Love at Center Stage: Three Theatrical Love Stories

by Janice Thompson

  “I don’t know how anyone could handle all of this opera mumbo-jumbo,” Nathan said. He pressed a piece of salmon into his mouth, and then continued, “But most of these people seem to be cut from the same mold.”

  “Nathan’s not terribly musical.” Jessica explained as she slipped her arm around his waist. “But he’s learning.”

  Colin nodded in understanding.

  Nathan shrugged. “I’m more at home with numbers. But that what makes us so perfect for each other.” He pulled Jessica close with his free arm, clearly conveying his message. “You know what they say about opposites attracting.” He planted a kiss on her cheek.

  “Yes, well,” Colin said, “to be honest, I should probably head over to the other side of the room to meet up with the rest of my party. We’ve got some fundraising ideas to talk over before I leave for Dallas.”

  “Are you going back tonight?” Jessica asked.

  “In the morning, actually.” Colin extended his hand in her direction. “It was nice to run into you once again, Ms. Chapman. Maybe I’ll have the opportunity to hear you sing again one day.”

  “Maybe.” She gripped his hand a little longer than he had anticipated and unspoken words traveled between them. When she withdrew it, her gaze shifted to the floor.

  Colin nodded and smiled in her direction, then turned to leave. He couldn’t help but think of all Jessica would be missing, though he did not feel a peace about pursuing the discussion. The Lord clearly had someone else in mind.

  The words “You’re one lucky man!” rang out across the cacophony of sounds in the room. Colin turned to see the Professor waving. He returned the gesture then headed in the opposite direction.

  SEVEN

  Jess made her way up the aisle to the front of the church. Though the Sunday morning service had ended nearly half an hour ago, she felt compelled to linger a bit. Explaining this to Nathan had taken some doing, but she just couldn’t leave the sanctuary. Not yet. He’d already left in his car, headed for her house, which gave her some much-needed time alone. Several issues weighed heavily on her heart and she must find some answers. As a believer, she knew exactly where those answers would come from.

  As she approached the altar area, Jessica felt the urge to drop to her knees. Perhaps the weight of life’s decisions drove her down. Whatever the reason, she had to get alone with God, had to get His perspective on the issues at hand. As she knelt in prayer, Jessica poured her heart out. All of the things she had struggled with over the past few weeks now drove her to speak. Finally. God could be trusted with her thoughts, her emotions. He had created them, after all. The words seemed to tumble forth like autumn leaves on a crisp evening breeze.

  Lord, I know You love me. I feel Your love, Father. And I know You have a plan for my life. I don’t want to make a mistake or waste time doing the wrong thing. I want to go where you want me to go and do what You want me to do. Anything else would be wrong. I’m tired of walking in my own strength, Lord. I’m tired of trying to make everyone happy and even more tired of pretending to be happy, myself. What I need to know is what will make You happy. I want to please You, Father. I really do.

  And then the tears started.

  After a few moments of weeping in silence, Jessica drew in a deep breath. From out of nowhere, she suddenly felt compelled to sing. A worship song poured forth from her heart and lips. It reverberated across the room and seemed to take her to new heights, freeing her from the turmoil inside. As she sang her self-composed hymn of praise, courage arose inside, which prompted her to stand. She continued to sing as she made her way to the platform area of the church. From here, she could see the entire room. Though empty, she imagined it full of people, and sang her heart out.

  When the melody ended, she trembled uncontrollably. What are You doing in me, Lord? Where did that song come from? Had she composed it herself, or did it come from the very throne of God? On wobbly legs, she made her way down the steps and began to walk to the back of the sanctuary. She knew that something extraordinary had taken place. Something was stirring. Something big.

  Daughter.

  Jessica stopped in her tracks as she heard the word drop into her spirit.

  Daughter, I love you. You may not see, but I have awesome plans for you – plans for a hope and a future. Don’t be afraid of what you can’t see. I can see clearly enough for both of us.

  Jessica wept until her chest ached. Lord, I trust you. The song of praise came to her lips again, and she sang as if at the throne of God. All the way out of the building, she sang. In the car, she sang. All the way home, she sang.

  By the time she pulled the car into the driveway, Jessica knew what had to be done. She felt an inner peace she had never known before. Surprising words tripped across her tongue, and yet they felt just right. “I’m going to Dallas,” she whispered with a smile.

  Now came the hard part. She must tell the others. They were inside, probably already seated at the dinner table. She would tell them all at one time. The task would be easier that way. Jessica made her way through the front door and into the dining room, where they all looked up at her with expressions of curiosity.

  “You okay?” Nathan asked, as she seated herself.

  “Great.” She smiled warmly.

  “We saved you a piece of chicken,” Her mother gestured toward the platter on the table. One lone piece sat, waiting. Jessica reached for it then loaded her plate with mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans and a biscuit. Everyone went back to their prior conversations. No one seemed to notice her nervous condition except her grandmother and Grandpa Buck, who gazed at her with a knowing look from the opposite end of the table.

  After a few bites, Jessica tapped the edge of her water glass with her spoon. When no one noticed, she cleared her throat. Loudly. A table full of faces turned her direction. “I have an announcement to make.” The words trembled across her lips. All of the courage she had felt in the car seemed to have vanished.

  Don’t be afraid Jessica.

  “What is it, Honey?” Her mother reached over to pat her on the hand. “You and Nathan aren’t moving up the date, are you?”

  Nathan stopped chewing long enough to answer. “Definitely not.”

  “No, that’s not it. I have something else to announce.”

  “What’s up, Jess?” Nathan used his napkin to wipe a bit of gravy from his mouth.

  She swallowed hard before speaking. “I’ve decided to accept Mr. Phillip’s offer and move to Dallas for the next six months. I’m going to take the Internship.”

  The room immediately erupted as people talked over one another. Jessica couldn’t make much sense out of any of it, until Nathan’s voice rose above the rest. “You’re doing what?” he asked.

  “I’m going to Dallas.”

  “Jess, are you sure about this?” Her mother twisted a cloth napkin into knots.

  “Yes, I am.” She placed her fork down on the table and prepared herself for a lengthy conversation on the matter.

  Kent reached across the table to grab the potatoes. “Big mistake, Sis. Long distance relationships never work out.”

  “We can make this work.” She sought out Nathan’s gaze. He didn’t look terribly convinced. “I know that God has big plans for my life.”

  “Marrying me is that big plan.” Nathan’s words seemed to rock the table.

  “Part of it,” she said softly. “But there’s more to me than just being someone’s bride.”

  From across the table, Jessica saw her grandmother’s nod of confidence and forged ahead. “If I don’t take the time to find out who I am—and what God’s call on my life is—then I won’t be a good wife. I won’t be a good mother. I might not even be a good person. It’s critical for me to discover God’s will for me, personally.”

  “What are you saying?” Nathan’s brow wrinkled.

  “I’m not putting a stop to the wedding plans, if that’s what you’re worried about. I’ll be coming back and forth nearly every weekend. At lea
st every other. It’s just a four hour drive, after all. And we have the Internet. We can stay connected every day with Instant Messages and email. And Facebook. And text messages, for that matter. This doesn’t have to be complicated.”

  “You’ve just got so much going on already, Jess,” her mother said. “I hope you can handle it all. Once you get up there, your workload will be really heavy.”

  “I know, and I’m looking forward to that. It’s not like I haven’t thought all of this through. I have. Carefully. I’ve prayed about it. I’ve weighed my options. And I know this is right. I just hope you can all trust my judgment to make this decision.”

  The room grew silent, and Jessica felt like a criminal at an inquisition. Lord, is this what it feels like to be alone in your principles?

  Her grandmother grinned mischievously then tapped her own water glass. “I have a few comments to make on the matter,” she said. Everyone turned her direction. “I, for one, trust my granddaughter.” The older woman spoke slowly, deliberately. “She’s proven herself to be reliable over the years and I have no cause to doubt her judgment now. If Jessica feels the Lord is leading her to Dallas, so be it. Whether right or wrong, she will discover His plan in the process. I think we should let her be the grown up woman that she is, and that’s all I have to say on the matter.” She leaned back in her seat and folded her arms.

  Once again, the room erupted in lively conversation. Jessica let her weight rest against the back of the chair and turned her head from side to side as comments flowed freely. Only when she looked to the opposite end of the table, into her grandmother’s adoring eyes, did she feel the strength of agreement.

  ***

  “Mr. Phillips? Mr. Phillips!”

  Colin brought the church choir to a halt as eighty-two year old Walter Malone fought to get his attention. “What’s up, Walter?”

  “Your cell phone is going off. Even with my bad ears, I can hear it.” The older man pointed to his hearing aid and grinned.

  Colin heard it now, but shrugged. “I can call them back, whoever it is. We’re in the middle of practice right now, and with all the weeks I’ve missed, you guys are out of shape.” The thirty-some-odd choir members of His Word Community Church began to grumble. Colin didn’t mind. In fact, he had grown used to it. For three years now, he had served as volunteer choir director at this small community church on the north side of Dallas. Its members, most in their golden years, lived to torment him. He loved every minute with them.

  “Never know; could be missing the most important call of your life!” Walter shook his head.

  “Could be your future Missus on the phone,” Seventy-four year old Ida Sullivan added. “But if you don’t want to take the call, that’s your choice. Course, it’s about time you found yourself a girlfriend, if you want my opinion on the matter. Not that anybody ever listens to my opinion.” She began to grumble under her breath.

  Colin chuckled. “Okay, okay. I’ll get it.” He reached to pick up the phone, but noticed he had already missed the call. He glanced curiously at the number. Long distance. A 281 area code. Someone from the Houston area. Lord, is it possible…?

  Suddenly his heart began to race. “Why don’t we take a break for about five minutes and then we’ll go over that last section again.” He bounded from the stage and made his way to the back of the auditorium as he redialed the number. It rang once, twice, three times and then a familiar voice greeted him.

  “Hello?”

  “Jessica, is that you?” Colin felt his spirits lift immediately.

  “It’s me.” She sounded more cheerful than before. He liked that sound.

  “It’s good to hear from you.” He continued to walk, though Walter now joined him. Ida stood nearby, clearly straining to hear.

  “Do you have a minute?” Jessica asked.

  “I do.” He tried to signal Walter away with his eyes, but the older man simply wasn’t taking the hint.

  “I have something to tell you,” Jessica said. “Something I hope will be good news.”

  His heart pounded double-time. Lord, are you really this good to me? Have you answered my prayer for a director of the Children’s Chorus? “I could use some good news,” he responded.

  “I just wanted to let you know. . .I mean, if the offer still holds, that I’d like to come.”

  “Really? You’re coming to Dallas?” He let out a whoop that nearly sent poor Walter reeling. “Jessica, that’s great. What did your family say? What about your fiancé? Is he okay with this?” Immediately Colin regretted asking. These were personal questions, and really none of his business. Besides, at the word ‘fiance’ Ida waved her arms in defeat and turned to walk the other way.

  “They’ll get used to the idea,” Jessica said. “But I have to follow the Lord’s leading.”

  “And He’s leading you here. Are you sure?” Lord, I want her to be very, very sure. I don’t want to take her away from anything You’ve planned for her there.

  “I’m sure,” she said. “I’ll be traveling back and forth on weekends as I’m able. I know I can make this work. And, to be honest, I can’t wait to meet the kids and get to work. Which reminds me, when should I come? Also, do you have any ideas about housing? And what sort of vocal materials should I bring with me for warm-ups and practices? I’ve got some great children’s pieces.”

  “We really need to talk more about this,” Colin agreed. “There will be quite a few details to iron out. But the Dallas Met is prepared to offer you a place to stay – all expenses paid, plus a modest salary. And, as I said before, a place in the chorus of our upcoming shows.” At that, Walter elbowed him in the ribs. “Uh, could I call you later tonight? I’m, uh…” Colin whispered into the receiver. He looked into Walter’s imploring eyes. “I’m in the middle of something right now.”

  “Oh, sure. I’m leaving for our evening service at church in about an hour, but I’ll be back around nine. Is that too late?”

  “Nope. Should work out just right.”

  “Well, thank you for calling me back,” she said. “I feel a lot better now that the decision is made. You know how that goes.”

  “Yes. I do. And thank you for taking the time to reconsider,” he added. “I’m so anxious to see what the Lord is going to do.”

  “Me too. Well, I guess I’ll let you get back to work now. Have a great evening.”

  “You too, Jessica.” He hung the phone up and turned to face thirty pairs of inquisitive eyes.

  “You too, Jessica,” Walter spoke in a lovey-dovey voice.

  “Now, Walter. It’s not like that.”

  “I’d say. Especially if she’s already got a beau,” Ida threw in. “’Course, I haven’t met him yet. Don’t rightly know if he’s the right man for her, but that’s for the Lord to determine, not me. Not that anyone every listens to my opinions, anyhow.” She began to mutter again, and Colin turned his attentions to getting the choir back in place on the stage.

  Somehow, though, he couldn’t keep his thoughts or the tempo of the music straight. Everything seemed to have suddenly, ridiculously, gone askew.

  EIGHT

  Colin spent the last Saturday in September thumbing through a stack of children’s resumes. He stifled a yawn as he read over them for the umpteenth time. He tried not to let his exhaustion stop him from the task at hand, though he had slept precious few hours over the past week. Thankfully, auditions for the adult performance of Madame Butterfly had gone well. With a full cast firmly established, rehearsals would soon be underway.

  However, narrowing the list for the children’s production of Amahl and the Night Visitors might prove to be a bit more difficult. Fifty talented children would be auditioning tomorrow afternoon. Colin held their resumes in his hand. Out of that group, he could choose only twenty. How would he ever decide who to keep and who to cut? Which hearts would be encouraged, and which ones broken?

  Thank goodness, he wouldn’t have to make those decisions alone. Colin would have Jessica Chapman’s h
elp. He glanced at his watch. She should be arriving. . .Actually, she should be pulling into the Dallas area right about now, if everything went according to plan. He’d give her the day to settle in, then call her first thing in the morning, perhaps even invite her to church. Then, armed and ready, they would dive right in to the auditions.

  Colin leaned back in his chair and relief washed over him. For years, he had dreamed of starting a children’s company in the Dallas area. God had answered his prayers just a few short months ago when the board of the Metropolitan Opera agreed to finance his dream. He had been given free reign to oversee the project, but with so much on his plate already, selecting a vocal director had been critical to his own survival.

  His mind drifted to Jessica once again. Colin had thanked the Lord daily for providing just the right person for the job. And what a job it would be. With fifty children slotted for auditions, he could easily predict a couple of sleepless nights ahead. His eyes grew heavy as he glanced through the children’s resumes one last time. Lord, help us make the right decisions tomorrow. I want to give opportunity to the ones You’ve chosen. Help us, Father.

  ***

  Jessica chatted with her mom by cell phone as they caravanned into the Dallas area. “Are you getting sleepy?” she asked as she caught a glimpse of her mother’s car in the rearview mirror.

  “Not too bad,” her mother said with a yawn. “What about you?”

  “I’m wide awake.” Jessica fought to balance the cell phone against her ear as she glanced over at Nathan. He sat snoring in the seat next to her. “Nathan’s passed out, but that’s a good thing. He has an exam Monday morning and he needs all the rest he can get. I didn’t mind driving, anyway,” she added. “I need to get used to it.” She glanced over at him, nearly dropping the phone in the process. It warmed her heart to see him sleeping so peacefully, after his rough week. He had been so good to give up his Saturday to help her move, especially in light of his objections.