There were two more curtain calls, and finally on the last one they just sent Nick out. It was his night and his moment as the audience chanted “Nick! Nick!”
Mr. Molinari came out, held his hands up for quiet and announced: “After we get our gear together back stage, the principal performers have agreed to go out into the lobby if you would like to greet them. You can also order a copy of the DVD for this performance if you want. Thank you all for coming!” Then he and Nick exited the stage.
Backstage, there was pandemonium for a while, as the other performers came up to Nick, Daniel, Eric, Tim, and Jonathan to congratulate them. Jason used his backstage pass and was waiting for his friends as they came off the stage.
“Nick,” Jason exclaimed shaking his hand, “when I first talked with you about this project, I never imagined that it would end up being so special and such a big deal. You really are a musical genius! Congratulations!”
“You are the one who made this all possible, Jason,” Nick responded. “I should be congratulating you!”
“I’m just the facilitator, Nick. You are the one with the vision and musical talent!”
Jason then congratulated Daniel. “Your singing and playing tonight was awesome! Years ago, when I first saw that lonely kid in home room wearing black high top chucks, I didn’t realize I was meeting a rock star! If you need any help fending off all of the girls who will be after you now, just let me know.”
“Your friendship means everything to me, Jason!” Daniel replied. “You know that! But whatever you do, don’t say that part about the girls in front of Diana!”
“What’s this about Diana?” Diana said coming over to Daniel, giving him a big kiss and holding his hand. “Daniel, my love, you are so talented and so good looking. I think this will have to be your last concert, because I want you all to myself!”
“Diana, I looked back to watch you during the “Lux Aeterna”. You have one heavenly voice!” Daniel answered. “Don’t worry about the other girls, love. They’ll just have to take a number and get in line!”
“I can see that I will have to have Jason install one of those transmitters on you, Daniel Holmes!” Diana replied with a laugh. “Or better yet an electric sign that flashes ‘Hands off, ladies’!”
Meanwhile Robert Fischer, Jason’s long time friend and leader of the horn section came up to say hello to him.
“Robert, the horn and brass section sounded awesome tonight! You guys sure pack a punch!”
“You can thank Nick for that,” Robert answered. “He composed some great music for us to play tonight. All of us musicians are in your debt, Jason. You sure lead a charmed life. Your best friend Daniel has developed rock star potential! You risk your life to go under cover and end up rescuing the next Franz Liszt! And then there is what you did for Jonathan. He’s another kid who is a fantastic player. Keep up the good work, my friend. We all appreciate your support for the arts, both personally and through your Whatever Foundation.”
Jason smiled his big smile and said, “I get so much pleasure out of helping people out. And I appreciate your kind words. Both of us have come a long way since we used to walk together to grade school so the bigger kids wouldn’t pick on us!”
“If there is anything I can do to help out, just let me know, Jason. I really respect what you are doing, and my musical buddies feel the same way!”
Meanwhile, Mr. Molinari and Mr. Moss were prodding the performers to complete their post-performance chores. All of the school equipment needed to be packed away and put in one location so the school district truck could pick it up first thing in the morning.
Jason had also given a back stage pass to Ben Kessler. He figured that Ben would have some pretty emotional things to say and thought it would be easier for him here than out in the lobby. The first person Ben looked for was Eric. Ben came up to Eric, shook his hand, and told him, “The more I find out about you, Eric, the more impressed I am. I knew you were a great swimmer and friend, but I didn’t realize you were such a talented musician! This whole evening was very moving and special for me, as you can imagine.”
“Thanks, Ben.” Eric replied. “Yeah, it was special for me too. Playing with these guys is one of the best experiences of my life. Have you met Nick yet?”
“No, actually, since we both were victims at the same time and were taken away to different hospitals.”
“Come with me, Ben. I’ll introduce you.” Eric led Ben over to where Nick was talking with some of the other performers.
Eric got Nick’s attention and said, “I want to introduce you to Ben Kessler. You guys need to meet!”
Nick shook Ben’s hand and said, “I’ve been wanting to meet you ever since that day…”
“You don’t have to say anymore about it,” Ben interrupted. “I hope that it is water under the bridge for you. It is starting to be that for me now, thanks to Eric here, and the help of a few others. Your music tonight was very emotional and moving for me. You really brought out to the audience the terror and loneliness we felt as captives. I again realized how lucky I was to be freed from that hellhole I was forced to live in for those two horrible weeks. I still feel guilty that I escaped while those other kids had to die. It just seems so unfair.”
“Life is unfair and difficult at times, Ben. Don’t forget you paid a very high price before you were freed. You experienced horrors that no one should ever have to endure! You survived and now you are reaching closure. That’s what writing this requiem was for me. You are the only other person in the world who can truly tell me if the work was successful in regards to the other victims! What did you think?”
“You opened the gates to heaven tonight, Nick! Their souls are now free!”
Chapter 35
Broadcast Interview After the Performance
(Television Feature)
Jaime Orlando was at the California Theater that night covering the requiem performance for the Channel 11 news. It was a great story with its tie ins to one of the most horrific crime sprees in recent history, the fact that one of the crime victims was a talented musician who composed the music of the requiem, and the incredible amount of community interest in this event, which had to be moved to a downtown theater in order to accommodate all of the people who wanted tickets.
Jaime and his road crew had set up their equipment in a rehearsal room back stage. His cameraman was also able to get a brief feed of part of the concert from the company making the DVDs in exchange for an on the air mention of where people could purchase a copy.
It was now about fifteen minutes after the performance had ended. Nick had received his backstage accolades from the other musicians and Jaime’s crew directed him to the interview room. Nick was given a towel to wipe off the sweat from his face, and looked in the mirror to straighten his tie and comb his hair. The lights and camera were turned on for his interview.
JO: Good evening. This is Jaime Orlando reporting from the California Theater where tonight the Merriam High School music department along with Daniel Holmes and the Second Chance All Stars, a local rock band, performed Requiem for the Lost Children, a work composed by Nicolo Feraducci in tribute to the young victims of the Ciurro-Butera crime spree. Nick, who is a very talented fifteen-year-old student and pianist with the band, composed the entire requiem himself. Nick has now revealed that he was one of the surviving victims, rescued by another teenager we have been reporting on, Jason Hunter, and the Silicon Valley Police. [Addressing Nick] Welcome Nick and congratulations on a fabulous performance! How did you end up deciding to write the requiem and let people know that you were a victim, too?
NF: Those unfortunate kids who were tortured and murdered had no one to speak for them and no one to comfort them in the final horrific days of their lives. I know a lot about what they experienced because much of it happened to me as well. I was very fortunate to escape the cave of evil that those two predators were using for their terrible acts. Writing this tribute was a way of bringing closure on this very turbu
lent time in my life. When the work was scheduled for performance, I knew I would lose my privacy, but it seemed a small sacrifice to make when you think about those children who lost their lives.
JO: How long did it take you to compose the requiem?
NF: I actually wrote most of it in a very intense six week period this last summer. For a while, I was totally consumed by this project. Something inside me kept pushing me to get everything written down on paper.
JO: Why did you choose the format of a requiem for the piece?
NF: I wanted to have a formal memorial service for those missing kids. I wanted to try and speak for them and provide them with some sort of closure through the music. With that in mind, I looked at the traditional requiem form and realized that it needed to be modified to truly express what those kids went through. That’s why I included the numbers written for our band. I felt that through popular styles of music I could best represent their feelings and emotions.
JO: What was it like hearing the performance of your music on stage this evening?
NF: It was a very emotional and spiritual experience, very sad at times yet very uplifting. The power of music is incredible, both in its healing powers and its ability to express all kinds of emotions. I have performed many recitals on the piano and played for other types of musical events, but never anything like what we went through tonight!
JO: Do you think that you were successful in providing closure for the other kids who were victims?
NF: Oh yes. There is only one other person who could truly answer that question for me. That would be Ben Kessler, the other young teenager who was rescued when I was. I talked to him a few minutes ago and actually asked him that same question. He told me that the gates of heaven had been opened for those kids and that their souls were now free!
JO: I think that the rest of your audience tonight would say the same thing, Nick.
NF: I am very grateful for their support and also for the hard work of my fellow band members and the other musicians of the Merriam High School concert band, choir, and orchestra.
JO: Is there anything else you would like to say about your Requiem for the Lost Children?
NF: Yes. I would like to give a special thank you to Jason Hunter for all that he has done to make this performance possible. His Whatever Foundation provided the additional funding necessary to have it here in this concert hall. His personal bravery in rescuing me from those predators, his assistance during my recovery from that ordeal, his encouragement for me to write the music, and his friendship has changed my life. It is from my heart when I say, “Bravo, Jason!”
JO: Jason is indeed an extraordinary young man. We are very fortunate in the Silicon Valley to have teenagers like you and Jason in our community. This is Jaime Orlando reporting for KHHT television news.
* * * * *
Out in the lobby of the theater, friends and family were waiting for Daniel, Nick, the other band members, and David Molinari to appear. Jason had rejoined his parents, Laura, and the other members of his party. The band members had brought along changes of clothes, to be more comfortable and to facilitate hauling out their band equipment after meeting with people in the lobby.
Daniel, Tim, Eric, and Jonathan came out together while Nick was finishing his interview with Jaime Orlando. A few minutes later they were joined by David Molinari. They decided to stand in a row and create a reception line so that people would have an opportunity to offer their congratulations and talk briefly with them. There was also a table manned by the video company where people could order DVDs of the performance. Judging by the line, sales were brisk. A lot of the people who had driven up from San Matthias went through the line first so that they could get on their way back home.
Finally Nick came out and was immediately swarmed by a group of girls wanting autographs and maybe to flirt a little. Jason turned to Laura and said, “I don’t think that Nick will have any problem finding a girl friend or two at school now.”
Laura smiled back and replied, “Don’t you get any ideas, Jason Hunter!”
“Not a chance!” Jason said. “I’ve already been through one break up with you, Laura. I don’t think I could handle another.”
After about a half hour the crowds started to thin out, and mostly immediate family and friends were left. Jason, Laura, and their parents went through the line and then left for home.
Mr. Molinari’s wife Maria and son Davey were there. Davey went over to Daniel and gave him a big hug. “You were so great tonight, Daniel. You have it all, a great voice and good guitar playing. I wish I could be like you!”
Daniel smiled back at him. “Someday you will, Davey. But remember what I said before, little buddy, or should I say big buddy. It looks like you have grown six inches since last summer. All you need to worry about is being yourself!”
Eric was with Rebecca and talking with the Kessler family. “Ben was thrilled to be able to go back stage,” Ariel Kessler was saying. “I know he would like to get together with you again when you have time. For that matter, we all would like you and Rebecca to spend some time out at the farm again. We had such good times with you last summer.”
“It’s tough with all of the demands of school, sports, and of course the band,” Eric replied. “But yeah, we would love to come down again. Maybe we could get together over Thanksgiving weekend?”
Jonathan and Tim were visiting with Jeff Wilkinson. Tim’s mother, sister, and step-father had stopped by and already left, as did Jonathan’s mother and Aunt Eileen. They knew that the boys still had to bring equipment back to the studio at Jeff and Tim’s house. Jonathan was talking with Tim about new recording equipment that the band was planning to purchase when he looked up and saw someone he never expected to see at the concert.
“Dad?” Jonathan said with some surprise in his voice. “Is that you?”
Edward Kowalski stood in front of Jonathan. Last week he had received a round trip plane fare and concert ticket from Jason, care of the Whatever Foundation along with a note. “If you ever want to connect with your son Jonathan again, you need to be at this concert!”
“Jonathan, I don’t know very much about music, and I know I was not very encouraging to you about your aspirations to become a professional musician, but after hearing you perform tonight, I realize that I was totally wrong. The way you played the saxophone and flute sounded like you already are a professional musician. Everything you did was tonight was moving and beautiful. And that band you belong to — clearly you guys have what it takes to make it in the music business.
“I know that you have been terribly wronged when it comes to family issues. I feel terrible guilt that I wasn’t around when that redneck bully was beating up on you. And I feel bad that you had such a miserable home life while your mother was addicted to drugs. That’s what drove me away from your mother, and now I have another life and family on the east coast. But I ended up taking it out on you as well and feel very sorry about that. You deserved a lot better than what you received. No matter what happened between your mother and me, you still are my son and still my responsibility.”
“I couldn’t just abandon, Mom,” Jonathan replied. “Even with the drugs she was still my mom and all the family I had at the time. That was really tough for me to deal with!”
“You were the loyal son,” Edward Kowalski replied, “and without you around who knows what would have happened to your mother. After my neglect of you, I can’t blame you if you don’t want me as part of your life anymore, but I am here to tell you that I would like to become part of your life again, if you will let me. I know you have your roots here, and I don’t want to interfere with that, but I would like to spend some time with you. I would like to invite you out to New York to meet my new wife and her son and daughter who are close in age to you. There are all kinds of great activities and music events in New York you would enjoy attending.
“I would also like to help you with your future, put together a college fund for you and make s
ure you have your child support money. I am going to meet with the lawyers tomorrow to make sure that everything is set up for you. Regardless of what you decide about me, I want you to have that money. And I would like to meet with you, your mother and aunt tomorrow afternoon to see what can be worked out to make sure that you are properly taken care of now and in your college years. I would like to have visitation rights again if you are willing. What do you say?”
Jonathan came up and hugged his father. There were tears in his eyes. “Dad! I really missed not having a father.”
Edward Kowalski held his son in a long embrace. “Jonathan, I’ve missed you too. But those days are over. Life for me is not complete any more without you!”
Over in another part of the hall, Daniel was talking with his parents, Diana, and Diana’s mother. Ever since he arrived in the lobby people came up to congratulate him and ask for his autograph. Captain Garcia and Arthur stopped by. Marisol Garcia had just delivered her baby girl a month ago, and was at home. Daniel very pleased that Captain Garcia and Arthur had made the effort to come to the concert. He was also surprised at how many of his teachers from school had attended. Many teenaged girls from school and elsewhere were the bulk of his fans. He grinned a little to himself as he saw Diana pacing around in the back with a frown on her face. Eventually the crowd subsided.
Eyewitness News Page 26