Just past the door, standing in the back of this massive room there was an old woman singing. After a few seconds I realized she was just a visitor like me, but her singing filled the hall so that even the tour groups sitting down near the front were turned around looking in our direction. Her song was in Italian. Maybe. I'm sure it wasn't Hebrew and I don't think it was Hungarian, and after a few minutes a woman I imagine was her daughter, who was not dissimilar looking from my mom, led her slowly away.
But her song wasn't finished, and as she walked to the door she continued, in a slightly softer voice and met my eye through the crowd from 20 feet away. She sang to me. For me. I was holding my left elbow with my right hand and my chin with my left as she continued for more than 30 seconds.
Her song lasted for a few minutes and she got applause she didn't want when she left the room, which even with the clapping and resumed conversations was oddly silent without her voice. Her face is already fading from my memory, and I never knew what she was singing or why, but I can't imagine ever forgetting it.
4 comments:
Who wouldn't sing for that face? What a lovely moment to remember. I'm guessing Kate didn't take pictures. At least you have that moment described in writing. Given that the internet will be here for the foreseeable future, that moment can last foreseeabley forever...or at least until Google deletes your blog 100s of years from now. Thanks for sharing.
I bet she thought you were Colin Farrell.
Seriously though, beautiful story...kinda like a scene from a really cheesy yet incredibly inspiring movie. Thanks for sharing it with all of us.
Wow Zac, you brought tears to my eyes with this one!
What a wonderful moment for you. Thank you for sharing that!
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