Kevin was dressed up in a performance suit. This was a smaller concert, so it was only held in the recital hall and not the big theatre hall. Nevertheless, his gaze was fixed on the entry door. He was curious whether his invited guest would show up.
And she did.
Marina Kaczynski was dressed rather homely. She was wearing a plain white shirt and jeans. She donned a black hoodie over her shirt that had ‘SPFC’ emblazoned on her left breast. A pair of casual sneakers adorned her feet. Her long black hair draped down across her hood and shoulders, and her bangs framed her eyes neatly. It was a very subtle style, designed to draw attention elsewhere, but Kevin’s attention was drawn to her. A slight, goofy smile crept across his face.
She waved to him discreetly.
He waved back in the same manner.
She found herself a seat near the back of the hall, away from where people were. Kevin got the impression she was not a person that liked to deal with strangers.
Then a tall, imposing man walked into the hall. He was wearing a leather jacket over a maroon undershirt, along with a pair of loose fitting jeans and leather shoes. He seemed like a serious and brooding individual.
Behind him, a shorter, dark skinned woman followed into the hall. She had a prominent afro wrapped with a rose-patterned bandana. She was also wearing denim overalls over a white tank top and boots.
Kevin watched them sit down next to Marina.
He thought they must be the Matt and Sabrina that Marina was talking about yesterday.
Then the lights dimmed.
It was showtime.
Kevin was performing with a choir that consisted of other men and women, all dressed in a similar style of formal performance wear. The pianist commenced the performance with a very loud bass note, and the singing kicked into action.
While Kevin was singing, he took a glance at Marina, Sabrina and Matt. They were all watching intensely.
Kevin had a solo during the performance, and so he took centre stage when it came up. It sounded better than he had practised it beforehand. It shined. It was a common occurence in concerts, but this time, it surprised him a little bit.
The concert concluded, and everyone dispersed. Kevin met up outside with the mysterious trio that had just heard his singing showcased mere seconds ago.
“Hey, what did you think of my singing?” asked Kevin.
“Great,” said Marina.
“You must be Kevin?” asked Matt.
“Yep, I’m Kevin O’Neill.”
“Nice to meet you, I’m Matt Sokolovic.” He extended his hand to Kevin for a handshake. Kevin obliged.
“Nice to meet you too.” Kevin sensed a certain strength of character in this person.
“I’m Sabrina Leclerc, but you can call me Sab,” Sabrina was a very extroverted character. “Wow, this feels like business! We’re introducing ourselves with our last names!”
“I mean, Marina invited you guys here to check out my singing,” said Kevin. “I heard you guys are good at drums and bass?”
“I’m the drummer and Matt is the bassist,” said Sab.
“Amazing,” said Kevin. “Come with me, we’re meeting up with a couple… more people for lunch.”
They walked out of the Con towards the South Bank Arbour. Then they walked under the drapes of bougainvillea overhanging the arches of the arbour.
Once they reached the Film School, they spotted Nina and Xavier.
“Hey!” Kevin waved at his sister and her boyfriend.
“Hey, Kevin! Hello Marina!” said Nina when she saw the newly acquainted group approaching. “Oh, you guys must be…”
“Hey, I’m Sabrina, but you can call me Sab,” Sabrina replied to Nina.
“Oh wow, you’ve got style! I like this look so much!” Nina told Sabrina in excitement. “And what’s your name?” She asked Matt.
“I’m Matt,” said Matt.
“Hey, Matt!” said Nina. “Oh, and this is my boyfriend, Xavier!”
“Oh, Nina, I can introduce myself fine,” said Xavier. “Pleasure to meet you, Matt, Sabrina.” He outstretched his hand to Matt. Xavier’s average height didn’t compare with Matt’s height, but his mixed Tongan and Yagara ancestry meant his body was very well built.
“Nice to meet you, too,” Matt said. His gaze was deep.
“All right, now that we all know each other, how about we get lunch?” Marina piped up. “I know just the place.”
“Where did you have in mind?” Kevin asked.
“Oh, Kevin, I’m sure you know where. They serve delicious Chinese food with a Brazilian twist.” Marina winked at Kevin.
At that moment, Kevin knew.
Originally posted on the 14th of September, 2024.
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