Friday, November 25, 2011

St. George...5


St. George, Part 5
And so, the story continues...


            Around noon the tired bus pulled up and stopped in front of the Larsen’s home with a tired family inside. As the engine of the once school bus died a flood of people exited the large rambler in a quiet subdivision southeast of the city center. The bus’s driver was the first to depart and the whole valley heard her when she spotted her friend.
            “MARLINDA!” Molly yelled waking her sleeping spouse from inside the bus. “It’s so good to see you!”
            As the two women hugged Molly noticed the stream of people—mostly children—that continued streaming from the house.
            “These aren’t all your kids, are they, MarLinda?”
            “Heavens no,” MarLinda said. “My sister’s in town, from Parowan. She’s got eight kids, too!”
            “Are you sure there’s enough room for all of us?” Mom asked anxiously.
            “Of course! We were thinking about opening up the barn for some of the more adventurous ones.”
            “Well, we’ve got a few of those!” The women laughed.
            Clarence found his way out of the bus as his children mixed with those from MarLinda and her sister families. He eventually met up with his wife and her friend.
            “Hello, MarLinda. Thank you so much for the invitation. Where’s Dan?”
            “Oh, he and my brother-in-law are hunting—it’s the doe antelope crossbow hunt this weekend and they got a tag. Here’s hoping!” MarLinda said as she held up two hands with multiple fingers crossed.
            “They’ll be back for the concert, right?” Clarence asked.
            “Yes, definitely,” MarLinda said. “I want you two to come in and meet my sister MarLisa Sorensen. I’ve told them all about you!”
            “Let’s go,” Mom said as they left the 24 children to socialize outside.

            Once dinner was served and everyone found their way into the expansive front room, Adam and Aaron came into the room. Aaron took a seat at the home’s piano while Adam carried a guitar.
            “Already, everyone!” Adam said. “Here’s the song my brother and I have been working on, but we’re going to need all of you to help us out. Are you guys game?” The reaction from the crowd told the brothers, yes.
            “Great!” Adam said. “We’ve come up with a song, but we’re going to need everyone to sing the chorus with us, so here it goes.
            Aaron and Adam began an instrumental compilation. No one in the room could deny their talent. Soon the time for the chorus was at hand.
           
            “Please don’t blame the children—it’s not their fault,
            They wouldn’t do this in their youth…
            When you see the children, take a look inside yourself,
            God’s the only one who knows the truth.”
           
            The group sang through the chorus a few times and the musical creators were pleased at the results.
            “That sounds great!” Adam said. He wanted to go through the chorus again, but his plan was derailed by Natalie.
            “Now that we’ve got the song portion down,” Natalie said to the audience. “Let’s talk presentation. Most of today’s performers don’t understand how presentation can overshadow the music. Lady Gaga, Britney Spears, James Taylor—all too flashy. For this show, I’m thinking less is more…” Natalie stopped speaking, all eyes remained on the oldest child. “MarLinda,” Natalie broke the silence. “I’ve got an idea for costumes, but I’m going to need your help.”
            “Natalie, let’s see what we’ve got in the clothes shed.” The two women began walking away.
            “MarLinda?” dad asked as they left. “Any word from Dan”
            “Oh, he called about an hour ago…looks like they’re going to be home tomorrow,” MarLinda said. “They got their antelope, but it ended up running off a cliff. They’ve got to try and get it in the morning.”
            “But, they’re still planning on making the show, right?”
            “That’s the plan,” MarLinda said as she and Natalie walked away.
            “Looks like the crossed fingers worked!” Dad said.
            “Always does!” MarLinda yelled back.

No comments:

Post a Comment