Two days after the incident in Cody’s mini studio, he phoned me. He said that he was elected as one of many nominees of the competition. I was so glad hearing it. He also told me to sing again as he would have a performance in front of the judges as the further selection on Friday.
From Monday to Thursday, he kept coming over my house to teach me German after we went back from campus. My brain was filled with the German grammars, new vocabularies and even slangs. It was only four days, and I became like an advanced learner. I couldn’t be happier about it.
Mom was coming into my room. It was four thirty in the afternoon. I was preparing myself before Cody picked me up at five.
“Which one do you think best, Mom?” I asked her who was standing besides me by looking at her through the mirror.
“This one,” she pointed at a soft green long-sleeved blouse. “It made you look bright.”
“Thanks, Mom,” I put the other blouse I was holding onto the bed and took off the hanger from the green one Mom just chose. I took off the shirt I was wearing and put on the green blouse.
Mom smiled. “Where will you have your performance?” she asked.
“At the Colorado Convention Center,” I answered while I was putting on some make-ups on my face.
Mom took a comb and combed my hair. “What do you want to do with your hair?” she asked again.
“To make it simple, just a ponytail,” I responded.
Mom helped me to tie my hair. “Done,” she said as she finished.
“Thank you, Mommy,” I also finished my make-up. I put all the make-up things into a little pocket and cleaned the table besides my standing mirror.
“Cassy,” Mom said.
“Yes?” I turned to her.
“I miss your dad,” she said it. She sounded weak in her tone.
“Me too,” I approached and held her hands. “But let’s only pray to God. He will have His way for us. And His way is perfect for us.” I remembered the song again which encouraged me so much.
Beep beep! It was my cell phone. “It must be Cody,” I grabbed my cell phone and read a message which was from Cody. “Mom, he’s down there.”
“I’ll walk you out,” Mom said.
I grabbed my little bag which only contained my cell phone and my wallet, the new one of course. Then we walked down the stairs to the front door. Cody was there standing and waiting.
“Hey, Cody, take care of my daughter well,” Mom told him and he nodded then she turned her sight to me. “You, girl, be a good girfriend of his.”
I gave her a wry smile as I heard she mentioned me as Cody’s girlfriend again. “Okay,” I sounded like whispered.
“I promise you, Mrs. Lance, that she will be safe,” Cody said.
Mom chuckled. “Hope I can be called as Mrs. Lance again,” there was a bitter pain heard in her statement.
“You will. Soon,” he sounded very convincing.
“Amen to that,” she smiled. “Go now. Don’t be late.” She urged us.
“Bye, Mom!” I waved at her while Cody and I hopped into his car.
Cody and I entered one of the biggest convention halls in Colorado. It was really big. The last time I came here was when my rich friend in high school had her birthday. Still, it amazed me with how big the size was and how beautiful the interior design was.
We headed toward one of the halls, Wells Fargo Theatre. There were so many people gathered but only half of the theatre’s seats were occupied. It was because the nominees were limited. Most of them were having their musical instruments besides them. They looked so expert. We walked passing some participants and sat at the third row which were not too full.
Fifteen minutes after we had our comfort seats, the lights shining on the seats grew dim. Then the spotlight coming from behind shoot the stage. Somebody shown there. It was the host. And he was.. he was someone I knew.
“Cody,” I touched his arm.
“Yeah?” he turned to me.
“Welcome to the Selection of Cover Song Competition 2013,” the host declared.
“The host,”
“Yeah? What happened with the host?”
“He’s my dad,” I told him through the noise of the musics as the background while he, the host, my dad, was talking.
“Your dad?” he sounded surprised as I felt at the moment. “It is good then.”
I shook my head. “I don’t know if I can continue this,” I told him.
“But why? We can’t go back,” he told me. “Please don’t.”
I turned my face to him. “I am trembling now. And I don’t know why,” my hands felt so cold and trembling a bit. “I don’t know if I can go on.”
“Cassidy,” he looked into my eyes and held my hands. “This is a good sign. You have to be there to show him that you are here. This is your chance. Use it.”
I thought about what he said. It was right. I could use this chance to show my dad that I wanted him to go back into the family again. To me and Mom. It was just, I was too afraid if I could do this.
“Now calm down and relax,” he told me. “We still have long enough time as I got almost the last number. Okay, Cassy?”
I nodded then turned my face into the stage again.
“Please welcome, the first contestant, Darian Moseley,” I was watching at my dad, the host who called a guy to come to the stage. There were claps heard as he stood in front of the people.
I paid no attention to the first contestant, second contestant, third, fourth, twelveth, eighteenth and so the other ones. My attention was only to my dad. Why, I missed him, but I was afraid to face him. In my mind, there were questions such as would he recognize me, since it had been ten years after he left, or would I be able to stand there while he was watching at me, or would he wanted even to see my face? I was so afraid to bear unwanted thing to happen.
“Cassy,” Cody woke me up from musing all the time.
“What?” I asked.
“It’s our turn,” his answered made me startled.
“What?”
“Come on, get up and go to the stage now,” he grabbed me hand when I didn’t do what he said and pulled me passing some people on the row and walked to the stage.
I saw him. I was looking at his face. I became closer and closer to him. Cody and I reached the stage and we’re standing in front of the people.
“Hello boy and girl,” my dad greeted.
“Hello,” Cody replied with the microphone given to him.
I only smiled to him hesitatingly. He smiled back to me. Then I knew, he didn’t recognize who I was. I, Cassidy Marie Lance, his daughter.
“Time is yours,” Dad left us on the stage.
I turned to the audience just like Cody did.
“Hello guys and the honorable judges,” he greeted. “It’s an honor for me to be standing here and elected as one of the nominees. Well, as you know that I didn’t make this cover myself, but with a help of a friend of mine. She’s Cass—”
I grabbed the microphone from him. “Well,” I cut him from mentioning my name. He only smiled knowing me doing it, “you must want to know what we did was real. The recording I mean. Sorry for the little sobbing you heard at the end of the song and thank you for still having elected his work. Now, we present you the same song Have Your Way by Britt Nicole. Make yourself comfort and enjoy it.”
Cody and I sat on chairs which were similar to the ones he has. I put the microphone on the stand and made my heart bold. I promised myself I would be tough here to sing this song while my dad listening to me.
Cody played the classic guitar of his. And I sang. I sang with all my heart. All my focus was on God. I prayed through the song I was singing. I hoped that Dad would come back. I hoped God made Dad, Mom and me united. Again. As we used to be.
My eyes glanced to the audience and coincidently saw Mom was sitting on the last row of the seats together with Cody’s parents. My heart was beating fast.
She is here? I talked inside my heart while I was still singing. Dad is here too? So, God, does it mean—
Tears were falling now. “Have..Your..way,” I finished the song.
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