Respite Downunder

 

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Chapter 1

RESPITE DOWNUNDER

Written by Lois Terrans Bradbury  © February 2007

Tracey was sitting at her computer checking out concert dates for a singing group she had come to like over the past few years. IL Divo. This was the night after seeing them perform in Sydney. Sydney, Australia that is.

Tracey had taken a girlfriend along to see the show and was now seeing if she could get tickets to any other concerts before the group left the shores of the great sunburnt land she called home.

The reason? That was her friend. One concert and she was besotted with the group, proclaiming this fact to all who would listen as they had walked through Darling Harbour, past HOME the night club to have some supper while waiting for the crowd for taxis to thin out the very night of the concert.

Those who had been to the concert gave her a knowing look. Others just smiled. It was at this point that Tracey realised her friend was very, very serious about following the group around the country. So now she sat glued to the computer screen and struck her was not the fact that they would never make it to Brisbane for any of the concerts even if they did get tickets or that the Melbourne concerts were not to far behind. What struck her was the amount of concerts in such a short space of time. Tracey looked back over the web site and it did not take a genius to work out that this group had been on the road for a long, long time. Looking at concert dates past and future it also seemed that they had not had a decent break in a long, long time.

Tracey herself had been to their concert in Sydney just eleven months before and some reason this information seemed to get under her skin. Without realising it she mumbled something under her breath which brought her friend Nat out of the kitchen were she had been making a pot of tea.

“What was that? Don’t tell me you can’t get any tickets anywhere. I don’t think I could get enough time off to head to South Africa.”

Tracey replied without moving beckoning Nat to the computer by waving her hand. “No, look at this. This is ridiculous.”

Nat had no idea what she was supposed to be looking at. “What is?”

“The amount of concerts they have done in the past two years. I’m surprised they haven’t fallen down in a heap by now. I can just bet they are not getting looked after….”

Nat cut Tracey off before she went on one of her healthy mind, body and soul talks.

“For heavens sake Trace. They have private chefs, five star hotels, and I am sure they get plenty of rest on their days off.”

“What days off! I don’t considered twenty hours in a plane a day off. I have to do something about this….”

Nat was getting tetchy. She knew what Tracey was like when she got hold of something. She could just see her tickets to any concert flying out the window. “But what about another concert. You promised you would look for me. I’ll pay for the plane tickets” She pouted at Tracey knowing this would make her friend feel guilty.

“Oh man Nat. You sound like a teenage groupie. Are you sure about this?”

“One hundred and ten percent. Besides I need a break.”

“Okay.” Tracey typed away at the keyboard clicking the mouse now and then. “Okay, Melbourne in three nights, four rows from the front. Are we happy now?” Tracey turned to see Nat with the biggest grin on her face.

Nat replied almost gushingly “We very happy now.”

“Well I suggest you go do your thing and book the flights cause I’m not buying tickets we can’t use.”

With that Nat forgot about the tea brewing and headed up the hall with her mobile phone chiming as she feverishly text her contacts.

This left Tracey at the computer doing some of her own brewing. Maybe brooding would be more correct. The thought of these fine men being exploited began to consume her. What could she possibly do to help them? Between her and them was a barrage or people, powerful people who would not hesitate to derail any plan she did put together. The feeling that she needed to do something just would not go away. For her own sanity she decided to try.

“All done.” Nat came back down the hallway. “I got us some cheap seats there and back and a fifty percent discount on the hotel. Start packing.”

“Nice to have friends in the right places.”

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Chapter 2

By the time Tracey got back home after not one but two nights in Melbourne she was tired, happy but tired. She knew her doctor would not be as happy with her but right now she did not care.

Nat was the craziest friend she had and at times that is exactly what she needed. But an unexpected trip to Melbourne to see two more concerts had not settled that brooding feeling; in fact it had become stronger. She was convinced that one of the group, Urs, was not well. The same thought had crossed her mind in Sydney. They had been two rows from the front and it just seemed like he was so sad and lost. It seemed more so in Melbourne. Why worry about someone she didn’t even know? It was ridiculous. But there was that feeling and she knew if she didn’t put something into motion, whether anything came of it or not she would never settle. Tracey knew herself well enough to at least do what was good for her.

She plonked herself down at the computer and even before she read her emails headed straight to the Il Divo website. Found a place were she thought she might be able to leave a message. There were places to leave messages for each of the members of the group individually so she did that. She also left a message on several other pages and before logging off got the address of the music company and wrote the group a letter via them as well. She got the addresses of every concert venue that the group would be performing in once they left Australia and wrote to them. She also managed to hook up with a few fans that would be at concerts and arranged for them to give the group messages if they could. The one thing that seemed to brighten her up was the amount of care and devotion these fans had. There were still nice people in the world.

Tracey could have just as easily picked up her phone or sent a few well placed emails and within hours had exactly what she wanted. She could have used all her corporate muscle to bully people into doing the right thing but that is not how she wanted it to be. In some twisted section of her brain she was leaving it up to fate. If her plan was meant to be then it would happen.

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Chapter 3

David the American, Sebastien the Frenchman, Urs the Swiss and Carlos the Spaniard all members of the group called Il Divo had just arrived back stage to do a very quick wardrobe change. Amongst the mayhem and flurry of black jackets Urs stood motionless in the corner, staring into nothing. David noticed first.

“Hey Urs. Get a move on or we’ll stuff up the timing.”

Nothing; Urs just stood there. By this time the others had turned around, Sebastien had Urs by the shoulders and shook him. “Come on, we only have two more nights to go. You can make it that far can’t you?”

Sebastien’s words seemed to unlock the trance Urs was in. He looked at his friends. They were horrified to see the tears gently rolling down his face. He gave them a weak smile and collapsed.

The back stage manager started screeching orders and people began to run in all directions. Those on stage got the order to keep going. Someone shot off for the paramedics. Meanwhile David, Sebastien and Carlos carried Urs to his room. He was unconscious. Carlos got a cool damp cloth and placed it on his forehead; David checked his pulse and frowned. “I am no medic but I think this is a whole lot slower than it should be.”

Sebastien looked on. “But isn’t that a good thing?” He looked from David to Carlos for reassurance. They had no answer for him. They were all afraid. They all knew that the tour had hit them hard. It had hit Urs the hardest. They had noticed first about halfway through the UK leg of the tour. He wasn’t sleeping, wasn’t eating, had become very sombre, and didn’t laugh anymore. The one thing they had thought would get him through was being on stage. He always seemed to get it together, never missed a beat. He had said that it was the fans that had got them this far and he never wanted to let them down. So on stage he gave his all.

Right now, as they looked down onto his pale face it seemed that he may have given too much.

The paramedics pushed through the room and knelt beside Urs and others backed away a little. They could hear the crowd stamping their feet. They knew many of them had been to many concerts and would have suspected that something was wrong. Carlos ducked his head out the door to have a closer listen. “We need to do something or we will have a riot on our hands.”

Sebastien was shaking a little as he looked from Urs to Carlos. “But what?”

David raced passed them “I have and idea” Sebastien and Carlos looked at each other and knew that David had reached the stage when they heard a mighty roar from the crowd. They could not hear what he was saying from where they were so their attention went back to Urs, still motionless.

David was on stage alone, his heart pounding. The music had stopped. “Ladies and gentleman. I am so sorry for the delay but we have had a bit of a hiccup back stage. So if you could be patient just a little longer we…” He never finished. A young lady from the front row shouted. Normally she would never have been heard but in the silence her voice seemed to echo around the venue. “Its Urs isn’t it. He’s collapsed?” There was a combined groan from the audience.

David was mortified at her words and was unable to hide the shock on his face.

“Please tell him it’s all right we all understand.” She turned to the rest of the fans. “We understand don’t we?”

With that the fans began to sing out his name over and over again, clapping their hands. “Urs, Urs, Urs.”

David had no idea what to do. He stood on stage watching, listening. These fans were not shouting in anger. They were singing Urs’ name in love. Their faces showed their concern. He walked over to the side of the stage where the young lady had been seated and called her over. David bent down. “How did you know?”

She smiled a knowing smile. “I’ve been following you since the start and I am not travelling to well myself. And you only have to look at him. He’s been sick for ages.” She held his hand. “You all need to rest.”

David was about to say something when she handed him a note. “I think you need to read this and take up the offer.”

David nodded as the music on stage started up again. He looked up to see Carlos and Sebastien come out onto the stage and then Urs. He looked at them all for an explanation. But the music had given them the cue and they began to sing. Urs got thunderous applause as they went on to finish the show with one exception. They did not come back out at the end and sit on the edge of the stage as they had done time and time before. The fans sensing the seriousness of the situation drifted out of the venue in silence. Some stayed around in the hopes that they would see the group as they left but it was not to be.

Once the group was off stage. Carlos and Sebastien helped Urs to his room, he was exhausted. He sat on a sofa with his head hung low and hands clasped together. David sat down beside him and put his arm around him. “I don’t know how you did it but I am glad you did.”

Urs lifted his head. “I heard them; I heard them calling my name. I thought they were angels at first and I was dead. But their voices brought me back.”

David was alarmed at this statement. “Brought you back from where?”

“A very dark place.”

Carlos butted in. “Come on we‘re getting out of here. The doctor has given him something to help him sleep. Time we left so he can take it. No rehearsal for you tomorrow. You turn up at the concert, you sing and then it is over.”

They left the venue in silence.

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