The Blue Moth Motel by Olivia Robinson

Author:Olivia Robinson [Robinson, Olivia]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781550819113
Publisher: Breakwater Books Ltd
Published: 2021-11-02T00:00:00+00:00

Ada had strung fairy lights around the windows and over the piano in the breakfast room. When Norah sat on the bench, she glowed under the lights. Ingrid took her place behind the microphone while the guests filed in and took their seats. With the sun going down, there was a chill in the air, so some of the guests had draped blankets over their summer dresses or put on hooded sweatshirts.

Ingrid sang and swayed with the music. She had wanted to do a popular song for their finale—something by Mariah Carey or Shakira—but Norah had insisted on sticking with the songs they knew best.

Now Norah whispered in her sister’s ear that she had a classical piece she wanted to perform on her own. So Ingrid stepped away from the microphone and Norah took her place.

I wrote this piece of music for someone who is very important to me and the Blue Moth, Norah said. Without her, I wouldn’t have discovered the piano. So this is for Ada.

As Norah returned to the piano bench, she looked out at the expectant faces.

This piece is called “The Blue Moth,” she said.

Ingrid went offstage and stood with Sophie. It was the first time Norah had performed without her sister, but if she was nervous, she was hiding it well. The piece began slowly. As she played, Norah leaned into the music. Her dress was spread out around her on the piano bench, and with the curls in her hair she looked like someone new. The music sped up, became slightly ominous. Ingrid wondered if that was the energy Norah talked about. She had put so much of herself into the piece that her body alone wasn’t enough to contain all the energy radiating from the music. Each note swarmed into the air and beat its wings.

When the song ended, there was a long moment of silence. Then Ada stepped towards the piano and clapped. Everyone joined in, and the applause continued for a long time. Guests spilled out into the courtyard and Ada joined Norah at the piano. They began to play a duet, the music floating out into the courtyard. The sky was dark enough for the fireworks, so Ingrid slipped away and ran down to the beach to tell the boy from the gas station to light them.

When she made it down the crumbling sandstone bank to the sliver of beach, the boy was nowhere to be seen, but the fireworks were still standing in the sand. Ingrid climbed back up the bank and found the barbecue lighter in the gazebo. It was so quiet down by the water, the waves lapping gently at the shore. Ingrid listened to their rhythm, like a repeating beat. With the lighter, she carefully ignited the first of the fireworks. As they shot into the air and exploded over the water, she heard shrieks of delight from the guests by the pool. She lit the fireworks in careful order, a choreographed show, and saved the best ones for last.

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