No
Conditions Book Blast & Book Giveaway
Feb
7, 2014 by Dr. Vivi Monroe Congress
Genre:
Inspirational Fiction
O.C. Byrd is hard-working, handsome and
newly married to the woman of his prayers. With his sights firmly set on
becoming a Gospel recording artist, his determination is beginning to pay off,
earning him a windstorm of recognition at the local level.
But will both his widespread notoriety
and his marriage be jeopardized through the accidental discovery of his wife’s
former lifestyle?
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Sneak Peak
Chapter Ten
“Okay, let’s hit that once more from the
top,” directed one very perfection-driven recording engineer. Enoch “Z-man”
Zimmerman is, by far, the most on-point dude I know; nothing gets by
him—musically speaking—and if his name is attached to it, so is excellence. If
I hadn’t
known this about him beforehand, I would’ve ended this session an hour ago. Old dude is dipping into my pockets—deep. But, it’s all good. There’s no price tag on quality or knowing that your creative vision is being birthed and we did cover a lot of ground in these last two days. However, I was trying to come in under a budget since I still have to get updated headshots and that, alone, can cost a mint. Needless to say, the budget needs a budget.
known this about him beforehand, I would’ve ended this session an hour ago. Old dude is dipping into my pockets—deep. But, it’s all good. There’s no price tag on quality or knowing that your creative vision is being birthed and we did cover a lot of ground in these last two days. However, I was trying to come in under a budget since I still have to get updated headshots and that, alone, can cost a mint. Needless to say, the budget needs a budget.
From within the encapsulated sound booth,
I quickly prepare myself for a retake by clearing my throat and rolling my head
to work out neck and shoulder tension. This is the last track we’re recording,
also my favorite, and I can’t risk anything getting in the way of my sound.
I’ve reworked the lyrics and rearranged the music to Will Downing’s All
About You and in a play on words, I decided to use the working title, All
About Him, for my CD. Z-man, who was previously in a zone setting the
levels on the control panel, gives me his ‘look,’ the one that says, any
minute now…waiting on you.
Closing my eyes, I ease into the moment
by thinking of the unending blessings God has poured into my life, most
recently the love and devotion of a woman who loves Him as much as I do. I give
Z-man a thumbs up, our non-verbal cue that I’m ready to record. Through my
headphones, I hear the music intro and seconds later, Z-man‘s voice comes
through in a word, “Rolling.”
Swaying side to side, I’m feeling it and
without forethought, I take ownership of the musical moment and sing, “I’m
not a perfect man, I do the best I can…”
Inside of four minutes, Z-man shouts,
“Perfect!” and just like that we’re done. Demo complete, mission accomplished.
Talk about feeling good … man!
Collecting my sheet music from the copy
stand, I give the booth the once-over and scan the small space for other
belongings I might have overlooked. As if handling a Ming vase, I carefully
place the headphones on the overhead hang. Lord knows the last thing I need now
is to have Z-man add something else to my currently swollen studio tab.
“You know, O.C., I believe your voice has
gotten much stronger. Not at all like when I first recorded you a few years
back. You’ve got a more mature sound.”
Beaming with pride, “Man, a lot has
gotten stronger and better with me.” I strike an impressive bodybuilder
crab pose, careful not to flash the shiny new article of jewelry that now
resides on the ring finger of my left land. We both laugh and post up a
high-five on it.
“Oh, I know that look. Had it once upon a
time myself,” Z-man reflects. “That’s the look of a man who’s found his better
half. Congrats again, man. I wish you the best.” His voice fades as though he’s
been a casualty of love. And while his wound may still be fresh, he is no love
reject; he’s recovering from the death of his wife earlier this year.
“Thanks, Z,” I respond. Placing a
sympathetic hand on his shoulder which serves as a point of contact as well, I
whisper a brief prayer for his healing. “That means a lot, man.”
“I miss her, O.C.” his voice slightly
cracking, “I miss her a lot.” Z-man’s body slowly slumps in his chair, his eyes
misting despite his best efforts to blink back the tears.
Identifying with his pain in the presence
of my own joy is a real challenge, but I do my best to console him anyway.
“You and Maggie…watching the two of you
was…was…well, inspiring. Y’all were so in sync. I’ve never seen anything like
it except for my Mom and Pops, of course.” Although I did my best to encourage
Z-man, Goddess is the pro at this kind of thing since she deals with death and
sorrow every day for a living.
I watch as a nostalgic smile sweeps
across Z-man’s face. I must’ve said something right. Unfolding his
grief-tormented body, he sits straight up and releases a fraction of his pain
through a loud exhale, “Remember this…if this were your last day on earth, what
would you look at more closely, more intensely? What would you appreciate? What
would you want to savor? What would really be important to you?” He
pauses and appears to be thinking about his next words.
About the Author
Dr. Congress is a Best-Selling, Award-Winning
Wordsmith, Literary Advisor, Publisher and creator of C.H.O.C. Lit™ Flavored
Books (Christians Having Ordinary Challenges).
She holds a BA in Human Relations, Masters in Theology, Doctor of Ministry degree in Christian Counseling and is a Certified Christian Life Coach.
She holds a BA in Human Relations, Masters in Theology, Doctor of Ministry degree in Christian Counseling and is a Certified Christian Life Coach.
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Doc V