XOXO Murphy, Tilton & The Men's Varsity Basketball Team. ;)

melli@melliinc.com
twitter:melliohmy


Can I just say, Melli's got some major moxie...

Mr.Murphy and Mr.Tilton .  Two gigantic contributor’s to me being ME.  In some really ridiculous, muscle building, and fantabulous ways.   

It wasn’t unusual to find me digging through the props room.  I was the “stage manager”.  In  high school, this meant I was also the make-up artist, the costumer, the props darling etc etc etc.   And that was all fine by me!!!  A best friend (to this day) is  Benjamin.  He and I regularly stayed in that theatre painting sets far past our required dorm check-in time, and even past the official lights out time.  We had a blast.  I loved that theatre.  I love theatre as a general statement.  It’s magic of course, as so many sets are.  The following story occurred one chilly weekend afternoon, when the school was quite possibly empty.   And likely, so was the town.  At boarding school in the middle of the most beautiful part of New England, when it was quiet, it was dead silent.    So I’m digging alone, through the boxes…I knew the picture frame was there, as I’m the one that had put it back the previous morning.  When all of a sudden…

MURPHY:  Stomping up onto the stage, “Where in the hell is Mell???!!!   Dammit this was supposed to be done yesterday!  No, actually this was supposed to be done last week!   Christ.  Melissa??!!!!!"

ME: Scrambling myself up the steps, I replied sweetly as always.  “Morning Murphy…what can I do for you?”

MURPHY: Pivoting swiftly but with great balance, “ Why is THAT piano not on THIS stage?  I asked you to get it done two weeks ago!”  Despite him and I being in that very theatre, everyday for the last month, and him insisting he’d get some help and do it himself…I replied with  a steady voice to counter his furious one.

ME:” I’ll go find some help right now.  I’ll be honest though, there aren’t many people around…can you check for sta…”

MURPHY:” JUST DO IT!!!”   Well then.  

ME: “Ok Murph, I’ll see who I can wrangle up”…   Shit.  There really wasn’t anybody on campus…I debated even knocking on doors…but I didn’t have time for that.  So off I went…running through the theatres entrance, and then through the student lounge, and the cafeteria.   I was on a mission…maybe not from God, but from Murphy…and anybody with half a brain, knew that he was capable of being much worse…and still he’s the BEST!!!   Ok so anyway, I’m running…fast…just as I’m losing my own temper, I saw a couple guys walking up the back path…” Hey you!!!   I need your help in the theatre!!!   Please seriously, Murphy’s going to kill me …and I’ll do your laundry all week!!!”   They grumbled something, and seeing as they were nice though not large, they made their way into the theatre.  While I popped my head into yet another empty room upstairs…I heard Morgan yelling.

MURPHY:”Is she kidding me?   I don’t know you tell me, can the two of you lift that piano up onto the stage?  Because I’ve gotta tell ya at this point, I’m thinking of pre-recording the damn music” 

ME:”Fuck”…   Just as I bounced toward the next room I heard another sound.  It was a booming voice…but with a different strength.  “Oh you’ve got to be mother fucking kidding me NO WAY!”  This all from me, I didn’t swear, I did skip class but only because it was insanely difficult.  Never did drugs, never smoked, was a pretty good little thing in comparison.   So Murph is still shouting blah blah blah…   whatever whatever whatever…amd boom.  My saving grace.  TILTON!!!!!!!   Mr.T!!!   Seriously, my savior…and history teacher.  I ran up to him beyond breathless…

TILTON:  “ Miss Melissa…what brings you up here today…don’t tell me one of these guys is yours?  Athletes are trouble you know…”  He smirked and gosh what a guy!

ME:  “Hi, haha no, not any of your boys don’t worry.  I need a HUGE favor…and one day I’ll re-pay you…no idea how, but I might not live to figure it out if you don’t help me.”   A minute later, he blew his whistle.  LOUD!

TILTON: “BOYS!  Listen up!  Miss Melissa has a favor and your ALL going to help her! “  He looked at me and nodded to “the boys”.  Mind you at 61 inches with my head held up straight, these “boys” were all at least a foot taller than me…more like two.  The Men’s Varsity Basketball Team. 

ME:” Ok guys, I need help…let’s move!”  He blew the whistle again and yelled “GO” and it took every cell in my being to not jump higher than the gym ceiling and crack my skull…but I didn’t…I kept my cool.  How?  No friggin idea.  The two minutes it took us to walk ( single file) from the gym to the theatre had my heart thundering in my chest harder than any New England storm.  Really.  The pride I felt when I opened the theatre door, and saw the look on the three other people’s faces?  Now THAT was unbelievable.   “Hey Morgan.  Got some help…these guys should be able to do it.”  Don’t forget single file.   Because of the shading of the glass doors, it wasn’t until I moved aside that he could see them start filing in…dunking their heads as they walked through the door way.    TRIUMPH!!!!!   HA!!!

MURPHY:” Wow…Meliss…Wow.  This is unreal.  Your amazing.  You got Tilton to let these guys go?  Melissa how did you do that?  I’m…” he continued to stare back and forth at them and me in total shock.  Not awe, but shock.  Oh yes, Melli’s got MOXIE times ten!   So the team proceeded to move the piano from the pit, to the stage.  It took them all of thirty seconds, and not a scratch.  One day, I really should find those guys and thank them with something awesome…a pendent or something.  And one day, when I’m hugely successful, I FULLY intend too.