Believe

2 : Blessing

"Mom, we're gonna get late. Hurry up. No one's gonna bother about your eye liner. PLEASE HURRY UP!" Rebecca yelled from her mom's car.

""Wait dear...five more minutes." Her mom yelled back.

"Oh gosh. Normally, it's supposed to be moms who would be yelling like this to get their kids on time. Here, it's the other way around. MOM, WE WERE ALREADY LATE YESTERDAY." She yelled again. This time, Veronica came running with two huge paper bags.

"You didn't forget anything, didn't you?" Rebecca asked, opening the boot.

"Nope." Veronica said. "I've heard she's pretty."

"Who?" She asked, starting her car.

"Julia Mendez." She said, closing the door. "Gorgeous lady."

"MOM! We're going for a fashion show. My fashion show. Not for my engagement." She said.

"Alright I'm sorry." She said. "Dad will come minutes before your show. Don't worry."

"My first show...I don't know how it's gonna be. I'm nervous mom." She said, reaching for the cross of the rosary that was hung over the rear view mirror.

                                                                                                           *

"Hurry up girls...just five more minutes." Rebecca announced.

"We're almost done Rebecca. Just some final touches." Jessica, the showstopper said. "This dress is a beauty. I guess it's the best one you've ever designed."

"Yea, and that's why I wanted you to wear it." Rebecca said.

"Aww!" She said, hugging her.

"Careful, your lipstick." She said.

"Did you see Julia?" She asked, fixing her hair.

"Is she already here?" A model asked.

"Come, I'll show you." Jessica said, pulling Rebecca's hand.

"No...I'm...I'll see her later, at the end of this show." She said.

"Oh come on Rebecca. Don't be nervous. Normally, it's supposed to be us, who're gonna walk who'll be this nervous." She said, cheering her up.

"What if she doesn't like it? What if she says something about it? What if she just gets up and walks away?" She said, looking around uneasily.

"Okay. It's time. I need to go first. Stand here, and watch." She said, and walked off to the front of the ramp boldly just as the music started. 

"Please don't mess up girls. I trust you." Rebecca said, watching from the dressing room.

And then one by one, after all the fifteen models showcased their outfits, Rebecca walked slowly to the front of the ramp alongside Jessica. The whole lot of people clapped and cheered. She noticed her dad, who was sitting next to a lady. The lady, on seeing Rebecca got up on her feet and applauded, gleefully.

"That must be her." Rebecca whispered, smiling to the cameras.

"Did you see that? She was on her feet." Jessica said, removing her bracelet. "I'm so proud of you Rebecca."

"Thank you too. All of you did a wonderful job." Rebecca said.

"That was one heck of a show Miss Rebecca." Julia said, walking inside the dressing room with Mr. and Mrs. Davis behind her.

"Mom was right. She is pretty." Rebecca thought to herself, staring at Julia, who was in a violet jumpsuit, black stilettos and a messy hair bun. She was also carrying a black purse.

"All the best for your boutique. I'll be there at ten in the morning." She said, took out her phone from her purse and said "Can we have a selfie?"

"Sure." Rebecca said, and posed for a selfie with her.

"Oh my God. Did that just really happen?" Rebecca said, freaking out after Julia left.

"I feel you." Jessica said.

                                                                                                     *

"Derek, I can't do alto. You know that. Why can't you guys do it? You people have got deeper voices, which are like, meant for tenor and alto." Rebecca said, placing the hymn book on a bench disapprovingly.

"But, you're struggling with this song. I know you only do sopranos. Give it a try." Derek said, handing the hymn book back to her.

"No I won't. Let the guys do it." She said. "Can we start again?"

"Father." Jessica said with a start. "What did those engineers say yesterday?"

"We have to bring the church down." Father Angelo said. Father was a young priest in his thirties who belonged to the Order of Capuchin Friars Minor congregation. It was notable because of their usual dark brown tunic with distinctive large pointed hood reaching to the waist attached to it, girdled by traditional woolen with three knots.

"But father, you're the parish priest. All these people are supposed to be under your thumb, when it comes to issues like these, right? How is it that you let them get away like that?" Rebecca said.

"They all sounded so convincing." Father said, disappointingly. His gloomy emerald eyes showed clear signs of misery. 

"Father, try to delay the demolition of our church as much as possible. We'll try and do something." Peter, their guitarist said.

"You children can't do anything. Maybe, it is time." Father said, and walked away into the sacristy, brushing his short and fine dark brown hair. 

"What did he mean by that?" Sasha, their violinist said, placing down her bow.

"Father has been disturbed ever since those engineers came the last time. We need to do something about this." Rebecca said.

"What can we do? " Derek said.

"Should we talk to the parish council members? They can do something about this, right?" Peter said.

"Father himself is helpless. What can they do?" Rebecca said.

"There's no harm in trying." Diana, their lead soprano artist said.

"To be honest, our church became lively only after father Angelo became our parish priest. Remember that fight we had with father Jude two years back?" Derek said.

"Yeah. He insulted our choir in front of the choirs from all the other churches." Sasha said. "Don't forget, he even brought some lady to teach us how to sing."

"She could barely hit a regular high note." Luke, the pianist said.

"All of us left the choir after that female took over. "Jessica said.

"Forget all that. But guys, don't forget. We're a part of St. Michael's. Father Angelo was like a blessing for us from the archangel. Have you noticed the increase in collection and revenue ever since he came? Have you noticed how awesome our choir is now? Have you noticed how many people attend our church on a regular basis itself? " Rebecca said.

"True that." Luke said.

"I feel like a professional alto artist whenever I sing." Derek said.

"Don't start it again." Rebecca said.

"Fine, don't do it. You and Jessica, and Diana can do the lead sopranos." Derek said. "Happy?"

"Yes." The three of them said together.