Page 13 of Bless This Hot Mess

You say you can, but you don’t know.

You say you can, but you don’t know!”

Emma-Lou’s mind raced as she watched Japheth andRebekkah belting out the last chorus of their special rendition ofMMMBless. “So, if we convince these two denim-clad angels to make a band with the dribbler…”

Carrington nodded slowly, “I suppose that could work. No one gets their basketball shorts in a knot, and we get what we want.”

“What we need,” Emma-Lou corrected.

“And you don’t die,” Suwarna added cheerfully.

Emma-Lou felt a lump rise in her throat, “I think Mamma and Big Daddy must be looking out for us right now.”

“From their lily-pad-and-lotus-filled pond in the sky,” Suwarna whispered with her eyes drifting to the soaring chapel ceiling.

“They brought those two silky-throated singers into our life, at a funeral!” Emma-Lou’s eyes followed Japheth and Rebekkah, who had just hit their final note. “This must be God’s plan.”

Carrington glanced at the pair, then back at Emma-Lou, “Their Christian names are Rebekkah and Japheth.”

Emma-Lou smiled, her heart swelling with a sudden rush of hope. “Rebekkah and Japheth, you’re going to save our little radio station.”

Next to the refreshment table, not yet aware of just how brightly they were shining, Japheth and Rebekkah took a big breath and continued to sing their hearts out,

“MmmBless, ba duba dop ba du bop,

ba duba dop ba du bop,

ba duba dop ba du, oh yeah!MMM Bless!”

Even without their coats of many bedazzled coloured gemstones, anyone could see their star was set to rise.

LISTEN to MmmBless

Chapter 2

Are You a Witch?

In a town like Greater Napanee, if your night ends with an impromptu offer for fame and a five-door hatchback, you’re either incredibly lucky or someone has seriously messed up the paperwork.

LISTEN to MmmBless Reprise

Japheth and Rebekkah, seemingly oblivious to everything except the sheer joy of harmonizing, belted out the last lingering notes ofMmmBless. As with everything they performed, they didn’t just sing the song, they embroidered it with vocal runs so elaborate they could have knit a tightly woven denim scarf.

“MmmBless, ba dupa dop Ba du bop,

ba duba dop Ba du bop,

ba duba dop Ba du, oh yeah…”

The chorus ended, and the silence in the chapel was pierced by tentative, scattered applause. Slowly, the clapping caught on, until the mourners erupted into enthusiasticappreciation, clearly unsure whether it was appropriate to cheer at a funeral but also not wanting to let those high notes go unappreciated.

Emma-Lou watched the duo from across the room, still huddled with Suwarna and Carrington. Suwarna nudged her, whispering, “Now’s your chance, Emma-Lou! Go talk to them.”

“I think they’re done now,” Emma-Lou nodded, taking a hesitant step forward.

Next to the tea, coffee, and cookies, however, Japheth and Rebekkah launched into another, “Ba du bop, ba du dop…”

Emma-Lou paused mid-step, “Okay, not done.”