Myrna Opray

         Crouched in the back seat of the car I peeked out. Only to see that the tall man wearing the weird hat was still there. He was walking around the house searching for something, someone, me. He looked over at the navy blue van I was hiding in as if he could hear me thinking but then he looked away.

          If only he hadn't followed me home, if only I wasn't who I was, if only I could go back in time and stop myself from going to the opera that beautiful autumn day. It was so long ago yet, I could remember it perfectly.

         I had been watching Carman like a normal audience member until the lady playing Carman, who I did not know, called me up to the stage. I walked cautiously up there, as slowly as possible, and stood next to the famous opera singer, Myrna Opray.

         She looks at me straight in the eyes and whispers, "Lina, I am your mother." Then, as if that wasn't good enough, she faces the crowd and yells, "Lina I am your mother!"

         It's true that I didn't have a mother, but for the famous opera singer Myrna Opray to say she was my mother, my long lost mother, the one I'd wanted my whole life, impossible. The audience gasped and I stared at Myrna with wide eyes. She looks at me and says, "I'll prove it."

         That was the night that changed my life after my mother showed me my birth certificate with her name on it. The only bad thing about finding my mother was that I was famous and the paparazzi were annoying, and dangerous. Also, I found out someone was out to get me and this someone was tall and always wore a weird hat.

         The tall man was still looking for me. I wished he would go away already, my legs were starting to cramp up. The tall man, who I decided to call Mr. Giraffe, was walking towards our front door. He had shoulder length pitch black hair and big feet. I watched him pick the lock and open the door. As he stepped inside I thought this is good, it's my chance to escape! I slowly open the car door and tiptoe down my drive way. I stop and listen to see if I can hear anything but I don't look back. The only sounds I heard were a few birds singing and a squirrel chattering at me.

         I tiptoe down the sidewalk towards the opera house where I first met my mother. I speed up to a jog and then a sprint. When I arrive at the Pentali Opera House I look at the grand doors just waiting for me to open them. I look around to see if there are any people around and then I start singing the sad song that my mother had sung that time, so long ago, when she revealed she had a child. I had my mother's voice. The kind that carries well and sounds like an angel but my voice still needed training. I had known the words ever since I'd met her and I'd sang them enough to know them by heart.

         Suddenly, when I was singing my favorite part, I heard a voice say, "Lina, I've always known you've had my voice. It's beautiful. But what are you doing here?" It was my mother's voice. I stop singing and look at my mother. Then I burst into tears and run to her giving her a big, tearful hug.

         "There was this man," I say,"a tall man with a weird hat and big feet. He was searching for me, he was going to hurt me. So I hid in the car but then he went inside the house, so I ran away. He's probably going to steal everything."

         I look up at my mother who smiles and says, "Lina, that man was my manager, he was looking for you so that we could have dinner. He is kind of scary looking but he's a very nice guy."

         "Mommy," I say, looking her straight in the eye, "don't you ever leave me by myself again." Then I start singing my favorite part of the sad song. My mother looks at me and joins in and our two angelic voices rang out for all to hear.