Double Trouble

I wake early with a coughing fit, padding out to the kitchen to microwave a cup of hot water, never mind the tea. I down more medicine and pace a bit until my throat clears. I am not as tired as yesterday. This is good.

Suddenly the phone rings. I answer. My accompanist is on the line. She has the stomach flu - poor baby. She has to run to the bathroom every few minutes. No way she can come. I assure her to stay home and take care of it. My staff have had this one and it passes in a day or so. Literally.

I hang up, debating what to do. I could call several people who can play and line up someone to fill in for the service. But I usually ask them to play while I am there to conduct and lead worship. I know they could handle it, but it will be stressful and uncomfortable. No, I think I better go in and play for service myself.

As long as I don't have to talk, it should be OK. I won't stay for chime rehearsal afterwards, just the service and then go home. I am pretty sure I can manage it. I bundle up and head out, armed with lots of cough drops. I explain to the early arrivals, and they graciously take care of things. I can just play and I speak softly and the person closest to me relays to the choir.

Grace of God, it is an easy anthem this week. Nothing in seventeen sharps. I can play the hymns too. I even manage to find something appropriate and relatively easy for offertory. We have spare time, so we review next week's anthem as well. After service, I zip out to the car and head home. OK. My strength must be coming back because I don't feel like a wet noodle.

I snooze for the rest of the day. Maybe I am over the worst of it. While I don't exactly bounce back, I slowly progress in that direction. My voice is returning to a normal pitch instead of a bass depth. More tea, more lemon and honey, more vitamins. I will get there.