Post by sarahleto on Aug 5, 2009 4:49:21 GMT -5
Paul, in a dashing long black coat, sits moodily on stage in the gleaming ice blue lights, thinking of his lady love and longing to be with her. Under such sadness and vulnerability, his heart beats for the sound of his other half. He looks over the audience, wishing for her, when suddenly, he looks up and sees...he sees The One. Her eyes shimmering, his heart skips a beat. He hears the echo of Neil's strumming guitar, but his heart is racing too fast. The final chords of the ballad fade away and he jumps up, heading for the comfort of the darkness backstage.
He sits down to rest and to think. Never has he felt such a rush, such a connection across the room. He looks in the mirror, pale blue eyes gazing back. If only there was a way to meet her...
He takes a breath and hears the final strains of 'Every Breath You Take'. Closing his eyes, he can't help but remember the soulful look in her eyes, the lights glinting off her hair. A mighty effort, he gathers himself and crosses the room to remind himself of the lyrics to 'You Raise Me Up.' With the help of the quick change dresser, he dresses in the shirt and vest of the next piece.
Fitted with a microphone, he runs through the words in his mind. Now, after seeing Her face, the words took on a deeper, more truthful cast. You raise me up...'Will she be watching me?'...to stand on mountains... 'Will I see her again?' ...on stormy seas. He walks through the door and faces the dark audience. The herald of Ruth's violin makes his heart race with anticipation...
He stares into the audience and sings the opening verse, his eyes searching out the audience. He knows he shouldn't, not in the middle of concert!, but his heart tells him he must. He must go on. He steps forward in an effort to be one step closer to her. The melody of the bagpipes echoes the joy and confusion in his heart. So unexpectedly did he see her, so beautiful she appeared to him, he half fears he won't be able to find her again. His beating heart soars as the tenor of his voice soars. So entwined are voice and soul, he knows She must hear them. Suddenly, THERE!
He pauses, letting the music wash over him. She is there... watching him with the same joy he feels inside. He makes a vow. He WILL find her after the concert. He must. Inside his mind, his heart bleeds to her... this song is for you. He blinks as the lights for the concert go up and the concert ends. In the mad rush of the standing ovation, his eyes find her once more surrounded by her family, friends, strangers. She is turned away, eagerly speaking of the concert to the woman next to her. He wishes she would look back at him, but is distracted by the thunderous applause in the theater. He grins widely and waves to the crowds yelling and screaming his name. He lifts his kilt a little, as he knows the Mamas love it, before being nudged by Damian. He turns away, with one last glance at Her, and runs with the others to the back of the stage.
Hurriedly he puts on his normal clothes, intending to rush out of their quickly. His plan, to find Her, was to get to the bus as quickly as possible. Hoping she would be waiting, he rushes out of the theater and towards the buses. He suddenly feels a clap on the shoulder.
Turning around, he finds George smiling at him, knowingly. "I think you forgot something, lad." He holds out the long black coat he had worn earlier in the show. "It's rather cold out tonight... is it not?"
With a wink, he wanders off to the buses. Paul smiles to himself, and puts the black coat on. He walks towards the buses, his heart suddenly racing once more. Never had he felt such a spark before... it was as if in that moment two souls had snapped and solidified together. One heart, one soul. The breath in his throat tightened as he noticed the group of fans waiting outside the tour buses. Knowing they shouldn't be there, but delighting in their sincere love, he headed towards them, ever searching for her. His mind was dazed as he learned dozens of names, shook hundreds of hands, signed thousands of posters. But then, silence.
Perfume, beautiful and subtle, filled in the air. He looked up... and up into the eyes of Her. She smiled. His heart skipped a beat. One soul, one heart. . All sounds faded away as he glanced into her eyes.
The curve of her smile deepened as she breathed the word, 'Hello'. He felt suddenly bereft of words.
The feeling of finding your other half overcame him, the locking of bonds so deep that time cannot challenge them. Here, now, with her laughing eyes and sunny smile, he couldn't think of a word to say, and yet... everything he wanted to was written on his face. Her eyes softened and answered back to his. He took her hand, poised to shake his, and lifted it to his mouth. With a kiss, gentle to the touch, he said everything inside that he couldn't say aloud.
With a glimmer of understanding, she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him. He closed his eyes, breathing in deeply, and wished to be nowhere in the world but here, forever. Moments passed and they finally released each other. Immediately, he felt bereft without her. Without thought, he signed the poster she gave to him, wishing to prolong the moment even further. He suddenly wished he had a camera, a video tape, anything, to record this meeting forever. Instead, he looked up at her once more, gathering himself and cracking a joke for the amassed crowd. He melted at the sound of her laughter and wished she would go on forever.
Suddenly, he feels a tap on the shoulder. A whisper from Ryan, that they must be on their way, has him suddenly terrified. He looks back at the girl, torn between what he should do. He cannot single her out, but neither can he leave her without saying, doing anything. But she solves it for him. Stepping forward, and standing on her tiptoes she whispers in his ear. "Don't worry. I'm a Thunderhead."
"A Thunderhead, eh? My favorite kind of woman!" He feels relieved and overfilled with joy. He would get to see her again!
Perhaps at a PBS Promo, another concert... a meet and greet! His heart fills with excitement. He feels Ryan grabbing onto his arm, and is tugged backwards, but he keeps his eyes on Her as long as possible. He can see her again! Perhaps talk to her on the Pub one day! His mind racing with possibilities, he turns around quickly to avoid being hit by the stationary bus.
He takes the steps by twos until he reaches the inside. He throws himself on top of his bed, his mind racing with the night's thoughts. He feels a nudge from Keith and looks up into his smirking face. "You're lookin' happy, Swanky Tenor! What's the craic?"
Paul grins but keeps his mouth closed. This particular memory would be his little secret. At least for awhile...
The next day, after sound check, Paul reaches for his laptop and clicks it on. After checking on his myspace and tweeting his latest status, he clicks to open the Fan Forum. He feels nervous, but determined to find his mystery girl. But suddenly he remembers he doesn't know anything about her! Her name, lost among dozens of others, he couldn't think of! He breathes in and out quickly, panicking. But, he shakes himself and gathers his courage. To himself he says, I'm the Swanky Tenor! I can figure this out. With renewed courage, he clicks through the forum and looks at the topics displayed. Photographs? Stories? Was she a writer? A poet? He knows he hadn't met her before, and so he decides not to look through the photos. Instead, he smiles to himself, he'll visit the Pub. Perhaps among the chatter of "How DREAMY Damian is!" and how "Keith has such gorgeous hair!" he will find a clue about her. He clicks through to the Pub.
Paul is amazed anew at the quick conversations and retorts flying through the posts. Impressed, and a little cautious about jumping in, he decides to lurk awhile to better get a handle on the conversation. Minutes pass, and he starts to feel frustrated. Not one of the topics comes close to what he's looking for ("Dark Destroyer getting all the ladies AGAIN!") and not one of the girls seems to be the one he's looking for. He contemplates waiting just a little while longer, but after looking at the clock, realizes he has only fifteen minutes before he needs to go to rehearsal! Reluctantly, he logs out of the Pub. In the back of his mind, he KNOWS that once he leaves, his lady will reappear in the Pub.
He sighs and shuts of the laptop. Grabbing the music spread out on the desk beside him, he jumps up and makes his way into the rehearsal studio.
Sitting on the chair and waiting for the rest of the guys to appear, he opens the music he holds on his lap. 'Steal Away.' In it's new arrangement, it is hauntingly beautiful, and now, he breathes deeply, it suddenly has a new meaning. Let's steal away... oh how he cannot forget the memory of that girl. Too many times had he gone to a friend's wedding and wished them happiness, and how close he was to finding the same happiness for himself. If only he could remember Her name! He would 'steal away' with her all the way to 'The Island' if he could. He hears the jangled discord of the instruments tuning.
Closing the music, he taps his foot impatiently, eager to get on with the rehearsal and the concert. Now, knowing She is out there, he is impatient to get back into the world. Damian comes into the room, humming the new solos. He watches him steadily, contemplating. This, he thinks, this is what it's like to love like a teenager. Youthful, and always ready for the next adventure.
That night...
The concert begins and the lights go down. Songs are played one by one, but Paul cannot summon the excitement that is usually there. He does not know why he is so listless, so restless. He paces backstage, straightening his jacket and glancing everywhere without seeing. The lines of music jump around him and the rushing of techs and workers fly by. Group song after group song, it is almost too much for him to bear.
Placing his fingers on his temples, he breathes in to relax the headache that has settled there. There is a meet and greet after the show tonight and Sharon has asked him to attend it. Not wanting to go, but caught by his promise to her, he steels himself to go on with the show and with the events. Perhaps once this is over he can finally rest and attack the confusion head on.
He sighs and readjusts the microphone fitted on him. The lads gather together and arrange themselves on stage. The humm in his ear gives him the opening pitch for 'Steal Away." He calms himself and the butterflies inside. "Let's steal away and chase our dream..."
Later...
The concert ends, and Paul takes off the microphone and sweaty clothes. The lights felt unbearably bright tonight and he could barely breathe without smelling the cologne from the Lads. He sighed and accepted the shirt from the costumer with a nod. He quickly changed into a fresh kilt outfit and went to the buses to drive with Sharon and Ryan and Damian to the night's meet and greet. Inevitably, he started thinking of Her again. The sound of her laughter was permanently etched on the inside of his mind. He smiled as he thought of the dozens of jokes he could tell her so that she could laugh again. The bus stopped in the parking lot of the hotel and he got up with the rest of the lads. Tonight's meet and greet was supposed to be a crowded one, and though he loved meeting the fans, he still secretly wished he could be elsewhere. Jumping off the bus, he headed into the main room of the lobby. "Here we go again." The doors opened and the chaos began.
Face after face, Thunderhead after Thunderhead, he felt an appreciative joy for the dedicated fans that had pledged to come here tonight. He laughed at the witty remark of a woman when he felt a tug on his sleeve. Sharon stood there and winked at him. "Paul, I have someone who's been eager to meet you. She says you've met before and that you've left a... lasting impression."
He turns around with his heart in his throat. Stunned. There she is. His pulse races as his mind struggles to wrap around it. She's here. She's here! He can barely breathe, and a moment of hesitation stands in the air. Concerned, Sharon reaches for her sleeve. "Are you alright, Paul?"
He shakes himself. "Yes, yes, of course. We have met before, have we not?" He reaches with a renewed confidence for Her hand.
Bringing it up to his lips, he lays a gentle kiss upon it. The girl laughs again, the laugh of his dreams, with a twinkle in her eye. Her voice reaches to him across mountains and skies. "I told you we would meet again. Didn't you believe me?"
She tilts her head with an impish smirk. He's a goner. Stepping up to her he wraps his arms around her. Breathing in the same beautiful perfume she had worn the night before. He whispers in her ear, "Tell me your name."
Her chuckle resonates in his mind. She leans in and whispers her name in his ear. He leans back, with the smile on his face. "Yes, that is your name, isn't it? I always knew it was you."
He touches his forehead to hers and closes his eyes. Never would he let this girl go ever again. She was his. And he, he would always be hers.
He sits down to rest and to think. Never has he felt such a rush, such a connection across the room. He looks in the mirror, pale blue eyes gazing back. If only there was a way to meet her...
He takes a breath and hears the final strains of 'Every Breath You Take'. Closing his eyes, he can't help but remember the soulful look in her eyes, the lights glinting off her hair. A mighty effort, he gathers himself and crosses the room to remind himself of the lyrics to 'You Raise Me Up.' With the help of the quick change dresser, he dresses in the shirt and vest of the next piece.
Fitted with a microphone, he runs through the words in his mind. Now, after seeing Her face, the words took on a deeper, more truthful cast. You raise me up...'Will she be watching me?'...to stand on mountains... 'Will I see her again?' ...on stormy seas. He walks through the door and faces the dark audience. The herald of Ruth's violin makes his heart race with anticipation...
He stares into the audience and sings the opening verse, his eyes searching out the audience. He knows he shouldn't, not in the middle of concert!, but his heart tells him he must. He must go on. He steps forward in an effort to be one step closer to her. The melody of the bagpipes echoes the joy and confusion in his heart. So unexpectedly did he see her, so beautiful she appeared to him, he half fears he won't be able to find her again. His beating heart soars as the tenor of his voice soars. So entwined are voice and soul, he knows She must hear them. Suddenly, THERE!
He pauses, letting the music wash over him. She is there... watching him with the same joy he feels inside. He makes a vow. He WILL find her after the concert. He must. Inside his mind, his heart bleeds to her... this song is for you. He blinks as the lights for the concert go up and the concert ends. In the mad rush of the standing ovation, his eyes find her once more surrounded by her family, friends, strangers. She is turned away, eagerly speaking of the concert to the woman next to her. He wishes she would look back at him, but is distracted by the thunderous applause in the theater. He grins widely and waves to the crowds yelling and screaming his name. He lifts his kilt a little, as he knows the Mamas love it, before being nudged by Damian. He turns away, with one last glance at Her, and runs with the others to the back of the stage.
Hurriedly he puts on his normal clothes, intending to rush out of their quickly. His plan, to find Her, was to get to the bus as quickly as possible. Hoping she would be waiting, he rushes out of the theater and towards the buses. He suddenly feels a clap on the shoulder.
Turning around, he finds George smiling at him, knowingly. "I think you forgot something, lad." He holds out the long black coat he had worn earlier in the show. "It's rather cold out tonight... is it not?"
With a wink, he wanders off to the buses. Paul smiles to himself, and puts the black coat on. He walks towards the buses, his heart suddenly racing once more. Never had he felt such a spark before... it was as if in that moment two souls had snapped and solidified together. One heart, one soul. The breath in his throat tightened as he noticed the group of fans waiting outside the tour buses. Knowing they shouldn't be there, but delighting in their sincere love, he headed towards them, ever searching for her. His mind was dazed as he learned dozens of names, shook hundreds of hands, signed thousands of posters. But then, silence.
Perfume, beautiful and subtle, filled in the air. He looked up... and up into the eyes of Her. She smiled. His heart skipped a beat. One soul, one heart. . All sounds faded away as he glanced into her eyes.
The curve of her smile deepened as she breathed the word, 'Hello'. He felt suddenly bereft of words.
The feeling of finding your other half overcame him, the locking of bonds so deep that time cannot challenge them. Here, now, with her laughing eyes and sunny smile, he couldn't think of a word to say, and yet... everything he wanted to was written on his face. Her eyes softened and answered back to his. He took her hand, poised to shake his, and lifted it to his mouth. With a kiss, gentle to the touch, he said everything inside that he couldn't say aloud.
With a glimmer of understanding, she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him. He closed his eyes, breathing in deeply, and wished to be nowhere in the world but here, forever. Moments passed and they finally released each other. Immediately, he felt bereft without her. Without thought, he signed the poster she gave to him, wishing to prolong the moment even further. He suddenly wished he had a camera, a video tape, anything, to record this meeting forever. Instead, he looked up at her once more, gathering himself and cracking a joke for the amassed crowd. He melted at the sound of her laughter and wished she would go on forever.
Suddenly, he feels a tap on the shoulder. A whisper from Ryan, that they must be on their way, has him suddenly terrified. He looks back at the girl, torn between what he should do. He cannot single her out, but neither can he leave her without saying, doing anything. But she solves it for him. Stepping forward, and standing on her tiptoes she whispers in his ear. "Don't worry. I'm a Thunderhead."
"A Thunderhead, eh? My favorite kind of woman!" He feels relieved and overfilled with joy. He would get to see her again!
Perhaps at a PBS Promo, another concert... a meet and greet! His heart fills with excitement. He feels Ryan grabbing onto his arm, and is tugged backwards, but he keeps his eyes on Her as long as possible. He can see her again! Perhaps talk to her on the Pub one day! His mind racing with possibilities, he turns around quickly to avoid being hit by the stationary bus.
He takes the steps by twos until he reaches the inside. He throws himself on top of his bed, his mind racing with the night's thoughts. He feels a nudge from Keith and looks up into his smirking face. "You're lookin' happy, Swanky Tenor! What's the craic?"
Paul grins but keeps his mouth closed. This particular memory would be his little secret. At least for awhile...
The next day, after sound check, Paul reaches for his laptop and clicks it on. After checking on his myspace and tweeting his latest status, he clicks to open the Fan Forum. He feels nervous, but determined to find his mystery girl. But suddenly he remembers he doesn't know anything about her! Her name, lost among dozens of others, he couldn't think of! He breathes in and out quickly, panicking. But, he shakes himself and gathers his courage. To himself he says, I'm the Swanky Tenor! I can figure this out. With renewed courage, he clicks through the forum and looks at the topics displayed. Photographs? Stories? Was she a writer? A poet? He knows he hadn't met her before, and so he decides not to look through the photos. Instead, he smiles to himself, he'll visit the Pub. Perhaps among the chatter of "How DREAMY Damian is!" and how "Keith has such gorgeous hair!" he will find a clue about her. He clicks through to the Pub.
Paul is amazed anew at the quick conversations and retorts flying through the posts. Impressed, and a little cautious about jumping in, he decides to lurk awhile to better get a handle on the conversation. Minutes pass, and he starts to feel frustrated. Not one of the topics comes close to what he's looking for ("Dark Destroyer getting all the ladies AGAIN!") and not one of the girls seems to be the one he's looking for. He contemplates waiting just a little while longer, but after looking at the clock, realizes he has only fifteen minutes before he needs to go to rehearsal! Reluctantly, he logs out of the Pub. In the back of his mind, he KNOWS that once he leaves, his lady will reappear in the Pub.
He sighs and shuts of the laptop. Grabbing the music spread out on the desk beside him, he jumps up and makes his way into the rehearsal studio.
Sitting on the chair and waiting for the rest of the guys to appear, he opens the music he holds on his lap. 'Steal Away.' In it's new arrangement, it is hauntingly beautiful, and now, he breathes deeply, it suddenly has a new meaning. Let's steal away... oh how he cannot forget the memory of that girl. Too many times had he gone to a friend's wedding and wished them happiness, and how close he was to finding the same happiness for himself. If only he could remember Her name! He would 'steal away' with her all the way to 'The Island' if he could. He hears the jangled discord of the instruments tuning.
Closing the music, he taps his foot impatiently, eager to get on with the rehearsal and the concert. Now, knowing She is out there, he is impatient to get back into the world. Damian comes into the room, humming the new solos. He watches him steadily, contemplating. This, he thinks, this is what it's like to love like a teenager. Youthful, and always ready for the next adventure.
That night...
The concert begins and the lights go down. Songs are played one by one, but Paul cannot summon the excitement that is usually there. He does not know why he is so listless, so restless. He paces backstage, straightening his jacket and glancing everywhere without seeing. The lines of music jump around him and the rushing of techs and workers fly by. Group song after group song, it is almost too much for him to bear.
Placing his fingers on his temples, he breathes in to relax the headache that has settled there. There is a meet and greet after the show tonight and Sharon has asked him to attend it. Not wanting to go, but caught by his promise to her, he steels himself to go on with the show and with the events. Perhaps once this is over he can finally rest and attack the confusion head on.
He sighs and readjusts the microphone fitted on him. The lads gather together and arrange themselves on stage. The humm in his ear gives him the opening pitch for 'Steal Away." He calms himself and the butterflies inside. "Let's steal away and chase our dream..."
Later...
The concert ends, and Paul takes off the microphone and sweaty clothes. The lights felt unbearably bright tonight and he could barely breathe without smelling the cologne from the Lads. He sighed and accepted the shirt from the costumer with a nod. He quickly changed into a fresh kilt outfit and went to the buses to drive with Sharon and Ryan and Damian to the night's meet and greet. Inevitably, he started thinking of Her again. The sound of her laughter was permanently etched on the inside of his mind. He smiled as he thought of the dozens of jokes he could tell her so that she could laugh again. The bus stopped in the parking lot of the hotel and he got up with the rest of the lads. Tonight's meet and greet was supposed to be a crowded one, and though he loved meeting the fans, he still secretly wished he could be elsewhere. Jumping off the bus, he headed into the main room of the lobby. "Here we go again." The doors opened and the chaos began.
Face after face, Thunderhead after Thunderhead, he felt an appreciative joy for the dedicated fans that had pledged to come here tonight. He laughed at the witty remark of a woman when he felt a tug on his sleeve. Sharon stood there and winked at him. "Paul, I have someone who's been eager to meet you. She says you've met before and that you've left a... lasting impression."
He turns around with his heart in his throat. Stunned. There she is. His pulse races as his mind struggles to wrap around it. She's here. She's here! He can barely breathe, and a moment of hesitation stands in the air. Concerned, Sharon reaches for her sleeve. "Are you alright, Paul?"
He shakes himself. "Yes, yes, of course. We have met before, have we not?" He reaches with a renewed confidence for Her hand.
Bringing it up to his lips, he lays a gentle kiss upon it. The girl laughs again, the laugh of his dreams, with a twinkle in her eye. Her voice reaches to him across mountains and skies. "I told you we would meet again. Didn't you believe me?"
She tilts her head with an impish smirk. He's a goner. Stepping up to her he wraps his arms around her. Breathing in the same beautiful perfume she had worn the night before. He whispers in her ear, "Tell me your name."
Her chuckle resonates in his mind. She leans in and whispers her name in his ear. He leans back, with the smile on his face. "Yes, that is your name, isn't it? I always knew it was you."
He touches his forehead to hers and closes his eyes. Never would he let this girl go ever again. She was his. And he, he would always be hers.