Fiction: Group 2
New Tales of the Pearl River Delta
Discovery Bay International School, McCann, Jessica - 10, Fiction: Group 2
y name is
Evaline May Alander. I sit at the piano, my rich auburn hair tied up in a messy bun.
My fingers ache as they touch each key. Although the pain is excruciating, it makes an angelic
sound. I sit at the piano, smelling the mint breath of my aunt watching my wounded hands play
all they can. I am fourteen years old now. I understand life and death. I don’t understand, however, why I
have to sit at the piano stool at 5am every morning only to get my hands whipped by my aunt’s leather belt.
Every time I play a wrong note, or bad rhythm or timing, I let out a little sob and let a tear fall out of my
delicate emerald eyes as she brings down the strap of cow skin.
My life wasn’t always like this. I used to have fun and play, like a normal kid. But now I’m older and that
has all changed. My mother and father died when I was very young, and ever since I’ve lived with my aunt
in Hong Kong. She always wanted a child of her own to play piano like a
prodigy child
, but she never got
married (I’m not surprised).
It’s 11: 45pm now, and I’m still up re-reading one of my not-so-old magazines when I find an
advertisement for auditions for a musical. It reads:
‘SHOOTING STARS’
Is coming to the Pearl River Delta!
A tragic story being told through the art of dance!
Go online for more details:
I’ve always dreamed of doing something to do with performing - and piano doesn’t count. But I’d
particularly love to dance. But, of course, I am too busy with piano to get involved. As I said before, I live
in Hong Kong and the auditions are in Macau, which is only a ferry ride, or helicopter ride,
away. Maybe I
have enough money to catch a ferry and audition at the Ching Lee Performance Hall! Now my heart is in
my head as I search up the fees for a ferry ticket. I’ve saved up some money and I am glad to say that I have
enough to catch a ferry and possibly a taxi to the theatre.
I have it all planned out now. I will leave tomorrow when my aunt thinks I am going to school. I have
already packed my things in my schoolbag.
She will never notice that I went to Macau because in the worst
case I’ll be home only a little bit later than I would be on a regular school day. Once I get a letter saying that
I have gotten the part, my aunt will realise how wrong she has been about me. That I can dance and do
better things than just play the wretched piano. It is 12: 30am now. I better get to bed if I want to nail the
audition.
I am waiting outside the Ching Lee Performance Hall, waiting for my turn to audition. So far everything is
going according to plan. It is 10: 35am. I have 5 minutes until I can go inside. My number, 215, is pinned
onto my black T-shirt. My insides are churning and my heart is beating like mad. I can’t stop to think how
much I have been through to get here, and what will happen if I get rejected. Then none of this would be
worth it. But I am going to
make
it worth it, I tell myself. Finally, it is time for me to show the director
what I can do.
Everything is how I thought it would be. I am standing on a large stage, the director, producer and the
assistant producer all sit at a table, studying me closely. The manager of the Ching Lee Performance Hall is
sitting in a corner by the steps onto the stage. She eyes me and then smiles at me when she sees me looking
at her.
“Evaline May Alander?” confirms the director.
I nod confidently and the music begins to play. Suddenly, I begin to panic and frolic about on the stage,
attempting to dance the best that I can. All of the ‘judges’ begin whispering amongst themselves and I’m
praying that what they’re saying is positive. The producer holds up his hand to signal for the music to stop,
M
