Status: unfinished but I'm trying hard to do so! =D
Dressed up in Faded Costumes
However, Whenever, Cover
When I reached home, I was scared of what’d happen to me today. Uncle Richard hasn’t really been changing his ways, and mom’s talks with him don’t really make him listen even more. I went straight up to my room, avoiding Uncle Richard which was just in the kitchen if he wasn’t in his room or the living room.
I opened my laptop and went through my music library to find ‘Turn it Off’ by Paramore. I got my head phones and just listened to the instruments. In every song, I am very fond of how the bass sounds. It interests me in ways I can’t even explain. I found the song perfect to play on our first gig—whenever that might be. While I was searching for tabs online (www.ultimate-guitar.com), my phone rang and I answered it just like any other phone call; not knowing that this would be the phone call that would change my life forever.
“Hey,” Liam said.
“Hey.”
“You know what I was thinking?”
“No, not really,” I said partly laughing and stopping what I was doing.
“I want you to make a cover of a song,” he said.
“Why would you want me to make a cover?” I asked him, confused slightly now.
“I just want you to,” I could hear the smile in his voice. “I’ve known you for quite a while now, and I’ve just heard you sing earlier today.”
“Well, so have I.”
“And I know that you’re the kind of person who just wants to sing. I know this might sound so cheesy, but I don’t want you keeping your talent to yourself.”
“Wow, all of a sudden you’re like my conscience now; my psychologist!” I laughed.
“So you’ll make the cover?”
“However, whenever…” I said thinking about his suggestion.
“Michelle!” mom called out from downstairs.
“I have to go,” I told Liam.
“Make the cover,” he said.
I hung up the phone without another word and went downstairs to my mom. I found her in the living room rushing to find a scarf and her coat.
“I need you to watch over Lea for about an hour, okay?” she told me. “I have some important stuff I need to handle.”
She gave me a kiss on the forehead, and I told her to be careful of whatever she was up to. She said bye to Lea, and she left in a real hurry. And when I came to think of it, when I saw her face, it seemed worried; somehow sad.
I found Lea watching TV in the living room.
“Hey, Lea,” I said walking over to her. I sat down next to her.
“Where is mom going?” she asked me.
“Well, she has some errands to take care of.”
“Okay.”
“Would you like something? A snack, maybe?” I said walking to the kitchen to find at least Poptarts as a snack for us.
“Do we have cookies?” She asked, peeking over the couch and smiling.
“We’ll have to bake some,” I told her smiling just the same.
“Can we?” she asked.
I nodded my head and got the ingredients one by one in the cupboards and let Lea mix ‘em all. It was all Lea needed to feel satisfied of her day. She was smiling the whole time, and after the cookies were baked and were out of the oven, it felt as if it was some sort of stress-release for the both of us—although I’m pretty sure a 7 year-old girl wouldn’t have as much problems as me.
Lea took the first cookie after they’ve cooled a bit and I stored the rest into the cookie jar. When Lea was okay and satisfied, she went upstairs to her room and I went to check up on Uncle Richard in his room. He was sleeping even if it was about 5 in the afternoon. I walked to my room and kept the door open so I could Lea if she ever called out.
I was sitting in front of my laptop and searching for a song that I could listen to. I found “Hear you me” by Jimmy Eat World. It made me relax for at least a few minutes and it made me think of who I would probably sing it to someday. I know the thought was a bit, well, depressing, but it was what came to mind.
I decided to pick up my guitar and play it myself. And now that I was doing that, how far was I from making a cover of any song as Liam had suggested? It was just a matter of turning on the webcam. So I did. Of course, it wasn’t that easy making a cover of a song that wasn’t in my normal vocal range, but I still did it; and I don’t know why I didn’t choose another song.
I posted it on my facebook and tagged just my bestfriends—Maria, Leila and Liam. The start of the video was an introduction giving special mentions to the three of them. If it weren’t for them, I would never have done the cover, anyway.
In between the time I had finished posting up the video and sleeping; I just partly lied down on my bed and looked up at the bare ceiling. I was starting to miss my room with the glow-in-the-dark stars stuck up in the ceiling; the smell of the pine trees outside my house; grandmom and grandpop.
My grandparents were living with us in Minnesota simply because they were the kind of people who didn’t enjoy a house all to themselves. They were happy seeing people they loved living with them, and I adored them for that. Grandmom always compared me to cousins I’ve never met before who were living in other states. She never bragged of me in front of family in reunions, she always told me what to do, and in spite of all that, I loved her so much and if it wasn’t for her, I’d just be another spoiled brat. Now, my grandpop was who I looked up to. He was a sheriff in town and everybody knew him as the kind man who gives away free breakfast in the local diner when you’re just in time. :) More importantly, I saw him as the father I wished I had; cradling me to sleep when I couldn’t, telling me I’m better off than what they tell me, buying me stuff I never really asked for, and holding me whenever there was something wrong. My grandpop made every second in Minnesota worth missing; he was practically my father, I guess. I missed them so much and before I could even come right back into the bedroom where I was, I felt a tear roll down my face.
“What’s for dinner?” Lea said standing outside me door.
I was a bit startled and I looked at her and composed myself.
“What’d you like?” I asked her, smiling as I tried to temporarily block my thoughts to keep myself from tearing up in front of Lea.
We walked together downstairs where I saw Uncle Richard in the kitchen searching for probably food in the cupboards.
“Go to the living room, dearie. I’ll whip up some mac and cheese for you. That sound good?” I told her giving her a slight push on the back. I was scared that if Uncle Richard would suddenly snap and just felt like saying whatever he wanted, Lea would suddenly be in an unsafe position. I didn’t know if he was drunk or if he had a hangover, but better safe than sorry.
She nodded.
I walked into the kitchen, keeping my mouth shut and in a rush to get the instant mac n’ cheese packs in the cabinets. I wasn’t a really a good cook... so I go instant; being a pastry chef—much more like it.
“What’re you going to cook?” Uncle Richard asked me, weirdly calm and… sane.
“Uh, just some mac n’ cheese for Lea. Would you like some? I’m not hungry.”
“Sure, that’d be okay.” He answered trying to smile at me for the first time since I couldn’t remember.
I nodded at him smiling too, while I miss the times that he was like that tom me back then.
I saw my uncle walk to the living room and sit beside Lea and just seemed to smile sincerely at her. I went on to cook their food and when I was done, I placed it on the table and told Lea. All the while, Uncle Richard was quiet and practically problematic; almost the same expression as mom’s.
I went upstairs and thought, “What’s going on?”
I checked my laptop and I saw one like and one comment on the video. They were both from Liam. I smiled at his comment and at the same time gave out a sigh of “Should’ve known.”
His comment:
“I find ways. I’ve already posted it on YouTube. My account, tho.”
Annoyance is something that was worthless at the moment. I wanted people to know I could sing all my life; but sometimes an audience is something I could never face. I being bashful or having a lack of confidence was something I wanted to overpower since I knew I wanted to be performer someday.
At that moment, I decided I wouldn’t check Liam’s account on YouTube. I really didn’t want to see what comments people would leave me. Even if they disagree, it really wasn’t about seeing me do a cover; it was more of seeing me do what I love.
I opened my laptop and went through my music library to find ‘Turn it Off’ by Paramore. I got my head phones and just listened to the instruments. In every song, I am very fond of how the bass sounds. It interests me in ways I can’t even explain. I found the song perfect to play on our first gig—whenever that might be. While I was searching for tabs online (www.ultimate-guitar.com), my phone rang and I answered it just like any other phone call; not knowing that this would be the phone call that would change my life forever.
“Hey,” Liam said.
“Hey.”
“You know what I was thinking?”
“No, not really,” I said partly laughing and stopping what I was doing.
“I want you to make a cover of a song,” he said.
“Why would you want me to make a cover?” I asked him, confused slightly now.
“I just want you to,” I could hear the smile in his voice. “I’ve known you for quite a while now, and I’ve just heard you sing earlier today.”
“Well, so have I.”
“And I know that you’re the kind of person who just wants to sing. I know this might sound so cheesy, but I don’t want you keeping your talent to yourself.”
“Wow, all of a sudden you’re like my conscience now; my psychologist!” I laughed.
“So you’ll make the cover?”
“However, whenever…” I said thinking about his suggestion.
“Michelle!” mom called out from downstairs.
“I have to go,” I told Liam.
“Make the cover,” he said.
I hung up the phone without another word and went downstairs to my mom. I found her in the living room rushing to find a scarf and her coat.
“I need you to watch over Lea for about an hour, okay?” she told me. “I have some important stuff I need to handle.”
She gave me a kiss on the forehead, and I told her to be careful of whatever she was up to. She said bye to Lea, and she left in a real hurry. And when I came to think of it, when I saw her face, it seemed worried; somehow sad.
I found Lea watching TV in the living room.
“Hey, Lea,” I said walking over to her. I sat down next to her.
“Where is mom going?” she asked me.
“Well, she has some errands to take care of.”
“Okay.”
“Would you like something? A snack, maybe?” I said walking to the kitchen to find at least Poptarts as a snack for us.
“Do we have cookies?” She asked, peeking over the couch and smiling.
“We’ll have to bake some,” I told her smiling just the same.
“Can we?” she asked.
I nodded my head and got the ingredients one by one in the cupboards and let Lea mix ‘em all. It was all Lea needed to feel satisfied of her day. She was smiling the whole time, and after the cookies were baked and were out of the oven, it felt as if it was some sort of stress-release for the both of us—although I’m pretty sure a 7 year-old girl wouldn’t have as much problems as me.
Lea took the first cookie after they’ve cooled a bit and I stored the rest into the cookie jar. When Lea was okay and satisfied, she went upstairs to her room and I went to check up on Uncle Richard in his room. He was sleeping even if it was about 5 in the afternoon. I walked to my room and kept the door open so I could Lea if she ever called out.
I was sitting in front of my laptop and searching for a song that I could listen to. I found “Hear you me” by Jimmy Eat World. It made me relax for at least a few minutes and it made me think of who I would probably sing it to someday. I know the thought was a bit, well, depressing, but it was what came to mind.
I decided to pick up my guitar and play it myself. And now that I was doing that, how far was I from making a cover of any song as Liam had suggested? It was just a matter of turning on the webcam. So I did. Of course, it wasn’t that easy making a cover of a song that wasn’t in my normal vocal range, but I still did it; and I don’t know why I didn’t choose another song.
I posted it on my facebook and tagged just my bestfriends—Maria, Leila and Liam. The start of the video was an introduction giving special mentions to the three of them. If it weren’t for them, I would never have done the cover, anyway.
In between the time I had finished posting up the video and sleeping; I just partly lied down on my bed and looked up at the bare ceiling. I was starting to miss my room with the glow-in-the-dark stars stuck up in the ceiling; the smell of the pine trees outside my house; grandmom and grandpop.
My grandparents were living with us in Minnesota simply because they were the kind of people who didn’t enjoy a house all to themselves. They were happy seeing people they loved living with them, and I adored them for that. Grandmom always compared me to cousins I’ve never met before who were living in other states. She never bragged of me in front of family in reunions, she always told me what to do, and in spite of all that, I loved her so much and if it wasn’t for her, I’d just be another spoiled brat. Now, my grandpop was who I looked up to. He was a sheriff in town and everybody knew him as the kind man who gives away free breakfast in the local diner when you’re just in time. :) More importantly, I saw him as the father I wished I had; cradling me to sleep when I couldn’t, telling me I’m better off than what they tell me, buying me stuff I never really asked for, and holding me whenever there was something wrong. My grandpop made every second in Minnesota worth missing; he was practically my father, I guess. I missed them so much and before I could even come right back into the bedroom where I was, I felt a tear roll down my face.
“What’s for dinner?” Lea said standing outside me door.
I was a bit startled and I looked at her and composed myself.
“What’d you like?” I asked her, smiling as I tried to temporarily block my thoughts to keep myself from tearing up in front of Lea.
We walked together downstairs where I saw Uncle Richard in the kitchen searching for probably food in the cupboards.
“Go to the living room, dearie. I’ll whip up some mac and cheese for you. That sound good?” I told her giving her a slight push on the back. I was scared that if Uncle Richard would suddenly snap and just felt like saying whatever he wanted, Lea would suddenly be in an unsafe position. I didn’t know if he was drunk or if he had a hangover, but better safe than sorry.
She nodded.
I walked into the kitchen, keeping my mouth shut and in a rush to get the instant mac n’ cheese packs in the cabinets. I wasn’t a really a good cook... so I go instant; being a pastry chef—much more like it.
“What’re you going to cook?” Uncle Richard asked me, weirdly calm and… sane.
“Uh, just some mac n’ cheese for Lea. Would you like some? I’m not hungry.”
“Sure, that’d be okay.” He answered trying to smile at me for the first time since I couldn’t remember.
I nodded at him smiling too, while I miss the times that he was like that tom me back then.
I saw my uncle walk to the living room and sit beside Lea and just seemed to smile sincerely at her. I went on to cook their food and when I was done, I placed it on the table and told Lea. All the while, Uncle Richard was quiet and practically problematic; almost the same expression as mom’s.
I went upstairs and thought, “What’s going on?”
I checked my laptop and I saw one like and one comment on the video. They were both from Liam. I smiled at his comment and at the same time gave out a sigh of “Should’ve known.”
His comment:
“I find ways. I’ve already posted it on YouTube. My account, tho.”
Annoyance is something that was worthless at the moment. I wanted people to know I could sing all my life; but sometimes an audience is something I could never face. I being bashful or having a lack of confidence was something I wanted to overpower since I knew I wanted to be performer someday.
At that moment, I decided I wouldn’t check Liam’s account on YouTube. I really didn’t want to see what comments people would leave me. Even if they disagree, it really wasn’t about seeing me do a cover; it was more of seeing me do what I love.