A JONI THAT SINGS

Anyone could tell he didn’t belong once he opened his mouth to sing the first line of the song “Kumbaya.” Apart from the unconscious cracks and the battle of staying on the key of C major, Joni was shaking with each breath exhaled. His legs wobbled, his hands waggled, and his eyes spoke the language of fear mixed with doubt. How shocking! He was introduced to the choir as a tenor singer from a sister church called Oasis. Unfortunately, this oasis had its lungs and throat all dried up.

 

Joni stopped singing from the looks on every face. By a corner, he saw the man playing the drums lift his eyebrows - not in wonder but a mechanism most people adopt to hold back laughter. The woman playing the bass guitar was looking down at nothing. As Joni’s eyes roved around the church, he saw an invisible congregation, all rising from their seats, eyes tight with laughter! The white walls were bloody-looking. Ah! Even the brown wooden cross on the altar resembled a negation. Joni felt the worst shame of his 25-year life. He’d rather play video games on a Sunday. He’d rather jam to Green Day’s ‘21 Guns.’

 

There were more than 20 people present. He was given the honour to solo the song for the ministration the coming Sunday. But after his performance, the choirmaster reassigned his part to the love of his life. Beatrice had been with the Living Faith Church choir for a year. She released her first single titled “Hope is Here.” Joni met her on one of her tours in Port Harcourt three months ago on a job assignment as a stagehand. ‘If it takes singing to make you notice me, then I’d sing the world to an end.’ He said to her after meeting her backstage.

 

As Joni evacuates the stage, his internal friend speaks bluntly:

‘With no due respect, go and sit down, slowly – the back seat, please. Act like you missed your way and changed your mind to stay because you heard the voice of a lady, so sweet. Because, to be honest, I don’t know why you chose to disgrace us, your entire entourage of a self, this way. Because of a girl! In a church! In a darn choir for God’s sake! Can’t you see? They all speak in tongues here through music. You can’t even hum correctly! No one has ripped jeans on - all smiley faces looking like there’s no war in the world. They’ve got a better chance of seeing Jesus! You know what, I've changed my mind. Leave this place that makes us feel worse than we already are. Right now!’

The door was open when Beatrice walked to meet Joni.

‘You don’t take no for an answer, do you?’

‘I’ll learn to do so from here on out.’

‘It wasn’t that bad. You just need to practice often.’

‘That’s what I get for convincing a colleague from Oasis to put in a word for me.’

‘Well, we’re all liars on earth. It’s nice to meet you, this time.’

‘It’d be nice for me if we could leave this place and grab a beer just down the road. Please?’

‘I’ll go for an orange juice, Joni.’

‘The things we do for love. I guess my singing was worth it then.’

‘We’ll see about that.’

What have you done for love?

Don’t Forget to be Honest! 

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Picture credit - @jaegwad