Talena, Part II
It doesn't happen very often, but from time to time we have a concert here in our small community. There was one this November, featuring a Christian/ Country singer by the name of Stephanie Reeves. She offered the concert for free, as she had some room in her schedule and her drummer lives here in town.
We decided to go to the concert, even though we'd never even heard the woman sing before. With a family of six, some things are much too expensive for all of us to go. Free things are wonderful, however, especially when they give a Christian message and involve music. And besides, people don't come back to our little corner of the world very often if they don't get a good turn out the first time. Just isn't worth it to drive very far. It's important to support those who come, to make them feel welcome, to ask them back again.
The gym was pretty full, and it was nice to see that so many locals would come to a Christian event. I sat behind one of my old high school friends and we talked of how much the other's children had grown. My husband let Alia run, hoping she would expend her energy, around and around in circles on the edge of the gym, and my friend's two-year-old ran with her. Then, the lights dimmed and the music began.
It was good music, by a singer blessed with a beautiful voice. The audience began to clap and sing along with the old hymn, "I'll Fly Away," as the band jazzed it up with drums, keyboard and guitar. And at the front of the gym, directly in front of the stage, a small group of children began to gather. The group grew over the next couple of songs, and soon there were thirty or so children - ranging in age from about five to fifteen - amassed there, dancing with their hands raised before the singer. My oldest three wanted to go too. I nodded quietly and they slipped from their seats and tiptoed excitedly to the crowd.
The girls went to one side, finding some friends there. Demario stood awkwardly to the back, tapping his foot lightly to the rhythm and straining to see over the crowd that stood in front of him. Suddenly, there was a small break in the crowd. A tall, thin girl, with long straight hair and dressed in faded blue jeans and a baggy white t-shirt stepped through. She'd noticed that my daughters were in the crowd and realized that he must be too. And she came to find him. Just as she grabbed the hand of my son and, laughing, pulled him to the front of the crowd, the faint light fell on her face and I saw who she was. Talena.
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