The incident with Orin dissolved in the admonishment rendered by Nora, allowing llhaesa to avoid an off-air, pre-programme exchange with the at times cantankerous performance judge.
The judges retired thereafter to their respective ready rooms, preparing for the actual broadcast. At ten minutes before the hour, a staffer knocked on llhaesa’s door, ending her call home and her chat with Jahrae and the girls.
“Ms T’yaeli, you are on air in ten minutes,” the young man advised as she opened the door.
“Thank you, Norman. I will be right out.”
Llhaesa checked her clothing and hair one final time. She wore black slacks with a sapphire coloured, loose fitting tunic, the top with minimal sleeves and a Nehru collar, well suited to concealing signs of pregnancy.
For her feet, llhaesa choose sandals with a two-inch heel, some part of her snickering over how she would tower over the short Orin Wellinger. For her hair, llhaesa chose to wear it up, with some shocks of hair falling loosely across her forehead and face. With a thick head of naturally inclined to curl hair, the effect suited llhaesa’s mood.
Llhaesa ducked into the small restroom to pee, given she would be on air for ninety minutes.
This need attended to, she left her ready room and headed for the programme marshalling point, where she was to walk onstage after the programme’s host, David Parkinson, introduced her to the audience. Llhaesa, as guest judge, would go out after the other three judges.
Nora Albertson went first at David’s stretched out and boisterous call, the audience giving her a nice ovation, followed by Orin, who received a mix of applause and boos, and Annie, who was widely cheered. Llhaesa readied, awaiting her imminent call.
David prepared for the final judge introduction, an introduction over which he felt more than a twinge of nervousness. This was no ordinary entertainer or guest; to David, llhaesa was a package of the best in their business by far, a woman whose beauty uncontrollably and involuntarily warmed his body every time he encountered her during the past week. Somehow, it seemed irrelevant that llhaesa found her attraction in women.
In addition to these things, to David, llhaesa was someone of astute intellect and of great advocacy for rights, and he admired her, along with just a bit of a crush, like no other. David feared llhaesa would remember him for all the wrong reasons if he screwed her introduction up.
Hesitating just a second, he drew a deep breath and proceeded with the introduction. “Lastly, we have a special guest judge, one who spent the past week mentoring and coaching our contestants, the results of which you will witness tonight. Please welcome the incomparable Arrhazonan, llhaesa ahrella t’yaeli!”
The large projection screen that occupied the back of the performing stage split apart as David called out her name. Llhaesa casually but confidently walked out onstage, stealthily remarking “nice work with the intro” to the thrilled and enamoured David as she passed by, descended four stairs and crossed the open space between judges bench and stage.
Llhaesa sat on the right hand side of the judge’s panel, leaving her last to remark after each contestant’s performance. Orin sat just to her right, likely the producer’s way of anticipating a clash of opinions, which they undoubtedly believed made for compelling television.
Taking her seat, David stood at the edge of the stage, ready to ask her about the contestants. “Llhaesa, you worked with each of the nine remaining contestants, any observations you wish to share up front?”
“Hello David! I will only say that they were a great group to work with, and that they rallied to each other in support of a team concept.
While this is an individual competition, musicians must work with many others to make their productions worth viewing. They work with other musicians, with those who see to the placement of their instruments and in some cases tune the instruments, with those who work the stage, with arrangers and producers, and a myriad of other staffers who all play a role in the finished product the public sees.
I like seeing they can work well with others, and treat each person with the same dignity and respect with which they wish others to treat them as artists. This team excelled in that regard.
Musically, they are all professional, quick studies, most of who took my suggestions to heart and worked at the changes.
If we notice a difference tonight, and I believe we will, it will not be because of my efforts, it is because of their efforts.
I wish everyone to know this. I challenged them two days ago, asking them to report here for practise yesterday at 6 am. I made it clear that no one practised until each one of them was here. I arrived at 5:30; they were all here by 5:45.”
Orin looked at her in amazement. “You were here at 5:30 in the morning? Are you daft?”
“Actually, Orin, I am dedicated to my profession, and understand what it takes to achieve as a musician. I wished to emphasise and encourage each on this team to appreciate the importance of others, as well as their own effort in the success they wish to achieve via music.”
“And you demonstrate this by being at work at 5:30?”
“In the one week I had to work with them, yes, at 5:30 in the morning.”
“Do you really believe you made a difference with the contestants?”
“No, I believe I encouraged them to make a difference with themselves.”
David interrupted by remarking, “OK, much as we all would love to hear both of you debate, we have to get on with the show.”
David went on to introduce Santos; observing, llhaesa leaned back in her chair, striking a smilingly casual pose, in part encouraging the noticing Santos to relax. He was a nervous one, unsure of himself in front of a large audience, yet also someone with a powerful voice.
Santos chose a reflective song, and it was obvious he incorporated the whole of llhaesa’s suggestions into the arrangement. He started tentatively, but as the song progressed, Santos concentrated on llhaesa’s suggestions and found them working; as a result, his confidence soared.
The audience roared its approval as he finished, and the judges each began to render their brief comments. Orin praised Santos’ effort, as llhaesa breathed a sigh of relief. It was now her turn and llhaesa complemented the young man for an excellent performance.
Happy with the remarks, David briefly chatted before cutting to a commercial break. During the break, Orin leaned over to llhaesa and complemented her on her work. “I was wrong; even with one performer, you did make a difference.”
Kamaria and Ryan sang next, both doing their typical competent work. Llhaesa could do little with either, they were talented but also headstrong and determined to do it their way, so she backed off and let them do things as they wished. The reviews were ok but not glowing; both could have done more.
Another commercial break ensued, and Orin voiced what llhaesa knew, that she had not done much with the last two contestants.
“That is correct, Orin. Both wished to do things there way, and really did not agree with the direction I gave them. It was their choice, but they both did well, and both are talented.”
Dylan followed, but made the grievous error of forgetting a line of lyrics, though he professionally covered it up. It was not lost on the judges, or on llhaesa. “I am sorry, Dylan. You did well excepting the glossed over chant part. You all are under a huge amount of pressure in this competition, but ultimately you will be on stage performing upwards of thirty songs for an audience, trying to convey the emotion you feel within you.
If you forget lyrics, you leave the audience feeling that the words and meaning are unimportant, and only something to memorise. Sing from your heart; hold the words in your heart. If you cannot do this with a particular song, do not choose to perform that song.”
David wandered over to Dylan, remarking as he shook his head slightly, his face framing a look pain. “Ouch, that hurts – admonished by llhaesa. Do you have anything you wish to say to llhaesa?”
“Only that she is right, and I learned a valuable lesson tonight.”
David turned away from Dylan and toward the camera. “We will be back after these messages.”
Llhaesa felt badly, but she strongly believed in what she just shared with Dylan. With a week to practise one song, forgetting words was not acceptable for an entertainer. She sat there and pushed the regret away, now aware that Alex was up next, her thoughts shifting to hope Alex would blow through the note that gave him difficulty.
David started speaking, signalling their renewed on air presence. “Please welcome our fifth contestant, Alex Fromeyer!”
Alex walked out and paused shortly before starting into the ballad he chose to perform for the week, working through the song in perfect fashion. Llhaesa held her breath as Alex approached the word ‘angel’, the point where he had to stretch out the first syllable and hold the note that gave him so much trouble.
“She was the aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan-gellll of my liiiiiiiiiife, ahhhhaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan-gellllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll” Alex paused and sang the last three words softly and in a higher range of his voice “Of. My. Liiiiiiiahiiiiahiiife.”
Llhaesa first let out her held breath, quickly embracing a feeling of triumph as Alex exceeded even her expectations. Rising to her feet, she clapped furiously, nodding slightly to Alex in the process, signalling a job well done.
After the loud round of applause, the crowd quieted as llhaesa sat back down, and one by one the judges praised Alex’ performance, with Orin citing Alex’ ‘growth as a musician’. Llhaesa was last, and called out, “Alex, you worked so hard to get that note, and you blew me away. You exceeded what you did in practise, you exceeded what I expected, and you were brilliant!”
David walked over to engage in his usual post judgement conversation with the contestant, asking Alex what he practised on with llhaesa.
“I was quite frustrated trying to sing a particular note; my voice broke when I tried. I asked llhaesa, and she showed me a technique to stretch my voice out so I could hold the note. She taught all of us the importance of breathing properly, and working with her advice, taking it to heart, I managed to hit the note.
As I approached the song end, I felt so good, felt in a groove, I decided to gamble and push further than I went in practise, and it worked.”
“It did, bro, it did! David replied. “Next up are Courtney Walsh and Lauren Somerset, after the break.”
During the break, Nora walked over to the opposite side of the table and congratulated llhaesa. “What you did with Alex is remarkable. I never would have thought him capable of what he just did. Well done, llhaesa!”
“Thank you, but it is all their effort, really. I just share what I know with them, and let them work it out.”
Courtney chose to rock, playing an electric guitar to enhance her performance. With a bluesy voice, she mesmerised the audience with cutting vocals and strong guitar play.
Nora and Annie praised her performance, both expressing surprise over the guitar play, but Orin trashed the performance claiming Courtney “screeched through the entirety of the song, and what is more, you were off key in several spots. Your guitar play was out of sync with your vocals, and the arrangement was horrible.”
Llhaesa turned toward Orin, not at all pleased with the bizarre and off base commentary. “Orin, perhaps you were in the men’s room doing Goddess knows what when Courtney performed, so let me share with you what she just did on stage.”
The audience roared its approval of llhaesa’s brazen rebuttal, well aware that Orin remained in his seat through the entire performance.
“She started in her low range, with power. She moved through her middle range and on into the high, both with power, all of it on key. She played guitar such that I would have no qualms about her playing onstage with me.
As for the arrangement, she worked at that for three days, and in my opinion, she took a rather monochrome song and added a full range of colour.
Turning her comments to Courtney, llhaesa remarked, “Courtney, that was wonderful, and if you ever wish me to guest-play in a concert you give, you give me a call, I will be happy to make the appearance!”
Courtney could not be heard in the raving of the audience, but those paying attention could see her mouth the words ‘thank you’ to llhaesa.
After the break, Lauren and Chelsea played and turned in good performances, enough to survive another week, though their play was not of the level of Alex, Courtney, and Santos.
Last to perform was Kendra, and llhaesa instinctively knew this would be the performance of the night; she could feel it through the entirety of her being.
“Ladies and gentlemen, our last contestant of the night; please give it up for Kendra Canton!” David finished his intro and scurried to stage side, there to watch the performance.
Kendra walked out on stage, winking at llhaesa in the process, a subtle move that llhaesa easily detected given her total focus on the young musician. Llhaesa silently chanted Aailhra, sending energy to Kendra that she hold tight to her talent and confidence.
The song choice was a huge gamble, one llhaesa would have discouraged with any of the other contestants, but after seeing and pulling out Kendra’s latent talent, she knew Kendra was likely the first contestant that could take on such a timeless classic, the definitive song by one of the country’s greatest historical musical icons.
The song varied in tempo from verse to refrain, the notes falling across a wide range, while the lyrics were not easy to sing even using a lower amount of power. Kendra challenged herself to take the song beyond expected limits, all while knowing there were almost continuous places she could trip up.
After the first verse, llhaesa knew. She knew Kendra was everything she believed, and she could tell the audience was now coming to terms with the reality of what they watched. With one song, the competitive balance of the programme shifted.
By the end of the first refrain, widespread applause was evident, though it died away quickly as Kendra continued relentlessly onward, her voice going places no one thought she could take it.
Now feeling her newfound confidence guide her, Kendra walked off the stage and stood a metre from the judges table and right in front of Orin. Kendra looked deep into the eyes of the person who continually doubted her ability, to the point where the judge grew uncomfortable and turned his head slightly away.
Kendra would have none of this head shifting; she smoothly stepped to her left and got right back in Orin’s line of sight, calling out by her song the judge who so tormented her through the first several weeks.
Reaching the end of her one hundred forty second performance, the audience thought Kendra began to hold a note in a traditional finish. Instead, she took it higher and higher, before abruptly cutting it off, simultaneously thrusting her arm through a winding but ultimately downward arc, finishing by slamming her fist on the judges table directly in front of Orin.
The enthusiastic audience took a minute of frantic waving by David to quiet down, and once he had the noise reduced to a level sufficient to speak, encouraged Nora to share her thoughts. “You know what, David? I am deferring to llhaesa; hers is the only opinion that counts in this moment!”
“Annie?”
“I have to agree with Nora, that…was the best performance by a contestant ever on this programme, but I too defer to llhaesa.”
“Well, I am not deferring to anyone,” Orin began. “Kendra, you act like llhaesa is some sort of goddess, but I can unequivocally assure you she is all woman!”
The audience roared, realising Orin’s mistake in blurting out the unintended double entendre, one David immediately pounced upon. The other three judges, including llhaesa, where laughing uproariously over the comment, and all three left their seats to stand behind Orin, egging each other onward in their laughter. Nora pointed toward llhaesa and yelled out, “yup, she is ALL WOMAN all right!
Orin, is that the most inane thing you have ever said on this programme? Have you been sitting there, drooling over llhaesa all night?
I hope he kept his hands to himself, llhaesa.” Looking toward the audience and to the camera just to its front, Nora answered her own question. “On second thought, I know you behaved and did not get frisky with llhaesa, Orin, because otherwise in the middle of a performance you would have gone flying and landed in the audience ten metres from here.”
The audience grasped her meaning and laughed, aware that llhaesa would prove quite a formidable and menacing presence if angered or pawed over.
David tried to bring things back under control. “Llhaesa, setting aside the roving hands topic, what is your take on Kendra’s performance?”
Llhaesa jumped back in her seat, while Nora and Annie reacted and returned to their seats. “Kendra, do you believe me now?” llhaesa asked, to which Kendra replied, “yes,” as a tear slid down her face.
They went to a break immediately thereafter, with David guiding the in-tears Kendra off the stage.
Returning from the break for a wrap up of the programme, David gave particulars on the voting process, and then asked llhaesa for her final thoughts.
“The contestants were a joy to work with, and a joy to watch perform tonight. To all, it has been my pleasure to work with you, and best wishes with your careers. If you ever wish my assistance, you should feel free to call me any time.”
Llhaesa turned her chair to face Orin before continuing. “Now Orin, while I am indeed ‘all woman’, my wife – she of the middle name ‘T’srha’ which in Arrhazonan means ‘goddess of light’ – is often referred to as a goddess. What is more, she has a rather strong and well documented track record – just ask our former Chief of Government – so if I were you…” llhaesa lowered her voice in a way that was just loud enough for the microphones to hear the remaining two words, while she exaggeratedly winked at Orin. “…I’d behave.”
The audience laughed at the remark, and uncharacteristically, Orin blushed profusely.
“Tomorrow night, one of our contestants goes home, and…llhaesa sings!” David hurriedly called out, frantic to end the programme on time. With that, the programme went off air.
The following night’s broadcast was of only a half hour, with llhaesa scheduled to perform mid-programme. Llhaesa chose to utilise both grand piano and electric guitar in her performance.
With the lighting focused only upon llhaesa and the guitar, she sat on the edge of the stage, playing slowly, but with complexity, the extended notes feeling as a powerful lament or yearning, conveying a mood that enthralled and enraptured everyone. At one point, llhaesa played the guitar such that the strings clearly enunciated ‘Jahrae, I miss you’, but the crowd did not cheer, it just listened, awestruck and absorbed in the work of a musician without peer.
After three minutes of guitar play, the lights went dark; nothing was visible on or around the stage. Within seconds, the stage flooded with light as llhaesa sat at the piano and played the second part of the all-instrumental song, the piano sealing the yearning yet reflective mood, calling out the love of one for another in a story told only with musical notes.
Four thousand kilometres away, Jahrae lost her vision to tears, her mind instantly translating llhaesa’s music-rendered words.
Llhaesa played with feeling, her piano play driven by the limitless engine of her soul, baring her emotion to the observing millions, right along with her usual incredible work with the keyboard.
Finishing, the audience took to its feet, making it impossible for anyone to speak. For three minutes they cheered, refusing to quiet until David shouted out that llhaesa would play one more song. This was an on stage improvisation in the show and not on the programme schedule, but it was the only way to quiet those in attendance.
This time, llhaesa chose to start with only vocals, standing alone onstage, the lighting such that she was only visible from the waist up due to her wearing black slacks and a white top. She sang with her head down, playing off the mood of the previous song, but as she sang, llhaesa toyed with the audience in a very subtle way, so slowly raising her gaze that it was imperceptible to anyone watching.
Along with the subtle physical change, the song slightly shifted along with it, slowly growing in projected confidence and happiness. Suddenly, the stage lights burst with a flood of illumination, just in time to catch llhaesa back flip twice to a perfect landing alongside her piano, while sliding in to play.
She followed this by using the keyboard to show every magical bit of talent at her disposal. No one could remain seated; the entirety of the audience took to its feet and clapped to keep time, as if at an old-fashioned church revival, enthralled by a song with strong gospel overtones, minus any specific religiosity.
Llhaesa kicked the piano bench away, stepped back a metre, and did an in-air in-place somersault, coming out of it to hit the last low note as she fell into a perfect landing. Had the audience been silent, the note would have reverberated for at least ten seconds. Instead, their cheering once again overwhelmed, except this time llhaesa bowed twice and then promptly walked off the stage. She waited for the audience to quiet before returning to her seat to await the announcement of who was leaving the programme.
Retaking her seat, David called to her, “llhaesa, are you certain you are four months pregnant?”
Everyone laughed, for all watching were thinking the same thing. Orin looked at llhaesa with a look that was part awe and part unbelieving, turning to the contestants to warn, “Don’t even consider emulating her! Llhaesa, never in my life have I witnessed a performance like that, and I doubt I ever will again – unless I am watching you perform. You are truly out of this world.”
Llhaesa blushed, so much so that Jahrae, watching at home, could see her face redden, and she planned to tease ‘essa on this the following day.
The sad portion of the programme followed, with Dylan cast away by the voting public, but he seemed surprisingly happy; it was impossible for the contestants to feel unhappy after watching llhaesa, no matter what subsequently occurred.
The more astute amongst them knew the real importance of the prior week in terms of their careers, and llhaesa’s performance only served to reinforce that point.
