The Pussycat and the Butterfly - Part 5

PART FIVE

It was a miracle. Alasdair woke up in the morning feeling great. His mum took his temperature and he was back to normal. She was his biggest fan and gave the OK to his going back outside and to going to today’s audition.

His adrenalin was pumping through his veins as he looked in the mirror and prepared his part. He imagined Arabella’s wings, placed perfectly on his head. He imagined his stride over to the audition room. His fellows watching in awe as he passed them by. His line recited perfectly in front of the judges. This was going to be a doddle. He just knew it.

He heard a flicker at the window. She was back as she said she would be. It was 7 o’clock in the morning and the sun was beginning to rise.

“Good morning Alasdair”, she said with a great big smile. “Are you ready?”

He was.

He took himself outside to greet her properly. The audition was at 9 o’clock and they had plenty of time to have breakfast and go over some deep breathing exercises that Arabella taught him to calm any nerves that no doubt were to arise. He was to breath in deep into his tummy for four seconds, hold for five seconds and then breath out as loudly as possible for six seconds and he was to do this four times and four times only. It took some time for him to get it right and he felt a little dizzy, but finally he managed it and he felt very chuffed for himself. 

“Ok, we have the breathing right, now say your line”

Alasdair breathed in, puffed out his chest and in the most elaborate way he could manage, he gave his line.

“Your Overconfidence is Your Weakness” he bellowed.

“WOOOOOW!” Arabella responded “That is just perfect. You don’t even have to practise anymore. Do it exactly like that and you’ll get the part”.

“Why, thank you” came the reply. “But Arabella. What if I can’t do it? What if they take one look at me and think I’m not handsome enough. What if my nerves play up and I can’t give the line. What if my throat closes up and I can’t breathe properly. Can you come into the room with me? Please!!” He pleaded.

“Alasdair, you know they won’t allow that. You don’t need me. You can do this. You know you can. You are handsome enough. And if your nerves play up do your breathing exercises and you’ll be just fine”.

“But what if I can’t do it?” Alasdair was on the verge of tears now at the thought.

Arabella had an idea. She laid herself on top of his head and opened up her wings. She was very small in comparison and so light that he could barely feel her.  There was no way her wings would span to cover over his little folded ears, but the very act was all that Alasdair needed to calm him down. He couldn’t see her but he imagined the picture he drew of them both. Where Arabella was his crowning glory. Where his stump like bumps became the finest, most glamorous looking ears ever to grace the earth. 

“I’ll stay here whilst you need me Alasdair, but you mustn’t talk to me or everyone will see me. Do you understand?”.

He did. He was ready. He was going to come alive in this audition and show them exactly who Luke Skywalker really was.