chronicles of charisma

𝐢.𝐢𝐯 - 𝐟𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐚

chapter four - flora williams

✏✐✏✎✏✐✏✎✏✐✏✎✏✐✏✎✏✐✏✎✏✐✏✎✏✐✏✎✏

❝Get busy living, or get busy dying.❞

—The Shawshank Redemption

✏✐✏✎✏✐✏✎✏✐✏✎✏✐✏✎✏✐✏✎✏✐✏✎✏✐✏✎✏

I walked out of the guitar store happier than I had walked in. The worker (whose name I didn't get - he will be referred to as "The Guy" or "Guy") was awkward, but kinda cute in a really messy way, I guess?

I'm a sucker for long hair.

Feeling spontaneous, I check my schedule for the rest of the day - nearly all clear, for once.

 ...Fuck it. (I've said that a lot today, haven't I?) I call up the open mic night organizer to inform them that I would participate as a painter in the performance. This isn't my first art-/open mic night-type gig, and I really do take pleasure in joining these activities, especially since it earns me some cash.

While making the call, the woman on the phone tells me that she's going to have to pair me up with one of the singers, since all the spots were filled. The poster told me that something like that might happen, so I wasn't too surprised. I'm not angry, either. I love taking inspiration from music or whatever is around me when I'm painting - it's given me some of my best pieces...

Woah.

I don't know why, but...after going into that guitar store, I feel so much lighter. Is this my calling?

I ponder on this thought for a while, walking back to my place, when I receive a notification, making me realize that I'm late for a meetup with my friend. I start running back to Lolita's.

✏✐✏✎✏✐✏✎✏✐✏✎✏✐✏✎✏✐✏✎✏✐✏✎✏✐✏✎✏

at the open mic location

.

.

.

I step out of the New York rain and into the venue - early, for once: chairs everywhere, brick walls, a bar. I also see workers along with other performers helping set up (it's easily to tell who's a performer and who's a worker: the performers were either dressed up or carrying whatever they brought along), and I walked backstage to see even more chairs, mics, guitars, pianos, easels, canvases, dance shoes...

Deep breath. This isn't my first performance like this. A worker led me to the sheet that told us when we were going on stage, along with who (if there was a pair) we were going on with. I found my name relatively quickly - second to last on the performance list.

13. Alec Winters (Vocal & Guitar)/Flora Williams (Painting)

I'm pretty happy to learn that I'll be working with a guitarist. Out of all music, my favorite style is probably an acoustic guitar paired with singing. I like how it feels homey and comfortable to me, although I also like the sound of drums and electronic effects.

With the pen next to the setlist sheet, I put a check next to my name to mark that I was there, as I saw others doing the same. My partner - Alec Winters - hadn't checked in yet, so I would have to catch him later. 

I wandered off to find a place to put my things, along with my paint brushes, palette filled with paint, and other sketching materials. When I found a perfect spot, I put all my stuff there, along with my coat and hat, save for a small notebook and pencil I always carry around. Might as well sketch what I see while I have time, right? You never know what inspiration you can find in a place like this: about to be bustling with people.