I would swim over the deepest ocean
the deepest ocean
for my love to find
Behind the screen, Jay created the image of water rippling in the ocean, a shoal of fishes swimming by. My breath caught at the simple yet stunning visual.
“Wow,” Roan breathed, sitting forward as he took it in, the display appealing to his artist’s eye.
but the sea is wide and I cannot cross over
nor do I have any wings to fly
if I could find me a handy boatman
to ferry me over to my love and die
The shadows of Jay’s doves fluttered across the screen then disappeared as the shape of a boat sailed past. Jace’s voice filled my ears, the lyrics both sad and hopeful at the same time.
My childhood days bring back sad reflections
of happy times I spent so long ago
My childhood friends and my relations
have all passed on now like the melting snow
All the while Jace sang, his father used illusion to create a story in shadow behind the screen, and my heart lifted to see them collaborate on something so beautiful. Jay sometimes performed with his brother, Jack, throughout the years, but never with his son. Tonight was a first, and it was truly something special to behold.
so I’ll spend my days in endless roving
soft is the grass, my bed is free
oh to be back now in Carrickfergus
on that long road down by the sea
My pores tightened, a shiver cascading down my spine the moment Jace’s eyes rose up to the balcony, meeting mine as he continued singing, and while I listened, I realised he’d rewritten the final lyrics to tell a more hopeful story, a story that was his own.
I was high each day and seldom sober
a handsome rover from town to town
ah but I’m better now and my days are a wonder
so come all you young men and join me now
When the song came to an end, the lights faded to black, plunging the theatre into darkness for a few short seconds. They came back on, and Jace was gone. Jay stood on the empty stage, and the audience applauded riotously. He smiled and dipped his head. When the clapping died down, he finally spoke.
“Thank you all for being here tonight. As you know, it’s been sometime since I last performed, but that’s not the only reason this show is special. It’s special because I got to perform with my son, Jace. Many of you will recognise him from his music career, and many of you may have heard about the tough time he went through this year.” Jay began to pace across the stage, and as he spoke, one of his doves casually appeared, seemingly out of the palm of his hand. She flew around his head before landing back on his hand. He petted her tiny head, the affection so natural it almost seemed unconscious. “It’s sometimes a cost that comes with fame. Having the world’s eyes on you can bring bad just as much as it brings good, and the bad can come from the places you least expect. Someone close to my son betrayed his trust.”
There were exclamations of surprise and intrigue as a warm hand landed on my shoulder. I turned to find Jace lowering into the empty seat next to me. “That was beautiful,” I whispered as I stretched to kiss him softly. He kissed me back, and then we broke apart to listen to Jay as he continued speaking.
“Under a false name, this man managed to get a job, quite ironically, as a member of the security team for my son’s band. He worked with them for years, all the while he was using my son’s identity to scam and steal from those who were fans of his music. It was only when one of his victims came forward that we discovered any of this was going on. I’d like to thank Alison, who’s here tonight.” He motioned to the woman in the second row, the same one who’d appeared at Roan’s art show with no idea she’d been the victim of catfishing. “There were more just like her, and I’d like to take a moment to welcome them, too.” Jay motioned to the rest of the second row, which was entirely populated by the catfish victims and their family members. Jace had been the one to suggest inviting them, alongside promising them VIP tickets to their show of choice on Astro’s next tour. Itwas a small consolation since many of them had had thousands stolen from them by Dixon.
The audience applauded, and though the victims looked happy to have been invited, it still didn’t feel like enough. They deserved to have their money back, but with Dixon still in the wind, who knew if the funds would ever be recovered. For all we knew, he’d spent it already.
“With that said, I know the rest of you came for a show, and I have every intention of providing you with the entertainment you were hoping for. So, without further ado, let’s get started.”
