Chapter 2 – Setting Off
Time flew, and soon Lizboa was getting ready to say goodbye to the sisters, for she knew that they would soon be going back to McJone’s to rehearse for the choir tour. But a surprise was in store for her!
One day, the sisters said nonchalantly to Lizboa, “Oh, there’s a letter for you.”
Lizboa opened it, glancing suspiciously at the sisters, who were exchanging sly looks:
Lizboa Gordon:
A month ago you were invited to go on a choir tour. You wrote and replied that you could not afford it, but the school has accepted the suggestions of certain girls to start a voluntary fundraising program to raise money not only for you, but for the whole tour also. There have been enough pledges that now you can be sure of your going. Please return to McJone’s with the other 6th Graders. Thank you.
Miss Caty Brown
Lizboa cried out in joy. “I wonder,” she said in sarcastic bewilderedness. “I do wonder, who in the whole world suggested that plan?” Alice rolled her eyes. “So do I.”
Lizboa could no longer put up an act. She threw her arms over Alice. Alice, in astonishment, tried to disentangle herself from the frantically happy Lizboa.
The five 6th graders – Lizboa, the sisters and Baixue, the Chinese girl who had studied at McJone’s since grade 4 – enjoyed their slack life for the autumn and winter in school.
Their days bore little disagreeability. Their lessons were short, for they all learnt quickly. Choir rehearsals was the other main factor of their days.
The rehearsals, frankly, took more effort and perseverance than their lessons. Mrs Jenkins, their conductor, had chosen four marvelous songs for them to sing in the competition. But, alas – the songs were difficult, and all 60 girls often were frustrated because they could never sing as well as they wished to.
Mrs Jenkins often was the one who gave them the ample encouragement they needed to continue persisting. She was a very kind and good-humored soul, and a great favorite of the girls because of her fantastic sense of humor. Whenever a girl said, “I give up! I’ll never be able sing this section without going off pitch,” she would say, “So-and-so, whenever we have had to learn songs for performances and competitions, have we ever done it without doubt and distress? Have we ever succeeded the very first time? Of course not! If you aren’t able to do it now, keep on trying! Giving up means giving in. We’re not going to give in to the other choirs. We’re going to hold up our dignity and show the other choirs in the competition that we’re not weak. We’re going to make them marvel at the fruit of our hard work!”
The girls all firmly decided not to let the other choirs consider them weak. They were going to shine. They were going to be superb! So they worked twice as hard, and progressed quickly.
Intensive rehearsal schedules came with the dawn of the spring sun. The date of the choir’s departure was drawing near. There were still loose ends to tie, and phrases to polish. The girls began to panic. What if they couldn’t get things done in time? What if – what if the show went to pieces instead of reaching perfection? The girls put their hearts into all of their rehearsals, and there were even reports of girls singing in their sleep!
Mrs Jenkins heard of this, and laughed. “Girls! There is no reason to worry as you do. There are still five weeks. If you continue working hard like you are now, you’ll have everything perfect and in its place in two weeks’ time!”
Upon hearing these words, the girls smiled at each other. They were much comforted.
“Perhaps this will get you excited,” said Mrs Jenkins, waving a piece of paper.
“What is it?” asked Lizboa.
“It is,” said Mrs Jenkins, “the notice containing the information for your trip!”
There was a universal cheer at this announcement. The girls rushed up to get a copy each.
They sat in groups and read the notice. The first page stated the logistical arrangements.
“Date of Departure: 18th Of March,” read Lizboa. “Trip Duration: 7 Days. Yes, we know all that!”
“What’s next? Oh – here,” said Alice. “Time of Departure: 9:30 p.m. Wow, it’s that late?”
“We board the flight at 3:50 am, 19th of March,” said Evelyn. “And the flight time is 12 hours and 40 minutes. We arrive at 7:10 am, 20th March Beijing time.”
Alexis poked her head in. “Accommodation: Super 8 Beijing Jinbao Street. Rooms of 6.”
They flipped the page. It consisted of the groupings for rooms.
“Oh look!” said Baixue. “We’re all in the same room – Lizboa, Alexis, Evelyn, Alice and me! Isn’t that good news?”
“Who’s the last girl?” asked Alice. “Cynthia. Oh – is that the 5th Grader who stands next to Evelyn in the choir?”
“Yes,” replied Evelyn. “She’s lovely, isn’t she? Her eyes are such a beautiful shade of blue, and her hair is just pure golden. And I love the shape of her face – so pointy!”
“I grant you she is pretty,” said Lizboa. “But her eyes are too closely set, and her mouth is so tiny!”
On the day before the trip, the girls were frantically trying to get their packing done. They were to depart the next night!
“Blow!” said Lizboa. “Where on earth did my music folder go? It was just here a moment ago; I was about to pack it in my trunk!”
“I’ve taken it, Lizboa,” said Cynthia, in her high-pitched voice. “I had to look something up.”
“Why didn’t you look it up in your own folder?” said Lizboa.
“I’ve packed my folder at the very bottom of my trunk,” replied Cynthia.
“Even so, you should’ve asked before you took it!” cried Lizboa.
“Well,” said Cynthia, smiling in a sickly sweet fashion, “we’re going to have to spend lots of days together. We’ll just have to share. It’ll be tiresome, won’t it, to have to ask every time.”
Lizboa was about to rend Cynthia with her sharp tongue, when she saw an unkind gleam in Lizboa’s eyes and handed back the folder. “Here, I’m done with it.”
Lizboa snatched it crudely with a snort and packed it into the trunk.
18th of March, though nothing but a misty, rainy, humid day of spring, seemed a very agreeable day to the choir girls. It was the day on which they would embark on their journey to Beijing.
The night before had been endured by tossing and turning and light sleep. The girls had been roused at an early hour, and engaged their time between waking and breakfast with chatter about the trip.
They had their final rehearsal before the tour that afternoon. They had, as Mrs Jenkins had said, been able to get everything perfect in good time. They ran through the songs numerous times, and made little revisions in the dynamics at parts of the songs. Everything was ready for the trip.
After dinner, the girls put their trunks in the school bus and packed their hand-carried bags for the flight. The bell rang for eight o’clock, then nine o’clock. There were only 30 minutes left before they left! The girls began to get fidgety.
Miss Caty was not to join them on the tour, but she did make an announcement, wishing the choir goodbye and bidding them good luck.
The time came for the girls to board the school bus which would take them to the airport. The choir marched off in single file, heads held up proudly. Baixue was a little out of spirits. She was not to come back with the rest of the choir. She was to go back home – Beijing.
“The first half of the term has flown by even more quickly than the past years,” said Alexis.
“Indeed,” said Evelyn. “Doesn’t it seem like just yesterday when we were writing that letter to Miss Caty?”
“Don’t bring that up, Evelyn,” said Alice. “Or Lizboa will be enraged, and may come to scratch your face.”
“I assure you I have no intention of doing so, Evelyn,” said Lizboa, patting Evelyn’s back. “Your sister is only fabricating slander.”
“Thank you,” said Baixue. “Even till the last few minutes of my life at McJone’s, the te
asing and laughter of my friends still ring loudly.”
The other four laughed as they boarded the bus. The engine rumbled a tune of jubilance as it was started, and the girls cheered loudly. They had commenced their tour!
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