The Gift

Have Mercy Baby ... pt. 1

*** Dallas, June 1977 ***

The Texas show was only minutes away and everyone was on edge. The lone star state was always a bit different when it came to life concerts. People there were much more prone to making troubles and hence the security details were on a max. Chris wanted to sneak out for some fresh air before the show was starting but all the doors were blocked by at least one chunky muscle men telling her it wasn't possible.

"There you are... what are you up to?" Theresa caught Chris as she was just turning away from one of the security guys with a disappointed look on her face.

"I thought I could get some fresh air, but apparently this is Fort Knox." Christine sighed. Theresa contemplated for a second as it came to her.

"I have an idea, come on..." she took Chris' hand and guided her towards a hidden staircase on the other side of a heavy fire door, which much to Chris' surprise was unguarded.

"Where are we going?" Chris asked trying to keep up with the girl.

"You'll see." Theresa grinned secretively, leaping up the stairs taking two steps at a time. Chris followed after her slowly, taking one step at a time, realising everything was becoming progressively harder with the growing of her belly.

"Sweetheart, you keep forgetting your are having a pregnant woman in tow." Christine shouted after her, reminding her.

"Oh I'm sorry, but you'll see it'll be worth it." Theresa stopped to look down at her from one flight of stairs above. It hadn't been too many stairs in total, but Christine felt as if she'd climbed Mount Everest.

"Are you okay?" Theresa asked, as Chris finally caught up with her a bit out of breath. The young woman felt embarrassed now having made Chris chase her up the stairs like that.

"A wise woman once said to me, just breath and you'll be fine. I have come to experience this to be pretty helpful." Christine joked winking at Theresa, who remembered all the times she had to tell Christine to just breath.

"Ready?" Theresa asked grinning mischievously as she put her hand on the doorknob of yet another black metal door. Christine nodded in agreement. Theresa flung open the wings revealing the grey pavement of the concert hall's roof. Chris stepped out after Theresa, the cool evening breeze slapping her face. After a few more steps away from the ascent they had a magnificent view of the entire city. The sun was just setting, slowly disappearing behind Dallas' gigantic skyscrapers. Christine took in the scenery as ferociously as she breathed in the fresh air.

"That's just perfect. I felt like I was suffocating down there in the damp dressing room." Christine remarked, visibly filling her nostrils, eyes closed.

"Isn't the city just beautiful from up here?" Theresa was happy to be able to show Chris, as she herself had been up on the roof before.

"It is! How did you know how to get up here?" Chris was curious.

"I've been here this morning while you guys were rehearsing. I always look for rooftops when I seek the quiet." Theresa revealed, not averting her eyes from the view of the city. The two women stood in silence for a while, just taking it all in, the soft breeze waving through Chris' floor length dress. She rested her hands protectively on her bump which had become almost impossible to hide.

"You know this always reminds me of a poem I had to learn for school. We had to learn one poem by heart and I chose 'Fremde Stadt' by Hermann Hesse...." Theresa began while Chris listened. "It means foreign city, it's in German but it's basically about someone walking through a city at night, or looking down on it like we do, overcome by a weird, sad feeling looking over the moonlit rooftops of the houses. He speaks of a cloud hanging over it, still and mighty as a ghost. He talks about homelessly looking for home — if that makes any sense. Then he suddenly get's so overwhelmed by it all that he just starts crying bitterly." Theresa continued her review of the poem.