Beverly Quarter Chapter 16
On Tuesdays, I’m using this newsletter to publish a book called Beverly Quarter: Invisible Frenemy. It’s got nothing to do with the rest of the content of this newsletter. I mean, for real: It doesn’t even contain the word burpee. But I think you’ll like it.
I wrote it to make my kids laugh, their friends laugh, and their parents laugh. I’m guessing most of you have kids, or know kids, or were kids, so you’re my target audience. I explain the book’s backstory here.
Give this chapter a read. If you like it, read it to your kids, their friends, their friends’ parents, random strangers on the street, etc.
I’ll keep publishing the newsletter as usual on Thursdays. This will just be bonus content.
CHAPTER 16
On the final day of dance class before the big recital, Laurie Knight called Sally aside. She wanted to give her special instructions. “Sally,” she said, “You are my anchor. You will go last. I want your tiger tail to be the most Sally tiger ever.”
Sally had no idea what that meant and that must have been obvious from her expression. “Do you understand?” Laurie Knight asked.
“Say, ‘No because you’re talking gibberish,’” Beverly Quarter said.
Sally looked over at Beverly Quarter. She had learned to edit Beverly Quarter. Sometimes, at least. “No,” Sally said.
“And anyway I don’t want to be a tail. Tails are boring. I want to be the head,” Sally said.
“Hmm. Let me see if I can come up with another way to explain it,” Laurie Knight said. She completely ignored what Sally had said. She walked exuberantly toward the back of the studio, as if Sally were an audience and she was performing. She made eye contact with herself in the wall-length mirror in front of her. She punctuated each step by throwing her arms down at her side. She swooshed her cape, which she wore every day, back and forth.
Suddenly she pirouetted three times, walked back to Sally and knelt down in front of her. “How about this: I don’t want you to pretend to be a tiger tail. I want you to be a tiger tail pretending to be you. That means you do as a tiger exactly what you would do as a little girl. Really you’re not even dancing like a tiger. You’re dancing like you. That way, whatever you do, is fine. There is no wrong here, ever. Just feel the moment, and give the moment what it wants. I want you to be free on the stage to be the best Sally tiger tail you can be.”
“But Mrs. Knight. I don’t want to be the tail. Tails are boring. I want to be the head.”
“No,” Mrs. Knight said. “The tail wags the tiger, and so will you.”
Sally looked over at Beverly Quarter, who rolled her eyes. “That’s total gibberish,” Beverly Quarter said.
Sally smiled and giggled.