A Time to Heal - 4. Chapter 4

I could hear the drone of the riding mower in the distance when I heard the phone ring. It was my friend Frank Stegman. I had met Frank when we were in college many years ago. He had gone on the become a major writer and producer of Broadway musicals. Back then, I would have guessed that Frank would have ended up a homeless man since he was a dreamer not a doer. That dreamer in him had taken him to his current status as a leading producer. He was calling to let me know that he would be staging one of his productions at a civic center opera house about an hour from my place and wanted to get together to catch up. "Sure, I would enjoy that. May I have a young man sing for you".

"Oh yes, I am looking for a young singer, dancer, and pianist for my next musical". I knew then that Izahk would be what he was seeking. Now, the problem would be to get Izahk to audition for him. He was so shy, lacking in confidence that He would probably be mortified performing for an idol in the business. I decided then that I would only describe Frank as 'my friend' in order to keep Izahk from getting stage fright refusing to perform. It was a little sneaky, but it might work.

"Baby, I have a friend coming by Friday afternoon to visit, will you be off work". He affirmed that. "I would love for you to play for him and sing also". I was holding my breath to see if he would panic shying away from it.

"If he is your friend, then He will be a nice man. Anything you want me to sing for him"

"You choose" Of course as soon as I said that, I was consumed with curiosity as to what he would choose. The only comment I made was, "Choose songs that mean something to you..songs that get into your heart. I knew that he would be at his best when his heart was into it. In the two days that followed before Frank arrived at my place, I would hear him singing and playing in the parlor and wondered, "Is that one that he will sing". He was always singing. I would hear him singing as he mowed the lawns. I would hear him singing in the shower. He had told me that when he sings, he is at peace. The morning of Frank's arrival, I could tell he was nervous.

"What do you think I should wear when your friend comes over?"

"I like the gray running pants and my black teeshirt"

"Wear them You wil always look better and feel better in things you like". I had bought that outfit for him several weeks ago. When I gave him the gift, he cried.

"I have never had anything this nice, before"

"Try them on, I hope I got the right size". He disappeared into the bathroom staying gone a long time. I heard the shower running. When he came back into the room, I could tell he had showered, brushed his 'poodle hair' and cleaned his fingernails. "Oh my, turn around..let me see if they fit". He turned slowly to reveal that the clothes were fitted well for his body. "Couldnt be any better, Baby"

"I am going to save this for special occasions. I dont want to get them dirty". I knew he treasured what he had never had.

I could have guessed that he would choose the special outfit since singing for my friend was a 'big deal' for him. He had performed at his granny's church and for his piano and voice teachers. He even got the nerve to perform in a small recital at the community college. There he got a standing ovation and it shocked him. He had no idea how gifted he was.

When I heard Frank's car coming down the driveway, I noticed that Izahk jumped up running to the bathroom. He had been as nervous as 'whore in church' as I had often heard. I walked outside to greet Frank, then invited him into the kitchen. "Coffee?"

"Sure, I love your coffee, it has hair on its chest" We both laughed. Then Izahk walked into the room. "Izahk, please meet my friend, Frank. Frank scored big when he rose from his chair to extend his arms to hug Izahk. He melted into Frank's arms as was his nature. I knew then that he wouldnt be afraid of Frank. "Ray tells me that you love to sing and play piano. Will you do that for me later?".

"Oh, yes sir. I would love to sing and play for you. You are a nice man". It had worked. Frank has a charm that was as irresistable as Izahk's.

"Ray failed to tell me that you are also quite handsome". Izahk blushed full red. He also had no idea that he was handsome. In fact, he has told me how that other kids had teased him about his 'red poodle hair'. "And if I had hair as beautiful as yours, I would be a model".

"Frank, if you had any hair, you would be happy", I added. We all got a laugh out of that. Izahk must have trusted Frank immediately since he became quite a chatterbox. Normally, he is quiet.

"Are you ready to play for me, Izahk?" Finally, I would get to hear what he had chosen. We all went to the parlor where Frank and I plopped into chairs while Izahk seated himself at the grand piano. As always, Frank and I were clutching coffee cups. The room grew silent. Then I heard the opening notes of 'Bring Him Home' from Les Miserables. Frank knew immediately what Izahk would play and sing. I was almost jumping out of my chair in nervous anticipation of hearing his rich baritone voice sing that classic. I had never heard him sing or play it. I didnt even know he knew the song. When the first words of the song came from his lips, It happened. Tears started flooding from my eyes. They were tears of joy for him and tears of sadness for Joey. About halfway through the song, I heard Frank whisper to me, "Are you okay?"

"Yes" When Izahk sang the last line going from his rich baritone all the way to a male soprano without going into falsetto, I saw Frank dabbing his eyes. It seemed as if the room was dead-silent for a half hour, but it was actually only a short time until Frank got up from his seat to walk over to Izahk still seated at the piano. I heard him say, "Son, you are absolutely gifted". I knew then that Frank would have signed him on the spot for the production at the civic center if he had the chance. Izahk turned his face to Frank and whispered,

"Really". He had no idea that he had auditioned for a legend who had heard more singers than anyone on earth and he had been highly complimented.

"Yes, really..you are one in a million" Izahk jumped up from the piano throwing his arms around Frank's neck sobbing onto his shoulder.

"Thank you Mr. Stegman..I love you". Frank asked him if he would sing some more for him. I thought to myself, "And just how is he going to top that one?"

"I would like to sing a song from Westside Story"

Again, I thought, "I havent heard him do any Westside Story" Frank asked him if he would mind if he accompanied him on the piano. Then I saw Izahk lean over to whisper in his ear. Then Frank chuckled. I think they were enjoying watch me die of curiosity. Frank was a gifted pianist and could play about anything he had heard once. I heard him do the introductory notes to 'I Feel Pretty'. Then I heard Izahk rip into that song with a gusto that would have put Little Richard to shame. Frank was laughing so hard that he was almost crying. I was rolled up into a laughing ball at the antics of them both and the way they had bonded so quickly. Izahk was hamming it up totally, dancing and gesturing much like he did singing the James Brown song to me. His most recent voice teacher was a professor of music at the university who was near-brutal in his insistence that Izahk get every detail correct. He would come home in tears after a session telling me, "I try, sir, I really try to do exactly what he says, but I cant do it"

"That's because he knows you can and wont stop until you know it also" I had happened upon the professor at the university who told me, "In all my years, I have never had a student as gifted as Izahk. He is so lacking in confidence and so shy, I must be hard on him. I finally have him letting his emotions show in his singing". Abused people often hide their feelings for fear of hurt. He went on to say that, one day, Izahk started crying until he was sobbing. The professor went immediately to the piano and ordered him, "Sing now..sing with those emotions". He said it was perfect. He walked over to him and said, "That is what you were lacking..always sing with your heart, the technical part can be learned". From then, Izahk grew by leaps and bounds.

Then, Izahk asked Frank if he knew the Libertine Tango. Frank simply started playing it. It was then that I realized what Izahk had been learning at the dance lessons taught by the old guy in town who had retired from the stage. He did every step to perfection with emotion. "I can dance the girl part also, Mr Stegman", Frank kept playing and told him "Do it". He did. I later found out that the old man had taught him to do both the male lead and the female-follow parts dancing with him in either role. "It will show you how to lead and to follow..you need to know both"

After Izahk left for the flour mill, Frank said, "Ray, you told me that you wanted me to hear a young man play and sing,,you didnt tell me that I would meet a future star".

"I am too prejudiced, I love him too much to be objective"

"That, dear friend is quite obvious. I knew that one day, you would love again after Joey left us". Frank had flown to California when he heard about Joey and he was the one who ordered me to seek a counsellor. "Ray, you are dieing in front of my eyes and I am not going to let you do it" He meant it. I think he was ready to fly back, kidnap me and drag me to the counsellor. Frank also loved Joey Fortuna.

"He dances like Leon Mitchell taught him".

I exclaimed, "That is his teacher".

"I wondered where Leon had gone. He was the best in the business then one day left..had no idea where he went".

When the three of us walked into Leon's studio, He turned to see Frank standing there. "Frank, what the hell are you doing here..I thought I had escaped you and the rest of Broadway". They almost ran to each other hugging boldly. I had no idea their world would become so small. Two of the greats met again. Izahk had a puzzled look on his face almost a fear. Leon walked over to the CD player to start Izahk's warmup routine. "Dance what you feel. boy". Izahk had donned his dance shoes that Leon let him wear at the lessons. The slow orchestral music began with Izahk moving slowly and carefully to the sounds. Then the pace picked up with him increasing the pace until it finally ended in a fast stacatto. Izahk never missed a beat. "Very good, boy..now, we will dance the Argentine Tango..you lead. I was stunned. The shy Izahk assumed the classic haughty stance of the male and took Leon in his arms. I was shocked.

"Where did that boldness and confidence come from?" Leon was in heels which seemed odd, but correct for the dance. He did the female part to perfection. It was sensual and erotic, yet done with perfect attention to details. Then, Leon put on his dance shoes and Izahk slipped on a pair of heels. Again, it was odd, but perfectly correct for the roles. Izahk became seductive flowing with the seductive nature of that dance. Frank was captivated, his eyes were glued to every nuance of the dance. The final drop and slide was a perfect ending.

"Did I teach the boy well, Frank?'

"I have never known you to fail with girls or boys. You have more working stars in the theatre than anyone", I heard Frank say.

"I love them enough to be tough on them, Frank".

Then Leon walked over to the player to start another song. I was howling in laughter as I saw Izahk in heels singing and dancing with Leon to once-more to 'I Feel Pretty'. Together it was funnier than Izahk alone. I suggested that Izahk and I go outside for a smoke to give Frank and Leon time to talk. When we came back inside, Frank asked Izahk, "Will you come to the civic center tomorrow morning to meet the cast of the production?" Izahk got a look of fear in his eyes turning to look at me.

"What should I do, sir?"

"Remember when we were talking a while back and I told you to follow your heart..what is your heart saying to you, now, Baby?"

He whispered, "It is saying ..yes" Frank, Leon and I all burst into applause. Then I heard Izahk say softly,"Will you come along with us, Mr Mitchell?'

Leon stood there a long time. He had hidden in the mountains to avoid all that. Then he looked at Izahk and said, "Only for you, boy".

Frank told me later that Leon had lost his lover to leukemia and the spark seemed to go out of him. The young man had been one of best dancers on Broadway..taught by Leon. I thought to myself, "That is probably why he lost his heart for the stage",

"Leon seemed to grow old after his lover died, he lacked the fire that once was his". Frank said softly. " I see love in his eyes again.