I was sick right before my high school prom. I had the sinus crud the week before, and even though I was over that by my prom, I still managed to lose my voice because of it. This stunk for several reasons, such as my date barely being able to hear me over the music, since all I could do was whisper raspily into her ear. But I think what I regret most is that I was supposed to sing a duet with my best friend, C.W., and couldn’t.
The prom committee had rented a karaoke machine, and C.W. and I were going to try our luck (and make our public debut) singing “More Than Words” by Extreme. But the ill-timed voice loss destroyed any hopes I had of doing my part. C.W. was not to be deterred, though. She decided to sing a solo of the song, and dedicated it to her partner who had lost his voice and couldn’t join her.
I think that was the most beautiful rendition of that song that I have ever heard. The power and beauty of her voice was enough to move me to tears. Well, that and the fact that she looked at me the whole time. She was singing that song just for me. I felt all the love and sadness that she conveyed to me through the song. I will never forget that as long as I live.
