"h.e.l.lo Everyone. I"m Jin Cearo. And this here is my friend Li Heya." Heya didn"t bother raising her head to wave at them. She was a bunch of nerves. She was positioned to play the keyboard. She still remembered how people had looked at her when she walked over to the stage. She looked beside her. There was Cearo, who was on the mike. He had agreed to sing with her. The moderator had refused because they were giving out just a ticket. But he had told them they needed just one. They were both doing this for his Nephew anyway.
It would be the second time playing in front of a crowd of close to a hundred people. The first wasn"t something she wished to recall. "We"ll be doing an English song. "Read all about it" by Emeli Sandé"
He signalled for Heya to start playing. She looked at Sara who was standing in the front, looking at her. Sara gave her a small smile and an encouraging nod. Beside Sara, Cearo"s nephew was also standing there. He gave her a bigger smile and thumbs up. Heya smiled back. She took a deep breath and carefully hit the chords. Both Sara and Cearo smiled when she finally did. The tune was soft and smooth. Cearo started
?*You"ve got the words to change a nation
But you"re biting your tongue
You"ve spent a life time stuck in silence
Afraid you"ll say something wrong
If no one ever hears it how we gonna learn your song?
So come on, come on
Come on, come on*?
The crowd were awed by his voice and fluency with the English song. He signalled for Heya to sing the next part. She sang. It was the first time Sara heard her sing. Her voice was simply excellent.
Heya was not looking up. She only looked at Sara who was smiling proudly at her. She felt the song was speaking directly to her. A song Cearo had chosen so carelessly. She felt it was for her.
?*You"ve got a heart as loud as lions
So why let your voice be tamed?
Maybe we"re a little different
There"s no need to be ashamed
You"ve got the light to fight the shadows
So stop hiding it away
Come on, come on*?
Her eyes gradually pooled. She could finally see that she had disappointed herself. They both Sang. They flowed so well. As if they had both rehea.r.s.ed it countlessly.
Her confidence soared. She raised her head to look at the crowd of people for the first time. They were so entranced by their performance. Everyone paid attention even though most of them didn"t understand English. As usual with people, most of them were videoing.
?I wanna sing, I wanna shout
I wanna scream "til the words dry out
So put it in all of the papers,
I"m not afraid
They can read all about it
Read all about it, oh?
They both sang it together and ended the song.
It took a while before the crowd realised the song had ended. The applause rang across the entire street. Heya had a big smile on her face. She stood up. Cearo thought she wanted to hug him and opened wide his arms. But she quickly moved down to give Sara a big hug. "Thank you Sara." She said as tears flowed down. Happy tears. Sara also joined her. She was so proud of Li Heya.
There was no question about it. They both had a landslide victory. "I"m glad I agreed to follow this little devil out. How could I have met you?"
Heya blushed. She was also glad to have met him. She couldn"t remember the last time she spoke with a guy or did something that made her happy. Sara was conversing with the little guy. She had given them both a chance to talk. But it was already past 8 and she knew Heya had to go home. Thankfully, she had already placed a call to her chauffeur and he was there already.
"What?" Heya looked at his stretched out hand quizzically.
"Your phone." He said.
Heya hesitated before taking out her phone from her pocket and placed it on his hand.
After punching the screen for a while with his finger, his own phone rang. "That"s my number. Save it. I"ll be calling you from now on" He smiled and waved Heya and Sara good night before she could say anything else. His nephew joined him. They was a car waiting for them already. The little guy waved them both good night and left.
"I think he is interested in you" Sara said with a big grin.
Heya looked at the route their car had taken with smitten eyes. "He should be. I"m amazing" She said with a smile.
Sara felt like crying when she heard her. She imagined the "former Heya" saying something like "No! why would he be interested in someone like me" But Heya now had confidence. Was it not the same confidence she lacked herself? It was funny how she could help someone else build their confidence while she didn"t have one.
She held in her emotions and waved Heya off as she rode her own bike home.