Page 27 of The Second Ending
“I’ve been thinking a lot about this,” he started without preamble, “and I’ve sent it past the team. I think this can be a win-win situation. I’ll bring up the images on the large screen. We’re lucky, in a way, to still be waiting for the sale of the land to come through. What’s taking the other side so long, I don’t know, and I’ve got my people looking into that, but for this purpose, it’s a good thing. We don’t have spades in the ground, so we can make all sorts of changes.
“What I’m proposing is to simply shift the orientation of the entire plan. If we have it opening up to the west, rather than the north, as we’d originally planned, it gives us this large area here. Initially we’d planned for that to be a courtyard, internal to the development, for the residents to use, but we can move this building a bit south and link it to the rest with an internal walkway, and the area can then open onto the existing parkland. We will keep some aside for the residents, as private space, and we might need to fence off the field for liability reasons, but that doesn’t mean the gate always needs to be closed. This plan allows for a green space the size of a regulation soccer field, as well as some more land to the side for some casual sports. Also,” he clicked his mouse and the image on the screen dissolved into a new one, “we can extend the splash pad and playground here to allow neighbourhood kids to use them. It won’t be an open field anymore, but we hope it will be a positive contribution to the area as a whole.”
He went on, providing more details and specifications, answering Masako’s questions easily and addressing her concerns.
Ashleigh listened with interest. It wasn’t a bad plan. In fact, it was a good plan. The large fields were going away. There was no way around that. But this proposal would still provide what the parents’ committee wanted, and would bring some well-designed facilities to the neighbourhood. Swings, interesting climbing structures, a wading pool and water features for the hottest months, would all be welcomed by the local kids.
Masako’s eyes were fixed on the screen, her mouth a satisfied smile.
“Thank you, Marcus,” she said once the presentation was over. “You’ve thought a lot about this, and I appreciate it. I’ll have to take this to our committee, of course, but off the record, this is everything we could have hoped for. More, perhaps. Your commitment to the neighbourhood is clear.”
Marcus responded appropriately, but Ashleigh felt his eyes burning through her.
This is for you, they said.I wanted to do this for you.
“That was an excellent proposal,” she told him later as they waited for their food at a local pub.
They hadn’t had plans to see each other, but the text that pinged on Ashleigh’s phone shortly after their meeting had contained an invitation which she had no desire to refuse. The pub wasn’t trendy or fancy, but the food was plentiful and tasty, and they had a good selection of beers and ciders on tap. Marcus had chosen a local IPA. Ashleigh sipped at a fruity cider.
“Masako seemed pleased. It was a generous thing to do.”
Marcus pinched his lips. “I’m not the bad guy. Development and change are inevitable, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do what we can to be good neighbours. And we didn’t do much, other than change the front door, really, and by including thepark in the design, the residents will feel more a part of the community. It’s a better design. But…” His eyes drifted to his beer.
“But?”
“I shouldn’t be telling you about this. I probably shouldn’t be seeing you at all. We’re on opposite sides of this, after all.”
She brushed away his comment like shooing a fly. “It’s not a trial. We’re working cooperatively on this, and if anyone gets upset, I’ll give them the name of another lawyer. I prefer to think of us all on the same team.”
“Spoken like a diplomat.” He paused while a young waiter placed their food on the table. “It’s not exactly a secret, and you could find this information anywhere, I’m sure, with your secret lawyer tricks.”
She shook her head with a chuckle, and he continued.
“The fact is, we’re having trouble finalising the sale of the land. I honestly don’t know what the issue is. We came to an agreement with their agents months ago, and have everything signed and notarized, and we’re just waiting for the final signatures on the legal paperwork, and they keep baulking. They don’t give reasons or suggest they won’t come through on the deal, but there’s always a problem. Someone is out of the office, or they need to wait for final board approval, or the weather is too bad to make the trip to the lawyer’s office. I’m starting to wonder if they’re going to pull out.”
“Oh.” Suddenly the plate of cauliflower wings didn’t look so tasty anymore. “That would be bad for everyone, especially with this new plan.”
Marcus took a deep breath. “If they decide to pull out, they could sell to someone else, or shut down the playing fields completely, do whatever they want with it. I wish I knew who the actual owner was. We’ve been doing everything through a shellcompany and their agents, and they won’t budge on who they’re representing. I’ve never dealt with a case like this before.”
He took a long drink from the condensation-covered glass. “Sorry. This was supposed to be a pleasant chat over greasy food. I didn’t intend to bring this all down. But I can talk to you, Ash, and you get it. You know what I’m saying, and I trust your answers. I’ve missed that.”
“I’ve missed it, too.” She covered his free hand with her own. “Look, do you want me to dig a bit? You said I could find out through my secret lawyer tricks that the sale is still pending. Maybe those same tricks can find you a name to go with the land. All above-board, of course.”
He shrugged. “I’ve had my people look into it already, but maybe you’ve got different tricks. Thanks. Now enough of this, and let me tell you about the ridiculous thing I saw on the subway the other day!”
As quickly asthe threatened disaster with the arts centre unfolded, so it was resolved. One day, Elise was back with the choir, the grateful smile on her face suggesting she’d been through hell and had emerged on the other side in one piece. A quiet word from Gordon before they settled into their places for the vocal warm-up that same day assured her that the centre was on perfectly solid footing.
“The official word is that it was a computer error,” he explained, although the sense of relief and look in his eye suggested it was anything but. She’d find out the details later, she was sure, either from him, from Randall, or from Elise herself. For the time being, Ashleigh was more than happy to focus on the music.
A second rehearsal for the quartet of rehearsal soloists went better than the first. The music was coming together very well, and once again, Victor invited the group to stay for tea after their practice.
“You’re very good.” Emma slid into the chair beside hers at the table. She glanced at Gordon for a moment and commented to the group. “Those look yummy,” referring to the plate of goodies Victor’s children had baked, likely with a great deal of help from their quietly smiling mother. “I love lemon bars.” Then she turned her attention back to Emma. “Who did you study with?”
This was a surprise. Emma had seldom bothered to talk to her before. But there was no reason not to accept this gesture of friendship, and the two soon settled into a pleasant, if not very deep, conversation about vocal technique, languages, and Ashleigh’s experiences in Chile. She and Emma were too different to ever be close, but this overture of friendship was another boost to Ashleigh’s growing confidence, and she was pleased for it.
The work the quartet had done was noticed by the choir, and when the professional soloists arrived for the final rehearsals, the Eglinton Echoes were perfectly prepared. All the tricky sections and transitions went perfectly, allowing the singers to concentrate on the nuances of the music and on working with the orchestra and their conductor, who was to take the podium for this performance.
This was what Ashleigh loved. There was a deep joy to be found in learning the music and rehearsing it. The artistic and intellectual satisfaction that came from refining details and perfecting difficult passages was undeniable. Making music, even just for oneself, was at the heart of everything she had worked for, and it remained the essential reason that she sang. But, at the same time, she couldn’t ignore the thrill ofperformance, when all that work, all those hours rehearsing all those details, came to fruition. This was the do-or-die moment. This was when the music took on its own life and soared… or sank.
