From the aboundant
Of the heart
The mouth speaks
Chapter 3
When they reached the big garage door, the guy pulled a silver key from his pocket. The
lock clicked open with a loud snap that made Tim jump. "This is where we rehearse," the guy said as they stepped into the dusty room that had barely enough light. He turned to Tim. "By the way, my name is Jax Stephen. And you are?"
"Tim… Tim Praise," he said. He tried
to sound brave, but his voice was a little wobbly. He watched Jax closely and
thought to himself, this guy is probably the band leader. Tim looked around the
garage. It was big enough to fit four cars. In one corner, old Tires were stacked in a tall pile. In the middle of the floor sat the metal frame of an old car. Even though there were old car parts everywhere, the floor was clean
and tidy.
"This place belonged to my dad," Jax told
him. "He moved away for a better job at an oil company and left the garage to me. I don't like fixing cars, even though I know how to, so I turned it into my music garage"
A music garage, Tim thought. He looked up and saw a big hole in the roof where the
sky peeked through. Jax was watching Tim's face. He could tell exactly what Tim was thinking. "Don't worry," Jax said with a little smile. "If it starts to rain, we just take a break!"
"Alright, Tim," Jax said. "Hope you don't
mind helping us bring our gears in?"
"No, I mean I don't!" Tim answered quickly,
he was a little nervous. However, was eager to help. He wanted to show them he was strong and useful so they would like him.
After they have brought all their gears
into the garage, Jax said "Okay, let's start putting everything together."
Tim helped them set up the instruments.
When they were finished, Jax introduced Tim to the rest of the band. First, there was Mary, Jax's sister. She was 20 years old and played the lead guitar. Then there was Martin, who was 22 and played the bass guitar. Finally, there was Paul; he was 21 and played the drums. Jax was 24 and he played the keyboard.
"Okay, Tim, the microphone is all yours,"
Jax said once everyone was introduced. "Let's see what you can do."
As soon as Tim stood in front of the microphone, his mouth felt as dry
as dust. A little shiver started in his chest and spread all the way down to his toes. "This is bad," he thought, trying hard to swallow the lump in his throat. He opened his mouth to let the music out—but nothing
happened. It was like his brain was a chalkboard and someone had suddenly
rubbed all the words away. A cold wave of fear washed over him. Oh no, I'm ruining everything, he told himself. He was glad the band was standing behind him so they couldn't see the anxiety on his face. But that didn't help him feel calm. He started to
worry, what if I was on a real stage with hundreds of people watching? Would
I just stand here like a statue? He felt small, lonely, and completely stuck.
Tim felt like he was drowning in the silence. He had to say something—anything—to hide how nervous he had become. Without turning around, he said, "Wha—what should I sing?"
"A song, obviously!" Martin teased.
"Maybe we shouldn't ask him to serve a song," Mary added,starting to giggle. "Get it? Because he's just a waiter!" She burst into loud laughter.
Paul and Martin joined in. The sound of their mocking voices felt like tiny stabs of ice in Tim's back. He felt his face get hot with shame.
"That's enough!" Jax snapped. His voice was like a thunderclap that silenced the room. "Stop acting like a bunch of mean monkeys."
He walked closer to Tim and spoke more softly. "Don't listen to them,Tim. Sing whatever you like."
Tim took a deep breath and squeezed his eyes shut. This was exactly what
he was afraid of—embarrassing himself in front of everyone. Don't be silly, he told himself, trying to be brave. Don't let your shaky nerves ruin this big chance. You can do this!
As he calmed his heart, he remembered the song he had practiced earlier: "Please Forgive Me" by Bryan Adams. He took one more breath, opened his mouth, and let the music fly.
Suddenly, his voice filled the whole garage. It was soft and beautiful, making everyone stop and listen. When he sang high, his voice sounded strong and powerful. When he sang low, it was so sad and sweet that it made your heart ache. He didn't miss a single note. He was in total control, and his voice sounded like magic until the very last word.
After Tim finished the last note, the room went completely silent. This silence made him feel even more nervous. He was terrified to turn around because he was sure they would have mean or disappointed looks on their faces. He kept his back to them, his heart thumping in his chest.
Finally, he heard a voice. It was Jax.
"Wow," Jax whispered. "That was... that was great."
Tim let out a huge sigh of relief. A happy smile spread across his face.
"I think you'll do just fine," Jax said with a nod.
"Yeah, man!" Martin shouted. "You sure do know how to let it out."
Tim felt something lift inside his chest. Excitement rushed through him. He wanted to jump, throw his hands in the air, and shout—but he held himself back and settled for a wide smile.
"You know," Paul said, stepping closer with a pleased grin, "I think he's even better than Roy."
Mary was still looking at Tim. She didn't say anything. Her eyes held a quiet admiration, as if she hadn't expected him to be that impressive.
Tim soon noticed that everyone had praised him—everyone except Mary. The encouragement from the others gave him confidence. Curious now, he turned and
caught her staring.
Mary froze, like she'd been caught doing something she shouldn't. She forced a smile, trying to hide her embarrassment. "Th-that was really nice," she said, the words tumbling out.
"Thanks," Tim replied, smiling back. "I'm glad you all liked it."
"Liked it?" Martin exclaimed. "We loved it! It was smoooooth—real smooth."
Jax stepped forward. "Well, Tim, you've proven yourself. We'd be glad to
have you as our new lead vocalist. Right, guys?"
"Yeah!" the others said together.
Tim felt a rush of joy. "Wow… I don't even know what to say."
"Just keep singing the way you did," Jax said. "That'll be enough."
"I'll try," Tim said.
"Good," Jax replied. He walked to his keyboard, picked up a few papers, and returned. "These are the songs we'll rehearse. I hope you learn fast—we've
got a gig in two days. That gives you today and tomorrow."