Musical Number Bandit

Today I was supposed to play the piano for this leadership meeting for our stake. I rode with Bekah and Kyrie and Hillary and Jalena, and we went to sit down before everything started. I wasn't sure how it was all going to play out, so I went up to the people on the stage and said, "Hi, I'm Rachel, and I'm supposed to play the musical number for tonight." And he said, "Oh! Really? Ok. What's your name again?" And it sounded like they didn't really need me to play, so I said, "Well, I don't have to play, if you weren't planning on it." But I was pretty annoyed, because that's the only reason I even went there, you know? But he said, "No, no, we love music! I'll have you play after we introduce the speaker."

So that all went down, and then I went and played, but it was a really awkward time for a "special musical number," right between when they introduce the speaker and when he's supposed to talk. I felt pretty foolish the whole time, like I'd forced myself on them, even though I'd been asked to play several weeks ago.

The song went fine, and when I went to sit down again I said to Kyrie and Bekah, "They were so weird about me playing! Like they didn't even expect me at all!" And then Kyrie said, "Guys, they just announced the stake president, but they didn't say President Ford!" And we asked the boy next to us, and he said that that wasn't the leadership meeting! And our meeting was next door in the other church!

So we sprinted accross the parking lot, about ten after seven, and right when I ran in to the building I heard the speaker say, "Well, I guess my talk will have to be about 3 minutes longer than I thought," and I knew he meant because I wasn't there, and then I saw Brian Hedengrin in the audience motioning for me to go up to the stage, and I turned and ran-walked up the aisle and everyone was waving at the speaker, telling him I was there, and I gasped, "We went to the wrong chapel, but I'm the musical number if you still need me!" And I felt totally, motally stupid and they said, well, come up, we've already complimented and thanked you! so I ran up on the stand and they helped me put the cover of the piano up (the piano was IDENTICAL to the piano I had played on only moments before) and he said, do you need a minute to compose yourself? And I said no, I don't need to breathe while I play, and the old ladies on the stand laughed and then I sat down and played--pretty well, too, all things considered--and marched back off the stage.

Whew.

It was maybe the most embarrassing thing ever.

Also, the people in the first meeting--which was actually a fireside--will probably never know! Bekah has christened us the "musical number bandits," and we just rush in to random meetings and insist on playing Allegrettos for whoever will listen.