*-AN: bold is a different language-*
The judges were in the center, just below the performance stage. Some of the upper class families, who were able to pull strings, were able to sit closer to the judges. Maybe for the view? I smirked at the thought. It was a sad state of affairs for people to be bribing judges at kids' competitions.
'What you thinking, Mama?' Grandpa Fa asked me.
'Wild scenarios..' I answered.
'Oh, bad luck ya. Pew. Pew.' He made a spit sound to dispel the bad luck while waving his hands about. I chuckled.
'Thank you for coming,' I said as I wrapped an arm through his. 'Moonie really wanted you to be here.'
'Das my gran-child. How I miss it?' he grumbled, leaning into me. I chuckled. 'When you going to teach her greet to me properly.'
'I think you should ask her that.'
'You still speak like a baby.. more like a first grader,' he laughed at me. 'You getbetter.'
'Why thank you, Ba.'
'Pfffttt.. You give me chills. Don't call me like that.'
I laughed, too. It felt really good to be like this, playing around with him again. Over the years, he had become closer to me and Moonie as distant family. We visit during the holidays and special events, like when Kim gave birth and Kyle finally decided to come out officially. We all knew. He and his boyfriend have moved out of state, but they visit, too.
The lights started to flicker in slow motion to indicate the competition was to start. Families and spectators started to fill up the seats and quiet down. Grandpa Fa asked, 'When is my girl going?'
Of course, he would ask now in the dark! I rolled my eyes and sighed, then yelped.
'I know you have rolly eyes, omega,' he hissed at my side. I pouted and rubbed the underside of my arm after receiving a hefty pinch.
The first contestant walked across the stage. He was wearing a navy blue suit and carried a violin. Everyone clapped as he bowed to us.
'Please introduce yourself,' requested the female judge.
One of the stagehands brought out a microphone and adjusted it to his level. His voice was deep for his stature. 'My name is Adam Zalinsky. Eight years old.'
'Eight year old, my old ass,' hissed Fa. 'That boy big!'
'Shh, I missed what he is playing,' I complained.
The stagehand moved the main microphone out of the way and allowed him to play. Several children before Moonie got her turn.
My smile beamed as she scanned the crowd, looking for me. I held up my hand shyly and waved until her attention was caught. She smiled, a small flush tinting her round cheeks. I kissed my fingertips and blew them out to her as the stagehand completed the same task as he did many times before.
'Introduce yourself for us, please, young lady,' gently ordered an older judge. He was a grandfatherly type, kind of reminding me of a Santa incarnate.
'My name is Estrella Markus, and I am six and a half years old. I'll perform Overture to Carmen by Bizet.'
Her little hands clasped behind her back, just like her Granda Fa - the exact same way he would walk about his restaurant if he wasn't raising hell. When she finished her introduction, she gave a small bow and moved behind her toward the piano.
From the small sash around her waist, she pulled out an unwrapped peppermint and stuck it in her mouth before flexing her fingers. I watched those green eyes close, then open back up after she took a breath. My poor baby! My nerves were shot.
'Little Mama,' Fa hissed, 'you squeeze the life out of my arm!'
'Oh!' I yelped before covering my mouth with both hands. My baby didn't miss a single key. As much as I heard her practice, I could tell if she hit the wrong note. My smile widened as she continued through her performance while my nerves sank into my stomach. I was nervous for and kept stealing glances at the judges' table. They seemed to be focused on their notes, but I knew they were listening very carefully with trained ears.
I finally breathed easier when she was coming to the end. Standing right before the end of the song, I moved toward the end of the aisle so I could meet her backstage after her earned applause.
*--*
Moonie did such a good job. I couldn't be prouder. I wanted to smother her to bits and get out of here. Fa followed me. 'I'm go to the toilet. Wait me.'
I nodded. Excitement bubbling for my little baby. She was so perfect up there and so full of happiness. Could she do this for a living? Would she want to? Ah, this was too far ahead to think. I really wanted to know if she was having fun. Not like the time when I put her in soccer and she cried, but she kept doing it because she thought I wanted her to.
I stood outside of the restroom, with a hand in my gray slacks fumbling over the items in my pocket while I held Grandpa's jacket. Slowly turning on my heels as I scanned the room, I landed on a slim mirror. I tilted my head to the side, much like my daughter. Probably a habit she picked up from me.
My light brown hair was streaked some with gray, but I still kept it long enough to put in a ponytail or to let Moonie braid it up. When it was out of the bun, it touched the middle of my back. I slowly shifted from side to side, wiping the front of my cable knit sweater and dusting for lint. My reflection was not the same omega of years past. Quinton became Quin after Moonie. And I was quite proud of the loss. Who knew there was a slim person hiding inside me all this time?
'Pffftt!!' I chuckled out loud to my silliness and turned back around. Fa still had not come out of the bathroom. With a heavy sigh, I moved to open the door only to collide with a fucking brick wall.
This guy fucking knocked me on my ass, and I went down hard. 'Woah, man,' he said, with some bite to his voice. 'Watch where you are going.'
I glared at him from the floor. 'How about you apologize for completely taking me out, ass?'
As I got up and dusted myself off, he glared back at me, green eyes glowing. All the color dropped from my face. 'You aren't worth the time..'
My mouth fell open and snapped shut. 'Forget it. We must act like adults, setting a good example for the children.'
'What you doing here?' Grandpa asked from across the lobby. 'I went for my gah.'
'You should have told me that you left. Then this asshole wouldn't've crashed into me like goddamned King Kong.'
'Hoho! Xing'er taught you to say many curses, ey?'
I glared at the old man and watched the shadow as glowered then moved back into the auditorium.
'How did I do, Mama?' Moonie asked me excitedly.
'Excellent! Worth 3 Golden Nuggets.'
She squealed loudly. Fa and I both held our hands to cover our ears. 'Can we go now? Can we? Can we? Please, Mama. Can we?!'
'Hiyoo, A'Moon,' wailed the old man comically. 'You talking too fast for my old ears. Let Mama go talk with teacher an' we go. Okay-ah?'
'Thank you, Ba. I need to know if we need to be back for the announcements since the comp is 3 days. Can you be a good girl and wait with grandpa until I get back?'
'Yes. I can wait, Mama.' She beamed brightly at the old man as she started whisper talking with him. What the hell were they planning? I narrowed my eyes until I made it back into the auditorium, looking for her teacher.
That brick wall was in the way again. I took a cleansing breath. The devil wasn't going to break me today. Not when I was just moments away from making the most important person in my very happy with a sweet treat.
'Excuse me,' I mustered as I tried to usher by him. The bastard barely moved side as he was speaking to whoever. So much for being the adult about this..
His party was blocking up the aisle, really the most direct way of getting to where I needed to be. So I looked around him and saw no one was occupying the seats, deciding to go for it. I sprinted over the seats. Petty? Eye catching? Did I care? Nah.
I made sure I had gotten over enough to put space between us so I could get back in the aisle to continue my stroll to get backstage. I found Mrs. Williamson with a couple of other parents who were nervous about the announcements. Listening to their conversation and group worries, I became a bundle of nerves again. Would my baby make the cut? Would she even want to go all the way? I shook my head, taking a peppermint from my pocket and sliding the disc from the plastic with my teeth.
I stayed long enough to know what I wanted. They were going to announce the winners when the complete competition was over. That was some crap. What kind of organization, categorization did they have? At least this was sponsored by her school, and Moonie would be absent. But still did they expect this to drag out for two weeks? That answer Mrs. Williamson didn't know. Clarence's mom was really asking all the questions. She was loud and a little obnoxious at times, but she really got to the point.
Once my eve's dropping was done and Mrs. Williamson continued to do her best soothing the other parents, I left backstage at a leisurely pace. I didn't have a care in the world other than to play cool Mom and not get caught up again with that green eyed demon.
A few lingering people still hung out in the auditorium, but he wasn't there. I didn't have to be bullied into taking an alternative route. Out in the lobby area, I gave the attendant my coat ticket and took our coats and the bag. The old man and Moonie were still talking in hushed whispers about.. some nonsense, most likely.
'What are my two favorites talking about?' I asked looking from one guilty face to the other.
'No-thing, ya. Just me and first gran-child talk school.'
'Mmhhmm,' I said, looking down at them as I stood before them crossing my full arms. 'Soo.. then if you don't want to tell me, then don't. I really don't care. Moonie, do you want to get out of that dress?'
'Yes, Mama!'
'Alright, come with me.'