Fernando and Seth, together again. 31, 977 words

So, today I just let the magic happen. I think I may have watched a little bit too much High School Musical, but it suddenly made sense to me that Fernando and Seth could resolve their difficulties if Fernando would just sing Seth a song. And magically, even though Seth had never heard the song, she made up a verse and sang it right along with him. This is huge progress because I have been increasingly bored with their weird emotional baggage.

I'll end with the quote about that. It's long...

in other news, I decided to start telling the story from Laura's perspective because she's an advice columnist and I think it would be fun. Unfortunately, then Seth came in and saw Fernando singing a song and it got back to Seth. Tomorrow, I'll try again. Laura and Olga have some interesting parts to play, I'm sure.

Seth walked into the ballroom, just as The Duchess hit the stage. Except it wasn’t The Duchess, it was Fernando as himself. He wore no makeup, no fancy outfit, just his usual perfectly tailored clothing, but a golden guitar hung from a glittery blue strap. His customary single spotlight was lit, and he advanced towards the center of the stage.

The crowd was quiet, not sure what to make of this very ordinary looking man standing on the stage where they usually saw The Duchess. He was the plain vanilla ice cream to the elaborate brownie sundae of his performance persona. Which is to say, the undecorated Fernando was the essence, the most important part of The Duchess. But the audience, so used to the sweeter, chocolate syrup dipped version of Fernando, weren’t sure what to make of this.

Fernando began to strum the guitar, and the audience waited impatiently for the payoff. They were still expecting showgirls with feathers in their hair and dresses cut down to there. They wanted aerobics or gymnastics, not pedantics, and a single soul-singer standing stageward.
Fernando began to sing.

Well I had a dream
I stood beneath an orange sky
Yes I had a dream
I stood beneath an orange sky
With my brother standing by
With my brother standing by
I said Brother, you know you know
It’s a long road we’ve been walking on
Brother you know it is you know it is
Such a long road we’ve been walking on

Seth stood far from the stage, but her eyes were glued to her brother. His own eyes were closed, as he sang his heart out. He had a nice voice, not unsimilar to Seth’s own, she thought. His ring – her ring – glittered on his finger as he strummed the metal strings of the guitar.

And I had a dream
I stood beneath an orange sky
With my sister standing by
With my sister standing by
I said Sister, here is what I know now
Here is what I know now
Goes like this..
In your love, my salvation lies
In your love, my salvation lies
In your love, my salvation lies
In your love, in your love, in your love

When Seth heard this chorus, Fernando repeating over and over, ‘my salvation lies in your love,’ she began to move forward. Her brain continued to question whether she could really trust him. A part of her was disdainful of the idea that he could be any real family to her, when they had grown up continents apart. But the idea that her love could be salvation to him, was so sweet and comforting. She wanted to believe. And she thought to herself, what if she did believe? What was so terrible about believing in something or someone? For family.

She began to move towards the stage. She saw Fernando’s eyes open, and he searched the crowd before him. The audience was starting to sway in response to his simple ballad. Just as he reached the next verse, Fernando found Seth and sang the next words directly to her.

But sister you know I’m so weary
And you know sister
My heart’s been broken
Sometimes, sometimes
My mind is too strong to carry on
Too strong to carry on

Seth began to move more quickly, reaching the stage in a few steps. Several hefty bouncers intercepted her, but with a gesture from Fernando, they let her past. Seth climbed up to the stage, and joined Fernando at the microphone. She pulled the mic out of its stand, as Fernando continued to strum the song. The lyrics came to her, and she sang to him. All her hopes for family, history, community, home, were expressed in her words. People commonly talk about how love is a leap; they usually mean romantic love. But in that moment, Seth knew that loving family can be just as risky and require as much faith and blind trust. She had a choice, and she chose to risk her tranquility for Fernando and family. Seth sang.

When I am alone
When I’ve thrown off the weight of this crazy stone
When I've lost all care for the things I own
That's when I miss you, that's when I miss you, that's when I miss you
You who are my home
You who are my home

She replaced the microphone in it stand, and she and Fernando leaned close to sing together, she carrying the melody and Fernando weaving a harmony around her clear and angelic voice.

And here is what I know now
Here is what I know now
Goes like this..
In your love, my salvation lies
In your love, my salvation lies
In your love, my salvation lies
In your love, my salvation lies
In your love, my salvation lies
In your love, my salvation lies
In your love, my salvation lies
In your love, in your love, in your love

Well I had a dream
I stood beneath an orange sky
Yes I had a dream
I stood beneath an orange sky
With my brother and my sister standing by
With my brother and my sister standing by
With my brother and my sister standing by

They finished the song and stood together in the golden light of the spotlight, revealing their amber hair, curling slightly at the nape, and their family resemblance in nose, eyes and chin. The audience applauded politely, but their attention was already elsewhere. Seth and Fernando were in their own bubble, and their intense emotions didn’t translate for the audience. No clothing had been removed, no expletives had been uttered, and therefore, nothing of interest had occurred.

Seth and Fernando didn’t notice whether the crowd liked them or not as they walked backstage together. Suddenly, they were family.

(Katie was the one who suggested that Seth had an angelic voice. Thanks, Katie!)