Hidden Valley (D. SWING)

VI. Secret

Here I am cleaning like I always do. Cleaning the practice room wouldn't be all that bad if Don was actually practicing today but he isn't. I don't know where he is, I don't know where anybody is today. There's only evening service today so Sister Edna has no problem sending me the extra mile. I ended up in the technical room. The name is as literal as it gets. She has me untangling wires. There's radios, microphones, amp cords, an old television set, and so much more junk in here. At the lowest possible volume, I hear a soft, soft groove. If I was a dog, my ears would probably be standing up like Scooby-Doo!

I ignore the sounds and keep wrapping up cords. "The love we share seems to go nowhere and I've lost my light. For I toss and turn, I can't sleep at night." I can't take it! I know I heard somebody singing along. I get up and walk behind the rack of boxes and there he is. A small radio in his lap, he sits on top of the old television set. His bowtie is still perfectly straight but his posture had stooped down to look relaxed. I glance down at the radio before picking my eyes back up to stare back at his eyebrows– I gotta' admit that I'm still kind of scared to look in his eyes.

"Whatcha' doin'," I ask sitting on the old bin directly across from him. "And how come you're in the technical room? Didn't The Reverend ever tell you that sneaking around doesn't do anybody any good?"

Don looks at me for a moment and laughs. "I'm not sneaking."

My head tilts to the left and then to the right before it stays in one spot. "You're in the technical room." I remind him with my arms crossed. I look around the room at all of the mess that I'm in charge of. He looks around with me before looking right at me. I settle my focus on my favorite shoes that my feet rest in. "You look like you're sneaking," I mumble.

"I'm not, I mean I am... but I'm not." He let's out a soft sigh. "Can you keep a secret, Cynthia?"

I nod my head. "Yes." Especially if it's for Don out of all the people in this world.

He stares at me for a moment and I grow uncomfortable. The burning sensation of my cheeks is out of this world. "You swear," he asks.

"Do you want to pinky promise or something?"

Don shakes his head, "Nope... I think you get the point." I let my eyes rest on the asthma inhaler that is sticking out of his church pants pocket. It has big fat letters that say DON D. on almost every part of it. I wonder how often he uses it. How come his breath doesn't smell like medicine? I've never seen him use it with my own eyes but is it bad that I want to? I think so. I don't think it would he good if he had to use it. Actually, I know it won't be good.

"So why are you sneaking around the technical room?"

He snaps back. "I'm not sneaking." My eyebrows rise. Sheesh. "I don't have a walkman but the things you hear on the radio? Man, it's somethin'. I like 134.0 AM and all of that but have you ever heard 107.5 AM? They play all the hits." I nod my head because I have. That's Javon's favorite station. "But you know, what's just as good? I forgot the station, never mind. But that doesn't matter they got good stuff on here. I'm not sneaking though. I only come in here because it has the best reception for the antenna. If it was up to me, I'd be outside."

I'm listening to him talk but I can't get over the way almost every time I see him, that one song he played on the organ gets stuck in my head. I wonder if he made it by his self since it's his practice song or is it something the reverend taught him? I want to say the reverend is who taught him all of these things.

"And that!" Don points at me and I jump. "That song you're always humming, my practice song?" He taps the radio in his lap softly. "You know what, come on." I stand up behind him and he grabs my hand. I almost trip from the way my knees went numb but he blames it on the millions of cords all over the room. "Be careful, Cyn." My eyes widen and my heart beats faster. Too much is happening all at once. I don't know how to take it.