Beauty For Ashes (Chapter 4, Part B)
ONE WEEK LATER...
‘Good day class,’ said the music teacher, Miss Osariemen Ogbeide.
‘Good day ma,’ greeted the class.
‘We all enjoyed the last class, right?’
‘Yes ma,’ a few of us cared to answer.
‘Well, today we will be singing “All Things Bright and Beautiful" I'm sure you are all familiar with it.’
She picked up her marker and wrote out the lyrics of the song on the board. ‘I will be calling out people to sing as we have rehearsed this particular song a number of times. Who’s going to be the first to take it?' A brief silence ensued, and then she said with a sigh, 'Ese will take it first. Now Ese, one, two, ready, go.’ The class went silent like a cemetery, with all ears bent in anticipation. I can do this; I can, I said to myself in an attempt to build some courage. All… all things…,’ I sang with a shaky voice and paused. The class waited patiently for me to continue. I calmed down, breathed in and out, and sang the first line, ‘All things bright and beautiful’ and went on and on till I was done with the song. It came out just fine. The class gave me a round of applause after my rendition.
‘That was good, young lady. With more practice, you will do excellently well. She then called on Lucy, a girl with a shrill voice. After her, she called on Lisa.
Lisa stood up and sang the same song with her beautiful high-pitched alto and added so much melody to it. She got rounds of applause after her lovely rendition of the song. She smiled sweetly in response.
‘You’ve got a really beautiful voice, Miss Lisa. You sing like an angel.’
She’s lovelier than the loveliest angel, I thought to myself. Lisa grew to become the student music director in the school’s Christian Fellowship and one of the lead singers in the school choir. Through her influence, I joined the School Fellowship and consequently, the Fellowship Choir. Initially, I was a passive member but soon I became an active one. My soprano became higher pitched and as clear as a tinkling bell. I finally came out of my shell, all thanks to Lisa.
