The Narrow Path by Gail Sattler

Author:Gail Sattler
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Abingdon press
Published: 2009-07-31T14:00:00+00:00

14

Miranda sat behind the newly tuned church piano. Alone.

She didn't know which hurt worse, the shock that no one had come to audition, or the sinking in her gut that her entire project, the reason she had left her home for a year, and the way she had tried so hard to integrate into their community, had been rejected.

In the past week everyone who had expressed any interest —those who had joined the choir and a few who hadn't—had been invited to come to audition tonight.

At home, aside from the first performance, audition night was always the most exciting time of any project. Enthusiasm was contagious because everyone's hopes were so high. This was the night that the top roles were wide open, and each person arrived pumped with the hope that they could reach for their own personal star.

Blindly staring at a blank spot on the wall, Miranda pressed the sustain pedal and played one perfectly harmonious chord.The piano was ready for a lineup of enthusiastic singers. The strings echoed their rich tones around her like a melodious waterfall, then faded . . . to complete silence. The only sound in the room was her breathing.

She had set the entire evening aside rather than making specifi c appointments. In this Mennonite community, the clock did not have much meaning. People opened their businesses to the public on time each day, and they were on time for church and Bible study, but otherwise, time concerns were more like the women's cooking. Everything simmered for hours, and the longer it sat, the better it would be.

In the complete silence, the squeak of the main door opening jolted her like the whistle of an oncoming train. Footsteps approached. Her heart pounded. Male or female? She couldn't tell. All the women wore practical flat- soled shoes with heels that didn't click. It didn't matter. One individual didn't make for an extravaganza, but it was a start.

Miranda suppressed the urge to jump up and embrace the visitor. A shadow approached the door.

Miranda held her breath.

"Miranda?" A male voice echoed from around the corner.A boot appeared in the doorway. "Where are you?"

Her heart sank.

"Ted." She dropped herself on the piano bench with a thud."It's you."

He removed his hat and pressed it to his chest. "I came to see how you were doing and to take you home if you were done."

Home.

She might as well go home. To her real home, not the bedroom she had borrowed from Len and Lois.

"Yeah, I'm done." More than done. She was truly finished.Miranda sighed, unable to keep the defeat out of her voice.She couldn't believe how wrong she had been. Despite her good intentions and best efforts, she had failed. "I'm definitely done." Her throat tightened. The backs of her eyes began that burning sensation. "I just have a few things to pack up.Let's go."

She turned her back so he wouldn't see her swipe her nose with the back of her hand, then picked up the notes she'd made and the beginnings of the melody lines she had prepared.

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