Top 10 - Diversity
Vidhi Patel has spent a large part of her childhood immersed in the world of politics. Now, after graduating from medical school and becoming a pediatrician, she has to make life-changing decisions. Get married and go down the pat...
I inhaled the sweet scent of the coffee brewing, a smile appearing on my face. Ah the mornings, such great things. New beginnings to accomplish more. As I popped two waffles into the toaster, my eyes fell on the pictures on the fridge. They were from Vidhi and I's junior and senior proms. Ah, that was so many years ago.
Sipping the coffee, I lost myself in the memories of over a decade ago...
"No! We must play the Anthem Lights version! It's much better!" Vidhi urged, hitting play on the boy band's name. She's lucky I like her, no one else could get away with messing with my music in my car.
"Good morning, one affogato and one black coffee," I said into the speaker before moving up the empty drive-thru. Everyone else was at Starbucks, but Vidhi insisted we don't play into the corporation coffee menace that is Starbucks. Hey, as long as I get my daily dose of affogato and Vidhi, I'm a happy man.
"Stop daydreaming, Terry! Also, here are those no-mess cinnamon rolls I was trying out last night..."
Ahh, good times. Back when I wasn't resigned to eating toaster waffles. With one last glance at our various photos on my fridge, I wrapped up my waffles and grabbed my coffee, heading off to work.
I pulled into a parking spot and headed into the music wing, essentially my second home.
Walking into the choral office, I'm greeted by my co-worker, Kim Tolo, teaching herself the new piece for the county concert. When she finishes the track, I inquire,
"Good morning, Kim! How's the song going?"
"Morning, Terrence. Terribly! There's no way I can teach my basses these notes if I can't even hit them an octave above!" She sighed, looking close to tears. I walked over and gave her shoulder a comforting pat. Even after a year of vocal therapy, her voice isn't back to its original range. Nodes do that to a singer.
"I can always help out. I'm free during your men's choir blocks." I offered, shrugging my shoulders nonchalantly.
With the smile that lit up her face, you would have thought I just offered a scholarship to Juilliard. She jumped out of her seat and squeezed the heck out of me. I hugged her back and patted her shoulder as I pulled away.
"Want to start today?" I inquired, knowing I would have 2 blocks to learn the piece before Men's chorus.
"That would be great! Thank you so much, Terrence!"
~~178 minutes later...
I stood by the baby grand as the men's choir class filed in, taking their seats and whispering, presumably about me standing beside Kim-err-Ms. Tolo.
"Good morning!" she singsonged, the frown that had been on her face prior, being replaced with a smile. Some of the boys rumbled their good mornings, others looked like they would rather be staring at a pillow or cup of coffee than the sight reading packet in front of them.
"Everyone, this is Mr. Favaro. He will be helping us out with the Men's Choir Senior Song." Kim announced, getting everyone's attention as they realized I was now going to be a semi-permanent fixture in their choral lives. Well, for this year anyway.
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"Thank you so much, Terrence! I'm sure the boys will appreciate it, I know I do." Kim thanked me, clicking save on the finished learning track for the Senior Song.
"No problem at all, Kim. I'm going to get going to the swim practice, they have the county conference coming up. Have a good night." I said as I collected my practice duffel, walking to the team room.
My team was waiting in the team room, excited to head to the county finals in two weekends.
"Okay, everybody! We are going to start on the 200-meter medley and then split into our individual race prep. The board outside has everyone's laps for today!"
Well-meaning grumbles arose from the boys as I chuckled, anticipating their response.
"Just remember, two weekends until the country conference! We can do it!" I reminded them, pointing to our season goal map. They all smiled and headed into the locker room to change as I checked my calendar for tonight. As I was closing my calendar, my best friend, Kyle, texted me:
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Guess I'm going out tonight.
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