles. I didn't understand why Tex had felt so intimidated by Paddy, as his singing voice wasn't that great. He sounded lifeless, as if his soul had been sucked out of him. Being the singer I was, I could tell Paddy didn't feel any emotion. You couldn't just sing a song, I knew that, you have to really belt it out, feel emotion, and leave the audience with a good impression. All I was left with from Paddy's performance was a sour taste in my throat.

Next came some ten year old girl who did a perfect imitation of Shirley Temple, followed by a young man who could act about as good as James Dean. In short, it was a very interesting group of performances...until number seven - Gary!

Gary glared down at me from onstage, looking as if he wanted to jump off the stage and kill me. I've never felt so uncomfortable in my entire life. Tex held tight to my wrist, keeping me from breaking loose and running out of the church. Maybe I could run out into the street and get hit by a car. I wanted to slap myself - how could I think such things? Gary wasn't all that powerful. He was just a man, as weak and fallible as the rest of us.

When he began to sing, though, I could easily have laughed. He made Paddy sound like Broadway material. His voice crackled like a teenage boy going through puberty. He was so horrible, a few people actually booed him offstage.

He looked at me as if the whole thing were my fault.

And then it was mine and Tex's turn...

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