“Ah, Thomas, my man! Look at that! Have you ever seen so many happy faces? Oh, how I wish Maika could see this. She would have been overcome with pride.”
The theatre was a brilliant display of twinkling yellowy lights, contrasting wonderfully with the red velvet seats. What was left of the Christmas trees decorated the auditorium wonderfully.
David joined the two of them. Max put his arm around his son’s shoulders and hugged him.
“Come with me, I have something special to show you,” he said, before proudly escorting his son towards the stage door. “Your mother would have loved what I have done.”
This something special—can it be Suzanna? Maybe that’s why I didn’t hear from her? She’s been travelling back?
In the courtyard, Thomas had created a miracle. It looked like a winter wonderland, and the underprivileged locals moved through it in wonder. Stands were supplying roasted chestnuts, piping hot mince pies and steaming cups of cocoa. The atmosphere was one of joy and excitement. Thomas had set a large Christmas tree in each corner and strung lanterns between them, creating a carnival-like atmosphere. David looked furious.
My father means that damned elephant!
David watched Sundatara standing in the middle of the adoring crowd, sensuously blinking her long eyelashes and accepting all the delicacies that Sergeant Payne handed out for them offer.
“She has the same vanity as Monique, but she is far more pleasant to deal with,” joked Max.
Max and David went to stroke the trunk of the beast. She was a huge draw for the event had certainly earned her keep. Sundatara’s inquisitive trunk patted at David’s suit, thinking the lump in the inside pocket might be a clementine. David pushed her away worrying she might sneeze all over him. The father and son watched the delight of the crowd who had never experienced a spectacle like it.
“This is why I love Christmas,” said Max, surveying the people. “It is an opportunity to make dreams come true, Son.”
My dream won’t though. David felt ashamed of his sudden selfishness. The ragged people around him had nothing but they were still filled with joy. I have so much to be grateful for. I shouldn’t feel maudlin. As more snowflakes began to fall, the awestruck children looked skyward, mouths wide open, trying to catch one on their tongue. It was such a simple pleasure, but they giggled with delight as they felt a tiny spec of cold land and then melt away. Each tiny face looked at their parents, who grinned down at their child with pride.
Inside, some brass bells rang out.
“The show is going to start, David! Let’s go in. This is going to be a night to remember for us, just as much as them. Thank you for your tireless support. I know I can be difficult to work with, but I do value your loyalty. And just look at what we can achieve when we set our hearts on it!”
Thinking back to his musing about the plan to leave The Songbird behind, guilt pricked at David’s conscience.
Sally’s girls opened the show, dressed as burlesque dancers. Lacking inhibition, they were comfortable bending down and displaying their knickers or kicking the legs in the air. The display was rather risqué for a family audience, but no-one seemed to mind. The lyrics to their songs had the crowd in stitches. Even curmudgeonly David had to smile. He was surprised at how well they could sing and dance in such a short time. He had a sneaking suspicion that Max would retain their services in the long term. He turned to look at his father who was clapping along to their songs enthusiastically, looking more like a young apprentice than a grizzled retiree. I am sure he will never leave this place! He’s part of the fixtures and fittings.
His amazement continued as he watched the little Ting-Chong children demonstrating their considerable acrobatic skills. It was no wonder that they could jump over the balconies and hang from ropes without killing themselves. They flipped each other into the air to form a human pyramid five levels high. From a standing start, they could somersault on to wooden boxes twice their height, then do a double somersault on the way back down. The crowd whooped with delight as each boy leapt up.
At the end of their act, David watched Granny Chong escorting the acrobats off the stage, waving her matronly fist in the air, else the little bundles of Chinese energy would have never stopped. Once the curtain closed, they ignored her and scattered in every direction, determined to enjoy the rest of the night and escape the woman who wanted to spoil their fun.
Seconds later the compere stood up to make his announcement, and with the show running like clockwork, the curtain swung open to reveal the next act. The snake charmer, dressed in a pure white outfit with a bejewelled orange turban, drew gasps from the audience. They were terrified of Narendra and could not take their eyes off the serpent. The man sat in front of a small rattan basket, with a tin whistle, and mesmerised the lethal snake into submission. He and it swayed in unison until the end of the act, when the cobra sank back, and the man carefully replaced the lid.
After him, the little Hindi children performed a special dance with bells on their feet and ankles. They were dressed in loose clothing, fashioned from the brightest of colours. Each child had a small drum which they beat in a rhythm foreign to western ears.
Judging by the response of the crowd, one of the most popular acts was Maurice and his twelve little disciples. Judas, the instigator of much drama earlier, had star quality and stole the show. It was interesting to watch the transformation of Maurice’s personality when he worked with his little followers. He trained them to pop out everywhere: from his sleeves, trouser legs and top hat. He made them disappear and reappear in strange places, but as he had said, they always came back to him. The magician ended his act with the twelve rabbits at his feet in a tight semi-circle. David was amazed by how the unruly little things could be organised when they wanted to be. He chuckled to himself. Perhaps Maurice could work his magic on my unpredictable father?
Granny Chong stood in the wings with an eagle eye on the twelve disciples, but Maurice was determined that the little bunnies would not end up in a chow mein. As soon as he left the stage, he marched the rabbits into their cages and locked each one shut, before asking a couple of the stagehands to whisk them back upstairs to safety in the attic’s cubby hole.
The last act was to be the debut of the new diva, Simone Suileman. Max hoped she would have the gravitas to replace Monique and have the audience in the palm of her hand singing a few pub favourites and some festive tunes. David watched the delight on his father’s face as a white-gloved hand appeared through the gap in the curtains and waved.
For some reason, the first few bars song made him feel sad. He looked at his watch, feeling more than ready to go home. I hope she’s less of a nuisance to deal with! He swiftly corrected himself. No one could be more of a nuisance than Monique.
The hands pulled the curtain apart with a flourish. A young woman in an ordinary coat and floppy-brimmed hat appeared on stage as the music got louder. David was standing too far away from her to see her properly, and her hat kept her face in the shadows. She started to sing the famous song he had heard many times before.
I'm a young girl and have just come over
Over from the country where they do things big
And amongst the boys I've got a lover
And since I've got a lover—why I don't care a fig
The boy I love is up in the gallery
The boy I love is looking now at me
There he is, can't you see, waving his handkerchief
As merry as a robin that sings on a tree
Flashes of The Crown and Cushion came into his mind.
Could it be—?
Not taking his eyes off the woman, David ran up the steps that lead the stage. It was then he knew. He took off her hat and her dark hair tumbled down. As she finished the last line of her first song, he pulled her into his arms, not caring if the world was watching. He kissed her unashamedly.
“Here he is, the boy from the gallery!” Suzanna said when she had caught her breath.
; Before she knew what was happening, David was kneeling before her.
“Get up, silly. What are you doing! You’re ruining my opening night,” she teased, trying tried to pull him up by the elbow. “Max, I need a bit of help here with this one!”
“I can see that,” came the father’s reply.
The audience laughed at the rapport between the young lovers. The moment was about to become more magical. David fumbled in his inside pocket.
“Suzanna Stratton, will you marry me?”
He flipped open the small box and revealed the glittering ring.
“Yes!” she shrieked in delight.
David slid the ring onto her delicate finger. It fitted perfectly. The audience cheered and whooped.
“Can you get back to the gallery and I get on with my set now?” she joked as she admired the sparkler on her finger.
The audience cheered again. That night, a new singer ruled the roost. Monique had faded into obscurity already. Instantly, Max put all the ideas of retirement to one side. There is a new star to support. As the night drew to a close, the crowd rushed out into the snow-covered street. Up above, the night sky sparkled with the crackle of fireworks.
The two lovebirds found themselves standing on a vast stage in an empty theatre. David had a puzzled expression. Things had moved so quickly.
“May I ask, Suzanna—what are you doing here? What happened to Florence?”
“I realised that if I chose a life of fame above a life with you, I would regret it for the rest of my life.”
He took her in his arms and kissed her for a long time.
“As you are my favourite singer, can I take you to The Ritz for cocktails?”
“No, silly,” laughed Suzanna. “Tonight, I just want us to be alone.”
A note from the author
Thank you for reading my book and for supporting me as an author. As I self-publish my work on a shoestring budget, I truly appreciate you. It means so much.
If you would like to read another of my books, please check out my Amazon author page where they are all listed. Also, you can click on my “follow” button, and Amazon will email you a brief reminder when my next book is available.
Warmest best wishes,
Emma.
The Christmas Songbird Page 20