Silentious (Summit Middle School)

by Shannon Freeman

  like a little bit of heaven. She still couldn’t

  believe she was here, at Emma’s house. She never thought it was possible—not in her

  world anyway.

  Mai started singing. She loved to sing

  in the shower. She wrote a lot of songs. She

  also liked pop songs on the radio. She was

  sad when she finished. She always wanted

  to sing more. When she left the bathroom,

  Emma and Carson rushed her.

  “Was that the radio?” Carson demanded. “I told you, Carson. I don’t have a radio

  in there. Was that from your phone?” Emma

  asked.

  “Y’all are silly,” Mai said, thinking that

  her friends were playing.

  “No, seriously, Mai. Who was that?” “It was just me singing. What’s the big

  deal?”

  The girls let her words sink in.

  “The big deal is that you sound amazing,” Carson declared.

  “I didn’t even know you could sing.

  We’ve been in school together for years. You

  never sing,” Emma told her. “You’re not even

  in choir.”

  “I don’t like that formal stuff. I write my

  own music. I sing when I’m alone.”

  “Well, let’s do this. I’m about to be a

  back-up dancer,” Carson said, jumping up on

  the hearth.

  “Ooh, that sounds fun,” Emma said. “I

  have some moves too.”

  By the time the night was done, they had

  created a whole routine. They stayed up way

  past their bedtime. None of them wanted the

  night to end. But they knew it was time to

  get some sleep. Time would fly. Then there

  would be breakfast. And their parents would

  arrive to pick them up.

  Mai lay in bed, soaking up the whole

  experience.

  Will I ever be able to do anything like this again? Am I a good singer? What would Father say if I wanted a boyfriend?

  Her mind raced as she lay beside her two friends, who were sleeping. Before she knew it, the excitement caught up to her. Her mind and body relaxed. This was definitely the best day ever. She yawned once more and drifted off into the best sleep she’d ever had.

  Chapter 4

  An Interesting Proposal

  On Monday, the weather in Texsun City was gloomy. Blue skies were replaced with gray rain clouds. Lightning crashed and thunder roared.

  “The only place I want to be is in my bed,” Emma complained, meeting up with her friends.

  “We are under a severe storm watch. At least we don’t have to run in PE,” Carson added.

  Emma let out a giant sneeze.

  “It must be the truth!” Carson said. “What?” Mai asked, befuddled.

  “You know. When someone sneezes

  after you say something, they say that it must be the truth.” “I’ve never heard that before,” Mai admitted.

  Students began running into the school’s main entrance, soaked from head to toe.

  “We made it just in time!” Emma said.

  They slowly strolled the hallway, prolonging the inevitable. When the warning bell rang, they knew they had to hurry.

  “Look. In weather like this, all tardies are excused,” Emma said. She made a mad dash for the restroom before their vice principal saw her. He was always there, moving kids down the hallway. Carson and Mai followed.

  There were other girls in the restroom. The three friends snooped.

  “We are definitely entering the talent show,” a girl said, looking into the mirror. She was flawless. But probably high-maintenance.

  “What are we going to do for talent?” her friend asked.

  “We could do a fashion show. We look good.” Those girls left for class. Carson, Mai, and Emma were alone.

  Carson instantly checked the stalls for stragglers. “Clear! So, are you thinking what I’m thinking?” Carson said with a twinkle in her eye.

  Emma looked around to get some sort of clue as to what Carson was talking about. “You have to use the restroom?” Emma asked.

  Carson shook her head mischievously.

  “We are going to get in trouble for skipping class?” Mai asked her.

  Carson shook her head again.

  “Spit it out, Carson. We’re already late,” Mai said.

  “We’re going to be in the talent show.” Carson had a huge smile on her face.

  “No, no, no, no, and no,” Mai said, getting as far away from her as possible.

  “Mai! Don’t you walk out that door,” Carson warned her.

  “Later, Carson. You are trying to get me killed. I’m not doing it.”

  “But you are so talented.”

  “But I am so going to class,” Mai said, making her way out of the restroom.

  “Don’t worry. She’ll change her mind,” Emma said. Emma was with Carson on this one. The talent show was a must!

  Mai’s mind was clouded. Did she have the guts to sing in front of the entire school? Her heart began to race as if she was about to go on stage. Then it started to race even more at the thought of her father finding out. Singing was a useless activity to him.

  Mai could hear him now. A good beginning always has a good ending. Schoolwork! That is where you begin. He loved that saying, which made Mai hate it. I can’t be who he wants me to be. I can never live up to his standards.

  “Mai, are you with us?” she heard Mrs. Smith asking.

  “Um, yes, ma’am.” She tried to focus.

  She knew she had to pay attention if she

  wanted to pass Friday’s test. Stupid talent

  show, she thought.

  Mai walked down the hallway, heading

  to lunch. Students were spirited as they made

  their way to the cafeteria. Each was probably

  happy to get a little down time. The schedules

  at Summit were rigorous. She could hear kids

  talking about the talent show. She didn’t want

  to let her friends down, but it was a bad idea. “I already know …” Carson’s voice

  trailed off as Mai sat down at the table. She quickly snatched up the sheet of paper that

  she had been studying with Emma.

  “You know what?” Mai asked, confused. “Nothing! Shoot. You nosy.”

  Carson was hiding something. She wasn’t

  slick about it. Mai knew that she would come

  clean at some point. She wasn’t good at keeping things in. “Emma?” Mai said. But Emma

  shook her head, as if to say leave me out of

  this. “Look, I’m not doing the talent show if

  that’s what you two are plotting.”

  “Mai, come on. I have a great idea,” she

  sung the words, trying to bait her friend. “You

  know I get my acting on, right? Well, so does

  Emma. We are about to act out the song that

  you wrote. That one about betrayal is slamming! Plus, we get new iPads if we win. Top

  that!”

  “Plus, three hundred in cash,” Emma

  added. “Plus, it will be so fun!”

  “iPad, iPad!” her friends chanted. “I don’t like y’all,” Mai said, rolling

  her eyes.

  “Yeah, because you love us!” Carson

  exclaimed.

  “Is that a yes?” Emma asked.

  “It’s an ‘I’ll think about it.’ Good

  enough?”

  “Good enough,” they said in unison.

  Chapter 5

  Celebrate!

  It was a festive time in the Pham house with the Vietnamese New Year, or Tet, quickly approaching. Their relatives from surrounding cities were set to arrive. Fireworks were purchased. There was a long list of chores that needed to be completed before the Tet celebration.
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br />   Tet was the most important holiday in their culture. Houses were methodically cleaned. Business accounts were settled. Homes were decorated with flowers and budding saplings. Everyone bought new clothes.

  The Phams would have liked to spend the New Year in Vietnam. But this year it wasn’t happening. Their family business was booming. Mai’s father could not get away from his tough work schedule. Plus, her grandparents lived in Texsun City. They wouldn’t even consider leaving them behind.

  Tet was a time to honor the older generations, especially those who had passed away. When her grandparents were younger, they would all take the long trip to Vietnam together. As they got older, it became harder. Now the entire family gathered in Texsun City for the festivities. It was like a little piece of Vietnam when everyone came together. No matter where they celebrated Tet, family came first.

  “Hey, do you think we could do another sleepover soon?” Carson asked Mai. Mai instantly became annoyed. She had barely pulledoff the first sleepover. There was no way she was ready to revisit that topic. “I can’t. We are preparing for Tet.”

  “What’s Tet?” Emma asked her curiously. “We’re off from school every year for Tet. You seriously don’t know what it is?” Emma shrugged her shoulders. “A day

  off is a day off. Who am I to question it?” “Well, Tet is like New Year’s Day,

  Christmas, your birthday, Easter, Thanksgiving, and the Fourth of July all wrapped up in

  one.”

  “Whoa, are there presents involved?” “Yeah. But it’s mostly money. You get

  lots of money stuffed in red envelopes. Your

  aunts, uncles, and grandparents put a red

  envelope in your hand every time you turn a

  corner.”

  “How much do you get?” Emma asked. “It depends on your family. The most I ever got was a thousand dollars. But I know people who have received five thousand. I’m

  sure the older I get, the more I’ll receive.” “I want to celebrate Tet too,” Emma said

  excitedly. “Can we come?”

  “It doesn’t work like that. I’ve never had

  anybody over for Tet. It’s very sacred. In Vietnam we would celebrate for an entire month.

  In the States, the work culture is different.

  Father can only close the business for one

  day. Our family starts the celebration tonight.

  It lasts through Monday. This is a very special

  time for us. There’s no way Father would let

  me have guests.”

  “Okay, okay, Mai. I was just asking.” “That sounds so fun!” Carson told her. “You just celebrated Christmas. And it

  seemed like you both had a wonderful time

  with your families. This is our time.”

  Mai rushed home after school. The scent of Tet was in the air. “Lan, Lan!” she yelled. She searched for her little sister. Lan was nowhere to be found.

  Mai could hear the cleaning crew finishing upstairs. There was no way her family could prepare the food and ready their home for so many guests. The decorations still had to be put up.

  Hundreds of red fireworks were arranged in the courtyard. Fireworks were lucky. They would ensure the new year would be prosperous. Their mother managed everything. She supervised the making of the dragon costume that Mai’s younger cousins would wear. They would dance as the fireworks went off.

  There was still a long list of things for Mai to do. She joined her mother, who was already working in the kitchen. Mai put on her apron and jumped right in without being asked. She took over where her mother left off, cutting the vegetables for the spring rolls. Her mom started rolling herbs and vegetables in rice paper. She made it seem effortless.

  “What time is everyone coming over?” Mai asked her mother.

  “We told them six o’clock. But you

  know your grandparents will be here long

  before that.”

  “Yeah! I can’t wait to see everybody.

  Where is Lan? I can’t believe she’s not down

  here.”

  “She left with your cousins. They should

  be back soon.”

  You could hear Lan before you could see

  her. It sounded like a bunch of chirping birds

  entered the house. Lan was more than happy

  to be spending time with their cousins. It was

  so much better than prepping for the party. Mai ran to the door. She was thrilled

  to see everyone. She hugged them tightly.

  It wasn’t like she never saw her cousins.

  But it wasn’t as often as it should be. Their schedules were tight. Education was just as important in their homes. There was always something to do. That left little time for them

  to be together.

  “Cara!” Mai screamed as her older

  cousin entered. She had been away at Texas

  A&M. This was the first time she’d seen her

  since the summer. She was everything to Mai.

  Cara was her idol.

  “Mai!” Cara was just as excited to see

  her little cousin. She embraced her with a

  tight hug. Then Cara joined her aunt in the

  kitchen to help prepare dinner.

  It was a family-filled night of food and

  fun. They spoke softly about their ancestors. Then they ate, drank tropical juices,

  and played games. Everyone stayed as long

  as they could keep their eyes opened. It was

  tradition to go all night. And there was more

  fun to come.

  Mai sat in the room with her many cousins, both younger and older. When they all got together, they always wished that they could live like this all the time. They were comfortable with each other. There was nothing to explain. They had the same customs, followed the same doctrines, and lived by the

  same code.

  The adults were in the another room,

  enjoying the holiday festivities. Mai found it

  a perfect opportunity to get advice from her

  older cousins. They had been through everything she was now going through.

  “Okay, so my friends want me to be in

  the school talent show.”

  “What are you going to do? I think Uncle

  would not be okay with that,” Cara told her. “Yeah, it’s complicated. It’s like Father

  doesn’t want me to have any friends, any fun,

  or go anywhere.”

  Cara sympathized with her younger

  cousin. She had been raised the same way. But she was in college now. She didn’t have to live by her parents’ strict rules anymore. “Well, you know it’s going to be that way for a while, right? Does he have to know about

  the talent show?”

  “Well, no. I guess not,” reasoned Mai.

  “Father really scares me, though. What would

  he do if he found out?”

  Cara’s younger sister, Tam, chimed in. “I

  wouldn’t do it.” Tam was in high school. She

  knew that getting caughtwasn’t worth it. “It’s

  easy for you to say go against Uncle because

  you live on your own now. We still have to

  follow the rules, even if they are outdated.” “It’s a school function,” one of her other

  cousins reminded them. “It’s not like she’s

  going to a dance club. It’s no big deal.” There was a heated debate over whether or

  not she should disobey her father and perform

  with her girls—including one specific girl he

  didn’t want her being around. Cara was in the go-for-it camp. Tam was in the no-way camp.

  The other cousins picked sides.

  “Let’s hear the song. Then we can tell

  you if it’s worth it. If you are about to get up

  in front of the whole school, then it better be

  worth getting into
trouble over.”

  She began to sing a song she wrote

  called “Betrayal.” Her voice filled the room.

  One by one, her cousins stopped talking and

  focused on Mai. Her eyes were closed. She

  was in the moment, sounding older than her

  twelve years.

  She sang the last verse: “Why? Why?

  We were together since conception, and you

  turned away. What happened to our friendship? Why’d you go astray? I’m asking why?

  Why?”

  She opened her eyes. Her cousins looked

  at her in awe. Then they erupted in applause.

  They were shocked. Amazed. Everyone

  spoke at once.

  “Mai, what the heck?”

  “How long have you been singing? And

  writing?”

  “That was the bomb.”

  “No way. Did you just lip-synch that?” “I don’t know,” she said shyly. She didn’t

  know which question to answer first. And she

  was a little embarrassed. She morphed back

  into shy Mai. Not the shockingly talented

  diva she had been moments before.

  “Do the talent show,” Cara declared. “Little cousin, you have changed

  my mind,” Tam said, giving her a nod of

  approval. “You have to do the talent show.

  That was epic. You can’t keep all that hidden

  from the world. Uncle will get over it. Has he

  ever heard you sing?”

  “Yeah, but he always tells me to focus on

  school. He says to stop dreaming about singing because it’s a waste.”

  “Well, he may be right. But I have a feeling you can focus on both and be just fine,” Cara said, encouraging her to follow her talent. See where it leads.

  Monday was the final day of the celebration. It was bittersweet because it was the last day they would all be together until next year.

  After that last big meal, Mai stood in their circular driveway. She said goodbye to her cousins. Tears stained her face as she wished them farewell. Her cousins gave her their blessing and reminded her to call them. They wanted her to do the talent show. What would her decision be? She promised she would be in touch. Lan was right by her side and slipped her hand into Mai’s.

  “It’s okay, Mai. At least we have each other.”

  Mai gave her hand a little squeeze. They walked back up the pathway to their house. The new year had begun for them. It had been a time for reflection, a time for family togetherness, and a time for new beginnings.