Helen & Sharon is, at once, the central love story of my Helen books, and the most awkward of the installments. All the others are concluded with a degree of flair, but this one is flawed from beginning to end. Not because of the story, but because of how I handled it.
There is a lot of the romance blossoming awkwardly between Helen and Sita. At first, Sita doesn't know that Helen had been masquerading as an actress, in fact Sita's co-star in the movie, and after whom Sita had been yearning for months.
Later, Sita begins to have feelings for Helen as Helen, independently. At this point, Helen gives a concert in Florida, which Sita attends, and I thought this passage was just lovely, a lot more emotional than my usual style.
Helen’s entry (as solo violinist) was incredibly sweet, almost apologetic. But the tone built, gradually, and soon she was dominating the orchestra, not just with the volume of the sound, but with some subtle cleverness of the music itself, … or was it the performer? It was as though the violin was gaining courage, and growing in confidence, and ever so charmingly subverted the entire orchestra, arguing, laughing, singing, stealing its song, and doing clever, wonderful things to it.
Sita watched Helen’s face as she played, the joy, the concentration, the exaltation, and sometimes some watchfulness. What did it feel like to both conduct and play? Did she just play and hope for the best? Was she giving mysterious, invisible indications to the orchestra?
I'm hoping this passage accurately portrays the feelings of someone not quite an insider into the live classical music scene!
Kay H. B.
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