I prepared myself to sing. Could I remember the words? This song had meant so much to me, more than because it had to do with ficlets closing. Whenever I heard Judy Garland sing “If I Forget You,â€? I would always think of my grandfather who passed away in June of 2008. He had meant so much to me, and my life would never be the same again after he died. I’ll do this for Poppa, I told myself. I looked at Essie, who gave me a thumbs-up. “You can do it!â€? she said from her seat.
Suddenly, music started to play from an old record player. I thought back to all of the times I watched recordings of Judy Garland’s performances on YouTube. A few seconds into that moment, everything felt right. I felt as if I were in a dream, floating around, just as Essie had described. Except now, my feet were planted firmly into the ground, and I acknowledged the avid audience sitting before me. It was like I was here, at the going-away party, but somewhere else entirely at the same time.