Welcome to the Real World by Carole Matthews Read Free Book Online Page B

Italian, but I know instinctively that this is the unrequited-love bit and it has moved me more than any other piece of music ever has. I sniff too loudly into my handkerchief and some of the chorus smile indulgently at me.

    When the session has finished, the maestro taps his podium again. 'Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. We'll take a half-hour break now. Come back in fine voice.'

    Chatter breaks out and everyone heads towards the cafeteria. I hang back and wait for Evan. I try to stop crying, but the tears stream from my eyes.

    A few moments later, he comes towards me, a look of surprise on his face. 'You're crying.'

    Nothing gets past this man.

    'What's wrong?'

    'I'm happy,' I manage to blub.

    He's clearly taken aback. 'You enjoyed your first experience of opera?'

    I can hardly bring myself to speak as there's still a lump lodged in my throat. I'm weak at the knees and quivering like a jelly. Nothing British will sum this up and I have to borrow an American phrase. 'Totally awesome,' I sob out loud. My mascara is halfway down my cheeks and, no doubt, my face is all red and blotchy. I'd like to be a contained and appreciative audience, perhaps make some intelligent observations. Instead I'm crying like a baby. 'That was totally awesome.'

    Evan David looks quite shaken and then he does something that I really don't expect. He takes me in his arms and holds me tight.

Twelve

    I have a big, fat hour all to myself to fritter away before starting my shift at the pub and, therefore, have a choice between visiting my brother and my sweetie-pie nephew, Nathan, or my mum on the way. I'm still feeling absolutely wrung out after listening to the Sitzprobe rehearsal today. Even when they were going over and over the songs during the afternoon, I was close to tears each time. Inside I'm trembling as if I'm coming down with flu, and this has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with the fact that I can still feel the strength in Evan's arms as he held me, or that if I close my eyes, I can still capture the scent of his skin. Pulling my coat around me, I have a pleasant little shiver to myself.
    I wonder what it feels like to perform at that level. Does it shake you to the core as it has shaken me? I have to say that I've never been moved to the depths of this emotion when bashing out a few tunes on stage at the King's Head, and it makes me realise that there's a world of difference between what I'm trying to do and what Evan David has achieved.

    As I rattle along on the Tube, I come to my decision. I'm not sure that I can face the next instalment of my parents' marital shenanigans, so opt to see my brother and Nathan instead. Normally, I see them every day, and they must be wondering what has happened to me. I can grab a quick cup of tea with Joe and have a freshen-up before my shift. Jumping off the Central Line at Lancaster Gate, I enjoy the cold evening air as I walk up Westbourne Terrace.

    Joe lives in a flat just along here. It's quite a salubrious area, near Bayswater, but the endless, meandering road has an eclectic mix of high-end places, squats and properties that definitely should be condemned. My brother's flat seems quite nice inside, if you don't inspect it too closely. Joe keeps it clean and tidyhe has to because of Nathan's condition. But the building is crumbling, the management company don't care and there's way too much damp for someone with a severe medical condition to be living there. The rent that Joe pays is horrendousalthough it's covered by housing benefit at the momentand my dearest wish is that one day I will earn enough to be able to get them both out of there. The smart terraced house in Cricklewood that was previously his marital home had to be sold to pay off his dearly beloved ex-wife and her not inconsiderable debts.

    Joe will be delighted to hear that I've got another jobparticularly as the job, at the moment, doesn't seem to involve anything other than eating a nice breakfast and listening to