A DREAM TO FULFILL!
Charlie Sammuels isn’t
your ordinary teenage boy who is passionate for football. Instead, he loves
ballet. Charlie and his sister, lily always danced together. Lily had cancer
yet, she danced with him everyday. Like she always said “dance can solve all
your problems. It is the cure to diseases and the joy to your sadnesses. If you
do not dance everyday, you aren’t living life to its fullest.” well, that’s
what she used to say until she left. Before that she held his hand and said
“promise me that no matter what happen, you will always dance. Join the school
team like we dreamed of, become a star and go to broadway!” “i promise Lily, i
promise!” he wrapped his warm hands around her cold body.
He cried for months. His
eyes became red and the tears burst forth like water from a dam, spilling down
his face, but he stuck to his promise and never stopped dancing. In fact, he
was practising all summer for the school tryouts.
ON THE DAY OF TRYOUTS!
Charlie at first was
very excited. He was already wearing his favourite black and blue ballet
costume. He bounced, he pounced, he squealed and he ran. As his grin got wider,
everyone around him started to smile. Even his grumpy neighbour! It was as if
he was bursting with liquid sunshine from within.
Later, he realised that
he had boiled the kettle already for the fourth time that morning. He had taken
another quick glance at the digital clock of the oven, only to confirm that
time was slowing down, his stomach knotted up.
After reaching school,
Charlie sat in the hallway, waiting for the results. Charlie rocked back and
forth on the plastic chair, not noticing how small it was for him. He choked
down the rising bile and consciously flexed his hand. As he looked around he
could sense the presence of his sister.
At last, Miss Gilbert
came running with the results. Although nervous, charlie was confident. Barging
through the crowd, he took a quick glance at the sheet. He did not see his
name. So he looked at it carefully, still no sight of his name. Charlie was
devastated, he could feel his eyes ready to burst out, without any shame as if
no one were around. Miss Gilbert announced “there is one more spot left for any
girl who wants to join.” Charlie wiped his tears and walked up to her, hoping
he could re-audition. He asked her “good morning. I was looking through the
list and I did not see my name. Did I do something wrong in my audition? It
must have been my turns. No! My kicks. Maybe my-” “Master Charlie!” Miss
Gilbert replied. “I’ll re-audition. Im sorry. Please!” Charlie continued. Miss
Gilbert shouted “i’m sorry Charlie but boys can’t dance. Go do something man
like…..football for example! For this team we need the best. In a few weeks
Cassandara Brooke will come to view the team to see if we are fit for the world
cup and we cannot have any boys mess it up.” “but-” Charlie tried to speak.
“Have i made myself clear?” she asked in a strict tone. “Yes!” Charlie answered
in disappointment.
Throughout the night he
tossed and turned. A long lasting haze of sleep sat somewhere at the back of
his mind but was too far to reach. He tried to make himself fall asleep but he
couldn’t. He kept thinking about how he needed that spot and how dance made him
feel ‘when i dance with the wind and no care for where my feet land or when i
twirl, i feel freedom. Any step i take is the right step and any turn is
perfection. It’s not rules that creates order, it’s a happy kind of chaos that
does.’ Thinking about this Charlie was not ready to disappoint his sister and
give up on his promise yet.
Finally Charlie
remembered about a book he read, from that he thought about the most perfect
plan and was going to start work as soon as the sun came out.
First thing in the
morning, Charlie takes his mother’s laptop and forges a note to the principal
saying:
Dear Mr Degrasso,
Charlie will not be
attending school for a while because of the loss this family had. I hope you
understand. Also, my niece, Natalie has just moved from chicago. She lives with
us and is hoping to start school today and join the dance team. She looks alot
like Charlie so you may get confused.
Along with Charlie, I
also want to take a break so please do not respond to this message as I will
not open them.
Thank you!
- Carol
After Charlie’s mom left
for work, he took a few of his sisters clothes and put them on.
Afterwards, he snuck out
some of his mom’s makeup and put it on. This part was easy. His mom was a
makeup artist. Hence, she would always bring someone home and dress them
up. As a child, he loved watching this and became an expert himself.
Putting the wig on was
the hard part. He could never understand where the clips would go. Therefore,
after many tries he decided to skip that part and be Natalie with short hair.
His plan was perfectly
thought out and well executed. No one realised that he was Charlie. Afterall,
Charlie always did consider them ‘dull witted.’
Charlie never got
caught.
Until his mom stomped
in, shouting “Charlie why are your sisters clothes in your cupboard? I had told
you to pack all of them for donation so that we could help out a poor kid who
needs these!”
Charlie calmly replied
as if he didn’t need them which he didn’t. From now on he only needed his ballet
costume, for full day practise until show day.
After a few days,
Charlie’s mom received a mail from the principal saying…..
Dear Miss Norberry,
I hope you and your
family are doing well and took the rest you guys needed.
Your niece is lovely and
is a beautiful dancer!
I was hoping to know
when Charlie will be coming back to school.
Charlie’s mom was
confused. Slowly her confusion turned into anger. She ran into Charlie’s room
in frustration “Charlie, what is this? You sent a mail to the principal telling
him that you aren’t going to school! Then where have you been?” “no, mom. It’s
not like that.” Charlie replied. “Then why are you missing school? And who is
my niece?”
Charlie kept quiet. “ Charlie Sammuels, if you
do not answer me right now, YOU’RE GROUNDED!” “mom please. You don’t
understand!” said Charlie. “Then make me understand!” his mom cried. “okay!”
Charlie yelled. “Just sit down, please.”
Charlie explained why he
did what he did…..
“Charlie, why didn’t you
tell me. I would have given that teacher a piece of my mind! I can’t believe
you did this all for your sister. I’m so proud of you!” she hugged Charlie.
Later she tells him “we
can’t keep this a secret, we will have to tell the teachers who you are soon
and tomorrow is the show!” charlie nodded.
On show day
Charlie was very
excited, but he kept thinking about what his mom said. He knew he had to tell
the teachers some day.
He was very excited
about the show. Although, he wished his sister could watch him finally fulfill
his dream. But he wasn’t nervous at all as he imagined his sister standing
beside him, holding his hand.
After a magical
performance, the audience applaud for Charlie. Going backstage, his face
started to burn, not remembering that he faked being a girl, he started to
remove all his makeup. Miss Gilbert standing right around the corner saw him.
She was furious. “I thought i told you that you can’t join the team! You
disobeyed me!” “but, but… i was the lead dancer, you thought i was goo-” “don’t
even complete the word! All boys are bad at dancing.” Miss Gilbert exclaimed.
Little did she know that her mike was on. The audience were shocked “nonsense”
and “horrible” everyone bellowed. Ms Brooke scurried to the back stage. “Uh-
Miss Gilbert your mike is on!” “really? oh, that’s so unfortunate!” Miss
Gilbert tried to smile, as if she didn’t just humiliate herself in front of the
worlds best dancer and an auditorium full of people. “Whatever you just
said is unacceptable. This boy is amazing. He dances with a passion that brings
every performance to life. I’m sorry Ms Gilbert but if you don’t let this boy
be on the team then you and your dance crew will not be accepted to dance this
year at the world 78th international dance world cup.” Miss Gilbert could not
say no. After all, her team had never got an opportunity as well deserved as
this. Charlie was finally accepted onto the team. As for all the other boys who
loved dancing, got into the team after Charlies actions. He had set an example
for other kids, he taught people to follow their dreams and to never give up.
He became a role model just like his sister always wanted him to be……
Charlie lay under a sky
of midnight velvet. Matte coal black uncontrollably covered in millions of
bright specks. He looked up at the stars. As the light twinkled, Charlie
searched for the brightest star “I miss you every single day and it’s been very
hard. But you were right, dance fixes everything. I got into the team! I wish
you were here with me but you aren’t. I will always continue dancing and will
do you proud.” Charlie smiled.
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