Nobody responded.Okay, Seth. You’re a firefighter. You control things at work all the time. What are a few kids compared to a house fire?He turned to Joy. “Why don’t we take a break?” He had no idea what he was going to say to these kids, but he knew he needed backup. Joy nodded.
“Okay, everyone. Take five minutes. Go and get a drink. Don’t be long.” The recalcitrant four started to leave. “Except you four,” he added. “Take a seat on the risers. With rebellious expressions, they trudged over and flopped down.
He didn’t want to tower over them by standing; he was a big man. Instead, he pulled over the piano stool and sat. He looked at them, one after the other, and tried to come up with something inspirational to say.Man, he sucked at this. Joy sat just to the left of the girls and gave him a discreet thumbs up. He cleared his throat.
“I’m only here because my dad says I have to be,” one girl blurted.
“Okay. I understand that.”
“Me too,” said the other girl.
Seth looked at the boys. Neither said a word. He expected that they were going along to impress the ladies. They looked to be about twelve, just coming to the age where they found girls and lost their minds. “What about you two?” he probed.
“Just don’t wanna sing.”
“I see. Are you being forced to be here as well?” He didn’t look at Joy, who was trying to hide a smirk. If he did, he’d start grinning and ruin his stern presence.
“Um. No.” The older of the two boys, who looked to be brothers, hung his head. “I like singing,” he mumbled.
“Then why aren’t you participating?”
The youth turned bright red.
“Son,” Seth said and waited for him to look up. “I was a teenager once, too. A hundred years ago. I know what you’re thinking. Trust me when I say you don’t want to mess things up with your family for a girl. Do you enjoy singing? Sing. The whole girl thing will work itself out in time.”
The boys nodded in unison.
He looked at the girls again. “I’ve had to do things I didn’t want to do. You’ll find time goes faster when you take part than when you sulk on the sidelines. If you don’t want to be here, have an honest discussion with your parents. Explain how you feel. Maybe they’ll listen.” He stood and brushed his hands together. “Now, shall we sing?” He didn’t let them refuse. With a bit of work, he corralled everyone back on stage.
Three more songs, and they were finished, except for the final two numbers.
“We can’t do the next one,” Amy piped up.
“Why not?” Seth asked.
“Because Evangeline is supposed to be an angel and she’s sick.” Seth consulted his script for the umpteenth time. The next number was a short retelling of the nativity story.
“Is everyone else here?” he asked. A small group stepped forward. “Do you have costumes?” He prayed that they did because it was too late to find any.
“Yes,” they chorused in harmony.
“Is Evangeline’s costume here?”
Amy nodded.
“Can I see it?”
He studied the simple costume and tried to find a solution. They couldn’t skip the nativity story. It was what Christmas was all about. He needed a miracle.
“I could do it,” Chantal offered. She was standing at the base of the steps.
“No, you cannot,” Joy disagreed instantly. “Can one of you other children do this?” Nobody answered.
“Why don’t we let Chantal do it, just for tonight, and we’ll figure something out for tomorrow?” Seth suggested. “Maybe Evangeline will be back by then.”
Joy frowned and glared. Chantal grinned.
“Please, Mama. Just one time.”
