The Concert

                 The Concert

Amid the noise of the excited schoolchildren, she got out her phone and saw there was a text awaiting her. “We are here too, in carriage one”. Getting up from her seat she weaved her way through to the front carriage and there were Julie and Sandy . Greetings all round , gossip catch up and then arrival at the terminus. There was a decision as to whether to take the lift or the stairs up to street level, but determined to prove their fitness the stairs were taken.

On arriving at the venue they spotted the organiser of the group, Deidre, scouring the crowds for them. Smile on her face when she saw them, “Well at least three of you have made it”, she said. Just at that moment Judy turned up from the other direction. “Okay, lets go in, I think the other two will be late, so we may as well go and get a seat”' Deidre said steering them into the beautiful old building.

More stairs were climbed to get them up to their seats on the second level. As the entrance was free there were lots of people of a similar age to them puffing their way up the stairs. Deidre, on the look out for a good spot saw a line of vacant seats in the fourth row up and the gang obediently traipsed in behind her. Bags were put down, comments on the good view were made, phones switched off or turned to silent and the organ music was anticipated. Texts between Deidre and the late comers were coming and going until eventually Paula arrived and plonked herself down in the saved seat.

After a long preamble from the foreign organist the music started. The programme had informed them that there were no well known pieces, that the composers were names they had never heard of, but no matter. This was part of their New Years Resolution. This group of friends who had been meeting on Wednesdays for nearly 40 years had decided that they would do some different things to enliven their Wednesday lunches, not every week, but on average once every six weeks.

As the concert started the last of the group still hadn't arrived but a text stated that she was on her way. The first piece although unknown was pretty and while listening Vivi was transported back to boarding school in England where concerts were part of the de rigeur of school life. They had all filed into the big unfriendly school hall, poured into seats, giggling, chatting to their friends. Sometimes the concerts had been bearable, especially if it had been a good looking young pianist. The music was nearly always piano music. However sometimes they had been extremely tedious, with what had seemed to these young girls, old women with dyed hair, huge glasses, exaggerated hand movements playing interminably long pieces of music. Woe betide the girls if they clapped after a movement, not waiting until the end of the piece, for they had been severely instructed by Miss Radcliffe, the head of music as to when to clap.

Across the aisle from them there was a group of people with disabilities and their carers. Vivi thought to herself how good it was that a free concert like this was being made available to everyone. One of the carers was having a bit of trouble with one of her charges, but dealing with her so calmly and patiently that was admirable in itself. Not for the first time, Vivi thought to herself, “How do they do it”.

After the first piece the music was rather unforgettable . Deidre whispered to her that she had no idea that organ music could be so loud and also so soft. The contrast was quite remarkable. Watching the organist was fascinating as he manipulated about seven keyboards with unfailing ease. Vivi returned the whisper saying, “ I don't know how he does it, I couldn't even play one keyboard properly on the piano”.

During the penultimate piece, a great rustling disturbed them. On looking up they say a man with several plastic bags coming down from the top row, eventually making his way to the exit with the help of the usher. However, this was not to be the end of him as he suddenly appeared at ground level walking up the side aisle and stopping at the stage looking at the organist. They could see that the usher had his eye on him . As he started to move even closer to the stage he disappeared outside, returning in a couple of minutes. This pantomime certainly entertained them through a never ending piece of music for another usher appeared at ground level, gently escorting the man out through the exit doors.

Turning her head back to the organist, Vivi's eyes noticed two people sitting in front of their friends Paula and Julie. No, it couldn't be, but then why not she supposed. A free outing and organ music at the same time would just suit him. Elbowing Deidre, she pointed to him. Diedre raised her eyebrows questioningly, mouthing “Who”? “Leon and Lisa” she mouthed back. . Doing a double take, Deidre looked again in astonishment. “My goodness he has aged” she whispered. “I haven't seen him for ages. His hair is really white now. “ I then turned saying to Sandy, “That's Leon and Lisa just in front of Paula”. The Chinese whisper went along the row with looks of amazement and eyebrows being raised at her.

When the music finished, clapping over, the organist no longer on the stage, I turned to Deidre saying , “I do not want to go past them on the way out, lets wait a bit”.

Her mind drifted back to past times , but she pulled her thoughts back to the present, to this eclectic group of women that had been her friends for so long. Their friendship had been forged through their sons all going to the same catholic primary school, standing in the cold on the touch line at football matches, sitting in deck chairs at cricket matches, partying in each others houses but more importantly always being there for each other.

As Vivi looked down the line of her friends, all patiently waiting to leave until she wanted to, she felt quite moved that once again they had come to her support . “They are not leaving, damn”. She looked at Deidre for help. “Right”, Deidre said, “ No problem, we can go out the other exit door that no one seems to be using, then we won't have to go past them. Deidre led the way, Vivi following, the others obediently behind her. Some strange looks were thrown their way as they opened the other exit door, but no usher came to stop them, so they presumed it was allowed.

On opening the door they were presented with a rather steep set of concrete stairs. Looking back, mindful of the fact that Paula had just had a knee replacement and that Julia was just about to have one, she asked, “Is everyone ok to go out this way. Complete assent was given and the loyal band, in some cases, rather painfully, started to descend the stairs, which seemed to go on and on and on. Signs showing exit to the street encouraged them to keep on clambering down until eventually they reached a big set of double doors made of what looked like steel. Vivi determined to get them all out in one piece, pushed hard on the doors, which eventually gave way. She was greeted by a worker in construction gear saying to her, “ You can't come out here Mrs, this is a construction site, no pedestrians allowed”. “But we are trapped and don't know another way out” she said feebly. “Sorry”, he replied, You can't come out here.”

Deidre, as always saw the funny side of this, she started to laugh. Her laugh was always infectious, so the rest of them joined in. Julia, the observant and practical one amongst them , but also the one about to undergo a knee replacement, said with courage, “Well we will just have to climb up again.”

Vivi felt awful that she was making them all do this just because of her desire not to confront Leon and Lisa. However, this good humoured group were not to be daunted by a few concrete steps and the climb back up commenced. “Yes, there it is”, Julia announced, “I thought I saw a door on the way down by which we might be able to get back into the town hall.”. “Hoorah” was the cry that went up from them all.

Luckily the door opened , this time following Julia they weaved their way through the back blocks of the hall, through meeting rooms, lunch rooms, store rooms, with no idea where they were going, but hoping they may at last be able to get out. “A lift” shouted Sandy, “that should take us up to ground level surely”. Piling into the rather tiny lift, laughing and squashing up against each other, Sandy pressed the 'G' button which they hoped would take them somewhere!

The lift moved, thank heavens, and within a minute it had stopped, the door opened and they found themselves looking at a rather serious young man with glasses who could not believe his eyes to see six ladies of indeterminate age saying to him, “Please can you help us, we are lost and just want to get out”! He stammered back, “This lift is a bit unreliable, I'm glad you didn't get stuck”. He was greeted with guffaws of laughter at this remark, so hurried on saying, “Yes, I can show you the way out”. Playing follow the leader again, the women were taken through more back rooms until they came to a door which led them outside to the back of the hall. Thanking him profusely, they shrieked with more laughter, glad to find themselves uninjured, still able to walk, not arrested, and in the fresh air under the beautiful blue Australian sky.

Wondering what had happened to the seventh member of their group, Sally, they hurried around to the front of the building and found her there waiting with two other people they knew. “Where have you been?” she exclaimed, “ We have been waiting out the front for ages”. Deidre immediately burst into paroxyms of giggles which alerted Sally to the fact that there was a story here.

As they all walked to the central market, one of the largest undercover fresh produce markets in the southern hemisphere buzzing with life and colour all the year round, they were all trying to tell the story to Sally.

Vivi hung back a bit and watched them all bursting with eagerness to recount their adventure. She thought to herself, “How lucky am I. These women, no matter what, support each other, look out for each other and most importantly know how to laugh”. Her past experiences with Leon seem to fade into insignificance compared to the friendship of these loyal and terrific life companions.