Tenney

A New Debut

Over the next week, Tenney’s family tiptoes around her. Mom bakes extra blueberry muffins, and Aubrey keeps telling her how pretty she is. It’s like Tenney’s been struck by lightning and her family is afraid they’ll get shocked if they get too close.

As the day of the Jamboree nears, Tenney realizes she never removed her name from the lineup, so when Ms. Carter asks, frowning, if she still wants to perform, Tenney admits she isn’t ready and shakes her head. Ms. Carter nods and offers to find someone else to take her spot.

The morning of the Jamboree, Tenney’s family helps carry everything to the transformed senior center courtyard, where papier-mâché trees with tissue-paper flowers arch over the doors and a bake sale table groans under goodies. Tenney feels swept up in it, especially spotting Jaya and Frank running their own stall under a sign reading “MAKE YOUR OWN SWEET TEA!”

“There you are!” a voice calls, and Tenney finds Portia leaning on her walking stick, asking if she’s been practicing for today. Tenney admits she isn’t performing, and that she already told Ms. Carter to give her spot away. Portia’s mouth twists, and Tenney braces for an argument, but Portia only nods, murmurs “Very well,” and excuses herself.

Tenney goes back to helping until her family arrives, and Mom asks to finally meet this Portia she’s heard so much about. Tenney turns around to find Portia isn’t at the bake sale table anymore. But just then, she spots Portia coming through the crowd. Mom turns starstruck, gushing that she’s a huge fan of “Ms. Burns’s” music.

Tenney stares, lost, until Mom explains this is Patty Burns, a performer and songwriter who played at the Ryman Auditorium when Mom was eighteen. Portia laughs that her friends call her Portia, though her stage name has always been Patty. Tenney’s mouth falls open when she learns Portia wrote “April Springs,” her favorite song and the one she’s been learning on guitar for months. She feels embarrassed when she remembers she once told Portia she should practice guitar more.

Tenney asks why Portia never mentioned who she was, and Portia explains it wasn’t important before, but now she can thank Tenney for reminding her why she fell in love with music. So, she told Ms. Carter she’d take Tenney’s slot. And if Tenney’s up for it, Portia could use Tenney’s help. They need to be on stage in twenty minutes, if Mom agrees. Mom leaves it up to Tenney, who agrees before finishing the thought.

Backstage, Aubrey insists she should sing a Belle Starr song while Mom pins back Tenney’s hair with a bobby pin. Wearing the same outfit from the Bluebird, but with Portia beside her this time, Tenney doesn’t feel nearly as afraid.

Portia waits by the stage with her guitar, and they tune up together as the earlier folk band exits to applause. Ms. Carter thanks the crowd, announcing they’re closing with a living legend and one of the school’s own students, Tenney Grant. The crowd erupts in applause and whoops. Portia jokes into the mic that they haven’t started playing yet before winking at Tenney.

Portia decides that Tenney will start them off. Tenney finds Mom’s face in the crowd, dedicates the song to her, and her fingers take off across the strings. “Reach the Sky” comes out steadier than she’s ever played it, and by the last chorus the crowd sways and sings along. Ms. Carter then invites “Miss Patty Burns” up for one more surprise, and Portia announces Tenney will sing this one with her. Startled, since they never rehearsed, Tenney needs only a few notes to recognize her favorite song, and their guitar lines blend into “April Springs.” Tenney glimpses Mom and Dad beaming, and when the last chord fades, the crowd roars. Portia grins that they weren’t too shabby, and the two take a bow together.