The sound of music

Harriet knew how to wake Wally from his coma¼

To Harriet, it was a disaster. It' s just not fair!' she cried to her husband Fred. Wally Windersham was going to pick the cast for The Sound of Music next week! I was sure he' d choose me to be Maria. How could he go and walk under a bus?'

I don' t think he did it deliberately, darling,' replied Fred. I don' t suppose he' s exactly ecstatic about it.'

He isn' t awake to know anything about it. He' s lying there in that hospital, not moving.'

Surely it' s better than him dying.'

Of course it' s better. If he' d died, then someone else would be responsible for directing our big production. Probably that Marjorie

Mason. She' d make herself Maria! Can you imagine it? She must be at least 37.'

Well, you' re 38, darling.' I was talking about round the waist,' retorted Harriet. How she can pretend to inspire love beats me.'

Fred thought Marjorie Mason was rather alluring, but it was more than his life was worth to mention it.

I' m going to go and see Wally this afternoon,' Harriet announced. I' ll go and wake him up. I just have to!'

I don' t think they' ll let you touch him,' said Fred. He' s probably wired up to all kinds of machines, and he' s got several broken bones.'

Harriet looked at her husband despairingly. He had no idea.

I' m not going to touch him,' she replied. I shall sing to him!' ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆

The sister on the intensive care ward did not like the peace being disturbed. In fact, as soon as Harriet sang the first note of Climb Ev'r y Mountain, she told her to stop.

But I' m trying to get through to him,' Harriet explained. This is therapy, music to Wally' s ears!'

But what about my other patients' ears?' asked the sister. I have some very ill people on this ward.'

Harriet looked around at them.

I' m sure they like The Sound of Music,' she said. It has great popular appeal it is a musical for the masses.'

But they need to sleep,' whispered the sister. Your singing is very loud.'

Thank you,' replied Harriet. I have been known for my range and volume. Maybe you' d be so kind as to mention it to Wally when he wakes up?'

The sister sighed. I' m afraid you' ll have to go. Only immediate family are allowed to visit at the moment.'

But I' m almost family,' Harriet insisted. Wally is like a father to me. I' m the daughter he never had.'

I' m sorry,' replied the sister, showing Harriet to the door.

Wally has to wake up,' said Harriet. He just has to. Soap needs him.'

What?'

Scunthorpe Operatic Amateur Productions

Soap. We' re the cultural centre of the neighbourhood.'

Yes, well, I' m sure he' ll get better, given time,' said the sister.

But we haven' t got time,' said Harriet. The first performance is in six months.' She turned as she reached the door. Can I bring in a tape?'

What?'

His favourite music, to help bring him round.'

The sister sighed. You mean an audio tape?'

Yes.'

But his family are spending a lot of time talking to him, encouraging him to wake up. And they' ve left an MP3 player of soothing music.'

But has that woken him?' No, not yet¼'

Exactly! He needs rousing tunes to wake him,' said Harriet. I' m going to be working with him musically, I know just what will do the trick. So if I bring in a recording of songs I choose, he can listen to those too. After all, we have to try everything we can! You will play him my tape, too, won' t you? Please! I' ll bring in a personal stereo for you to play it to him.'

Does it have headphones?' Yes, of course.'

OK,' said the sister. We' ll try everything.'

Harriet smiled excitedly when she brought in the tape and the personal stereo the next day.

It' s a bit old, but it still works well,' she told the nurses. The first song is I Have Confidence! I do, you know.'

What?'

Have confidence in me. You should, too. This beautiful music from The Sound of Music will do the trick, believe me.'

Is it Julie Andrews singing?' asked the sister.

No, no, it' s me,' said Harriet. I wanted to remind him of my singing voice. It' s my first recording. First of many, I hope, if I get my big break as Maria in The Sound of Music. My middle name' s Maria, I feel it' s in the stars

Im going to go and see Wally this afternoon. I'll go and wake him up. I just have to

that I get the part. You will play it to him, won' t you? I' m sure it' s just what he needs.'

The sister didn' t really feel she had the choice.

Have you got the headphones?' she asked.

Harriet smiled. I knew you' d ask,' she said, handing them over. Thank you so much.'

Harriet was so happy that as soon as she was out of the ICU, she started singing. But even though she was in the corridor, the sister could hear the lines How do you solve a problem like Maria?' very loudly.

I wish I knew,' she muttered.

As Wally' s family were unable to visit that afternoon, the sister played the tape to him through the headphones.

The nurses were all busy sorting a crisis with another patient, so they didn' t notice him twitch. They played it again that evening and the next morning.

And then he woke up.

The doctors were amazed, and his family were thrilled and delighted.

Only Harriet was not surprised.

I knew my music would do it!' she told Fred. It stirred his soul.'

Harriet called a meeting of Soap at her house to celebrate.

I hear he' s made such a rapid recovery that he' ll be out in time to produce The Sound of Music after all, is that right?' she asked Marjorie, as soon as everyone had gathered.

You' re right,' Marjorie smiled. And it' s you, Harriet, that we have to thank for bringing Wally out of his coma. Let' s have three cheers for Harriet.'

Everyone cheered and Harriet stood there, her heart bursting with joy. It was her proudest moment, but soon, she was sure, it would be surpassed, when she received standing ovations for her performance as Maria.

I just did what anyone would have done,' she smiled.

No,' said Marjorie, no one could have done what you did, Harriet.'

Harriet went pink.

Well, I guess I must have done Something Good,' she smiled. Get it? That' s a song from The Sound of Music. Shall I sing it?'

I think we all know it, thank you, Harriet,' replied Marjorie.

Harriet didn' t mind the snub. They' d all be hearing her sing it soon enough.

Tell me, what were Wally' s first words when he woke up?' she asked.

Are you sure you want to know?' replied Marjorie. Harriet nodded. Now, surrounded by people who had sometimes looked down on her singing ability, was not the time for false modesty.

Well,' said Marjorie, as once more everyone hung on her every word, he made some incoherent sounds, but his first actual words the ones that indicated the powerful and motivating effect of Harriet' s singing were, and I quote:

Will someone turn off that awful screeching before

I go mad!

My middle names Maria. I feel it s in the stars that I get the part. You will play it to him, won't you?