Fate

Chapter 13

The next morning, Ella had the luxury of sleeping in. She awoke just before noon, and made her way to the shower. Under the warm spray, she vigorously washed away all traces of dirt. She scrubbed her skin until it glowed. Finally feeling clean, she stepped out and made her way back to her room. She dressed, pulling on an old dusty blue dress. It smelt of mothballs and home. Then, Ella pulled the door behind her, locking it with the key Vari had given her the night before. She made her way to the second floor where there was a large room that served as both a dining room and a conference room, and to Vari’s office. The door was closed to the latter, but Ella couldn’t hear any voices from within. Timidly, she knocked on the door.

“Come in!” called Vari. Ella turned the handle and stepped in, shutting the door carefully behind her.

“Ah, Ella, good morning!” Vari stood, and came around to lead her to one of the plush chairs in front of his desk, “I trust you slept well? Zer said you were asleep when he came up.”

“Yes, I slept very well, thank you.” Ella replied.

“So! What can I do for you this morning?”

“Well…I’m afraid I accepted your offer rather hastily last night…” Ella began, unsure how to phrase herself, “I have a few questions, but I don’t wish to be indiscreet…”

“Not at all! It’s your call,” Vari sat back and tucked his hands behind his head, benevolently looking at her.

“Oh, um, okay,” Ella was unused to such openness, “How much am I going to earn?” she blurted, a second later cringing inwardly, realizing that that was definitely not the best way to ask.

“You’ll have a stable salary of ten hundred neyas a month. On the side, depending on your performance and extra hours, your wage can increase by ten percent at most.” Ella’s eyes widened. Even when working at Sty’s, she never had that much money. “Of that salary, I have already deducted meal and board expenses. At the end of each month, ten hundred neyas will be yours.” Vari smiled. The girl had obviously never had decent job.

“Shimur…I…”

“Ella I told you, call me Vari. We are equals here. Any problems at all, you come to me.”

Ella nodded, “What of my performances?”

Vari sat forward, “Yes, we need to plan those. We also need to get you performing clothes. In time, you will acquire your own, but for now, you can borrow from the heap that’s backstage. Please excuse me just for a moment, while I go find Sheila.” Vari left.

Ella’s brain tried to process all the information. Or rather, just her salary. Ten hundred neyas. All hers. To keep. To save. To spend. She would definitely have to find a bank account somewhere to store this money.

Vari came back, followed by a young woman about Ella’s height. Sheila was around twenty-three years of age, with medium length thick blonde hair and sparkling green eyes.

“Hey, I’m Sheila, who are you?” she said, sticking her hand out.

Ella was immediately taken to this woman, “I’m Ella.”

The three of them sat down.

“Well,” started Vari, “How about you start by telling Sheila the songs you know?”

“Oh, um,” Ella started, unsure, “I know many lullabies and nursery rhymes… I was the oldest of four children, and I sang my siblings to sleep. I’ve also picked up on some of the more classic love ballads. My mother taught me.”

Sheila nodded, “Well, there are a few new songs I can teach you. You’ll pick them up quickly, they’re easy.” She pulled out a few sheets of paper. On them were carefully printed words, coupled in stanzas.

“Vari told me you knew how to read,”

“Yes, I just haven’t practiced in a while…” Ella felt panic start to rise. She hadn’t truly tried to read since the fire. She didn’t know if she still knew how to do it. Sheila noticed, and reassured her.

“Don’t worry, I’ll help you. Besides, I need to teach you the tune, right?” She smiled.

Ella smiled back, “Right.”

“Vari, I don’t think we can ask her to perform until she’s sat in the room and gotten comfortable with both the environment, and the music. Shall we see how things look next week?”

“Yes, that sounds good. The two of you go on now.” Vari turned to some papers on his desk. Sheila stood, and pulled Ella to her feet.

“Let’s go,” she grinned, excited.


She led Ella down the different stairs. These wound tightly and led directly from the living quarters to the backstage. People were split up in different rooms, and Ella could hear them practicing their acts. They only crossed a couple people, who paid them no attention whatsoever. Ella didn’t mind; she wasn’t quite ready to be introduced to everyone yet. Finally, Sheila came to a stop and pushed the door open, to reveal a cream-walled room, with a three vanities on one side, a couple plush chairs along the far wall, and a large closest opposite the vanities. Papers littered the table by the chairs, and clothes spilled out of the hastily closed closet doors. Shoes littered the corner behind the door.

“Welcome to our ‘mess room’.” said Sheila, gesturing the room, “This is where we jostle ourselves like crazy just before the performance. We store our performing clothes and all the rest here. It’s easier, especially because we all share our stuff around.”

Ella chuckled. This place was already starting to feel homey.

For the next few hours, the two young women worked on Ella’s voice. Sheila taught her how to breathe and sing from her diaphragm, not her lungs, and when Ella finally got it, her voice rang out beautifully in the room. They practiced old songs and new songs. Though Ella struggled a little over the new words, she managed to know most of them by the end of the day.

That night, as she snuggled between the sheets, she realized she really was quite lucky, in a twisted way. Fate undoubtedly had happiness in store for her now.


Over the next two weeks, Ella perfected her singing. Finally, Sheila deemed her ready to go onstage.

“Don’t worry, we’re not going to throw you out there to perform on your own. We’ll start small, you can do the chorus with Rinae and I while Shelly sings the main part. That way, you can get used to being in front of the crowds. And depending how you react, we’ll see when we’ll put you out alone. You have a beautiful voice that doesn’t deserve to stay in the background.”

Ella nodded, “Okay… So what shall we wear?” She smiled.

“Ah-ha!” Sheila exclaimed. She stuck her head out the door and yelled, “Rinae!”

A distant, “what?” was heard.

“Get your butt in the mess room!”

“Coming!”

A minute later, Rinae, a plump dark-skinned girl with bright coal eyes came in, shutting the door behind her.

“What’s up Sheila?”

“You, Ella, and I are singing the chorus with Shelly tonight. What’re we wearing?”

“Aah! Congrats’ Ella! Welcome to the crazy life of a performer,” Rinae grinned, opening the closet, “How about…hmm… wait, is this formal or what?”

“Nah, just a… a casual chic kind of thing. I don’t know, I trust your judgement!” Sheila said, shuffling the music back into its previous order.

Rinae shuffled through the closet, finally finding three outfits in that would fit the three of them. There was a tight-ish floor-length skirt that was longer at the back than at the front, with decorative ruffles, all in creamy white. A sparkly blue border ran around the bottom of the skirt. The top was fitted and made of shiny dark blue material with flowing sleeves. Ella gingerly fingered the material, marvelling at its smoothness.

“Goddess…” she whispered, “I’ve never felt anything like it.”

Rinae smiled, “It comes from my hometown, over the sea.”

“Whoah…” Ella was entranced. She had never met anyone from over the sea. Wonderful stories had reached her ears, but that was it.

“So… we know what we’re wearing, we know what we’re singing… Any other particular reason why we’re still in here?” asked Rinae.

“Yes!” Sheila exclaimed, “We don’t, or rather, you don’t, know what time you’re performing.” She paused.

“Well? We’re all waiting,” Rinae smiled.

“Shelly’s going on at the tenth hour of the evening, and she needs us ready to go by halfway past the ninth. In here.”

“Alright Miss Sheila! I shall see you here around the eighth hour then? You know you need me for your hair.” Rinae chuckled.

“Yes, that sounds perfect.”

“Ella? Are you alright?” Sheila asked after Rinae had left.

“Yes, yes, I think so,” she replied, “It’s just… a little overwhelming I suppose. I’m excited, but I’m also dead nervous.”

“Aww honey,” Sheila hugged her, “Don’t worry. You’ll do fine.”


By the time the seventh hour came around, Ella’s stomach was doing flip-flops. She couldn’t swallow a thing, not even the hot lemon and honey mixture for her voice. Fifteen minutes later, she was pacing. Another fifteen minutes and she was running down to the mess room to find the music she was supposed to sing. Ten minutes before she was due to meet Sheila and Rinae, her breathing accelerated and she was pacing once more, muttering the words she needed to know under her breath, and pacing in the mess room. Five minutes before the eighth hour, Shelly and Rinae made their way into the room. Shelly immediately set to dress herself and sat at a vanity for Rinae to arrange her hair.

“Ella? Are you alright?” Rinae asked.

“I…I will be. Just got the nerves I guess,” she stammered.

“Don’t worry. You’re going to be between me and Sheila, and you’re only doing backgrounds right now. You’re going to be absolutely fine. Okay?”

Ella nodded meekly.

“Now get yourself dressed. Sheila’ll be here any minute and I need to do all of our hair.” Rinae turned back to Shelly’s hair. Twenty minutes later, Shelly’s hair was done: two braids on the top of her head twisted around each other, while her long auburn curls were brushed free under. The braids reminded Ella of two coiled snakes. Shelly was dressed in a long dark blue dress, tied halter-style behind her neck. She slipped into her shoes, then went next door, to a small room where she could meditate and warm her voice up for the performance.

Ella slipped into her skirt and top, and calmly brushed out her hair. It reached down to her bottom now; she could just about sit on the ends. Rinae gathered it and began separating it for braiding. Ella closed her eyes and relaxed, allowing the dark-skinned girl work her magic. When she opened them again, her hair was braided and safely pinned to her head. A thick braid circled a pony-tail that cascaded down her back, small, thin braids running through it. By then, Sheila had also come in and changed. She brushed her blonde hair, and began to pin it up, when a loud exclamation was heard.

“Sheila! Since when do you do your hair for a group performance?” Rinae demanded, her hands on her hips.

Her head whipped around, and she gasped.

“Oh Rinae, I’m so sorry! I completely forgot.” She put the brush and pins back on the vanity, and meekly sat. Rinae walked over and hugged her.

“All forgiven sweetie,” she whispered. She stood and started working on her hair. Ella’s stomach had calmed considerably but still fluttered nervously. She delicately touched everything, trying to take her mind off the upcoming performance.

Before she knew it, she, Rinae, and Sheila were ushered on one side of the wings by the stage. Shelly was in the one opposite. The previous performer finished to a round of applause, and Vari stepped out briefly to announce Shelly. On cue, she walked from the wings, and took her place in the center of the stage. Then, Ella, Rinae, and Sheila walked to the left of the stage, and stood back, allowing Shelly the limelight. She began singing, and the trio behind her easily echoed her voice. Ella’s heart sang out to the people the minute the music had begun. She forgot the audience, forgot the stares, forgot even to think about the songs. Her voice lifted and reached the higher notes, staying soft. Song after song they received applause at the end, and when Shelly finished her last song, one of the popular traditional songs, they received a standing ovation. They all bowed, and left the stage. Later, when Ella was taking off her outfit, she realized she didn’t remember the performance at all. She had absolutely no memory except a happy glow. As she settled into bed, it was with a smile she fell asleep. She couldn’t wait to sing on her own.