Chapter 14 – The Immortal Watches Her Little One Perform (The Recital)

It is finally the fateful day.

Jiminie is about to perform for his recital and we were invited. He gave me the ticket one evening, while I was fetching him from school. We were by the convenience store and I was watching Jiminie wolf down the food that he had bought; when he took out a ticket from his bag.

"Here you go, Alice," he said. "It's a ticket for my recital."

The ticket design was an art piece. With a pastel watercolour background, the information of the recital was printed with bold letters and black ink. Thanking him, I took the ticket and kept it in my wallet. There was a week left till the recital and Jiminie was as busy as ever.

"I can't wait to see you perform," I said.

"Yeah, I'm excited!"

I mimicked his smile. This would be the first time I will be watching him perform, and though I was excited, I was curious as to how he would look when he performs. He did not inform me of how the performance will be, and what costume he would be wearing. He has been keeping everything a secret from me.

"I've been practising very hard! I want to make you proud of me," he announced.

I broke into a fond smile. "I already am proud of you, Jiminie," I reminded.

He burst into giggles.

.

On the day of the recital -

I woke up bright and early, feeling excited about today. It was the day of his recital and I cannot wait to see him perform. After many years, I will finally be able to watch him dance his craft. With a little smile on my face, I switched on soft music as I stepped into the shower.

After the shower, I did my skincare routine before stepping out of the bathroom to the walk-in wardrobe. Mulling over what to wear, I picked out a safe outfit; a pair of denims, a black shirt and a branded belt. Accessories were next; bracelets, necklaces, rings and a branded watch. I stepped in front of the full-length mirror.

I might need to trim my hair.

Applying a thin layer of make-up, I chose a crossbody bag that matched my attire and filled it up with the necessary items. Slinging the bag over my shoulder, I headed downstairs and picked out a matching coat, bulky shades and put on a pair of black heels.

Time to go.

The recital was held at the Arts Centre inside the University. As soon as I showed the student usher my ticket, I was directed towards the Arts Centre and there were plenty of helpful signage that were placed along the sheltered walkway so none of the guests were lost.

I haven't been to this part of the University, as I had always parked at the side entrance. The Arts Centre looked futuristic with its glass facade and it towered over a mile away. There were other guests who were making their way towards the building, so I knew I was on the right path.

The performance was held at the third floor, and the ground floor looked like any building lobby - high ceilings with glass walls that allowed natural sunlight to filter through. The lift lobby was situated on the left hand side of the building, and I waited until I got one.

Walking out of the lift on the third floor, my heels sank underneath the carpeted flooring and I was ushered towards the performing theatre on the right. Climbing up a few wooden steps where the doors were jammed open to allow guests to enter and leave anytime they wished.

The theatre opened up as I stepped inside, earning a sound of wonder as I looked around. There were two floors and I was on the first floor. Seeing that we had free seating, I took a seat at the middle portion where I knew I would be able to watch Jiminie comfortably.

"You're here early."

I looked up when I heard the familiar voice and broke into a smile when I saw Jaemin hovering by the side. He was here already. I inched backwards to allow him to slide into the chair next to me. I was bored, using my phone to scroll through some social media feeds as I waited for the performance to start.

"I was bored."

"Or you're just nervous to see him dance for the first time."

"Shut it."

"When will he perform?"

"The second act."

He gave me a pitying look. "… do you want some coffee?"

"Sure."

After he came back with two cups, he sat down next to me and we fell into a comfortable silence. The recital has yet to start, we were early by twenty minutes as I wanted a good seat to watch my little one comfortably. We stood out like a sore thumb; two immortals amidst the mortals.

Not that they knew.

"How is everything?" I asked, sipping the hot coffee carefully. "Are your two favourite humans doing well?"

"They're dating," he said. "They have a very solid relationship after pining for each other for years. It was hilarious but aggravating to be the middleman. Eventually, I brought them together so I could finally be in peace. They've been dating for over a year now."

"You're joking," I said.

"No, I'm not," he said. "Then, what about you?"

"What about me?"

"Will you ever address the emotions you've been hiding for the past twenty years?"

I let out a breath. "Has it been that long already?" I asked in wonder.

"Fuck you, don't avoid my question."

"I don't think I ever will," I said softly, staring down at the swirling brown liquid. "I want him to live. As a human."

"I see the way he looks at you," he mumbled almost bitterly. "Don't you know what you mean to him?"

"I fucking do," I replied. "I can't do that to him."

"You didn't even give him a choice."

"I'm almost neck – deep already," I muttered flatly. "It's too late."

Our thoughts were interrupted when two emcees came up onto the stage to announce that the performance would begin soon. Five more minutes, and they would want the guests to start taking their seats before the first act began. Jaemin showed me the brochure that he had gotten, and I saw the duration of each act.

"The second act will start twenty minutes after the first act begins."

I nod.

The first act was beautiful. That was what I could come up with, despite my many years of living in this world and my vast knowledge of words were limited in describing how majestically profound the performance was. It was too beautiful that I was not able to hold myself. Even Jaemin was impressed by the performance.

It was a pairing; with a dancer to a violinist.

It was breathtakingly painful, mesmerising and it portrayed a story that allows the audience to marvel over. Each soul with their own version of the story it wanted to portray, each with their own life to live and each with their own conclusion based on their perspectives.

A raucous round of applause and then I straightened when I saw Jiminie coming up onto the stage. He scans the sitting area – sees me there and bursts into a grin that gripped my heart in a tight grip. I knew I was in deep trouble ever since he gave me that smile twenty years ago, and I find myself smiling in return. Jaemin saw that exchange and rolled his eyes, muttering about angst between two oblivious people.

I was so proud of him.

I took a video of him dancing, and the performance itself was out of this world. I was blown away. I was pleased. Happy. Excited. Accompanied by a violinist, he displayed his skill in his movements – controlled, precise and some were elegant. His face showed the emotions that he wanted to express – painting a beautiful masterpiece. It was thanks to the years of practice and dedication that enabled him to move his body in such beautiful ways.

"Oh, good lord," I muttered under my breath as his performance ended and I tried to clap as normally as I could. My dead heart was squeezing itself. It was a weird feeling. A strange emotion. Jaemin snickered next to me, as I was spiralling into despair at how majestic and splendid Jiminie was. He was enjoying my misery too much.

"Are you joining us for dinner later?" I asked, after I could find my voice.

"Yeah," he said. "Where though?"

"I haven't asked him yet," I said.

"You're whipped."

"Shut your trap," I complained as I got up. "Let's get out of here."

"Aren't you going to watch the rest of the performances?"

"I'll die first."

"But you're dead."

I sighed.

.