Angel Marquez-The Angel Blossoms chapter 5

by

Paula Dillon

Mrs. Grogan had a dilemma. She had so many good musicians that should get some solo time, and the administration had some specific girls that they wanted to highlight. There was Amy Spencer, first violin, Carol Rawlings, second violin, Natsuko Takahashi, third violin, Madeline Boucher, piano and of course Angel Marquez on the guitar. All of them would, at another school, have some solo time. They were all that good. Amy was a senior and she had done everything that had been asked of her. She would get the lion’s share. Carol would have to wait till next year, she was a junior. She wasn’t close to being second best; that was Natsuko, but Natsuko was a freshman. Madeline was up there too. Mrs. Grogan knew that Madeline would find a spot in some major orchestra when she got some more maturity. Her play was that good.

That left Angel. She needed to put her in, too. Mrs. Beckman really wanted her to be pushed forward. Mrs. Grogan came up with a solution. This year Angel would open with a couple of pieces. It was unusual for a concert to be opened with a solo like this, but it was an elegant solution. Angel just needed more work with a full orchestra and needed to read music a little better.

Mrs. Grogan called all five girls together.

“Girls, I have been presented a dilemma. All of you are good enough to deserve solos. Amy you will have four solos this school year and Madeline you will have two. Carol will have to wait next year. Natsuko will it be alright to wait two more years? Amy is a senior and she is very good. Carol will be a senior next year. At any other school you would have some solos.”

“I understand, Mrs. Grogan. Amy and Carol have worked so hard. I can wait.”

“We could split our solo duties,” Carol said. “I really like to play solos, but I feel Natsuko is better than I am. I wouldn’t mind sharing with her.”

“No, you are very good, Carol,” Natsuko said. “You should have your year.”

“Natsuko, if you and I were both freshmen. You would be sitting second violin and I would be third violin. Wouldn’t you say so Mrs. Grogan?”

“I’m not going to take a position on that, Miss Rawlings. I will just say that all of you are excellent musicians. I do like give the older girls have their chance. We will see what happens.”

“I can wait too, Mrs. Grogan,” Angel said, smiling.

“That is not an option, Angel. I know it is unusual, but I have a solution. You will open for us. You need to work with an orchestra more and get better at reading music. So next week you will open with ‘Recuerdos de la Alhambra’, while we get ready back stage. Then you will play ‘Classical Gas’, and just before you begin to repeat your opening theme the curtain will open and the orchestra will join you through the end. You will exit stage left and then take your seat next to Sue.”

“Yes ma’am, not a problem,” Angel said.

The orchestra began to work hard on the pieces they were going to play in their October concert. Madeline demonstrated her competence at the piano and sat with Mrs. Green at the Steinway. Linda Jones brought them to attention and began to put the orchestra through its paces. Angel was doing well playing with Sue and following Linda’s direction.

After five weeks of working together the orchestra was beginning to gel well together. They had gone over their whole repertoire at least twice and Mrs. Grogan liked what she heard. She then selected the pieces for their concert. After they had completed their last piece, Mrs. Grogan stepped up on the platform.

“Girls we will rehearse the full concert for the next three practices and a dress rehearsal on Tuesday, so be prepared. You all have the program. Make sure you know the order. We need to sound sharp next Wednesday. Come here dressed after lunch on Wednesday and we will do makeup. We will have girls from theatrical department to assist. We will be playing for the Morning Hills Retirement Community. There could be up to four hundred people at that venue, with residents and guests. Let’s give them a great show.”

Then Mrs. Grogan went over the order piece by piece for the girls to make sure they knew it. The students checked their programs and began ordering their sheet music.

“Girls, you all know that we are going to New York in December to do a concert. I have some news for you. Thanks to one of our students, we have also been invited to attend a concert in December put on by the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. Servando Morales a world renowned classical guitarist will be the featured Artist for the concert. We will need permission slips for anybody who wishes to attend. Your section leaders will now pass those slips out. We need these back by the eighteenth of October.”

“Dress will be formal. Your concert outfits will be acceptable, but you may dress in any formal gowns. This will be a wonderful experience for all of us. The New York Philharmonic Orchestra is one of the top world renowned orchestras. I hope that all of you can attend. I need to know the exact number of you who can attend on December fourteenth. Don’t worry about the cost of the tickets. We are being given a block of tickets. The school will pick up the transportation costs. The costs for you will be any the cost clothing you choose to invest in, and dinner. We will break up before the concert in three groups and go to three places to eat. This will cost between twenty five to thirty five dollars maximum, depending to what you order.”

Five girls then began passing out information sheets on the concert and restaurants, as the girls began to talk excitedly about the trip. The concert would be on the last Saturday before finals. That was the only downside. They would have to study hard the week before finals.

After class Angel had about a thousand questions to answer. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out who was responsible for the invitation with the clues Mrs. Grogan had dropped.

“It happened like this,” Angel told the assembled girls. “I met Servando Morales in Madrid this summer. I was playing my guitar in a park and had quite a crowd around me listening. There was this kind old man who came up and asked if he could play with me. I said yes. It didn’t take me long to realize that I had underestimated his skill. He challenged me in ways I had never been challenged before, but I did well. I didn’t know who he was exactly, even though he introduced himself. I found out who he was later when one of my cousins, saw a picture of us playing together.”

“Anyway, his secretary found my school audition videos that Vanessa Hall posted on You Tube . We exchanged email addresses. Servando invited me to a concert he was playing in New York and I returned the favor and invited him to our concert in New York. His secretary called the school, and well, the rest is history.”

“Well just who is this Servando Morales?” one of the girls asked.

“You can Google him. That will be better than me explaining. He has a page in Wikipedia and he has his own website and is featured in many others.”

“I can’t believe that one of us actually played with a world renowned artist,” another girl said.

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Friday evening, Aunt Carmine and the twins picked the girls up. The twins excitedly helped the girls carry their bags to the van. On the ride home they talked.

“Angel, the first weekend in November we are going to go dress shopping,” Carmine said, “Natsuko and Madeline, do you two have dresses you can use, or will you two need to shop for dresses, too.”

“I have plenty of formals back in France, but that is the problem. They are back in France. I just love to go shopping though.”

“I too have many nice clothes at home, I too have the same problem, but I have enough money to buy more dresses,” Natsuko said. “I will enjoy going shopping with all of you.”

“Good, we will have fun, girls. I look forward to seeing all of us in formals.”

“Oh, by the way Aunt Carmine, we will be playing with the orchestra at Morning Hills Retirement Community this Wednesday.”

“What time?”

“Seven thirty, they will have a buffet before for us before that at five and desserts afterwards.”

“Mmm, I may see if we can come over to watch and record it. I know your mom would be interested in seeing you in concert.”

“Call Mrs. Grogan at school.”

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At home, Sierra and Nevada got Natsuko and Madeline dancing, while Angel played the guitar for them. Madeline was a very good dancer, but she took the masculine role to Nevada because of their height differences. She was taller than everybody here. Could you see a girl that was five foot two dipping a girl who was nearly six foot tall? Carmine actually cut in on Sierra just for that same reason, although Natsuko was only five foot five.

Margarita arrived at about seven. Angel jumped into her arms and hugged her, “Hi Mom, it’s so good seeing you.”

Margarita kissed her daughter’s cheeks, and with a tear in her eyes, “It’s so good seeing you, too. Hello Sis, Sierra, Nevada, Natsuko and Madeline,” she said hugging each one of them. “Are ya’ll ready to go out to eat, I am starving.”

They all went to La Maison de Maurice for dinner. Madeline was excited after they hit the front door and quickly reverted to speaking French. The maá®tre de was from France and recognized that Madeline spoke true French. He was excited and asked, “Magnifique áªtes-vous tous de la France? ” (Wonderful are you French?”

Margarita answered, “Non, monsieur, Mme Boucher est le français le reste d'entre nous sont en anglais avec des liens á  destination de Madrid en Espagne, á  l'exception de Mme Takahashi, qui est Japonais., Nous parlons tous anglais cependant.” (No, Sir, Ms. Boucher is French the rest of us are English with ties to Madrid Spain, except Ms. Takahashi who is Japanese. We do speak English though.)

“Magnifique, if you Ladies would come with me, please.”

There were roses on live rose bushes everywhere in the restaurant. The girls ogled all the pretty flowers. They were surprised to see that they were all real. After they were seated they perused the menu. The menu items had French names and descriptions, with an English translation.

Madeline discussed the dishes with everyone as they looked at the menus. She pointed out things she had eaten before and gave her impressions of the dishes. After they ordered, they sat around and talked.

“Tell me Angel, how has school been?”

“It has been wonderful, Mom. I really enjoy it and I love the way they teach us. I do miss you though at times. How has work been?”

“Angel, it has been a real challenge. I just love the added responsibility and the people I work with. I do miss you too though. Our video conferences and emails keep me going. Are you excited about the concert in December?”

“Both of them Mom, our concert and the New York Philharmonic concert.”

“I can’t wait to go with you to that one and I will be at your concert, too.”

“We have one this Wednesday too.”

“I can’t go to that one; I am going to spend two weeks in Madrid and Paris.”

“If you could stop by the Japanese embassy, you could say hi to my parents,” Natsuko said, excitedly. “Tell them I miss them, I am working very and I love the school and all of you.”

“I will try to do that for you Natsuko. What about you, Madeline? Your Mom lives in Paris doesn’t she?”

“Yes but I don’t know if she is in Paris, New York or Milan. Mom, Antoinette Boucher, is on contract right now.”

“Antoinette Boucher is your Mom?” Margarita asked. “She is famous.”

“That she is. She feels she only has about three maybe four years left to model, so she is pushing hard right now. She will settle down after that. I hope.”

“You really miss her too, don’t you?”

“Yes I do, but modeling is such a demanding business, one that doesn’t appreciate models ageing well.”

“I know what you mean. She is already one of the older models around and she is quite beautiful.”

“She is thirty four. It hurt her a bit when she had to step down for a year and a half to have me. Models have to be seen to be remembered. Eighteen months is a long time for a model to be out of the public sight.”

“I am sure she misses you too, Madeline.”

“I know,” Madeline said her eyes glistening. “I love her, and I love all of you too. You have made me feel a part of your family.”

“Me too,” Natsuko said.

“I, my sister, and my girls are glad to have all of you in our family,” Carmine said. “I agree, with my sister,” Margarita said.

There were more than one pair of eyes glistening at that table; in fact, there were no dry eyes. The girls traded hugs with each other.

“Did Janice come home with ya’ll?” Margarita asked.

“No she went home with her roommate, Rebecca, this weekend,” Angel said.

“So she is getting along well with the other girls.”

Angel, Natsuko and Madeline just looked at each other and smiled.

“I would say so Mom, I am teaching them both to play the guitar, too.”

“I am glad that you are teaching others to appreciate the guitar,” Madeline said.

“Oh, Leo wants the three of you to come by tomorrow. He would like you to play at the plaza at the mall for lunch. So if you want to, you need to think about what you will play.”

“I am game. I feel we need to thank Leo. He helped out at a choir concert we had,” Angel said.

Madeline and Natsuko agreed with Angel.

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The seven girls arrived at Leo’s just after the store opened. After hugs they talked about the show, they wanted to put on.

1. Pachelbel’s ‘Canon in D’
2. Chopin’s ‘Nocturne’
3. Queen’s ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’
4. Mason William’s ‘Classical Gas’
5. Francisco Tá¡rrega’s ‘Recuerdos de la Alhambra”
6. Neil Diamond’s Brother Loves Traveling Salvation Show
7. Journey’s ‘Don’t Stop Believin’ ’
8. Mozart’s ‘Rondo alla Turca’
9. Paganini’s ‘Caprice no. 24’
10. Avril Lavigne’s ‘Keep Holding On’

“Good program girls, mind if I join ya’ll? I can play all of those pieces,” Leo said. “I will have drums and Viola set up”

“Trust me girls, Leo is good,” Angel told the others.

They talked about the pieces and then set about selecting instruments to use. A group of people moved out just before noon and set up.

A crowd began forming as they setup near the food court. At noon, Leo introduced the girls to the people gathered and told them that they were in for a real treat. Angel was becoming famous at this mall. Madeline began the bass line on Pachelbel’s ‘Canon’. It started out normally before Natsuko kicked it up a notch and charged the music with energy. Angel picked up the second violin part on her guitar, working it hard and Leo took the viola part, adding his fair share of energy. The crowd just ate it up.

Natsuko and Madeline then got together with Leo on drums with brushes for ‘Chopin’s Nocturne’. It was a lovely piece. Angel and the group then wowed them with the ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ and went right into ‘Classical Gas’. They kicked it up a notch, much like Vanessa Mae played it. ‘Recuerdos de la Alhambra’ was a change of pace and nicely played in a classical manner. Angel had the crowd up on its feet accompanying her on ‘Brother Love’s Traveling Salvation Show’. Leo and Angel sang the next song ‘Don’t Stop Believin’. Natsuko and Madeline shined together on ‘Rondo alla Turca’ and the three girls did very well on Paganini’s ‘Caprice no. 24’.

Angel then had everyone on the edge of their seats as she sang Avril Lavigne’s ‘Keep Holding On’. Madeline really worked the keyboard, Natsuko was fantastic on the electric violin and Leo on the drums was superb, but it was Angel’s emotionally charged, powerful vocals, not her excellent guitar playing that made the song.

After Angel’s last “we’ll make it through, we’ll make it through”, there was nary a sound from the audience. Then there was one clap, then three claps and then the whole audience erupted in applause. Natsuko hugged her friend and then held up her right hand facing the audience. Angel had to dry her eyes; she had gone so deep into the song and sang it with all of her heart. She had sung the song so many times after she had heard it, but she had kept it to herself. She just didn’t know if she had the power to do it justice. Not vocal power, she had a strong voice, but that internal power that gives a song meaning. She had decided last night as they ate to do the song for her friends.

Leo was ecstatic as they left the stage; he and his employees helped the girls get back to the music shop after they signed a few autographs and shook a few hands.

“Wow, Angel, where did that come from?” Madeline asked. “You were incredible, Angel.

“I have never heard you sing so powerfully,” Margarita said.

“I guess I sang it for Natsuko and Madeline. After I heard them talk last night, I wanted them to know that I am there for them.”

Madeline and Natsuko were speechless. They just hugged Angel. Margarita, Carmen and the twins joined them. Leo made sure they had some space. The girls stayed around for a little bit and helped some customers make some selections of instruments. Natsuko had a group of kids talking to her about playing the violin.

From Leo’s they hit the arcade. The girls found a fierceness in Natsuko as they competed on the various games. The twins got in a no holds barred competition with her on one game. Angel found a wild streak in the usually demure, reserved Madeline on the Formula One racing game. It seemed her Mom had taken her to several real Formula one Races in France. It was the place for the fashionable to be seen, like the Derby in England. She had fallen in love with their speed and precision. Angel won of course, but not till after Madeline spun her out a time or two.

From the arcade they caught a movie, ‘Letters to Juliet’, starring Amanda Seyfried as Sophie and Vanessa Redgrave as Claire. Sophie took on a quest with Claire, to find Claire’s long lost love. They all got emotional as love was lost and love was found.

Back at home the girls all made pallets in the living room and watched some more movies on the big screen TV. They all had dressed in night shirts and sat on the floor leaning against the couch. Sierra and Nevada made popcorn and brought the others diet sodas. The twins surrounded Natsuko, while Angel had Nevada on one side and Madeline on the other.

They soon fell asleep on the floor. Natsuko was sandwiched between the twins, and Angel drowsily leaned against Madeline, who wrapped her arm around Angel’s shoulder. Angel woke later, feeling quite constricted. Madeline usually slept with a long body pillow, which she wrapped her arms and legs around. Tonight, Angel was that body pillow; she was wrapped so tightly in Madeline’s grasp she couldn’t wiggle out. Her head was snuggled right between Madeline’s impressive, for a fourteen year olds, breasts. Angel could see the smooth roundness of her cleavage. She couldn’t help herself and gave the girl’s breast a kiss and then another. Madeline just moaned a little and squeezed Angel a little harder. Angel just wiggled a bit and got comfortable before falling back to sleep.

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Angel woke a little sore. Sleeping on the floor was not her thing. Madeline was already up, as was Nevada. Sierra was trapped in a bear hug, but she wasn’t complaining, she just smiled at Angel. Angel had to wait a few minutes before the bathroom door opened. She could have gone to Carmine’s but she didn’t want to disturb her Mom and Aunt.

Madeline came out of the bathroom and stopped to give Angel a peck on her cheeks. A flushed Angel didn’t know what to do, so she gave her friend a hug before quickly heading into the bathroom. She did her business quickly as she knew there would be others who needed the facilities. As it was, she met Natsuko as she came out.

Angel grabbed a robe and headed for the kitchen. Nevada was already starting to fix breakfast and Madeline was sipping a cup of hot tea.

“Morning, Nevada,” Angel said, hugging her cousin.

“Morning, Angel, You want to start on some eggs and sausage while I work on the Waffles?”

“Sure. I will fix the coffee too.”

They were just about finished when Carmine and Margarita entered the kitchen.

“Angel after we eat and get dressed, I want to take you out for about an hour,” Margarita said. “I have got to leave early and head home to pack. My Flight is at seven thirty this evening.”

“Yes ma’am.”

“Girls we won’t be going to church today, I am taking us all to an amusement park after Angel gets back,” Carmine said.

That pronouncement was met by whoops from all the girls.

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Angel went with her Mom. It was good getting to spend some time with her. They didn’t say much, Margarita just drove them to the park by the Mall and they just walked around holding hands.

“I miss you, baby, but I am glad to have gotten this job. How are you doing?”

“I love the school, Mom and I like my new friends. I miss being with you too. I needed this school, Mom. All in all I wouldn’t change a thing, unless… you wanted it.”

“Are you happy?”

“Yes ma’am.”

“Then I am happy too. I will be home for Thanksgiving, your December concerts and Christmas. We are going to spend Christmas at our home, with everyone. If your friends are stuck here they can come too. I like them, Angel.”

“I love you Mom.”

“I love you too baby.”

They walked for a bit more before they headed back.

Back at the Santos’ residence the girls were waiting for the pair to return. Carmine had told them that Margarita just wanted to spend some time with her daughter.

“For eight years, those two only had each other, and now they are separated. It has been a bit of shock for both of them.”

“Madeline and I know what they are going through; we both went through the same thing.”

“Yes. My Mom would always follow the work as a model. She would be gone for months at a time. Four times a year she would spend six to eight weeks at Milan, Rome, Paris, Singapore or New York. We were never really close. She did her best as a Mom, but her heart was elsewhere. We love each other but we don’t know how to live together,” Madeline said.

“The Japanese, raise their families differently. Children are raised to duty, whether it is duty to the company, to a cause, to our school, or duty to our country. Many kids go to schools like Sarah Adams, and live there full time from a very young age. My Mom and Dad are committed to their consular work. So I understand.”

Carmine just gave the two girls a big hug.

When Angel and Margarita returned, Margarita gave everybody a hug. Then she got her suitcases and gave Angel a tearful kiss and hug before she had to go. Angel waved to her Mom as Madeline and Natsuko hugged her.

It’s hard not to have fun at an amusement park; it just took Angel just a little while longer than the other girls. Angel and Natsuko got into it at the shooting gallery. Together they won five stuffed animals. Then there was the ring toss, knocking down metal milk bottles, popping balloons with darts. It was the rides though, the girls loved. The park didn’t have one of those Mega rollercoasters, but it had a very good one. They then hit the tilt-a-whirl, and they all showed their lack of driving skills on the bumper cars. Poor Madeline had a big target painted on her. Carmine though set her sights on the twins, getting revenge for everything they put her through. Finally they hit the Top Spin and the Scorpion. Their last stop was at the Glamour shot saloon, where they all dressed as dancing girls from an old west saloon for a group portrait.

Madeline was acting like the young girl she was as they left the amusement park. Everyone had thoroughly enjoyed themselves. When they got home they all packed up and Carmine drove the girls back to school.

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Wednesday the girls spent hours getting ready to leave. Angel had to carry her Black concert jacket and her Gray Andalusian jacket. She would open the concert wearing the Gray jacket and then switch to the black jacket when she went off stage. Then she would sneak back to sit next to Sue.

Mrs. Grogan told all the girls to put on their own foundation and pressed powder, and eight girls from the theater department came in to do the rest. The girl who did Angel applied blush, a lot of eye shadow, eye liner and false eyelashes and finished with a red lipstick. The girls were given a small disposable, lipstick.

They got on the two busses and headed out on an hour long drive. Angel was happy to see Aunt Carmine and the twins when they got off the bus. There were families of a few of other the other girls there too. After hugs the girls were herded to where the buffet was set up.

“My you are wearing a lot of makeup, Angel,” Carmine said.

“Yes the girls from the theater dept. made us up. We will be under stage light.”

The girls ate and talked through dinner. Even though it had been three days, they enjoyed seeing each other. Everyone was dressed up, but they noticed one man who was especially duded out, in a very tailored Tuxedo sitting at the table with Mrs. Grogan.

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Angel walked on stage carrying her Cantu guitar. The audience applauded her arrival. She bowed to the audience and sat on a stool. She then positioned the mike in front of her guitar and took a deep breath letting it out slowly, before beginning ‘Recuerdos de la Alhambra’. The notes rang sure and true as she played. She had been a little nervous, but as she played, it was just her and her guitar, nothing else. After the last note faded into nothing, the audience erupted in applause.

Angel waited for a few seconds for the audience, then began playing ‘Classical Gas’. It was one of her favorite pieces. She wasn’t quite halfway through when the curtain began to rise. As she began to repeat the theme the orchestra, led by Linda accompanied her. The orchestra gave Angel’s rendition of ‘Classical Gas’ a new dimension. They sounded very good together, especially the string section and the brass section. It sounded like they had been playing together for years. Mason Williams could not have done better. This rendition lasted a little longer than she normally played, so the orchestra could get their parts in. When she finished she bowed, and then bowed again, pointing in Linda’s and the orchestra’s direction.

Angel slowly walked offstage, changed her jacket and took her position next to Sue. The orchestra was already into their program and Angel found their position and began playing.

After they played a couple of pieces, Amy Spencer stood and did her solo with the orchestra, ‘Mozart , Adagio for Violin and Orchestra in E KV 261’. Amy was wonderful; she played her part with feeling and expression. The orchestra did their part and helped her shine. The audience showed their appreciation for her efforts.

The orchestra played about fifty minutes after Amy finished her solo. The whole show was about an hour and forty minutes. The audience was on their feet applauding as Linda and the orchestra bowed. After a bit, Mrs. Grogan came on stage to more applause. Then they were surprised when roses were delivered. One bunch went to Amy Spencer, another to Linda Jones, a third went to Angel and individual roses were passed out to the whole orchestra. That was a lot of roses.

After the last ovation the girls packed up and went for dessert. Music from the concert was being piped in. The residents and the others who had attended applauded as the girls came in. The Tux approached the girls and introduced himself.

“Girls, I am William Draper, I am the director for the Philharmonic. I must say that I was thoroughly impressed to hear such an advanced orchestra play tonight. Ms. Spencer you were wonderful, you showed such virtuosity. See me when you are ready to find an orchestra to play with. You will definitely be allowed an audition. Ms. Marquez, when Servando told me to go see you I was a little hesitant, especially when I found out that you were just a freshman. I can’t say enough about you. You and the whole orchestra were wonderful. Ms. Jones, a wonderful job directing. Mrs. Grogan I can see some gold medals coming for your girls this year. Thank you for such a wonderful, enjoyable evening.”

“Thank you for such high praise, Mr. Draper. We are glad that you enjoyed yourself,” Mrs. Grogan said for the girls “Girls, thank Mr. Draper.”

Most of the girls just shook his hand and thanked him. He was surprised when some of the girls gave him a hug and he was a little uncomfortable with it. Linda, Amy and Angel were the last. They had been held back by Mrs. Grogan. One by one they thanked him too. Mr. Draper gave Amy a card with his office number on it. She was floating on cloud nine. He shook Linda’s hand and congratulated her. He then began to give her some pointers on directing an orchestra. Lastly came Angel.

“Ms. Marquez, I have to say that Servando Morales didn’t overestimate your skill. You could start today and play professionally, but don’t. Enjoy your school life and have fun. Mature in your skills and abilities. I am sure the world hasn’t seen the last of you. Work hard and take care.”

“Thank you Mr. Draper.”

(to be continued)