When the Black Girl Sings by Bil Wright

Author:Bil Wright
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Published: 2009-07-15T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Time was running out. Mr. Faringhelli was pressing me for which song I was singing in the competition, and I was supposed to ask Marcus, but I hadn’t. I was more worried about Mom. Since we’d come back from New York, she was quieter than I’d ever seen her. There were times when I knew she was crying in her room, and there were times when I thought I saw that same look of fury I’d seen in New York. She apologized to me for what had happened with my father’s car, but I’d told her I was sorry to upset her so much. We never heard anything about it from my father. At least if my mother did, she didn’t tell me. But I couldn’t think of it as “over.” I could still picture her acting like someone I didn’t know at all. I’d never seen her be more emotional than to tear up quietly at movies or at church. But the car thing? No way. Nothing close.

If I hadn’t given my word to Mr. Faringhelli, I would have definitely dropped out of the competition. Except I hated when people went back on their word, so I was going to do what I’d said, even though I didn’t care at all about singing, except in church. And I definitely was not in the mood for competing with anyone for anything.

I went to the next choir rehearsal determined to ask Marcus for his suggestion. I went up to him before the rehearsal, but he said, “Lahni, you’ll have to ask me whatever it is later. We have got so much work to do tonight, and you will definitely be doing your share. So you better focus up, you hear?”

Before I even sat down, Marcus announced, “We are going to be doing a personal favorite of mine this Sunday, so y’all better be careful! Sing like you’ve never sung before! We’re going to be doing “His Eye Is on the Sparrow” with Miss Carietta and Miss Lahni on the leads.” Marcus winked at me. “See what I mean? You better focus up!”

I didn’t have time to think about how I felt. But my hands were definitely shaking when he handed out the lyric sheets and mine had my name on it marked “soloist.” We read the lyrics out loud, Carietta and I doing our parts alone. I thought the words were a little corny at first.

“Why should I feel discouraged?

Why should the shadows come?

Why should my heart be lonely

And long for heav’n and home?

When Jesus is my portion

My constant friend is He,

His eye is on the sparrow,

And I know he watches me.

I sing because I’m happy

I sing because I’m free

His eye is on the sparrow

And I know He watches me.”

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