The Wedding Singer By M.M.Wake
Kezia was Rachels best friend, or that's how it seemed to the world anyway.
They had been friends since primary school, year 1, and been inseparable ever since.
20 years to be exact. For 20 whole years they had been the best of friends.
They had shared the same taste in clothes, music, make up and unfortunately boys.
I say unfortunately.
What I really mean is unfortunately for Kezia.
Whilst Kezia was small, fat and mousey, Rachel had grown into a leggy, blonde stunner.
Despite this fact Kezia and Rachel had remained firm friends.
There had been one small blip in the relationship. This had occurred when Rachel became engaged to the wonderful Mark.
Mark was 6ft 2, with dark curly hair and magnificent eyes that could leave a girl breathless at 50 paces.
Kezia had also been in love with Mark, long before that fateful day he and Rachel had met.
It had been a mad, restless, hope of love that kept her awake at night and dreaming by day.
Unwittingly, Kezia had introduced the two, whilst she and Rachel were out shopping in town one Saturday afternoon. Mark was a private patient at the clinic where Kezia was nurse; a bit of a health freak in an OCD kind of way. He had frequent, ‘general health’ checkups at the clinic and Kezia had got to know him quite well.
She had managed to keep this fine specimen to herself for a couple of years, away from the beautiful Rachel.
The relationship was purely platonic of course, Kezia knew she had no chance, but she had her dreams.
But there he was, one Saturday afternoon as they were out shopping, strolling around the chilled food section of Marks & Spencers, looking all gorgeous and single
It had been love at first sight.
And naturally, of course, a year later, they were to be married.
Kezia was to be Matron of Honour.
Matron being a great word to pigeon hole the frumpy Kezia.
She had been without a boyfriend for the last 5 years, in fact she hadn't really had a boyfriend, only the drunken Christmas snog with the sweaty IT guy two years ago, and of course Adrian Godfrey, but then she had only been 6 years old at the time and she guessed that didn't really count.
Anyway, he had flicked bogies at her.
The dress was to be peach, satin, tight fitting and extremely unflattering.
Kezia could hardly wait.
Rachel asked her to sing at the church, the bit after the vows but before the signing of the register. Despite her looks, she had the voice of an angel.
Reluctantly she agreed, but then, Rachel was her best friend.
Probably her only friend.
Kezia helped Rachel to choose the song - Ave Maria, arranged in best effect to show off her full vocal range. She even started taking lessons especially for the event; wanting to push herself to some perfection, to deliver an outstanding performance for her dearest friend.
Even though she was marrying the man of HER dreams.
She was already improving her vocal range to fit comfortably into 4 octaves, and her music teacher had said with hard work and dedication, she might even hit the 5 octave range like her heroine, Yma SumaK, who in the 1950's was well known for her ability to shatter glass with her high notes.
It was 6 months to the wedding. Kezia practised her singing daily, her confidence and ability growing.
Eventually the big day arrived. A perfect day, of course, all blue skies and sunshine.
Mark and Rachel really were the beautiful people.
The perfect couple, everyone said so, whilst at the back, in the shadows Kezia sweated in the tight satin, staining the material uncomfortably bunched underneath her armpits. She had put on a few pounds since the fitting and the Brides Mother had lent a hand to coax her fleshy mass into it, cruelly catching the ripples of skin on her ample back as she had tugged the zip finally closed.
Feeling stifled in the heat, Kezia stretched and in doing so felt the seams around her bosom unleash and pull open.
Never mind, she was past caring how she looked, plus it felt a lot more comfortable this way. She could hide behind her flowers, and it would give her room to breathe during her solo.
Walking behind the golden couple, she heard the gasps of admiration, obviously not for her.
But Kezia's moment was to come, after the vows, exchange of rings and the all important kiss, it was her turn to shine, her moment, briefly in the spotlight.
Her heart began to pound, could she do it, could she go through with it.
All those hours of practise.
Standing at the front of the church, all eyes were upon her.
There was no music, just the voice. The purity of the solo rose to the roof, confirming to those within, even if for a short instance, that god must truly exist, a sheer moment of pleasure, absolution in every note.
The voice rose higher and higher, the pitch ascending to the heavens, ringing the ears and vibrating the pews. Even the saints looking down from the windows, resplendent in a golden holy light, seemed in awe of this strange figure with the unearthly voice.
The moment was coming, Kezia felt her diaphragm lift and expand, her voice mounting until there was nothing but sound.
And there it was, the elusive high C, the highest C, reverberating clear and shrill among the glass of the ceiling lights as it dazzled and sparkled across the air.
The note was held, the resonance building until all was one with the vibration.
Then it happened.
The groom, the lovely groom Mark collapsed. An aneurism they had called it. He didn't have a chance. It could have happened at anytime, a weak artery wall. Probably the stress of the wedding. No-one could have known,
Except for Kezia that is. The medical notes had been enlightening.
But still, all is fair in love and war. Especially between friends.
Copyright M.M.Wake 2012
http://www.feedbooks.com/userbook/25260/the-wedding-singer to download
They had been friends since primary school, year 1, and been inseparable ever since.
20 years to be exact. For 20 whole years they had been the best of friends.
They had shared the same taste in clothes, music, make up and unfortunately boys.
I say unfortunately.
What I really mean is unfortunately for Kezia.
Whilst Kezia was small, fat and mousey, Rachel had grown into a leggy, blonde stunner.
Despite this fact Kezia and Rachel had remained firm friends.
There had been one small blip in the relationship. This had occurred when Rachel became engaged to the wonderful Mark.
Mark was 6ft 2, with dark curly hair and magnificent eyes that could leave a girl breathless at 50 paces.
Kezia had also been in love with Mark, long before that fateful day he and Rachel had met.
It had been a mad, restless, hope of love that kept her awake at night and dreaming by day.
Unwittingly, Kezia had introduced the two, whilst she and Rachel were out shopping in town one Saturday afternoon. Mark was a private patient at the clinic where Kezia was nurse; a bit of a health freak in an OCD kind of way. He had frequent, ‘general health’ checkups at the clinic and Kezia had got to know him quite well.
She had managed to keep this fine specimen to herself for a couple of years, away from the beautiful Rachel.
The relationship was purely platonic of course, Kezia knew she had no chance, but she had her dreams.
But there he was, one Saturday afternoon as they were out shopping, strolling around the chilled food section of Marks & Spencers, looking all gorgeous and single
It had been love at first sight.
And naturally, of course, a year later, they were to be married.
Kezia was to be Matron of Honour.
Matron being a great word to pigeon hole the frumpy Kezia.
She had been without a boyfriend for the last 5 years, in fact she hadn't really had a boyfriend, only the drunken Christmas snog with the sweaty IT guy two years ago, and of course Adrian Godfrey, but then she had only been 6 years old at the time and she guessed that didn't really count.
Anyway, he had flicked bogies at her.
The dress was to be peach, satin, tight fitting and extremely unflattering.
Kezia could hardly wait.
Rachel asked her to sing at the church, the bit after the vows but before the signing of the register. Despite her looks, she had the voice of an angel.
Reluctantly she agreed, but then, Rachel was her best friend.
Probably her only friend.
Kezia helped Rachel to choose the song - Ave Maria, arranged in best effect to show off her full vocal range. She even started taking lessons especially for the event; wanting to push herself to some perfection, to deliver an outstanding performance for her dearest friend.
Even though she was marrying the man of HER dreams.
She was already improving her vocal range to fit comfortably into 4 octaves, and her music teacher had said with hard work and dedication, she might even hit the 5 octave range like her heroine, Yma SumaK, who in the 1950's was well known for her ability to shatter glass with her high notes.
It was 6 months to the wedding. Kezia practised her singing daily, her confidence and ability growing.
Eventually the big day arrived. A perfect day, of course, all blue skies and sunshine.
Mark and Rachel really were the beautiful people.
The perfect couple, everyone said so, whilst at the back, in the shadows Kezia sweated in the tight satin, staining the material uncomfortably bunched underneath her armpits. She had put on a few pounds since the fitting and the Brides Mother had lent a hand to coax her fleshy mass into it, cruelly catching the ripples of skin on her ample back as she had tugged the zip finally closed.
Feeling stifled in the heat, Kezia stretched and in doing so felt the seams around her bosom unleash and pull open.
Never mind, she was past caring how she looked, plus it felt a lot more comfortable this way. She could hide behind her flowers, and it would give her room to breathe during her solo.
Walking behind the golden couple, she heard the gasps of admiration, obviously not for her.
But Kezia's moment was to come, after the vows, exchange of rings and the all important kiss, it was her turn to shine, her moment, briefly in the spotlight.
Her heart began to pound, could she do it, could she go through with it.
All those hours of practise.
Standing at the front of the church, all eyes were upon her.
There was no music, just the voice. The purity of the solo rose to the roof, confirming to those within, even if for a short instance, that god must truly exist, a sheer moment of pleasure, absolution in every note.
The voice rose higher and higher, the pitch ascending to the heavens, ringing the ears and vibrating the pews. Even the saints looking down from the windows, resplendent in a golden holy light, seemed in awe of this strange figure with the unearthly voice.
The moment was coming, Kezia felt her diaphragm lift and expand, her voice mounting until there was nothing but sound.
And there it was, the elusive high C, the highest C, reverberating clear and shrill among the glass of the ceiling lights as it dazzled and sparkled across the air.
The note was held, the resonance building until all was one with the vibration.
Then it happened.
The groom, the lovely groom Mark collapsed. An aneurism they had called it. He didn't have a chance. It could have happened at anytime, a weak artery wall. Probably the stress of the wedding. No-one could have known,
Except for Kezia that is. The medical notes had been enlightening.
But still, all is fair in love and war. Especially between friends.
Copyright M.M.Wake 2012
http://www.feedbooks.com/userbook/25260/the-wedding-singer to download