Page 103 - Reason To Sing by Kelita Haverland

Chapter Sixteen

We haven’t been to church in a long time. Not since Daddy
died.
From our very first visit we find the people friendly and
welcoming. I discover that my friend Sandy also attends. We
go every Sunday and when Mom’s not well enough to come
along, Sandy’s family picks up Vian and me. Sandy has also
invited me to join the youth group and I’m meeting some really
great new kids.
My mother must have told someone, perhaps Pastor
Charles, that I really love to sing. I am instantly accepted into
the senior choir. There’s so much music at this church and I get
to sing a lot. Melody, one of the girls in the youth group, is a
talented piano player and we’ve already been practicing one of
my favourite Carole King songs, “You’ve Got a Friend.” We’re
going to be playing it for the whole church really soon.
And it gets even better. The director of the choir is married
to a very famous singer. Her name is Dorothy and she’s part
of the famous 1950s trio called “The McGuire Sisters.” She
has gold records for number one hits like “Sugartime” and
“Sincerely.” I remember seeing them on the Ed Sullivan Show
when I was really little. I get to sit beside her in choir because
we’re both in the alto section. She has the most beautiful long,
fingernails and her perfume reminds me of Aunt Lucille. I
think it’s called “Youth Dew” by Estee Lauder. I know it comes
in a pretty glass bottle with a little gold ribbon around the
middle. And you should see her wedding ring! It’s beautiful -
the biggest diamond I’ve ever seen!
Mrs. Williamson (that’s Dorothy) and her husband think
I have a lot of talent and are always encouraging me to keep
writing and singing. They even sent a cassette tape of me
singing the song I wrote after Daddy died to Murray Kane in
New York City. He’s their personal manager and vocal arranger.

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