One of Those Moments, Part Two

May 22 is a day that I will remember for a long time.  I shared the Part One of this story HERE. 

The generosity of the Black Box Players cast and crew knocked us completely off our feet. They had honored Rob's Dad in the most appropriate way imaginable, and we were filled with gratitude even as we grieved our loss.

Most of them didn't know that their gift to Reece's Rainbow was about to become much more meaningful to everyone on that stage.

We had a hard time pulling ourselves together before the show began. Rob's Dad had been gone for just two weeks, and it was still very hard to set our feelings aside and focus on tasks.

Rob gave his best performance yet. Me, I sludged through that last show with leaky eyes, waiting for the event that would give true meaning to the gift we had just received.

Near the end of  "Seussical," Horton finally convinces everyone that there really is a world full of tiny people living on his dust speck.  His former tormentors suddenly become excited about helping Horton protect these unseen but valuable lives.

Suddenly, the Cat in the Hat makes a new revelation: The egg has hatched.

The Cat in the Hat brings Mayzie's hatched-out offspring to Horton.

But somehow, magically, Horton's protection of the egg has altered its paternity. What hatches out is not a selfish bird like Mayzie, but an odd new creature that includes a part of Horton: an elephant with wings.

An "elephant bird."

For the first five shows, the Cat brought out a blown-up picture of Rob as Horton with wings attached. It was cute, and it always got a laugh from the audience.

But for the sixth show, on May 22, we hatched out a different elephant bird.

On the last day, we hatched out Aaron.

Very few of the cast members knew about it in advance. We had even kept it a secret from the director.  We had been planning it, with some help, for a few days. 

Aaron had been in and around the cast and the show since its first days of practice. Everyone knew him, and knew his story.  He often sat next to Papa (Horton) on stage while he practiced.  It always made me a bit weepy to see him sitting there next to Rob. The Black Box Players had supported his adoption from the beginning. The significance of his presence on that stage, in the middle of a show about the value of forgotten people, wasn't lost on any of them. 

Although Aaron's English wasn't good enough to allow him to sing the songs, Aaron knew exactly what was supposed to happen at every point in the show.

He clearly understood the significance of the elephant bird, even if he couldn't explain it.

So when we asked him if he wanted to play the elephant bird, he was beyond excited.

He was going to go on stage with his Papa and his brothers.

He was going to be the elephant bird.

He grinned from ear to ear as the Cat carried him out onto the stage.

The little misfit elephant bird from an unwanted egg that Horton and Gertrude decided to raise together.

The little misfit, unwanted boy from across the ocean.

It was One of Those Moments in time that I will never forget.

The rest of the show was a bit of a wash.

Lines were dropped.  Tears were shed.

The little elephant bird had stolen the show, and he knew it.

When it came time for the curtain call, he took a graceful bow that everyone loved.

One of those Moments in Time.