CHAPTER NINETEEN

T HE regional competition was held in the RSL Club, one of the biggest on the coast with an auditorium that could hold a thousand people. It also had a large backstage area and dressing rooms for numerous performers.

Carol and Bonnie helped George unload the costumes onto a portable clothes trolley at the side entrance of the auditorium.

‘Bonnie, the more I think about it, the more I’m convinced Katharine needs to know the full story of her family,’ said Carol. ‘'That’s why you have to tell her about her father.’

‘Not that again. I told you, I can’t. It’s too sensitive.’

‘You can’t hide these things forever,’ said Carol. ‘Anyway, I’ve figured it out. The penny dropped when we were driving past the high school. Katharine will hate you when she finds out the truth.’

‘Finds out what?’ asked Katharine, who was wheeling the rack of costumes into the foyer with Sofia while George parked the car.

‘Umm, Carol is just being dramatic. She, she … sent tickets for the concert to Mum. She won’t come, of course.’

‘It’s just as well I had a spare ticket because Rob decided to come,’ said Sofia. ‘Valerie’s husband Paul is going to introduce him to Andrew Dumas, who decided at the last minute to open the competition.’

‘Oh my goodness.’ Carol turned to Katharine. ‘Andrew Dumas is the new Minister for Arts and Aging, and he was our art teacher in high school. We all thought he was so exotic, with his goatee and beret, didn’t we, Bonnie?’

‘Yeah, even though some of the kids called him Mr Dumb As,’ said Bonnie. ‘Pity he didn’t change his name when he went into politics.’

‘We have to talk,’ Carol whispered to Bonnie. ‘After the competition.’

Sofia wheeled the costumes to the change rooms, while Carol gave Katharine and Bonnie a guided tour of the club, which had been redesigned and extended to cater for the growing clientele of retirees and their families. There were now stunning views of the coast and the changes made the building cool in summer and warm in winter. The electricity was generated by massive solar roof panels, and water-saving devices had been installed.

Carol collected programs for the troupe members. There were twelve acts in the regional competition. The Tap Cats, slated for the second half, could watch the opening of the competition and the first few acts from the back of the auditorium.

‘We heard you have a new teacher,’ said one of the Jazzy Jezebels, who were also performing in the second half.

‘That’s our business,’ whispered Carol.

‘As long as you’re not cheating.’

‘We’re not.’

‘Whatever you do, I’m sure we’ll win again.’

The chairman of the club introduced Andrew Dumas, who joked that he was well equipped for his role as Minister for Arts and Aging, being both old and a former artist, before announcing funding for a local arts initiative. ‘I look forward to watching the performances and presenting the prizes,’ he finished.

People in the audience were starting to fidget when the first act appeared. It was a country and western duo, who warmed up the audience with their toe-tapping rendition of ‘The Ballad of Jed Clampett’.

Carol was sure they would have no chance at winning when the Wheelie Boys came on. They were a group of singers and comedians in wheelchairs who led the hall in a Fats Waller tune called ‘Old Grand Dad’. The harmonica player came next. He sang about his dog, which was supposed to sing along but ran into the audience halfway through the performance.

The chairman announced there would be an early afternoon tea while the dog was found.

Carol and Katharine were standing in the queue for tea and coffee when Paul and Rob approached them with the minister.

‘Minister, this is my wife’s friend, Carol,’ said Rob, ‘and this is –’

‘Bonnie?’ Andrew Dumas said.

‘No. I’m Katharine. I’m Bonnie’s daughter.’

‘My mistake … I knew Bonnie many years ago.’

‘You knew me too,’ said Carol.

‘Of course,’ said Dumas, looking confused. ‘You were at school with Bonnie. Is that an American accent, Katharine?’

‘It is. I was born in Australia, but I’ve lived in the States most of my life. I recently found out that Bonnie is my birth mother.’

Bonnie approached carrying a plateful of cakes.

‘Andrew!’ said Bonnie. A cake fell off her plate. ‘How nice to meet you again. Sorry to be rude, but we have to go backstage and help prepare for the performance, you know how it is. Come on Katharine, Carol.’

Bonnie led them through the foyer to the backstage where Valerie was waiting to help the group change into their costumes. Carol examined herself in the full-length mirrors and Emma applied additional make-up for the stage.

‘I’m getting nervouser and nervouser,’ said Maude.

‘Shouldn’t have eaten so much food.’ Alice headed for the toilet.

‘Why do you look so calm?’ Carol asked Sofia.

‘Because it doesn’t matter if we win. As long as we raise funds and enjoy ourselves, and we’ve already done that.’

When the audience settled down after the excitement of the dog chase, the performances recommenced.

‘Wish us luck,’ said the leader of the Jazzy Jezebels.

‘Luck,’ said Carol, hoping they would sing out of tune.

Right, this is it, she thought when the Tap Cats were given their cue. Please God, I know I shouldn’t ask for this, but please let us win. I’ll be good. I’ll bake more cakes and collect more clothes for charity stalls, just please let us win. Just this once. She kissed the cross her mother had given her and tucked it away.

The lights dimmed; the music started. Carol followed Alice and tapped onto the stage. The lights brightened and their costumes sparkled. First their white gloves and hatbands and the white spats on their tap shoes glowed, and then they appeared in glittering costumes to rousing applause. They formed a straight line. Each tap was crisp. The wooden floor of the stage resonated to their precise steps. They had never danced so well. They were like a glistening snake, moving as one, and tapping as one. Not one sound out of place.

They broke into two groups, one on either side of the stage. Carol and Sofia moved to centre stage for their challenge. First Carol, then Sofia. The audience clapped. Then Alice pushed aside the younger women and did a short solo. Maude joined her and they did their dance off.

The rest of the troupe picked up the steps Alice and Maude were doing and formed a V-pattern for their final set. When they finished, they danced off the stage, their colours slithering with their movement. A standing ovation followed.

Carol heard the clapping and whistling from the audience and was ecstatic. Thank you, God, she whispered.

‘That was exhilarating,’ said Sofia. ‘We all danced brilliantly.’

‘The audience reaction was incredible,’ puffed Maude.

‘You were wonderful,’ said Valerie and Katharine together.

The last act was the popular sports presenter from the local radio station and he received a standing ovation for his Elvis impersonation. The Tap Cats moved back onto the stage with the other performers to wait while the judges deliberated.

‘I thought we were the best performance,’ whispered Carol.

Andrew Dumas came on stage with the judges.

‘We have had a hard time deciding on a winner,’ he said. ‘The standard of the acts was so high that it is a shame to have only three places. But that’s the way it is.’

Carol held her breath.

‘So, to start. Third place went to Elvis the Pelvis.’

The audience cheered. Cameras flashed as the local identity accepted third prize.

‘Second place went to the Wheelie Boys, for their exuberant performance.’

The audience was standing and cheering. The group wheeled onto centre stage to accept their award.

‘And first place, first place was the hardest, but in many ways the most obvious.’

Carol heard the leader of the Jazzy Jezebels take a deep breath and prepare to move forward. The Minister held the tension. The audience stamped their feet and whistled.

‘First place goes to, goes to … Do you really want to know who won first place?’

‘Yes!’ the audience roared.

‘Okay, okay. First place goes to … drum roll … the Tap Cats.’

Carol jumped with excitement and tapped to the front of the stage with the rest of the troupe. Alice accepted the first prize from the minister on their behalf.

The foyer was a buzz of excitement and chatter when Carol and Sofia emerged after changing their costumes. Carol pushed through the crowd to find a drinks waiter and took a glass of sparkling wine for herself and Sofia.

‘To be honest, I’m more excited than I thought I’d be,’ Sofia said.

‘And so you should be,’ said Rob. ‘The minister was so impressed that he wants to host a luncheon for six representatives of the Tap Cats at Parliament House. He’s interested in your ideas for more initiatives involving seniors in the arts.’

‘That’s fantastic,’ said Carol.

‘He asked me to come as well, so we can talk about legal issues for the elderly,’ said Rob, who was relishing this role.

‘It’ll be hard to pick just six of us,’ said Sofia.

‘Of course, you will come,’ he said to Sofia. ‘And Carol, you always have good ideas. The minister thought Katharine would have suggestions from her experience in the States.’

‘And Valerie should come, given her role with the troupe,’ said Sofia.

‘That and her husband’s connections,’ agreed Rob. ‘I think it would also be politic to invite Maude.’

‘Alice should come. She’s the oldest member of the Tap Cats. That makes six,’ said Carol. She wondered how Bonnie would react to Katharine attending without her.

That evening when Sofia and Rob arrived home, Rob was particularly effusive about the day’s events.

‘Andrew Dumas was very impressed with your participation in the Tap Cats and your win at the regional competition. I’ve made a good connection with him. It means I’ll be spending more time in Brisbane, following up on leads. I think there might be opportunities for me to be involved in politics.’

‘You said you wanted to spend your time fishing and golfing when you retired. And you know I want to visit Greece with you.’

‘I do. But these opportunities don’t come along very often.’ Rob opened a bottle of red wine and poured himself a glass. Sofia indicated she didn’t want one. ‘Some of the men at the club reckon I’d be a shoo-in for a position on the council. Maybe even the next mayor.’

Sofia saw a shimmery line move across her vision. Rob’s face turned into a cubist painting, oscillating in the light. She peered through the image, straining to make the picture whole.

‘I don’t see what the Tap Cats have to do with that,’ she said.

‘Well, the seniors vote is an important block to attract,’ Rob continued. ‘And my colleagues are impressed with the publicity from the competition so far. Although, I’m a bit disappointed you haven’t had any media attention. You should take credit for what you’ve achieved.’

‘You know I didn’t want to get involved … and you were worried I’d make a fool of myself,’ mumbled Sofia.

She felt too fuzzy to talk further to Rob and decided to go to bed, leaving Rob to finish his wine and dessert.

Sofia was sitting in bed with the lights dimmed when her mother rang. While Sofia didn’t want to talk to anyone, she knew her mother would persist if she didn’t answer the phone.

‘Why do you have to make a spectacle of yourself at your age? Your father said it’s unseemly. What were you thinking, dancing on stage after that debacle when you were young?’

‘Mum, you and Dad are living in the dark ages. There’s no shame in being on the stage and many women older than you perform. You should try it one day.’

‘And what would your yiayia say?’ said Mrs Patras as a last resort, but this time it didn’t work.

Sofia’s yiayia had lived a hard life. She’d experienced a war and an earthquake and had looked after her family and then her husband’s family from a young age. Using basic implements she’d grown her own vegetables, cooked and cleaned for a house full of people. Having lived through the loss of her parents and the relocation of her only living son to Australia, she’d learnt to be resilient and flexible. Sofia kept in regular contact through letters and had seen how her yiayia’s views changed with the times. She wasn’t stuck in the old ways, not like Sofia’s mother who remembered Greece as it used to be and tried to raise her daughter as if they were still in the village of her own childhood.

‘She’s pleased for me,’ Sofia said.

‘What do you mean? Did you tell her?’

‘Yes, I translated the articles from the local paper and sent them to her,’ said Sofia.

‘Now you appreciate all that effort I put into making you learn to read and write Greek. Pity you didn’t thank me at the time.’

‘Mum, give it a rest.’

Recently, Yiayia’s letters had become shorter and her handwriting was large and shaky. Sofia wished she was visiting her this year, but the timing wasn’t right for Rob, and then there was her commitment to Tap Cats and that damned competition.

‘What does Rob think?’

‘He thinks it’s a good idea for me to get more publicity. Look, Mum, I have to go to sleep. Goodnight.’

COAST TIMES, 6 AUGUST 2013

TAP CATS TOP OF POPS

OUR VERY OWN TAP CATS WERE THE STARS OF the regional Senior Superstar competition. They blitzed the other performers with their resounding version of a forties tap dance, complete with a modern dance off.

‘I haven’t seen anything like it outside of the movies,’ said Minister Dumas, the Minister for Arts and Aging. He presented the first prize to Alice Da Silva, the oldest member of the Tap Cats.

‘It’s fantastic to have such recognition for us golden oldies,’ said Alice.

Minister Dumas also announced funding for a new arts project on the coast, which will be of great benefit to our aging population. He said he is interested in getting feedback from local people on other initiatives and has invited members of the Tap Cats to discuss ideas with him at Parliament House.

‘I am thrilled to have the opportunity to talk to the Minister,’ said Alice. ‘And I have never been inside Parliament House.’

See page 3 for more details of the placegetters, the other performers and how to win tickets for the finals of the Senior Superstar competition in Brisbane to be held on 16 October 2013.

MELISSA JONES