Shadows Dancing in the Sun - 6. Shad Chapter 6

“No, I didn’t, any idea what year he graduated?” Uncle Mitchell replied in a loud whisper, and I just shrugged my shoulders in reply, while Uncle Mitchell looked up towards the choir balcony, where the pipe organ is also located, and there he saw the choir master whispering to the school choir.

Just before the chapel service was to start, Lionel who is the current chapel prefect and a senior chorister, came up to us and handed me a note. “From the Choir master,” he whispered before he headed back to the chapel entrance and up the stairs. A little confused, I opened the note, and my eyes lit up when I read the note, which I showed to Kyle.

“I have heard you and Kyle singing ‘The Prayer’ when you have been practicing piano, today is the day that we hear you both sing it in the chapel, stay where you are and sing from there, we will let you know when.”

I looked up to the choir balcony, where Lionel and the choir master were watching and smiled to us, I looked at Kyle who just shrugged and I nodded my head yes. “You can do this, with you doing alto and me doing tenor, just like we usually do it,” I whispered to Kyle, who nodded yes.

“What is going on?” Uncle Mitchell whispered to me, “Nothing important Uncle, just school stuff,” I whispered back. As the service started with us all standing as the Chaplin, Headmaster and two chapel prefects walked down the centre aisle of the chapel towards the alter.

After the unusually short sermon, the chaplain began the prayer session of the service, and then announced the giving of offerings for the service of ministry to the school and the community. As soon as this was said, the organ began playing the opening chords of ‘The Prayer’ and Kyle and I stood up to begin singing, with Kyle starting with the first verse, as I glanced down at my uncle, who looked a little surprised, and smiled.

The second verse I started in Italian, with Kyle joining in with the translation. When I started the third verse in Italian, I was shocked to hear that Uncle Mitchell was joining me, and he had a wonderful bass voice, and all three of us concluded the song together.

When we finished, everyone in the chapel applauded, which surprised us a little as we sat down. I looked up to the balcony and the choir and the choir master where also applauding. “Well that was a nice surprise, thankyou Kyle Appleton, Tobias Garrison, and his uncle, a former student and chapel prefect of this school, Mr Mitchell Garrison,” the headmaster said to the audience, before the chaplain stepped up to the podium and gave the blessing to end the service.

When we arrived at the main entry to the chapel, the headmaster and chaplain were there to greet us, and thanked us for a special surprise, “We didn’t have much of a choice, as it was a request from the choir master, who has heard us practice in the music room, but the surprise was when Uncle Mitchell here joined in, as I had no idea he had an awesome voice,” I replied, and as we stepped out of the chapel, the whole choir was lined up on both sides of the path, and shook our hands as we passed each choir member.

“Well, that was a nice change for a Sunday service, we will have to do that again soon,” Uncle Mitch said to us as we approached the car, before heading into Midland for lunch. On the way back towards home, I asked Uncle Mitch if we could see if the chapel is still open, as I wanted to try singing a few other songs, with no one around, and we soon parked close to the chapel, and walked to the main entry which was locked.

“Can I help you, oh hello again,” a voice said from the side of the chapel, and it was the school chaplain. “We just wanted to see if the chapel was open so we could maybe sing a few songs, with no one else around,” I explained. “Yes, I think we can allow that, follow me to the sanctuary door,” the chaplain replied smiling.

Once inside, he handed the key to me, “I am going home now, so I will ask you to lockup afterwards, and bring the key to me at 7.30 am tomorrow please,” the chaplain said, “Yes sir, and thank you,” I responded, as I accepted the large heavy key, and we headed into the main area of the chapel.

“I will go upstairs to the organ or do you want to go acapella?’ Uncle Mitchell asked, if you can please,” I replied, and a few moments later, we heard the organ began to play a tune that I knew but didn’t expect. “I don’t know this,” Kyle said to me, “I do, so just sit and listen,” I replied, as I stood just below the alter and faced the closed main entry to the chapel, and began to sing ‘Awesome God’ which Uncle Mitch joined in with me.

The next song I recognised as Uncle Mitch began the starting tune, and Kyle joined me as we sang ‘Oh Happy Day’ which was fun. The next one, I wasn’t sure about so I indicated to Uncle Mitch that this was for him, and he began to sing ‘Bridge over Troubled Water’.

“Last one,” Uncle Mitch called out, as he began to play the first chords of ‘Hallelujah, and we all sang together for this song. Once Uncle Mitch had shut down the organ and returned to ground level, we walked into the sanctuary, where the chaplain was sitting. “Bravo, that was very nice, I enjoyed it very much,” he said to us, and I blushed badly from the comment.

“We are glad that you enjoyed it reverend, since you are still here, I am sure you will want to lock up, I have turned off and covered the organ,” Uncle Mitch said, and I handed over the key, before we left. “Are you staying another night, and coming to school with me, or are we delivering you home to Gooseberry Hill?” Uncle Mitch asked Kyle.

“I have a fresh uniform, so I can stay tonight, if that is ok with you sir,” Kyle replied, and Uncle Mitch smiled as we headed for the car. We spent the rest of the afternoon just relaxing, with a swim just before dinner, and we were instructed to head to bed early, since it was a school night.

The next morning at school, “Hey Garrison, was that you lot in the chapel after lunch yesterday?” one of the chapel prefects asked us as we gathered the books that we need for our first class, for me was English Literature. “Good morning boys, today I want you to show how inspirational you can be, a bit like the performance at the chapel on Sunday morning, for those who attended,” Miss Atkins announced, which made me blush.

“What happened at chapel yesterday, Miss?” one of my classmates asked, “We had two-day boys attend, and it seems they and one of the boy’s relatives, are quite talented singers,” the teacher replied. “Who are they Miss?” the same classmate asked. “One of them happens to be in this class, but that is for you to discover at another time, after class.

Now today, I would like you to write a 2000-word assignment on any subject, but it must have something to do with an event in your life. You have all of this class, to come up with a summary on what the assignment is about, with a theme and possibly a title, so let’s get started, and no talking while you are doing this,” the teacher announced.

I thought about this assignment for a few moments, before I remembered what had happened on Saturday after the hockey match, and also about something I noticed when I was waiting for a penalty corner at the other end of the field, with my team mates running around and their shadows following them, and I now had the perfect title, ‘Shadows Dancing in the Sun’.

When the bell sounded for the end of the class, one of my classmates stood on his chair, “Ok, who was at chapel yesterday?” he called out to get everyone’s attention, and no one responded to the question, “Wasn’t there anyone there?” he asked, “Yeah, us boarders were there, but I think it is up to him to decide if he wants to reveal that it is him,” one of the boarders replied.

“Come on Parkes, just tell us for fu… goodness sakes,” the student said, altering what he said, because the teacher was still in the classroom, but was about to walkout, and she stopped at the door, when she heard him nearly swear, and she frowned at him before walking out.

“I followed everyone out of the classroom, and a few moments later Frank Parkes, the boarder who refused to reveal me, patted me on the shoulder, “Thanks mate, I appreciate what you did just now,” I said to him softly, “No problems dude, as I said it is up to you, not any class bully,” he replied before walking ahead.

At lunch break, I texted Uncle Mitch, to let him know that I would walk home after school, and that I would be spending half an hour in the music room rehearsing before leaving school, and I received a text back saying that it was ok. When I arrived home, I went straight to the dining room, where Uncle Mitch was reading a magazine.

“How was school today?” he asked me without looking up, “it was good, except my English Lit teacher revealed that there was a pair of good singers at chapel yesterday, thankfully she didn’t say who, and the boarders refused to reveal that it was me and Kyle. How is Xavier, will be be out of hospital soon?” I replied.

“He had to have some more surgery on his hand, I will go and see him tomorrow lunch time. There is two things that have arrived for you, the first is on the table,” Uncle Mitch announced, and I saw an email, that had Uncle Mitchell’s email address and it had ‘Attention Tobias’ in bold letters.

“We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted to participate in this years Academy Programme, please find attached all the relevant details, Congratulations.” I turned to face Uncle Mitch, “Wow, this is awesome, my year has suddenly become a lot busier. What is the second item for me?” I said.

“You will find it in the drawing room,” Uncle Mitch replied, as he continued to read, and I headed to the front of the house, and as I opened the door, I saw a magnificent…

Groan, “what happened?” I said as I realised I was laying on the floor in the drawing room. “I think you just fainted, all I know was that I heard a huge thump, and I found you on the floor, out cold,” Uncle Mitch replied. “Am I dreaming, or is that really a baby grand piano in here?” I asked, and Uncle Mitch chuckled, “No you are not dreaming, and please don’t scare me like that again,” he replied, as he helped me to stand, before I walked over to the piano.

I spent two wonderful hours playing the piano, and eventually I was asked to stop because it was time for dinner. After helping cleaning up the kitchen, I went to my room to do my homework, which I haven’t had a chance to do.

I was about half an hour away from completing my homework, when I heard Uncle Mitch shouting, and it sounded like he was on the phone with Xavier, and I was getting sick of being around people who are constantly shouting and arguing, so I crossed the hallway and opened the door to the study.