A few more notes rose and fell from the keys and then he stopped. Gregg stared at his trembling hands, realizing just how worked up he was. He shook his head, feeling anger rise to the surface like the foam on top of his coffee.
“What is it, Gregg?”
He turned as he heard Tangie’s voice. She stood behind him, holding a stack of papers in her hand. When he shook his head again, she placed the papers on the top of the piano, then reached out and put her hands on his shoulders. He relaxed at her touch. Tangie offered a gentle massage as he returned to the keys once more. When he finally stopped playing, she whispered, “What has you so upset? The news about your mom, or something to do with the play?”
“Both.” He played a few more notes, finally pausing again.
“I’m ready to listen whenever you want to talk.”
This time, Gregg pulled his hands away from the keys. His thoughts shifted to the kids, then back to his mom.
“Might sound crazy,” he said at last, “but when I see Cody, I see myself at that age.” He turned to face Tangie, emotion welling inside of him.
“You were rowdy and unmanageable and sang in twelve keys at once?” The laugh lines around her eyes told him she didn’t quite believe his story. “I’m sorry, but after getting to know you, I’d have to say that’s a pretty tough sell. Not buying it.”
“No. Just the opposite. But I was the kid from the single family home with the mother who never seemed to fit in.” He paused a moment, then whispered, “Did you hear about his mom?”
“Brenna?” Tangie took a seat on the piano bench next to Gregg. “What about her?”
“You know about her wedding and all that.”
“Right.” Tangie smiled. “Your mom is doing the wedding cake.”
Gregg sighed. “Not anymore. Cody took me aside after the rehearsal and told me the wedding is off. Phillip took off to Minnesota without so much as a word of warning to either of them. He sent Brenna an e-mail after he arrived.”
“Oh, that poor woman.” Tangie rested her head against Gregg’s. “And Cody. I can’t even imagine how he must feel.”
“I can.” He drew in a deep, calculated breath as the memories flooded over him. “I grew up in the same situation basically, but back then, people in churches weren’t always as kind to single moms. I’m not sure you would believe me if I told you some of the stuff we went through.”
“Surely that didn’t happen here. . .in Harmony?”
“No, I grew up in a small town called Wallisville, not far from here. Just small enough for everyone to know everyone’s business, if you know what I mean.”
Tangie laughed. “Harmony feels like that to me, after living in Atlantic City, then the Big Apple.”
“Well, I’m talking about a group of people who weren’t as kind as the people from Harmony. Instead of befriending my mother, they judged her. They were pretty harsh, actually.”
“Whoa.” After pausing for a moment, she added, “I know what it feels like to be judged, trust me. Been through my share of that.”
A pang of guilt shot through him, and for good reason. Hadn’t he once made assumptions about her, based on her appearance?
“Here’s the thing. . .” He rested his palms against the edge of the piano bench and peered into her eyes. “My mom wasn’t married when she had me.”
“Right, I know. She told me all about that.” Tangie nodded. “But that’s not so uncommon these days, and it’s certainly not the fault of the child.”
“Oh, that’s not what I was getting at. It’s just that I was always looking for a father figure. Kind of like Cody.” Gregg leaned back in his seat to finish the story. “My mom got married when I was about three to a guy named Steve—not my dad, by the way. My dad never even stuck around to see me born. To my knowledge, he has no idea who I am or where I am.”
“I–I’m sorry, Gregg.”
He shrugged it off. “Anyway, when Mom married Steve, she was already pregnant with Josh. They had him a few months later, but the marriage ended before his first birthday, so it was a double slam-dunk. I finally had someone to play a fatherly role and he didn’t stick around. That’s why. . .” He groaned. “That’s why I empathize so much with Cody. It has nothing to do with his ability to sing, or the lack thereof. It’s just his situation.”
“Well, let me ask you a question,” Tangie said, the tenderness in her voice expressing her concern. “Your mom told me a little of this, but she mentioned a couple of specific people who took an interest in you.”
What do you mean?”
“I mean, you eventually got your life on the right track. And you figured out you could sing. Who were those people who took the time to pour into your life? Who led you to the Lord? Who stirred up your gifts?”
“Oh, that’s easy. One of the men in our church always treated me kindly. Mr. Jackson. It was through his witness that I came to know Jesus as my Savior. And as for the music, I have my sixth grade choir teacher, Mrs. Anderson, to credit with that. She went to our church, too.” As he spoke her name, a rush of feelings swept over him. He hadn’t thought about her in years. “To this day, I still remember the joy in her eyes as she talked to me about music and the tenderness in her voice as she responded to my never-ending questions.”
Tangie looked at him with interest. “Okay. So, she saw a spark of something in you and fanned it into a flame.”
“Right. I remember the day she asked my mother to come to one of those parent-teacher meetings. She told my mom that I was born to sing, that I’d been given a gift.”
“Sounds like she and Mr. Jackson played a pretty big role in your life.”
“Actually. . . ,” Gregg felt tears well up in his eyes as he thought about it, “I used to credit them with saving my life. I was at a crossroads that year. I was going to go one way or the other. And they caught me just in time to point me down the right road. The right road for me, I mean.”
“Wow. That’s pretty amazing. God’s timing is perfect.”
“It is.” Thank You, Lord. How often I forget.
“Okay, well let’s go back to talking about Cody, then,” Tangie said, her eyes now glowing. “We just need to figure out what his real gift is, so we can begin to stir it.”
“Well, he’s not a singer, that’s for sure.” Gregg groaned. “Not even close.”
“He does have some minor acting ability.”
“Acting up, you mean.” Gregg grinned.
“Well, that, too. I could probably turn him into an actor if I could just keep him focused, but I haven’t been able to do that,” Tangie admitted. “Have you ever heard him talk about anything else?”
“I know he wanted to play baseball last year, but his mom couldn’t afford to sign him up. I heard all about it.”
“Really?” Tangie’s eyes widened in surprise. “Well, I’m not a huge sports fan—haven’t really had time to focus on any of them—but it might be fun to test the waters with Cody. When does the season start?”
“Oh. This coming week, I think. I saw a poster at the grocery store just last night.”
“Well, here’s an idea. If his mom can’t afford to sign him up, why don’t we raise the funds through the church’s benevolence ministry and do it ourselves?”
“Baseball?” Gregg groaned. “I’m terrible at baseball. Don’t even like to watch it. It’s so. . .slow.”
“I know. I feel the same way, but we’re probably biased. Besides, I’m not asking you to play baseball, just to watch Cody do it. Help him discover his dream. If it is his dream, I mean.” Tangie laughed. “It’s so hard for me, as an artist, to understand the love of sports. But I suppose some people are as passionate about baseball and basketball as I am about acting and singing.”
Gregg shook his head. “Crazy, right?”
“Very. But I definitely think this is something we can do. His mom is probably plenty distracted right now, and I know her finances are probably tapped out. We can do this for her. Don’t you think?”
Gregg didn’t have to think about it very long. “It’s the perfect idea. We should do it. And when we do. . .” He looked at her with a smile. “He’s going to need someone in the crowd, cheering him on. Want to come to a few practices with me?”
Tangie paused. “If. . .if I’m still here.”
Gregg’s heart hit the floor. “Are you still thinking of leaving?”
She released a sigh as she gazed at him with pain in her eyes. “I don’t know, Gregg. If you’d asked me a couple weeks ago, I would’ve said yes in a heartbeat. I have so many opportunities waiting for me in New York. But now. . .” She shrugged. “Now I’m not sure which way to turn. But I promise to pray about it.”
“Me, too.” In his heart, Gregg wanted to add, “I’ll pray that God keeps you here, in Harmony.” However, he knew better. Tangie needed to chase after her dreams, too.
Even if they didn’t include him.
EIGHTEEN
The week before the Easter performance, the kids met with Tangie and Gregg for their first dress rehearsal. Although Gramps had worked long and hard on building the set pieces, he hadn’t quite finished several of them. And though the kids had been told to have all of their costumes ready, many did not. Tangie ran around like a chicken with her head cut off—ironic, in light of the many chicken costumes—looking for feathers, rabbit ears, and so forth. She tried to keep her cool, but found it difficult.
In fact, she couldn’t think of one thing that had gone as planned and now that the performance date was approaching, Tangie had to wonder if she’d made a mistake in promising she could pull this off.
As she paused to pin a tiny microphone on a little girl, her thoughts gravitated to a call she’d received just this morning from Marti in New York, urging her to come back for auditions for A Woman in Love. Her heart twisted within her as she contemplated the possibilities.
“Vincent says he’s had his eye on you for two years,” Marti had said. “He thought you did a great job in Brigadoon and wants to see you audition for the role of Gina in his new play. You’re coming, right? This is the opportunity of a lifetime, Tangie. It’s what you’ve waited for—the lead in a Broadway show.”
“I don’t know.” Tangie’s response had been hesitant, at best.
It sounded wonderful, of course, especially in light of the chaos she was facing with the kids. But every time she thought about leaving Gregg. . .well, the lump that rose in her throat grew harder and harder to swallow. She’d fallen for him, from his schoolboy haircut to his geeky tennis shoes. She loved him, and there was no denying it.
Of course, they hadn’t really had time to develop their relationship. Who had time to date with a show underway? But if she stayed in Harmony after the production, there would be plenty of time to see where life—and love—might take them. Right?
Oh, Lord, show me what to do. I don’t want to miss You this time. If this opportunity on Broadway is what You have for me, then speak clearly, Lord. But if I’m supposed to stay here. . .
The road back to New York might not be a long one, but from where she stood, it seemed like a million miles.
“Miss Tangie!” Cody’s scream startled Tangie back to reality.
“W–what, honey?”
“I can’t go out there wearing this costume.” He pointed to his chicken suit, and a sour expression crossed his face.
Tangie tried to hide her smile as she responded. “Why not?”
“My friends will make fun of me.” He plopped down on his bottom on the stage. “Besides, I think I’m getting sick. I have the flu.” He sneezed, but she could tell it was forced.
“Well, I’ll tell you what,” she said, “if you will do this one show dressed as a chicken, I promise never to cast you in a part like this again.”
“I don’t want to be in any show again,” he muttered, pulling at his feathers. “When will people get that?”
Oh, she got it all right. And she had a wonderful surprise for him as soon as the rehearsal ended—a full scholarship to play baseball. She could hardly wait to tell him. And if he chose not to do another show, that would be fine by her, as long as he got to do the things he longed to do, develop the gifts he wanted to develop. But, for now, the boy was going to play a chicken, whether the idea settled well with him or not.
Minutes later, Tangie and Gregg prayed with the kids. Then it was time for the rehearsal to begin. Darla, who’d been looking a little pale today, sat at the piano, ready to play the intro music. The song sounded great. At the end of it, Tangie turned to Gregg and gave him a thumbs-up. He responded with a smile.
At this point, Margaret Sanderson moved to center stage, dressed as a baby chick, ready to deliver her opening lines. Her expression was clean, and her lines were flawless. However, a couple of the kids who followed bumbled theirs pretty badly. Tangie stopped the rehearsal to say something to the cast.
“Kids, I told you we would be lines off today.”
Cody raised his hand. “What does lines off mean?”
Tangie groaned. “It means you can’t use your scripts anymore. The lines are supposed to be memorized.”
A round of “Oooh’s” went up from the cast, and Tangie slapped herself in the head. She should’ve explained the term.
“How many of you know your lines?” she asked.
Annabelle and Margaret raised their hands.
“Anyone else?”
A couple of others half-raised theirs. Tangie sighed, then went back to directing the rehearsal. When it came time for Annabelle to sing her solo, Tangie breathed a sigh of relief. Surely this would redeem the day. Or not. Ironically, Annabelle sounded a little. . .strange.
“Everything okay, honey?” Tangie asked, trying not to overreact.
The child pointed to her throat. “I feel a little scratchy and it hurts when I swallow.”
“Oh no.” Tangie shook her head. “Well, have your mom talk with me after the rehearsal.” She would tell her to have Annabelle gargle with warm salt water and drink hot tea with lemon. Tricks of the trade for actors who’d overused their voices. In the meantime, they’d better get back to work. The show must go on, after all!
***
Gregg watched Tangie at work, his heart heavy. With just one week till the production, he had to face the inevitable. She would be leaving him soon, going back to New York. Every fiber of his being cried out for her to stay, but he would never suggest it. No, he of all people understood what it meant to respond to the call of God. If the Lord was calling Tangie to New York, she had to go.
On the other hand, the whole New York thing might just be a distraction, right? Should he mention that? Maybe if he told her that he loved her. . .
No. He wouldn’t do that. If she stayed, he wanted it to be because the Lord had spoken, not because Gregg had spoken.
But I do love her.
As he watched her work with the children, he realized his feelings—once small—had grown into a wildfire. Listening to the sound in her voice as she soothed Cody’s ruffled feathers. Watching her as she diligently poured into Margaret’s life, in spite of the youngster’s attitude. Observing the way she continued to nurture the gifts in little Annabelle’s life.
Yes, Tangie was truly one of the most amazing women he’d ever met, and easy to love.
But he couldn’t tell her. Not yet, anyway.
NINETEEN
Two days before the show, Tangie received a phone call from Annabelle’s mother. She could tell by the sound of her voice that something was amiss.
“I’m afraid our little lamb is really sick,” Annabelle’s mom explained.
“No! What’s happened?”
“I don’t know. It started out as some sort of virus, I guess. I did everything you said. She gargled with warm salt water and drank hot tea. We’ve been loading her up on vitamin C and even making her drink orange juice, which she doesn’t like. But every day is worse than the day before. What started out as a scratchy throat is now full-blown laryngitis. She can’t spe
ak a word.”
“Yikes.” Tangie wanted to dive into one of those, “Oh, man! What are we going to do now?” speeches, but stopped herself short of doing so. It’s not about the show, she reminded herself. It’s about the kids.
Instead of saying too much, she simply offered up a few kind words. “Please tell Annabelle how sorry I am. I hope she feels better.”
“I will. And please don’t give her part away just yet. We’re going to keep her home from school for the next two days, so I’m hoping that will help,” Mrs. Lawrence said. “But I wanted to let you know so that you can begin to look for an understudy. . .just in case.”
“Right. Good idea.”
As she ended the phone conversation, Tangie’s mind reeled. An understudy? At this late date? Which of the children was savvy enough to pick up the role this late in the game?
Really, only one person made sense. But Tangie would have to eat a little crow to make this work. She picked up the phone and punched in Margaret Sanderson’s number. The child’s mother answered on the third ring.
“Mrs. Sanderson, this is Tangie Carini from the church.”
“Yes?”
“I, um, have a little problem and I’m hoping you and Margaret can help me with it.”
“Oh?” She could read the curiosity in the woman’s voice. “What’s happened?”
Tangie went on to explain the predicament, finally asking to speak to Margaret. When the child came on the phone, she listened quietly, and then responded with words that stunned Tangie. “But Annabelle needs to do her part! She’s the best at it. Her song is bee-you-tee-ful!”
Tangie laughed. “You’re right. It is.”
“How can I be the narrator and the littlest sheep, too?” Margaret asked.
“Oh, that’s easy. The narrator costume covers you from head to toe. It’s also very tall, so you look bigger in it. The little sheep costume is completely different. I don’t think the audience will even realize it’s the same person.”
Love at Center Stage: Three Theatrical Love Stories Page 13