by Billy Fellin

Keeping Time with Emilie

Page 3 of 3

NOVEMBER ARRIVES QUICKLY. The leaves change and everyday brings on a brisk breeze with a chill riding on it. Emilie admires the beautiful trees from her dorm room, the fourth floor giving her a wonderful view of the courtyard with its orange and yellow leaves.

“Pretty, isn’t it?” she says.

She lets out a sigh. Maybe she would rather be out enjoying the beauty of nature. But she sits, and pulls out a piece of music that she was working on. The sheet of music gives a small crackle, like a candy wrapper. The sound showed the music’s age.

For three hours, she plays. I am her audience of one, listening in her dorm room.

“Holy crap! It’s 7?” she says. Three hours?

“Wow, yeah. I guess it is,” I say. I lost track of time, too.

Emilie gets up and keys in the password to the black Dell computer. A large Word document comes on the screen.

With one last look at her clarinet, she says, “It’s homework time.”

A FEW WEEKS LATER, the CNU football team is playing Ferrum for the outright USA South Conference title. Anxiety is high for the last scheduled game of the 2008 season.

Emilie stands among her fellow band members on the field at halftime. The band is a curvy figure on the grassy field, the repeating pattern of the CNU sails on their cloaks. No rain for today's game.

They perform their “West Side Story” show to perfection. Then take to the stands, their job done.

After sixty minutes of impatient waiting, the Captains bring home the title.

From my seat in the press box, the tide of blue and silver in the stands jump up and down in the metal seats.

Some students storm the field to celebrate with the players.

Looking at the marching band, I easily spot Emilie. She's the one jumping up and down, arms in the air. A smile, a big smile. Pure joy. She had time for that, too.