CIMORELLI : All Powered Up

FORTY TWO : Reminiscing, Remembering

*a few days later, in Ireland*

I stood up and walked to my mic stand, the crowd, mercifully quiet after my sisters and I told them to be still. At some point, the house lights were switched on and I could see each face staring back up at me.

"Who's ready for the second half of the show, Ireland?!" I asked, the crowd of fans came to life as the concert hall roared with the gleeful screams of our Irish Cimfam.

I put my hands up and waved, then gestured for them to be quiet, as I prepared to speak.

I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. I turned to my sisters, who looked at me, equally sad and supportive.

Lisa then moved forward, "Stina, what's wrong?" She asked, careful not to speak into the microphone.

"I... I don't think I can do this, Lise." I whispered, feeling a lump in my throat.

"Yes you can," Lisa told me, putting a supportive hand on my shoulder, "Do it for her," She said. I felt her tighten her grip, "do it for her..."

I looked at the others, Dani and Lauren looked stoically determined, Kath was crying, and so was Amy, but they cheered me on still.

"Okay," I nodded.

I walked back to my mark on the stage, the fans were still quiet, a silent murmur rippling through the room.

I steeled myself as I talked into the microphone.

"So," I began, searching for the words. "A few.. a few minutes ago, during the intermission, we got some terrible news." I paused, to control my breathing. The whispers in the crowd grew stronger, but thankfully, my sisters quieted them down so I could continue.

"As you know, a short while ago, my family and I went to a very special place in Southeast Asia to fulfill one of our private concerts for our Pledge campaign..." I slowed down, catching myself stringing words too fast.

"And what we thought was going to be a normal concert, turned out to be one of the most life changing times in all our lives.." I said.

"Yep.." Lisa quipped

"That's.. that's true.." Amy added in between sobs.

"We met a very special person, a person who not only became our close friend, but she was one of you guys, a CimFam, she was a stranger, who turned out to be such a gem, such a bright light and good person and someone I consider one of the... one of the closest... one of the closest people--" I tore the mic away, I couldn't help it, the sobs racked up and burst through my eyes. I doubled over, feeling a little dizzy from my grief. But I felt a warm hand pull me back up, it was Dani.

I hugged her tight. Never wanting to let her go.

"It's okay.." I heard Dani say, while she hugged me back, "Its alright, Stina.."

The crowd now expressed their concern, I looked at them over Dani's shoulders and they were alarmed to see us so upset. So I continued, Dani holding on to me.

"Her name was Bee. Beatrix Figueroa, a beautiful, talented, kind person. A person afflicted with a disease so unfairly, you might've seen her on the news recently, if not, well, she was diagnosed with terminal cancer. She was our friend, and we just found out that our friend died today."

A collective gasp echoed throughout the concert hall. The crowd just shouted their sympathies to us, as we all stood there, absorbing the realness of what I just said.

It took a full five minutes for us to be able to speak again, we all huddled up into a half moon, linking arms to shoulders, microphones in hand.

"We dedicate this song to our friend." Kath managed to say in her voice so raw from crying so much. "Bee, I know you can hear us.. this is for you."