“Blue Velvet”
Listen to “The Blue Rose Dining Room”
Candlelight and soft music filled The Blue Rose Dining Room as a tuxedoed server showed Jim and Bonnie to a table for two. The setting was perfect; now it was up to Jim….
Several tables away Bonnie saw Ken and Cheri with Nick and Carol. Across the crowded room, Carol gave Bonnie a knowing look as Bonnie remembered Carol’s words, “You can be so sure of him.” Now Bonnie thought, If only you knew, Carol, just how uncertain I really am just now.
“What would you like, Bonnie?” It was Jim’s voice that broke into her thoughts.
“Oh.” She looked up, half-startled, first at Jim and then at the server who stood ready to take their order.
When the food was served to them, Jim bowed his head and asked a blessing on the food before they ate. That was another thing about Jim—he was a Christian, the best kind, and not ashamed of it. As far as Bonnie was concerned, that made everything complete.
The conversation naturally drifted to the Talent Festival, to what had happened and what might happen. For the past six years Jim had taken part in the Festival, but this was the first time he had made it to the chosen five. Until now he had been relatively calm; now his intense excitement showed through.
“Oh, Bonnie!” he breathed. “Would it be possible that I, James Gordon Barker, could win a cup tonight?”
“Of course it is,” she answered sweetly. “If anybody could, you can, Jim.”
He sighed. “Oh, if only!”
“By the way,” she asked, “what’s in the crystal cup this year?”
“It’s a neat prize,” he answered. “A full year’s music lessons on any instrument from any teacher anywhere in the United States, Canada, and Europe!”
“Oh, boy!” exclaimed Bonnie. “That’s not a bad deal! And you’ll have just one year with Professor Waldo before college, too.”
“Well,” Jim hesitated, “I’m not so sure.”
“What do you mean,” asked Bonnie, sensing the seriousness in his voice, “that you’re not so sure?”
“Bonnie,” he began, “I didn’t want to tell you this before—I’ll be in Austria next year.”
“Austria!” Her fork stopped in mid-air. “Next year?”
“You see,” he explained, “Professor Waldo thinks I’m good enough to go to the Bogenhaden Academy—it’s a sort of junior college—and by about Christmas of next year I should be ready for the Music Conservatory at the University of Vienna—so he says.”
“But that means you won’t be able to graduate with our class, then.”
“I know,” he said. “I’ll just get my diploma, and then it’s back to the books. But it’ll be good to get to study music there—the atmosphere and everything, you know—with the best teachers and good facilities, then maybe weekend trips to Venice or Rome….” A faint smile played on his face, and there was a far-away look in his cool gray eyes.
Bonnie was strangely silent. This sudden news was quite surprising and somewhat disappointing, although down deep she really wanted things to work out for Jim’s best good. But she must not let Jim see her hurt. “What’s first prize, in the gold cup?” she asked.
“Oh.” He came back to earth. “That one’s really fabulous. They’re giving away a scholarship to one of the big music colleges—University of Vienna included—plus the year’s music lessons plus your choice of either a brand-new instrument (piano excluded) or the price equivalent in sheet music.”
“Wow!” exclaimed Bonnie. “Who’s paying for all this?”
“Some music association,” he shrugged. “The silver cup is a choice between the music lessons and the scholarship.”
“But even that would be a nice thing to take to Austria with you,” she said, trying to not change the subject any more.
“But dreams like that wouldn’t come true in real life—in my life.”
“Sure they could, Jim.” Bonnie’s interest was genuine. She was going to lose him, anyway. “I have faith in you. You’re a semi-finalist, aren’t you?”
“Yes, but look at my competition. That Mary Lind and her violin, Ted Jones on the piano—you heard them play—they’re good!”
“You’re good, too,” she spoke in mild rebuke. “Besides, even if you don’t win a cup, you’ve got that fine education in Austria waiting for you.”
“Maybe.” His excitement had almost turned into discouragement.
“Maybe?” Bonnie’s curiosity and sympathy were aroused at once.
“You’ll keep this confidential, won’t you, Bonnie?” Jim’s voice was low. His head dropped slightly, and he raised his eyes to look at her. “It’s just the financial part.”
“What?” Bonnie spoke with incredulity. “Dr. Barker’s son?!”
“Yeah, Dad’s not so over-enthused about me leaving home so soon. Says if I go, I have to pay my own way, every penny. You know he wanted me to get a job in his clinic next summer then work part-time and go to New City College. Mom’s all for me going, but you know how high-class the University of Vienna is—best school in all of Europe, almost. Professor Waldo said he’ll do everything he can to see me put at Bogenhaden, but still I’ll have it pretty rough for a while—if I don’t get that scholarship. There’s a chance,” he added, “that I might not even go.”
A feeling of half-hope and half-sympathy arose spontaneously in Bonnie. She looked lovingly at him, a strong husky youth but with a chivalrous tenderness…. Suddenly, as she realized the growing silence, she wanted to speak, but somehow—as it rarely happened—she couldn’t seem to find the right words. Finally she said, “I wish the very best for you, Jim, always.” And she meant it.
When Jim paid the check, he and Bonnie made their way back to the school. The audience filled the hall, and dramatic floodlights shone down onto the stage. Once again, backstage, they waited with the other semi-finalists. Jim’s hands were sweaty at first—Bonnie was holding one—but after the program got started, a foreign, almost weird expression came over Jim’s face. There was a strange calmness in his eyes, and his hands were dry and completely relaxed.
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