Long long ago, in a school far far away, I was touched with greatness. The kind of awe inspiring greatness that only comes along once in a silver moon and is cherished for life. This is that story.
Senior year in high school, a typical school but with a few key differences. There were those that came from the city and all their expected cliques, the close knit and territorial students that came from the reserve and the final group of this story, the children with special needs. Now for one reason or another, the program for special needs children held a great deal of respect in the community and in the school itself. While the occasional grief would spring up between jocks, preppies, nerds, stoners, normals and natives as was expected, nobody dared even tell a bad joke about the special needs kids.
It's late spring and the annual talent show is fast approaching, the students are somewhat excited by the expected either lame or moderately interesting acts that would be presented. Sadly word had spread that the strong jock/preppy union was going to have the greatest act the school had ever seen. The other acts had no chance of even winning, so they better make it quick and get off the stage. Everyone with a pulse knew what their great act would be, same as it always is, the jocks lipsyching to a Rolling Stones tune with their shirts off while the preppy girls danced around them. But nobody was worried, Robbie was performing so the jock/preppy juggernaut really stood no chance. Robbie was an excellent street magician and could put on a great show, so the people who knew knew that this was Robbies to lose.
So of course, tragedy strikes, Robbie is out of the show and desperately trying to avoid a suspension for accidentally lighting the stage on fire during rehearsals. The talent show is shaping up to be a groan festival set to fellate the popular kids. You feel the depression in the air.
So on the day of the show, we all flood into the gym and watch the acts. As expected the jocks/preppies belt out a Rolling Stones tune while avoiding essential articles of clothing. The crowd gives them a marginal applause, so they take to the microphone and promote themselves as champions with no need to tally the results as the competition is clearly over and the rest of the acts need not even perform. Now this is taken as a snub, for the final acts are always from the special needs kids. Yes, nobody expects them to win, but we all cheer and reward them for their efforts.
So we watch as the jocks and preppies glad hand everyone in the audience that they consider worth knowing, as Gladys performs some gymnastics. Everyone gives her a warm round of applause, and Petey takes the stage glad in a great rhinestone jumpsuit and a perfect Elvis haircut. The music starts up and he's lipsynching to All Shook Up. Petey is just standing stiff as a board strumming along to the music, then people start mumbling to themselves. The band students are the first to voice their opinions, the piano is off, why is the piano off in a lipsynch? Oh it's Mrs McConnell playing the piano, she just missed a chord is all. Then reality sets in for the crowd, and a wave of recognition sweeps over us.
This isn't a lipsynch. This is Petey from special needs playing his own guitar and singing Elvis Presley.
And he's spot on flawless.
The crowd begins to join the song, we're all singing along with the chorus and emphatically pronouncing the lyrics. Wildness set in, kids are dancing, screaming and loving every minute of the song, hoping that it doesn't end. Everyone realises just how special this performance is, and have all just become immersed in it.
The song ends, and Petey still standing as straight as an arrow ends it with a classic Elvis move. This final piece sends us over the edge, the crowd chants Peteys name for ages, underwear of all sorts is thrown upon the stage, I swear some of it was Ms Coopers and for the first time in it's history the trophy for the talent show went to some one who truly deserved it.
Who who who....